2001 Subaru Forester

I WAS DRIVING ALONE IN A 2001 SUBARU FORESTER AROUND 3PM ON A SUNNY AUGUST DAY IN 2010. HEADING SOUTH ON A 2 LANE ROAD IN TALLAHASSEE, FL, I APPROACHED A RED STOPLIGHT AHEAD WITH TWO VEHICLES STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. AS I STARTED TO BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED, I SWERVED INTO THE ONCOMING LANE TO AVOID THE STOPPED CARS IN MY LANE AS THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 40 MILES/HR. A VEHICLE HAD JUST MADE A TURN AT THE LIGHT INTERSECTION INTO THE ONCOMING LANE, SO I HAD TO STEER THE FORESTER TO THE LEFT, UP OVER A CURB ONTO AN EMBANKMENT TO GET AROUND THE ONCOMING CAR TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION, THEN STEER BACK ONTO THE ROAD TO AVOID A TELEPHONE POLE. THE VEHICLE CAREENED BACK ACROSS INTO THE ORIGINAL LANE I STARTED IN WHILE THE TRAFFIC WAS STILL STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. I PASSED IN FRONT OF THE STOPPED CARS AND MISSED THEM . AT THAT POINT I SMACKED HARD AGAINST THE OTHER CURVE IN THE ORIGINAL SOUTHBOUND LANE I WAS TRAVELING IN AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST. THREE OF FOUR TIRES WERE DAMAGED FROM IMPACT WITH THE CURBS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OTHER THAN TO THE THREE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE AND THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL ASSEMBLY. I HAD PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH 98,000 MILES ON IT, HAD EXTENSIVE REPAIRS DONE ON IT AND HAD DRIVEN IT ABOUT 6,000 MILES BEFORE THIS OCCURRENCE. I HAD NOTED NO INCIDENCE OF ABRUPT ACCELERATION WITH THIS VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE, NOR IN THE ADDITIONAL 5,000 MILES I HAVE DRIVEN IT SINCE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHO SENT ME TO A BODY SHOP. I TOOK THE REPAIRED VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE ACCELERATOR. THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR LINKAGE SYSTEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON JUNE 14, 2010, WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGES. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR CENTER WHERE IT WAS CURRENTLY BEING INSPECTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE DEALERSHIP OR THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 150,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS EXAMINING HER VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE KNOCK SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE OF HER VEHICLE BECAME VERY WARM WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 99000.

2001 SUBARU FORESTER 87500 MILES ON IT. 12/2007 HAD REAR WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED AT INDEPENDENT SHOP. NOW IT IS 12/2008 WITH ONLY 92K MILES ON IT, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL BEARING IS HOWLING LIKE A BANSHEE. PASSENGER REAR WHEEL BEARING GETTING LOUDER BUT NOT AS BAD. MIGHT HAVE DEALER REPLACE THEM THIS TIME AND CHECK HUB ASSEMBLY FOR DAMAGE ETC. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 SUBARU FORESTER WITH A DEFECTIVE MAGNA DONNELLY AUTO DIMMING REARVIEW MIRROR. THIS MIRROR IS IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MAKES OF CARS, AND HAS BROADLY FAILED, IN SOME INSTANCES LEAKING (EVEN BURSTING) CAUSTIC CONTENTS THAT HAVE DISSOLVED PLASTIC COMPONENTS IN CARS. SOME CERTIFIED AUTO MANUFACTURERS MECHANICS HAVE STATED TO OWNERS OF FAILED MIRRORS THAT ONE CONSTITUENT OF THE PATENTED "A72 ELECTROLYTE" IN THE MIRROR IS A FORM OF MERCURY. THE MSDS THAT I REQUESTED FROM MAGNA DONNELLY LISTS 7 OF 8 CONSTITUENTS AS TRADE SECRETS, AND HENCE NO DETAIL. THE FACT REMAINS THAT THIS MIRROR FAILS WELL BEFORE THE AUTO HAS AGED. IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO SPEW CAUSTIC CONTENTS. IT IS A SAFETY DEVICE THAT FAILS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. A SIMPLE LOOK AT TWO ONLINE FORUMS DEALING WITH THIS DEVICE CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.ACURAMDX.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?THREADID=25607 AND HTTP://WWW.ACURAMDX.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=19282&HIGHLIGHT=MIRROR+BLOB. MAGNA DONNELLY DID REPLACE THESE MIRRORS AT NO COST UP UNTIL LAST YEAR. THEY NO LONGER DO. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY. *TR

BOUGHT MY 2001 FORESTER USED WITH APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER OWNING IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOTICED HESITANCY WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT. SLOWLY STARTED GETTING WORSE. CAR WOULD SIT FOR ABOUT 10 TO 15 SECONDS AFTER BEING PUT INTO DRIVE BEFORE ENGAGING AND IF FOOT IS NOT ON BRAKE, HAS A HARSH ENGAGEMENT (WHIPLASH TYPE THING WHERE IT THROWS YOU FORWARD). SO, AFTER MUCH RESEARCH AND FINDING OUT THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY 1000S OF OTHER FORESTER OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA WHO OF COURSE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND IF THEY FOUND ANYTHING WRONG, SUBARU MIGHT GIVE ME SOME GOODWILL ASSISTANCE. WELL AS THEY FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION FILTER WAS NOT A SUBARU BRAND AND NOR WAS THE FLUID, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE IT AND THEN RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, SAYING THAT MAYBE THAT OTHER FILTER CAUSED THE PROBLEM. I TRIED EXPLAINING THAT THE REASON WE CHANGED IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, NOT WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. WE CHANGED IT TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP AND OF COURSE IT DIDN'T. THEN, OF COURSE, SUBARU WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING AS I DID NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM TO CHANGE THE FILTER AND FLUID ONLY TO CHARGE ME FOR THAT AND THEN TELL ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I POINTED OUT ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS, BUT THEY INSIST IT IS NOT A DEFECT, WHEN APPARENTLY THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS. *TR