2007 Subaru Forester

I PULLED INTO MY SISTER'S DRIVEWAY. DRIVEWAY IS SHORT; LESS THAN 2 CAR LENGTHS. THE FRONT OF HER HOUSE IS ABOUT 6 FEET OR LESS AHEAD OF END OF DRIVEWAY. I BRAKED AS I PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, UPON PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO THE HOUSE. I WAS ABLE TO BACK THE CAR AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. *TR

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW ROUGHLY 20 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, A STRONG FUEL ODOR FILLS THE CABIN. FLATIRONS SUBARU IN BOULDER, CO, COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, BUT AN INDEPENDENT SUBARU MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM INSTANTLY. HE SAID THE FUEL LINE HAS A SMALL RUBBER MID-SECTION WHICH CONTRACTS WITH COLD WEATHER AND PRODUCES A LEAK. *TR

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, BUT THE CAR RUNS FINE. I HAD IT CHECKED AND MECHANIC SAID GAS CAP PROBLEM AND RESET. AFTER THAT TIME I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO TURN THE GAS CAP UNTIL I HEARD 2 PLUS CLICKS (RECOMMENDED BY SUBARU). I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM 4 TIMES SINCE THEN AND FINALLY WAS TOLD THE LAST TIME I HAD IT RESET WHILE AWAY FROM HOME THAT IT COULD BE A CRACKED FUEL CUT VALVE. THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED 8 MONTHS AGO AND I HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER TO GET IT FIXED OR RESET THE CHECK ENGINE. BECAUSE OF THE CHECK ENGINE, TEXAS INSPECTION FAILED AND NOW DEALER WANTS OVER $900.00 TO REPLACE THE CRACKED VALVES. I THINK THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED BY SUBARU SINCE THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM AND OCCURS BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE PART OR BAD DESIGN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONER, THE BLOWER FAN QUIT. AFTER REMOVING THE BLOWER FAN IT WAS FOUND THAT POWER CONNECTION TO THE FAN HAD COMPLETELY MELTED. THE WIRES HAD BURNED THROUGH AND PLASTIC AROUND THEM WAS COMPLETELY BURNT AND DEFORMED. NO FUSES WERE BLOWN WHICH IS WORRISOME BECAUSE THIS IS THE EXACT TYPE OF THING FUSES ARE DESIGNED TO PREVENT. HAD THE WIRES NOT BURNED THROUGH AND CUT THE POWER TO THE FAN THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS FIRE. *TR

SUNROOF WAS NOT CLOSING PROPERLY. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SUNROOF MOTOR WAS GOING BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BENT SUNROOF FRAME. THE SUNROOF MOTOR WAS COVERED UNDER MY SUBARU EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER THE BENT SUNROOF FRAME WAS NOT. SINCE THE SUNROOF WAS HARDLY USED IN THE PAST 5 YEARS, I MAINTAINED THAT IT WAS EITHER A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR AN ASSEMBLY ERROR. SUBARU REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE FRAME REPLACEMENT. THEREFORE, BY REPLACING JUST THE MOTOR I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM OF THE BENT SUNROOF FRAME WHICH IN TIME WILL MAKE THE SUNROOF MOTOR GO BAD. I ENCOURAGE OTHERS WITH SIMILAR SUNROOF PROBLEMS TO FILE COMPLAINTS. WITH ENOUGH COMPLAINTS, SUBARU MAY DECIDE TO COVER THESE REPAIRS UNDER THEIR CLASSIC EXTENDED SERVICE WARRANTY. *TR

I WAS ADVISED BY AN EMPLOYEE AT MIDAS WHO HAPPENS TO OWN 3 SUBARUS THAT THE HEAT SHIELD ALWAYS COMES LOOSE ON SUBARUS WHICH IS ALARMING. ALTHOUGH IT ONLY COST ME $40 TO REPLACE, I FEEL A LITTLE UNEASY AS I'VE ONLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 1 1/2 YEARS. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE (USED), I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO A SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD FIND AND I SHOULDN'T WORRY. AT ALMOST TWO YEARS, I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ALTHOUGH NOTHING MAJOR HAS HAPPENED AND I'M HOPING AND PRAYING IT DOESN'T AS I AM THE MOTHER OF A 3 YEAR OLD CHILD AND WOULD HATE FOR MY CAR TO EITHER CATCH ON FIRE OR FOR ME TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO SUBARUS NEGLECT TO CORRECTLY INVESTIGATE THE REAL PROBLEM. *TR

SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED 02/18/13 WHEN WE WERE GOING 70 MPH ON A INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR THIS OCCURRENCE WAS APPROX. 78,500 MILES. BOTH TIMES WHILE DRIVING, THE HOOD POPPED OPEN. THE SAFETY LATCH KEPT THE HOOD FROM TOTALLY OPENING. WE BELIEVE THE HOOD WAS SECURED PROPERLY AND HELD OVER 600 MILES BEFORE EACH INCIDENT AND THE CAR WAS TRAVELING MOST OF THAT 600 MILES AT 60 - 70 MILES AN HOUR. BOTH TIMES WE WERE ON A LONG TRIP.

APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHICH WAS TURNING YELLOW AT A T-JUNCTION, I TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES. PERHAPS I HIT THE ACCELERATOR WITH THE FORCE I INTENDED TO USE ON THE BRAKES, BUT WHEN I THOUGHT I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, I LURCHED FORWARD RAPIDLY. I COULD NOT CORRECT IN TIME AND HIT 2 POLES AND A WALL. I DON'T KNOW MY MPH. THE 25 MPH LISTED ABOVE IS A GUESS, BUT THE FRONT END COLLISION WAS SO SUBSTANTIAL THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE AIR BAGS, HOWEVER, DID NOT DEPLOY. THE POLICE, TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND WITNESSES COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIR BAGS HAD NOT GONE OFF. I WAS LUCKY; AT THE HOSPITAL MY INJURIES WERE DETERMINED TO BE MUSCULAR RATHER BONE RELATED, BUT I HAD A SORE NECK, CHEST & LOWER BACK. SUBARU RESPONDED TO NOTIFICATION OF THIS EVENT : "IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISCERN WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT KNOWING THE EXTENT OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FORESTER OWNER'S MANUAL, THE AIRBAGS ARE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A MODERATE TO SEVERE FRONTAL COLLISION. IT IS BASICALLY NOT DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN LESSER FRONTAL IMPACTS BECAUSE THE NECESSARY PROTECTION CAN BE ACHIEVED BY THE SEATBELT ALONE. ALSO, THEY ARE BASICALLY NOT DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN SIDE OR REAR IMPACTS OR IN ROLL-OVER ACCIDENTS BECAUSE DEPLOYMENT OF ONLY THE DRIVER'S SRS FRONTAL AIRBAG OR BOTH DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SRS FRONTAL AIRBAGS WOULD NOT HELP THE OCCUPANT IN THOSE SITUATIONS. SRS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF FORCE EXPERIENCED IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DURING A COLLISION. THAT LEVEL DIFFERS FROM ONE TYPE OF COLLISION TO ANOTHER, AND IT MAY HAVE NO BEARING ON THE VISIBLE DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE ITSELF... IF THE VEHICLE STRIKES AN OBJECT SUCH AS A TELEPHONE POLE OR SIGN POLE, OR IF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINS AN OBLIQUE OFFSET FRONTAL IMPACT. THE AIRBAGS ALSO WILL NOT DEPLOY IF THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A LOW-SPEED FRONTAL COLLISION." *TR