2006 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

MY SUBARU FORESTER 2006 HAS SPOTS OF PAINT CHIP ALL OVER IT. SUB DEALER SAID A REP WILL CALL, NO CALL YET. HE SAYS THEIR ROCK CHIPS I TOOK IT TO A AUTO BODY PAINT SHOP ONE OF THE TECH'S SAID IT'S VERY ODD FOR THEIR TO BE ROCK CHIPS ALL OVER THE CAR WE LIVE IN THE CITY. I SAY IT A BAD PAINT JOB!! *TR

REAR TAILGATE HYDRAULIC STRUTS FAIL AND TAIL GATE FALLS! THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES ON MY 2006 SUBARU FORRESTER LL BEAN EDITION. THE STRUTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE SINCE THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FAILED EACH TIME WITH THE AUTHORIZED FACTORY REPLACEMENT PART. THE FIRST TIME IT FAILED THE TAILGATE HIT ME IN THE HEAD AND ALMOST KNOCKED ME OUT. THE SECOND AND THIRD TIMES I WAS MORE AWARE AND WHILE THE TAILGATE STILL HIT ME IT WAS LIKE THE FIRST TIME ( THE REAR TAILGATE IS FAIRLY HEAVY). THESE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS- I WOULD HAVE TO PULL THE REPAIR INFORMATION TO GIVE YOU THE EXACT DATES AND REPAIRS DONE. HOWEVER, THE THIRD FAILURE WAS THIS MORNING (28 APR 08). IT WAS WORKING OK WHEN I LOADED MY TWO BRIEFCASES IN THE VEHICLE AT APPROX. 0730AM EDT. WHEN I MADE A STOP AT 0800 TO REMOVE ONE BRIEFCASE IT IMMEDIATELY FAILED- NO WARNING, NO INDICATION THAT IT WAS GOING TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURES WARRANTY AND HAS APPROX 31,431 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER. THE VEHICLE HAS YOKOHAMA GEOLANDAR, SIZE P215/60R16 TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE FLATTENED. THE ROAD SURFACE WAS SMOOTH. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A 1.5 INCH HOLE IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 12,700. UPDATED01/08/08 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER. THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE FAILS TO ACTIVATE AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK. ON EACH OCCASION, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ALSO DOES NOT ACTIVATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED APPROXIMATELY ONCE OUT OF 20-30 STARTS. THE CONTACT'S WIFE WEIGHS 120 LBS AND IS 5'5 INCHES TALL. SHE SITS ERECTLY WITH THE SEAT BACK NEARLY VERTICAL. THE FAILURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND INVESTIGATED BY THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE "OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEM IS WORKING AS ITS DESIGNED INTENT AND AS SUCH WE ARE UNABLE TO RECOMMEND A REPAIR OR MODIFICATION". THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,421. UPDATED 01/03/08 *BF OIL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, THE ENGINE WOULD SURGE AND SAG DURING SLIGHT DOWNGRADES WITH THE THROTTLE HELD JUST OFF IDLE AND SPEED HELD CONSTANT, THE SPEED CONTROL OVER AND UNDER SHOOTS ON SLIGHT GRADES, IT WOULD NOT GO TO FULL THROTTLE, OR TO CLOSED THROTTLE WHEN SPEED CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED. UPDATED *JB

ON OCT. 5,2007 - I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT.AN ILLEGAL ALIEN WITHOUT A DRIVERS LICENSE WAS LOOKING FOR HIS CELL PHONE AND TRAVELING AT LEAST 15-20 MILES OVER THE POSTED SPEED - SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. IT SENT MY CAR THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND TURNED IT COMPLETELY AROUND. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON THE SEATBACK OF MY DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED ONTO THE BACK SEAT. BECAUSE OF THE COLLAPSE - MY SEATBELT DID NOT PROTECT ME - IT NEARLY SEVERED MY LEFT EAR. I HAVE NO MEMORY OF ANY OF IT. I HAVE A BRAIN SLOSH INJURY - (SIMILAR TO SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME). I HAVE DOUBLE VISION, NECK PAIN, AND BACK PAIN. I HAVE MEMORY PROBLEMS AND LOST TWO WEEKS PAY FOR THE TWO WEEKS I MISSED OF WORK. I STILL HAVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS A MONTH LATER, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU WANT TO EAT AND HAVE BILLS TO PAY - YOU HAVE TO WORK! *TR

SINCE PURCHASING MY VEHICLE BRAND NEW ON 7/4/05, THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM FAILS TO ACTIVATE THE FRONT AIRBAG FOR PASSENGERS WHO ARE BOTH LARGER AND HEAVIER THAN THE PURPORTED CUTOFF OF 80-POUND CHILDREN. THE PASSENGER IS 5'3", 105LBS, YET THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES TO THE "OFF" POSITION INTERMITTENTLY DESPITE THE PASSENGER SITTING STRAIGHT. THE AIRBAG ALSO SOMETIMES FAILS TO ARM UPON START UP OF THE CAR, AND WILL REMAIN "OFF" FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. THE CAR WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN A SAFETY CAMPAIGN, IN WHICH MY PASSENGER SEAT WIRING WAS ALREADY CHECKED BY THE DEALER AND FOUND TO BE ROUTED PROPERLY, WHICH MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE AIRBAG IF ROUTED IMPROPERLY. THUS, THE WIRING IS A NON-ISSUE. THE FAULT IS IN THE PASSENGER SENSING EQUIPMENT. ATTEMPTS TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO BE CHECKED WITH DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT, ENDED IN BEING TOLD THAT THE SYSTEM IS "WORKING AS DESIGNED". I CONTACTED SUBARU CORPORATE AND LOCAL DEALER ON 10/18/07, WHO TOLD ME THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO FIX/CHANGE THE SITUATION, AS THE SYSTEM CANNOT BE ADJUSTED, NOR DO THEY PERCEIVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. I ALREADY EXPLAINED TO SUBARU THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER KNOWN OWNERS OF 06-08 FORESTER MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT 130LB PASSENGERS STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT WHILE THE INTENT OF SUBARU'S DESIGN WAS GOOD, THE DESIGN IS FLAWED, AS THE SENSOR PAD IS NOT SENSITIVE ENOUGH FOR MANY PASSENGERS, AND THE INTERMITTENT-NATURE OF THE SENSOR IS QUITE DANGEROUS SHOULD A FRONTAL-IMPACT OCCUR. THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED ON MY CAR FOR OVER A YEAR IN WHICH I STARTED TAKING NOTICE, AND THERE IS NO KNOWN FIX, NOR HAVE I BEEN TOLD THAT SUBARU IS ADMITTING TO A PROBLEM OR SEEKING A SOLUTION. THIS IS A BIG LIABILITY AND SAFETY CONCERN OF MINE, AND HOPE TO FIND SOME RESOLUTION. *TR

YOKOHAMA TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT ABOUT 10 MPH. TIRE WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND HAD 12,500 MILE ON IT. HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES AS THE 06 FORRESTER IS AWD. *TR

2006 SUBARU FORESTER BUMPER SCRATCHED AND REPAIRED WITHOUT CUSTOMER KNOWING. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE DEALER TOLD HER THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW. GETTING IT REPAIRED BECAUSE OF A MINOR FENDER BENDER THE REPAIRMAN SAID THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE.**NAR**KB THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTOBODY SHOP TO HAVE THE BUMPER REPAIRED, HOWEVER WHEN THE MECHANIC WENT TO SAND THE BUMPER, PAINT FLEW OFF IN BIG CHUNKS. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER EVIDENCE SHOWED THE BUMPER HAD BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED PAINT WOULD NOT STICK TO THE BUMPER WHICH INDICATED IT HAD NOT BEEN SANDED CORRECTLY IN THE PAST AND THE BOLTS WERE NOT FASTENED CORRECTLY. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO HER AS NEW. *JB

EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION TWICE. , ONCE WHEN ACCELERATING ON THE HIGHWAY TO PASS AND THE GAS PEDAL APPEARED TO STICK., AND ONCE WHEN PULLING UP TO A CURBSIDE AS THE BRAKE WAS APPILED AND THE VECHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD COLLIDING INTO A PARKED CAR AND PUSHING IT FORWARD. I HAD TO JAM HARD ON THE BRAKE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. *AK

I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY DOWN THE STREET, MADE A LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING LOT. PERHAPS I TURNED A LITTLE TOO SHARPLY. THERE WAS A SUDDEN SURGE AND ACCELERATION AND THE BRAKES WERE UNRESPONSIVE. THE CAR "RAN AWAY" WHILE I TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO BRAKE IT. HIT THE BUILDING. I BACKED AWAY AND IT SURGED BACKWARD AND HIT A TREE. THEN I WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO PARK AND TURN IT OFF.