2003 Subaru Forester

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER.THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V464000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER ARM) WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE SUB-FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE FRAME ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 157,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 05/08/12*LJ

WE TOOK OUR 2003 SUBARU FORESTER IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME OF THE CAR WAS IN "SERIOUS" CONDITION AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A PHOTO WAS TAKEN AND SENT TO THE DISTRICT MANAGER FOR HIS REVIEW. WE REPLACED THE CONTROL ARMS ON OUR OWN IN DECEMBER 2011. TOOK THE CAR IN TO OUR DEALERSHIP IN JANUARY 2012 FOR RECALL OF CONTROL ARMS AND NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT THE FRAME AT THAT TIME. MECHANIC STATED YOU CAN PUT YOUR FINGER INTO THE HOLE IN THE FRAME OF THE CAR. FORESTER WAS NEVER DRIVEN OFF-ROAD AND WAS DRIVEN SOLELY IN THE CITY. THE FRAME SHOULD NOT HAVE RUSTED OUT THROUGH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. WINTER THIS YEAR WAS VERY MILD. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AS FRAMES ON CARS SHOULD NOT DEVELOP HOLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE EXHIBITED A LOUD, UNUSUAL NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED OR WHEN DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE ENGINE AND ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE MANUFACTURE WAS A FACTORY DEFECT AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BUT THE HEAD GASKET THEN BEGAN LEAKING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT AND DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,279 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,300. UPDATED 04/05/12*LJ UPDATED 06/13/2012 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER . THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V464000. (SUSPENSION: FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM) AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE REPAIR COULD NOT BE PERFORMED BECAUSE THE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 03/28/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER CONTACTING SUBARU OF AMERICA, THEY AGREED TO COVER ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPAIR, INCLUDING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SUBFRAME. UPDATED 03/30/12*JB

I HAVE A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER AND HAVE HAD AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON. SOMETIMES IT COMES ON AND GOES OFF BY ITSELF. MOST RECENTLY, IT WENT OFF AFTER I CHANGED THE PASSENGER SEAT POSITION. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT IT IS DUE TO THE AIRBAG SENSORS UNDER THE FRONT SEATS BEING JOSTLED OR DETACHED EITHER BY CHANGING SEAT POSITIONS OR SLIDING SOMETHING DOWN ALONGSIDE THE SEAT (LIKE A MAGAZINE OR NEWSPAPER.) I'VE HAD THE SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FIXED AT CONSIDERABLE COST TO ME. IT'S ANNOYING AND CLEARLY A DESIGN PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE REMEDIED BY THE DEALER AT NO CHARGE. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH. IT WENT OUT ONCE FOR A BIT BUT HAS BEEN ON SINCE. I HAD ONE SERVICE DEPT. SAY THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR. THS SUBARU DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE AIR BAG SENSORS UNDER FRONT SEATS.- CAUSED BY CHANGING THE POSITION OF THE SEATS FREQENTLY AND MADE THE WIRES BREAK. I HAVE 88.000 MILES ON MY CAR. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER SO I DO NOT CHANGE MY SEAT POSITION OFTEN. THERE WAS NOTHING NOTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE ABOUT LIMITING CHANGE OF SEAT POSITION. THIS IS ACTUALLY REDICULOS. THEY STATED IT WOULD COST $370 TO FIX AND THEY HAD PACKET PARS AVAILABLE AND COULD EASILY REPLACE THEM. THEY STATED THIS IS AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM - IF SO UNCOMMON PROBLEM WHY DID THEY HAVE TO COME UP WITH THESE REPLACEMENT PACKETS? I READ THEY REENGINEERED THIS PART FOR THE NEXT YEAR MODEL. I DID SOME CHECKING AND FOUND SERVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF 2003 FORESTERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT ENOUGHT COMPLAINTS TO FORCE A RECALL. . IT IS A DEFINITE "COMMON" PROBLEM. IN THE END THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $150 AND REPLACED ONLY ONE SENSOR WHICH RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. I'VE READ THAT SUCH "SAFETY PARTS" SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST? IS THIS TRUE? THEN I THINK I AM OWED A REFUND I AM PRINTING OUT A FEW OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS AND ALSO THE STATEMENT THAT THIS REPAIR SHOULD COST NOTHING AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. COULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE IN COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES, THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT AN UNUSUALLY OVERPOWERING GASOLINE FUEL ODOR FROM THE INTERIOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS YET THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.

WE'RE THE OWNERS OF A 2003 SUBARU FORESTER (ABOUT 90 000 MILES). FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS AFTER WE FILL THE GAS TANK, WE DETECT GAS FUMES NEAR THE REAR WHEELS - EXTERIOR ONLY. AS THE TANKS LEVEL GOES DOWN, THE SMELL WILL GO AWAY. WE ARE NOT OVER-FILLING; IN FACT WE WILL FILL BEFORE THE PUMP "CLICKS OFF". THERE IS NO DRIPPING OF GAS AND OUR MECHANIC HAS CHECKED FOR LEAKS/OVERFLOWS ETC AND HAS FOUND NOTHING. OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS WRONG AND WE ARE NOT THE ONLY OWNERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS EXTERIOR SMELL (IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN VERY PREVALENT IN THE 2002 MODEL). THE DEALER HAS BEEN NO HELP. WE HOPE NHTSA CAN HELP US. THANKS. *TR

THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WAS -17, I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR ALL DAY. AT 6:30 PM I DROVE THE CAR FOR 1/2HOUR, ALL WAS WELL. 2 HOURS LATER (-3 DEGREES) I GOT IN THE CAR AND DROVE 15 MIN AT WHICH TIME I CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND TURNED RIGHT ONTO ANOTHER ROAD AND THE SMELL OF GAS INSIDE THE CAR BEGAN. I LOOKED UP THE SYMPTOMS ONLINE AND FOUND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. *TR