1999 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

CONSUMER STATES THE REAR BEARING HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME WITHIN SIX MONTHS, DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. NLM *YD

THE WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE FAILED THREE TIMES SO FAR, AND I NEED TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AGAIN FOR THE FOURTH TIME. THE FIRST TIME WAS AT 60000 MILES AND THEN AT 65000 AND NOW AT 74000 MILES. I CAN NOT BELIEVE SUBARU HAS DONE NOTHING FOR US UP TO THIS POINT. I FEEL FORTUNATE WE HAVE NOT HURT SOMEONE AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. NLM

THE ORIGINAL FAILURE WAS DUE TO A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. THE NEXT 3 REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS ALSO DEVELOPED LEAKS. THE 4TH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION IS OK TO DATE.*AK

PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT WHEEL BEARING. DEALER OR MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

UPON ENTERING THE HIGHWAY RAMP, BRAKES FAILED, PEDAL WAS PRESSED TO THE FLOOR RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH THE CAR IN FRONT, 2 PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. *JG

AT SLOW SPEEDS OR WHEN COMING TO A STOP BRAKE PEDAL FEELS MUSHY, THEN, IT GOES TO THE FLOOR. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET.

CONSUMER HEARD A ROARING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE, BEGINNING AT 4000 MILES. DEALER COULD NOT FIND CAUSE. AFTER THIRD VISIT DEALER SUGGESTED IT WAS A TIRE PROBLEM. CONSUMER REPLACED ALL TIRES, BUT NOISE KEPT GETTING LOUDER. ON FOURTH VISIT DEALER REPLACED ALL WHEEL BEARINGS, WHICH TOOK CARE OF NOISE, SEPTEMBER 25, 2001. *AK

OIL PUMP SEAL OIL LEAK, FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. STILL LOOSING OIL FOUND HEAD GASKET LEAK, WILL FIX UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER SAID ENGINE STILL USING OIL, BUT THEY WILL NOT FIX IT AS THEY SAY 1 QUART EVERY 1000 MILES IS NORMAL. BUT DEALER WANT TO CHECK THE VEHICLE EVERY 2000 MILES. *YH

THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE FAILED 4 TIMES, THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING HAS FAILED ONCE. NLM

AUGUST 2000. RIGHT REAR BEARINGS BROKE APART WHILE DRIVING OFF ROAD. SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND I WAS ON VACATION, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST PRIVATE GARAGE. I SUBMITTED THE BILL FOR THE REPAIRS AND RENTAL CAR TO SUBARU WHICH THEY PAID. AUGUST 13, 2001: RIGHT REAR BEARINGS WENT OUT AGAIN ON CITY STREETS NEAR HOME. MY SON TOOK THE CAR TO STEVENS CREEK SUBARU. THEY TOLD ME WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR ON 8/15 THAT FORESTERS OF ALL YEARS HAVE THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. FURTHER, ONCE A CAR HAS THE PROBLEM, IT WILL CONTINUE TO RECUR. THE WARRANTY COVERED ALL COSTS. LESS THAN ONE WEEK LATER, 8/20, THE BEARINGS WENT OUT AGAIN. THIS TIME WE WERE ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD GOING AROUND A LEFT BEND WHEN THEY BROKE. I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AS IT STARTED TO SLIDE TOWARDS THE CLIFF, BUT MANAGED TO GET IT TO A SMALL TURNOUT SAFELY. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT 49ER SUBARU IN ANGELS CAMP, CA, TOLD ME THAT THE AXLE "EXPLODED" AS A RESULT OF THE BEARINGS GOING OUT, WHICH IS WHY THE CAR HAD STARTED TO SLIDE. THEY USED ALL FORESTER PARTS TO REPLACE THE BROKEN ONES, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THEY USED LEGACY BEARINGS INSTEAD OF FORESTER BEARINGS. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A FACTORY APPROVED CHANGE, BUT THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE A TSB OR ANYTHING IN WRITING STATING THAT THIS WAS AN APPROVED SUBSTITUTION. SUBARU PAID FOR ALL REPAIRS AND THE HOTEL, AND THEY EXTENDED MY WARRANTY TO 6 YEARS 100,000 MILES. DENE WITT, SUBARU CENTRAL REGION OFFICE, 15000 E. 39TH AVE, AURORA, CO 80011 WAS VERY HELPFUL AND KIND THROUGHOUT THIS ORDEAL AND WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO MAKE SURE WE GOT BACK ON THE ROAD QUICKLY (SHE HAD TO HAVE AN AXLE OVERNIGHTED FROM OUT OF STATE). CAN THIS COMPLAINT BE KEPT ANONYMOUS SINCE I STILL OWN THE FORESTER AND MAY HAVE TO DEAL WITH SUBARU IN THE FUTURE? THANKS, SHARON "EILEEN" CERVANTES. *AK