2000 Subaru Forester

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2010, OUR 2000 SUBARU FORRESTER WENT INTO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE CAUSING THE CAR TO BE TOTALED, DAMAGE TO A FORD F350 TRUCK AND INJURY TO THE OWNER OF THE TRUCK. SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 2008 WHEN GOING FORWARD AND COMING TO A STOP BEFORE ENTERING A HIGHWAY. CAR ACCELERATED AND HAD TO PRESS BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE UNTIL THE BRAKE MET THE FLOOR. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO OUR REGULAR MECHANIC, WHO EXAMINED IT AND COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HE ADVISED TAKING IT TO A SUBARU DEALER WHICH WE DID. THEY HAD THE CAR FROM FEBRUARY 11 TO MARCH 10, 2008 BUT FAILED TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER 12, 2010 INCIDENT, THE CAR WOULD SOMETIMES HESITATE AFTER A STOP AND THEN LURCH FORWARD, BUT WOULD NOT GO OUT OF CONTROL AS IT DID TWO WEEKS AGO. THE CAR WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND INSPECTED DURING THE 10 YEARS WE HAD IT. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS ATTEMTING TO PARK BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. WHEN I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE WAS A SURGE OF ACCELERATION AND I COULD DO NOTHING BUT RUN INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE SECOND OCCASION WAS SIMILAR, BUT, THIS TIME I WAS TRYING TO COME TO A STOP AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PUSHED, THERE WAS A SURGE OF ACCELERATION AND I HAD TO FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO AVOID STRIKING AN ONCOMING CAR. *AK