2002 Subaru Forester

DRIVER OF FORESTER WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ABOUT 10 FEET AWAY FROM CAR IN FRONT. DRIVER TOOK FOOT AWAY FROM BRAKE PEDAL FOR A MOMENT AND CAR SURGED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. DRIVER SLAMMED BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, BUT FORESTER CONTINUED TO SURGE FORWARD. DRIVER SWERVED TO TRY TO AVOID ACCIDENT BUT STILL CLIPPED BUMPER OF CAR IN FRONT AND CAUSED DAMAGE. FORESTER CONTINUED TO SURGE AND BUCK FORWARD FOR ANOTHER MOMENT BEFORE FINALLY STOPPING (DRIVER'S FOOT HAD REMAINED FIRMLY ON BRAKE THE ENTIRE TIME). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I HAD BOUGHT IT FROM JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING IN A SUBARU AND REFUSED TO EVEN INVESTIGATE IF THERE WAS A MECHANICAL ERROR THAT WOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF LEGAL FEARS. THEY IMPLIED THE ACCIDENT WAS MY FAULT AND I WAS LOOKING TO BLAME THEM. DESPITE MINOR DAMAGE, THE CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE, YET I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I WAS SCARED OF DRIVING IT EVER AGAIN. I WAS LUCKY I ONLY HIT ANOTHER CAR'S BUMPER-- IT COULD'VE BEEN A BICYCLIST OR PEDESTRIAN WHO WAS STRUCK! MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM AT THIS POINT, BUT I REFUSE TO DRIVE THAT CAR UNLESS SOMEONE FINDS THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE OUT OF CONTROL SURGING AND FIXES IT. I AM APPALLED SUBARU IS DENYING THIS PROBLEM EVEN EXISTS. *NM

THERE WAS NOT ANY WARNING OR INDICATION PRIOR TO THE VEHICLES FAILURE AND ALL SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED AND UP TO DATE. WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON OUR 2002 SUBARU FORESTER WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES AN HOUR. THE ONLY INDICATION OF THE FAILURE WAS A SUDDEN RISE IN RPMS ON THE TACHOMETER FOLLOWED BY THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND HAD TO INCH OUR WAY ALONG THE FREEWAY SHOULDER TO THE NEAREST OFF RAMP AND PROCEEDED SEVERAL MILES, COASTING DOWN HILL ,UNTIL THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER MOVE UNDER ITS OWN POWER. THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM

I WAS BACKING MY 2002 SUBARU FORESTER OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, CAUSING IT TO CROSS THE ROAD HEADING FOR MY NEIGHBORS' HOUSE. FLOORING THE BRAKE DID NOT HELP BUT I MANAGED TO TURN THE CAR SLIGHTLY, HITTING A TREE, WHERE IT CAME TO A STOP. THIS HAD HAPPENED TO ME TWICE BEFORE IN THIS CAR, AND ONCE TO ANOTHER REGULAR DRIVER OF THIS CAR. ALL INCIDENTS WERE WHEN MANEUVERING SLOWLY, BUT SOME WERE WHILE IN REVERSE AND OTHERS WHILE MOVING FORWARD. IN ALL THE EARLIER INCIDENTS, WE WERE SOMEHOW ABLE TO BRING THE CAR UNDER CONTROL AND TO A STOP BEFORE HITTING ANYTHING. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO A FRIEND WHO OWNS A 2002 FORESTER. NONE OF US HAVE EVER HAD IT HAPPEN IN ANY OTHER CAR, AND WE HAVE ALL BEEN DRIVING REGULARLY FOR 35 YEARS.

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING BEFORE THE CONSUMER GOT IN THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTS IT INTO REVERSE WHILE THE FOOT WERE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE COMMENCES TO ACCELERATE AND LURCH BACKWARD AND RAN INTO THE ENTRANCE OF THE DRUG STORE. CONSUMER SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF AGAIN AND HIT A METAL POLE. NO INJURIES WAS REPORTED AND BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER WERE RESTRAINED IN THEIR SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOW TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND PICK UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE REPAIR SHOP. *NM

MY VEHICLE WAS BROADSIDED ON THE LEFT SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT FAILED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH. DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE EXTENDED FROM THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO THE REAR LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT SPUN MY VEHICLE INTO A TREE THAT DAMAGED THE RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. NEITHER LEFT NOR RIGHT SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004 I NOTIFIED SUBARU OF AMERICA OF THE AIRBAG FAILURE. THEY ASSIGNED CASE #700-407 AND SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE RICK POZNIAK. ON DECEMBER 3, 2004 SUBARU OF AMERICA THROUGH RICK POZNIAK INFORMED ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE THE AIR BAG FAILURE.*AK

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER PRESSED THE ACCELERATE PEDAL ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STOP AND ACCELERATE AT THE SAME TIME. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THIS COULD BECOME A POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SITUATION. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. *AK