1999 Subaru Forester

REAR SEAT BELT ANCHORS/ASSEMBLY ON 1999 SUBARU FORESTER DO NOT ALLOW FOR ACCEPTABLE SECURE INSTALLATION OF CHILD SEAT (HAVE TRIED APPROX 7 DIFFERENT MODELS/SEAT MAKES SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE MAY 1999). RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE REAR SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY CONSISTS OF ELR/ALR CONTINUOUS LOOP LAP/SHOULDER BELT WITH SLIDING LATCH PLATE. SEAT BELT LOCKS (THE FEMALE PART) FOR RIGHT, LEFT AND EVEN CENTER (WHICH IS LAP ONLY) ARE ANCHORED FORWARD OF SEAT CREASE SO THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PROPERLY SECURE CHILD SEATS. THE CHILD SEAT MANUALS/INSTRUCTIONS SUGGEST THAT VEHICLES WITH SUCH SEAT BELT PLACEMENT MIGHT NOT BE COMPATIBLE, ETC. THEY SUGGEST "MOVING THE CHILD SEAT TO A DIFFERENT POSITION." AGAIN, HOWEVER, IN 1999 FORESTER, NONE OF THE THREE REAR POSITIONS FUNCTION. SUBARU 1999 FORESTER OWNER'S MANUAL HAS SECTION ON CHILD SEAT INSTALLATION, OF COURSE. THEY SUGGEST/IMPLY SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY AND REAR SEATS ARE SAFE FOR USE WITH CHILD SEAT(S). THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE MANUAL, HOWEVER, ARE OF SEAT BELTS ANCHORED/PLACED AT SEAT CREASE, NOT AS ASSEMBLY ACTUALLY EXISTS ON 1999 FORESTER. WHAT CAN WE DO? WE ARE SCARED. POLICE OFFICER TRIED TO HELP INSTALL ONE OF TWO SEATS WE BOUGHT TODAY (NO. SIX OF SEVEN, SEVENTH PURCHASED AFTER FAILED INSTALL OF SIXTH). RE: BRAKES -- RIGHT REAR DISC BRAKES HAVE SQUEEKED SINCE PURCHASE IN 1999 (NEW) . DEALER MAINTENANCE IN AUGUST 2000 NOTED THE PROBLEM AND LUBED BRAKES BUT DID NOT CURE PROBLEM WHICH PERSISTS. *AK

VEHICLE IS LOSING APROXIMATELY ONE QUART OF OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE "BURNING" OIL NOR IS IT LEAKING. THIS AMOUNT OF OIL LOSS APPEARS HIGH TO ME. I CALLED SUBARU INTERNATIONAL IN NEW JERSEY AND THEY SAID THIS IS "NORMAL" FOR A SUBARU. I FIND THIS VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE CAN LOSE 1 QUART OF OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. I ASKED THE DEALER (MARZOLF SUBARU) TO FIX IT, AND THEY SAID NO AS IT WAS NOT UN-NORMAL FOR A SUBARU TO LOSE THIS MUCH OIL. THANKYOU FOR LOOKING INTO THIS PROBLEM.*AK

ALL WHEEL DRIVE REBULIT 2/00,AFTER COMPLAING TO SERVICE CENTER THE WHEELS FEEL AS IF THEY ARE NOT WORKING IN UNISON.YTHE CAR DOES THIS ON DRY ROAD (NOT A MUCH),ON WET ROADS MORE FREQUENTLY,IN SONW NOT AT ALL THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND TO CHANGE IN ROAD CONDITIONS AND DOES NOT STOP IN NORMAL TIME,EVEN AFTER APPLYING BRAKES HARD.THE CAR DOES INTERMITTEN STOPPING BEFOREE IT CAME TO A FULL STOP.THIS HAAPENED IN 1/00 AND AGAIN 2/01.THE CAR IS PRESENTLY IN FOR REPAIRS,BUT I AM NOT CONFIDENT WITH THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN. I MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY IF IT OCCURS AGAIN.WHEN I FIRST INQUIRED IF ANY ONE ELSE HAS REPORTED DIFFICULTY WITH THE BRAKES RESPONDING 10/99 AND WAS TOLD NO.THEN WHEN THE CAR DID NOT REPOND TO STOPPING IN 1/00 I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE ANTILOCKING BRAKES WORKING BECAUE I WAS ON SNO,BUT WHEN THE CAR SLIPPED DOWN AND COULD NOT MAKE IT UP A SMALL INCLINE THEY TOLD " I FIND THAT HAD TO BELEIVE.THAT WAS WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN AND IT WAS FOUND THE VEHICLE HAD NO ALL WHEEL DIRVE.I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AGAIN FOR THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES AND WAS TOLD THEY WORKED FINE ACCORDING TO THE SPECIFICATION FOR THIS VEHICLE.THIS CAR IS STATED TO HAVE ALL WHEEL DRIVE ALL THE TIME THIS IS NOT TRUE. I HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS AS TO MY SAFETY WHICH HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN SERIOUSLY.I DID COMPLAIN AGAIN AND THEY CHECK THE CAR IN 3/01 AND TOLD ME THE TIRE PRESSURE IN THE REAR WAS LOW,BUT I TRIED TO EXPLAIN I HAVE MY TIRE ROTATED AND CHECK BY SEARS EVERY 6000 MILE AND I CHECK THE TIRES MYSELF BECAUSE I KNOW THIS WILL AFFECT THE RIDE & MILAGE.WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS TAKING THE CAR TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHANGED THE OIL TEMP LIGHT STARTED TO FALSH WHICH INDICATRES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION.THE DIAGNOSTIC READ CODE;38 TORQUE CONTROL SINGNAL; THE SERVICE TECH THEN PERFORMED TRAN SERVICE,PUT 4 QUARTS OF TRANMISSION FLUID IN THE CAR AND REPLACED THE GASKET(CHARGING ME FOR THIS). I CALLED THEM BACK TO INQUIRE WHY THIS WAS DONE WHEN I HAD THIS SAME SERVICE PERFORMED WHEN THEY DID THIS.

06/27/00 AT 39787 MILES, NOISE GRADUALLY GETTING LOUDER IN REAR, VIBRATION. RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING AND AXLE REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP. 09/14/00 AT 46801 MILES, SAME WHEEL BEARING REPLACED AGAIN. 09/25/00 AT 47660 MILES, BEARING FAILED SUDDENLY WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH IN RAIN ON I-66, GRINDING AND SCREECHING. I WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY AND EXIT FREEWAY. DEALER AGAIN REPLACED BEARING. 10/25/00 AT 49750, DEALER AGAIN REPLACES BEARING AND HOUSING ALSO THIS TIME. CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF VIBRATION ON TIRES, I ALSO ASK FOR AN ALIGNMENT. 12/19/00, PROBLEM RETURNS. CAR IS SCHEDULED FOR SERVICE 12/27/00. I TRAVEL ROUGHLY 500 MILES PER WEEK, MOSTLY ON VERY RURAL ROADS. I CHOSE SUBARU VERY CAREFULLY AND NEED TO KNOW I CAN RELY ON MY VEHICLE TO AVOID BEING STRANDED ALONE ON THE MOST DESERTED OF ROADS. THIS IS THE 2ND SUBARU I HAVE OWNED (NO PROBLEMS WITH THE FIRST ONE), PURCHASED BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE AWD SYSTEM; HOWEVER, I AM LOSING CONFIDENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR CAR. I LOVE THE FORESTER, AND WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE! I AM SO DISAPPOINTED.