1999 Subaru Forester

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE COASTING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 48,700. UPDATED 05/06/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED DREYER & REINBOLD CHECKED ENGINE, TRANSMISSION MOUNTS SPEED CONTROL AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. 05/06/08 *TR

WE HAVE A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER WITH A 2.5 L ENGINE. WE GOT A RECALL NOTICE 2-2004 REGARDING EXTERNAL COOLANT LEAKS AT THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS. THIS RECALL COVERED VEHICLE YEARS 1999-2002 OR 4 YEARS OF VEHICLES. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD THE SPECIFIC (SPECIAL CONDITIONER) INSTALLED AS REQUIRED BY SUBARU. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US IT TOOK SUBARU 5 YEARS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AS WE ARE ON THE FRONT END OF THE MODEL YEARS IN QUESTION. LAST WEEK THE HEAD GASKETS FAILED AND WITH IT A LARGE REPAIR BILL. SUBARU WILL NOT HONOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AS WE ARE OUTSIDE IT BY LESS THAN 10% IN MILEAGE BUT WITHIN THE SPECIFIED 8 YEARS IN AGE. WE LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND IT IS OUR OPINION THE MILEAGE AMOUNTS ALLOWED DO NOT REPRESENT THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY AND ARE NOT REAL WORLD. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH 2 EXTREMELY EXPERIENCED MECHANICS INCLUDING A NISSAN MECHANIC (NOTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY) WHO INDICATED THE CONDITIONER WAS MERELY A BAND-AID, A WAY FOR SUBARU TO MAKE A TEMPORARY FIX, AND NOT MAKE A PROPER REPAIR BY REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS IN QUESTION. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED SINCE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE THERE HAS BEEN ANTIFREEZE SMELL. HE WOULD PERIODICALLY CHECK THE RESERVOIR, AND ONCE HE NOTICED IT WAS LEAKING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. THERE WAS MANUFACTURER RECALL WWP-99, FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT WHEN HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY TOLD THE CONTACT HE PROBABLY FILLED THE RESERVOIR TOO HIGH, CAUSING THE LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND SUGGESTED HE KEEP AN EYE ON THE PROBLEM. IF IT PERSISTS, THEY WILL FIX THE VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

LOUD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED AS A CRACKED CYLINDER OR PISTON. TOOK THE CAR TO LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP TO REPIAR - HOPING THAT SUBARU WOULD COVER PART OF THE COST (NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTEE.) HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALERSHIP AFTER A REP. FROM SUBARU LOOKED AT THE CAR - THAT THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PISTONS IN THIS CAR DO NOT HAVE A SKIRTING. THERFORE WHEN THEY GO UP AND DOWN IN THE CYLINDER THEY HAVE MORE ROOM THAN NORMAL AND CAN MOVE AROUND MORE. (SOUNDS LIKE AN ENGINEERING FLAW TO ME.) SUBARU SAYS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO COVER 40% OF THE COST TO REPAIR. I FEEL THAT I BOUGHT A CAR THAT WASN'T DESIGNED VERY WELL - AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKES. I HAVE CALLED SUBARU'S COSTUMER SERVICE HOTLINE AND AM WAITING FOR THEM TO REPLY. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE I WAS THE 2ND OWNER OF THE CAR - I WAS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET ANY MORE HELP. REALLY MAKES YOU WANT TO BUY A USED SUBARU!

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ONCE, BUT THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. *JB THE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED ONCE AND THE #02 SENSOR WAS REPAIRED FORCED. TWO DEALERS SUGGESTED THAT THIS MODEL VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPONENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT OR BELOW 100K MILES. *SC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH TENSIONER, FRONT BELT COVER AND HEAD GASKET. *MR THE FRONT BELT COVER AND TENSIONER FAILED TWO MONTHS AFTER THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC DID NOT TORQUE DOWN THE TENSIONER BOLT AND CAUSED IT TO COME LOOSE. THE VALVES WERE BENT EVEN THOUGH THE MOTOR IS CONSIDERED NONINTERFERENCE. TWO RECALLS WERE APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE CONSUMER'S KNOWLEDGE (RECALL WWG90 & WWP99). THE SEAL ON TOP OF THE TENSIONER FAILED. THE MECHANICS HAD GIVEN TWO RESULTS; 3 CYLINDERS WITH NO COMPRESSION. THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING OIL BEFORE THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM IN DECEMBER 2003. THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED CHANGES IN THE OIL LEVEL BETWEEN CHANGES. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A NEW ENGINE. *SC *JB