1999 Subaru Forester

WITH ABOUT 15-18K MILES, I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STUTTERING IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. IT WAS ALWAYS WORST IN WINTER, WHEN IT WAS COLD. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR OTHER ISSUES AND FOUND SEVERAL CHAT ROOMS WHERE PEOPLE WERE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. I TOOK THE CAR IN SEVERAL TIMES TO THE DEALERS WHO SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WHEN READING THE CHAT ROOMS, SOME PEOPLE DID HAVE THE DEALERS SAY THIS WAS A PROBLEM. I CALLED SUBARU'S CUSTOMER LINE AND WAS TOLD TO GO TO THE DEALER. *JB

MULTIPLE MAJOR AND COSTLY REPAIRS TO A VEHICLE THAT IS DRIVEN ON HARD ROAD SERVICES ONLY, AND IN A SAFE MANNER. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. REPAIRS INCLUDE REPLACE OXYGEN SENSOR & EMISSION CONTROL COMPUTER. I WAS EVENTUALLY REIMBURSED FOR THIS SERVICE/PART WHICH TOOK 7 VISIITS TO DEALER AND MUCH CONVINCING ON MY PART. OTHER MAJOR REPAIRS INCLUDE REPLACE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION SEAL (2 VISITS), REPLACE OIL PUMP, REPLACE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING. REPLACEMENT OF OTHER WHEEL BEARINGS IS POSSIBLE AND PENDING. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THIS CAR, JUST WAITING FOR THE NEXT MAJOR REPAIR.

CLUTCH PREMATURELY BURNED OUT. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THE CLUTCH WOULD CHATTER OR DISENGAGE IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED, BUT FAILED AGAIN. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT. THERE WAS NO SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM.*AK THE REPLACEMENT CLUTCH HADN'T FAILED COMPLETELY . IT STARTED EXHIBITING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE FIRST ONE BUT AT AN ACCELERATED PACE. CONSUMER NOTED MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS IN THE BAY AREA EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT AND ARE NOT RIDING THE CLUTCH. *PH *NLM

ESPECIALLY DURING COLD OR DAMP WEATHER MY 1999 SUBARU FORESTER'S CLUTCH SHUDDERS STRONGLY WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. THIS OCCURS PRIMARILY WHEN STARTING IN FIRST GEAR AND IN THE UPSHIFT TO SECOND GEAR. IT ALSO OCCASIONALLY OCURRS IN THE UPSHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR. IT DOES NOT OCURR ON THE DOWNSHIFTS. THIS PROBLEM FIRST APPEARED AT ABOUT 45,000 MILES. THE DEALER SAID I NEEDED A NEW CLUTCH. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS SINCE 1969 AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH BEFORE 100,000 MILES, AND ON MY 1986 HONDA ACCORD I SOLD IT AT 260,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH. I DID NOT REPLACE THE CLUTCH ON MY 1999 SUBARU FORESTER. IT NOW HAS 83,000 MILES, COLD WEATHER HAS RETURNED, AND SO HAS THE CLUTCH SHUDDER

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

THE FAILURE PROBABLY OCCURRED THOUSANDS OF MILES EARLIER SINCE I HEARD A NOISE THAT I THOUGH WAS TIRE NOISE BUT NO LONGER HEAR SINCE THE WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED. THE NOISE KEPT GETTING WORSE SO I FINALLY REALIZED THAT IT MUST BE SOMETHING ELSE. THE DEALER TOOK MY CAR IMMEDIATELY AND FIXED THE PROBLEM THE SAME DAY. I WOULD NOT BE REPORTING THIS EXCEPT THAT ON THE INTERNET THIS SEEMS TO BE A FREQUENT PROBLEM THAT OFTEN REOCCURS INCLUDING MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE SAME CAR. THIS IS ALSO A PROBLEM THAT DOES NOT NORMALLY HAPPEN ON LOW-MILEAGE CARS. *AK