1999 Subaru Forester

I BOUGHT A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER S LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO. IN DECEMBER 2003, AT APPROX. 71,200 MILES, THE CAR BEGAN LOOSING ANTIFREEZE. I DISCOVERED THAT I NEEDED A HEAD GASKET JOB. NOW I FIND THEY HAVE A RECALL ON THIS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I DISCOVERED THE MYSTERIOUS "VANISHING OIL" PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. AT 75,775, I CHECKED THE OIL AND FOUND IT MOSTLY GONE! I RETURNED TO MY MECHANIC, WHO FOUND NO EXTERNAL LEAK AND NO SIGN OF OIL BURNING ON THE SPARK PLUGS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH (SEE NHTSA COMPLAINTS), THIS APPEARS TO BE A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND ADD OIL AS NECESSARY. I SEEM TO NEED 1 QUART PER 1500 MILES, APPROXIMATELY. NOW, THE FINAL PROBLEM. ON 3/24/04, AT 77,848, I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH, HEARD A STRANGE NOISE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND COASTED TO A SAFE TURN OUT. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE TOP OF THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER HAD POPPED OFF, RELEASING THE HYDRAULIC AND OF COURSE THE TIMING BELT. HE HAS NEVER SEEN A TENSIONER FAIL, AND OUT OF THE HUNDREDS OF NEW TIMING BELTS HE HAS DONE, HE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE ABOUT A DOZEN THAT WERE OUT OF SPECS. WE DEBATED A COURSE OF ACTION AND, SINCE IT IS A NON-INTERFERENCE MOTOR, I DECIDED TO REPLACE THE TENSIONER AND NOT THE ENTIRE MOTOR. HE ALSO DID A HAND CRANK TO CHECK FOR RESISTANCE OR OTHER HEAD DAMAGE. AFTER WAITING NEARLY 2 WEEKS FOR PARTS (DUE TO SUBARU'S PART ORDERING METHOD), HE REPLACED THE TENSIONER. WHEN TESTING THE ENGINE, IT DID NOT SOUND RIGHT. HE DID A COMPRESSION TEST AND FOUND NO COMPRESSION ON 3 CYLINDERS! SO NOW I HAD THE SHOCKING PROSPECT OF NEEDING A NEW ENGINE!I DECIDED I BETTER GET HELP FROM THE DEALER, AS THIS ALL APPEARS TO BE A QUALITY ISSUE THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO THIS ENGINE AT THIS MILEAGE. THE CAR IS NOW AT STOHLMAN SUBARU IN VIENNA, VA. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH TEMPERATURE GAUGE SUDDENLY WENT INTO THE HOT ZONE. CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. CHECKED THE FLUIDS LEVEL, ADDED WATER, AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK INTO THE HOT ZONE. CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD, AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO DETERMINED THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE.*AK

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

3 RIGHT WHEEL BEARING FAILURES. AT 16000 MILES THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY (9-11-01). AT 22000 MILES (4-23-03), RIGHT REAR BEARING NOISE RETURNED AND DEALER 'ADJUSTED' THE BEARING. WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, BUT DEALER DID NOT CHARGE FOR 'ADJUSTMENT'. AT 24100 MILES, BEARING FAILED WITH GRINDING AND SMOKE DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. A 100 MILE TOW WAS NECESSARY. THE DEALER IS REFUSING TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. MY POSITION IS THAT IT WAS NEVER FIXED THE FIRST TIME. ONLINE RESEARCH REVEALS OTHERS WITH SIMILAR TALES. ONE TOLD OF HAVING BEARINGS REPLACED 6 TIMES. SUBARU ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (#035002, DEC. 23, 2002) ADVISING OF A NEW WAY TO INSTALL THE REPLACEMENT BEARINGS. A TECH AT MY DEALER SAID THAT THEY WERE TOLD TO START MAKING REPLACEMENTS USING A ROLLER BEARING INSTEAD OF THE OEM BEARING. ONE OTHER PROBLEM - AT ABOUT 20000 MILES AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING, REQUIRING TOWING TO THE DEALER.

ENGINE SEIZED AND BLEW AT 30,000 - I PROVIDED SUBARU WITH ALL RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES THAT COMPLIED WITH WARRANTY. SUBARUA DENIED WARRANTY WRITING THAT OHIO HAS SUCH SEVERE WEATHER THAT THE WARRANTY PROVISIONS DID NOT APPLY. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT SUBARU HAS NO SUCH WARRANTY POLICY. SUBARU DESTROYED MY ENGINE OIL, AFTER RECEIVING A CERTIFIED LETTER DIRECTING THAT THE OIL BE PRESERVED FOR TESTING, CHARGED ME FOR THE OIL'S DISPOSAL, TORE DOWN MY ENGINE, DESTROYED THE DEFECTIVE PARTS, CHARGED ME FOR THE ENGINE TEAR DOWN, AND HAS REFUSED TO COOPERATE IN DISCOVER - I SUED - COURT ORDERED SUBARU TO COMPLY WITH DISCOVERY, AND SUBARU ADMITTED THAT IT'S LETTER DENYING MY WARRANTY WAS BASED ON A FALSE REASON. MY TRIAL AGAINST SUBARU IS IN SEPTEMBER - TRYING TO FIND OTHER INFORMATION THAT MIGHT HELP.

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.