2014 Subaru Forester

AT/ABOUT 1230 CENTRAL TIME ON 31 OCT 2019, MY WIFE [XXX] EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION EVENT IN OUR 2014 SUBARU FORESTER AND NARROWLY ESCAPED BEING KILLED. CONTEXT: MY WIFE WAS TAKING THE CAR THROUGH AN AUTOMATED CARWASH AT THE CASEYS GAS STATION AT 9911 S. 71ST ST IN PAPILLION NE. WHEN SHE REACHED THE END OF THE CONVEYOR BELT AND WHEN SIGNALLED BY THE ATTENDANT TO MOVE FORWARD, SHE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FROM N (NEUTRAL) TO D (DRIVE). SHE ENCOUNTERED RESISTANCE MOVING THE GEAR LEVER BUT WAS ABLE TO MOVE IT TO D. UPON DOING SO, THE CAR ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED AND LURCHED FORWARD DESPITE HER FOOT REMAINING ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR RAPIDLY ACCELERATED AND TORE THROUGH THE CLOSED GARAGE DOOR AT THE END OF THE CARWASH AND CONTINUED OUTSIDE, ACROSS AN ACCESS ROAD AND UP A SMALL HILL, BEFORE LOSING POWER AND ROLLING BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL TO STOP IN THE ACCESS ROAD. NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PERSONS WERE INVOLVED OR INJURED. MY WIFE WAS UNINJURED OTHER THAN BEING SPRAYED BY GLASS FRAGMENTS FROM THE WINDSHIELD AS IT WAS PUNCTURED BY THE GARAGE DOOR AS THE CAR TORE THROUGH IT. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY (USAA) DECLARED THE CAR A TOTAL LOSS. NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS INCIDENT BEFORE; WE BOTH HAVE EXCELLENT DRIVING RECORDS. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT WAS CLEAR, DRY AND SUNNY. THE CAR TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE WAS IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION. THE PAPILLION NE POLICE DEPT RESPONDED AND FILED A REPORT, AND WE FILED A DRIVERS MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORT. BOTH ARE ON FILE WITH THE PAPILLION NE POLICE DEPT. THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL WITNESSES TO THIS INCIDENT PER THE POLICE REPORT. *LN*JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2014 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BATTERY BEING DRAINED ABS FAULT LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED MULTIPLE FAILURES BEGAN AFTER HAVING SAFETY RECALL WUE-90 PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY REPEATEDLY WOULD DRAIN DUE TO THE TAIL LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE. THE HILL CONTROL WARNING LIGHT, ABS WARNING LIGHT, AND THE ANTI SKID WARNING LIGHTS ALL ILLUMINATED. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. *JS

ON JANUARY 26, 2019, AT 8:00 PM, IN A PARKING DECK AT A SHOPPING CENTER, I WAS IN A LINE OF CARS MAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO AN AISLE. I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR VERY LIGHTLY TO MOVE A FEW FEET FORWARD. THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED GREATLY, AND I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE HITTING THE BRAKE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY SLOW THE CAR DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANYTHING, BUT IT WAS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL. THIS WAS CLEARLY A CASE OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION.

I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT ON AUGUST 19, 2018 -COMPLAINT NUMBER 1120961. I HAD SUV TOWED THE FOLLOWING DAY TO DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT BRAND-NEW. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT IS TRYING TO TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SUV, BUT THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE. THE DEALER HAS ARRANGED FOR SUBARU OF AMERICA FROM NJ TO CONTACT ME, BUT I NEED YOUR HELP TO GET THIS RESOLVED. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE IT. WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MY DAUGHTER'S DRIVEWAY WHEN I PLACED IT IN REVERSE AND IT ACCLERATED AT SUCH A HIGH RATE IN REVERSE WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED AND I COULD NOT STOP IT WHEN MY FOOT WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, I HAD MY ACCIDENT RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF MY DAUGHTER'S SUV IN WHICH WAS PARKED IN HER DRIVEWAY - CAUSING OVER $2,000 DAMAGE TO HER SUV - MY SUV WAS DAMAGED IN THE REAR BUMPER BUT DEALER HAS NOT TOLD ME THE ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE. SUBARU IS HAVING ACCIDENT REP CONTACT ME WITHIN NEXT 48 HOURS. THIS SUV IS SO DANGEROUS THAT I COULD BE KILLED AND SO COULD OTHERS IN MY CAR OR OTHER VEHICLE PASSENGERS. PLEASE PLEASE TAKE THIS COMPLAINT SERIOUSLY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE REFER TO MY INITIAL COMPLAINT.. THANK YOU *TR

JULY 6, 2018 DRIVING ON CITY STREET WHEN MY FOOT HAD THE BRAKE DEPRESSED AND THE AUTO SUDDENLY ACCELERATED SO MUCH THAT I HAD TO TURN INTO A CURB TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE - I HIT A CURB WITH ONE TIRE TO AVOID ACCIDENT AND HAD TO GET FOUR NEW TIRES BECAUSE IT IS AWD. TODAY MY BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED AND IT ACCELERATED WHEN I WAS IN REVERSE THEN ATTEMPTING TO GET SUV INTO DRIVE - DRIVING DOWN MY DAUGHTER'S DRIVEWAY TODAY, IT ACCELERATED SO RAPIDLY UNINTENDED THAT PRESSING THE BRAKE WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE - ENGAGED EMERGENCY BRAKE AND IT STILL DID NOT STOP IT - PLACED IT INTO PARK AND PRESSING BRAKE CONTINUOUSLY AND EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED, FINALLY STOPPED THE CAR AT ROADSIDE AFTER TURNING OFF IGNITION - VERY HAZARDOUS SAFETY ISSUE - LUCKY NO ONE WAS HURT OR KILLED - THIS SUV IS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE - HAVING IT TOWED BY AAA TOMORROW MORNING TO DEALER. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS? IT HAS ONLY 41,870 MILES ON IT - BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN MAY 2014 AND I AM ONLY DRIVER. HELP!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REVERSED, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY QUICKLY. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V159000 (EQUIPMENT). NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE EXITING THE CAR WASH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT FAILED TO OPERATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSED THE COST OF THE RENTAL VEHICLE. *JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE FLOOR MATS COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. *JS UPDATED 9/13/18*JB

CAR WAS PARKED IN STREET. STARTED IT AND PUT IT INTO REVERSE TO BACK INTO A DRIVEWAY. CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED IN REVERSE. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE STOMPED HEAVILY ON GAS PEDAL TO GET IT TO THAT SPEED BUT I'M NOT SURE I EVEN TOUCHED IT. TRAVELED 2-3 CAR LENGTHS BEFORE I COULD STOP IT. GRATEFUL NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE. NOT RELATED TO CAR MATS WHICH WERE ANCHORED IN PLACE.