1998 Subaru Forester

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHILE PARKED. THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A FENCE AND HIT SOME BRUSH. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THE HEATER WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS NOT A POLICE REPORT FILED. UPDATED 3/28/2006 - *NM

(1) NOTICED PERIODIC OVERHEATING ON 1998 FORESTER WITH 2.5L DOHC ENGINE. (2) HEAD GASKET FAILED TEMPERATURE SPIKED AND COOLANT BOILED OVER, LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE STEAM FROM HOOD. (3) DEALER SAID PROBLEM WAS HEAD GASKET AND THE ENGINE WAS REPAIRED FOR $1800, SUBARU OF AMERICA WAS NOTIFIED AND DENIED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR ENGINE IN SPITE OF A LARGE NUMBER OF SIMILIAR HEAD GASKET. *AK

1. ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT -- THE CYLINDER WALLS ARE BEING BORED INTO TO PLACE THE ENGINE BOLTS ON THE SUBARU 2.5L ENGINES. IN THIS CASE THE CYLINDER WALL CRACKED THROUGH THE ENTIRE SECTION WHERE IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY BORED INTO ON THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FAIL COMPLETELY. EACH OF THE 4 CYLINDER WALLS ON MY VEHICLE WERE BORED INTO TO SOME DEGREE. I HAVE A 1998 SUBARU FORESTER L. WITH 72,000 MILES. THERE WAS NEVER AN INDICATION OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO ENGINE FAILURE. AT THE TIME OF FAILURE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE PROBLEM. MORE INFORMATION AND PICTURES CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTP://WEBDEV.CE.UTEXAS.EDU/IRWIN 2. THIS CONSEQUENCES OF THE DEFECT RENDERED THE VEHICLE USELESS AND WORTHLESS. AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM OCCURRING. I FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDED MAINTANENCE SCHEDULE GIVEN TO ME BY SUBARU AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY AMMENDMENTS TO THAT SCHEDULE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WE WERE LUCKY THE ENGINE FAILURE DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN A REMOTE LOCATION. 3. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM TO DATE. I HAVE A CASE NUMBER (643095) PENDING WITH SUBARU AS OF 6/25/04, BUT WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE REVIEWED FOR ANOTHER 10 DAYS ON 6/28/04. THE ENGINE FAILED ON 6/16/04.*AK

PLEASE NOTE!..... MY 1998 FORESTER L-MODEL WITH ONLY 54400 MILES HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A LEAKY OIL PUMP....THUS CAUSING OIL TO BE DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE, FRONT AREA, ON TO A PLASTIC SPLASH PAN....WHERE IT LIES UNTIL IT HAS BUILT-UP ENOUGH OF A PUDDLE THAT IT NOW SEEKS TO BE BLOWN REARWARD ALONG THE INSIDE OF THE PAN...(BETWEEN THE SPLASH-PAN AND THE ENGINE) UNTIL FINALLY IT IS BLOWN ON TO THE HOT EXHAUST PIPES LOCATED UNDER THE BODY OF THE CAR...ADJACENT TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER (WHICH IS EXTREMELY HOT)....IT APPEARS THAT SUBARU IS TOTALLY AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS....IN FACT THEY HAVE A REPAIR KIT, WHICH COST $ 30.00...AND THE LABOR COST $ 293.00, THIS CONDITION IS 1. AN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD, 2, A SAFETY HAZARD (POSSIBLE FIRE), AND 3, A RIP-OFF TO ALL CONSUMERS WHO OWN A SUBARU FORESTER, A OIL-PUMP SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 54,000 MILES FOR TWO-BOLTS COMING LOOSE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE BOLTS ARE LOCATED INSIDE THE ENGINE, HOUSING, AND PROTECTED BY NOT ONE, BUT TWO-SEPARATE COVERS.....AND A SPLASH PAN.....THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM....IN ANY ENGINE WHERE PARTS ARE FAILING AT 54,000 MILES IN-TODAY'S TECHNICAL-KNOWLEDGE DRIVE SOCIETY...THE MECHANIC KNEW EXACTLY WHERE TO GO TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM....AFTER I TOLD HIM I SMELT BURNING OIL!*AK

MY 1998 SUBARU FORESTER HESITATES ON ACCELERATION IN THE LOW RPM RANGE. ONCE OVER ABOUT 3000 RPM, IT RUNS FINE. ACCORDING TO A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN RELEASED BY SUBARU IN JAN 1999, #11-53-98, THIS IS CAUSED BY THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE INCORRECTLY INTERPRETING VIBRATIONS IN THE ENGINE AS SKIPPING AND READJUSTING THE FUEL FLOW RATE. THE FIX REQUIRES INSTALLING AN UPGRADED ECM--TO THE TUNE OF WELL OVER $1000. THIS HESITATION PRODUCES AN UNSAFE SITUATION BECAUSE THE CAR MAY AT ANY TIME REFUSE TO ACCELERATE, OR ACCELERATE SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING.*AK