2014 Subaru Forester

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO DON MILLER SUBARU (WEST 5822 ODANA RD, MADISON, WI 53719) FOR AN INSPECTION, THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT RODENTS HAD CHEWED THE SOY-BASED WIRING IN THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS AND DAMAGED THE WIRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 12/13/2017 *LN CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE REMAINS @ DAN MILLER WEST AS OF 10-30-17 BEING REPAIRED. CONTACTED SUBURU OF AMERICA ON 9-26-17 SERVICE REQUEST #1-26823068140 UPDATED 7/20/18*JB *TR

ON SUMMER 2015, I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY 2014 SUBARU FORESTER XT. I'M A SUBARU FAN. MY CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH EYESIGHT SYSTEM, WHICH WILL APPLY BRAKES FOR ME IN CASE I DON'T OR WILL INCREASE BRAKE FORCE TO AVOID A COLLISION IN CASE I DIDN'T. THIS IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST SELLING POINTS OF THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM: FRONTAL COLLISION AVOIDANCE. THAT DAY ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, DURING RUSH HOUR, I WAS NOTICING SOME SPONGE EFFECT IN THE BRAKE PEDAL SO I DECIDED TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. SUDDENLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED RESPONDING TO MY PROPORTIONALITY (CONTROLLED FORCE APPLIED) AND I END UP REAR-ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WORK TESTING LANDING GEARS FOR PLANES AND HELICOPTERS SO BRAKE FADE WAS NOT NEW TO ME. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS REPRODUCED BY THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN AND THE CAR WAS INTERNED FOR FURTHER REVISIONS. 2 DAYS LATER, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE LACK OF SERVICE IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THE SERVICE WAS DONE IN ANOTHER DEALER ON TIME. THAT WAS THE LAST EXCUSE I HEARD FROM SUBARU. CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE ANY PART IN THE CAR IF A DEALER DOESN'T APPROVE IT, SO I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE THE 20,000KM SERVICE WAS DONE, 1 HOUR AWAY FROM MY TOWN. BY THAT TIME, THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS LOWER FROM SUMMER 33C TO AUTUMN 17C. THE DEALER PUT MORE THAN 20KM ON THE CAR JUST TO TELL ME THAT HE COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE FAILURE SO THERE'S NO FAILURE AT ALL. I EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT THE FAILURE CANNOT BE REPRODUCED AT 17C TEMPERATURE. I EVEN SHOW HIM THAT THE BRAKE FORCE IS SO WEAK, IT NEVER ACTIVATES THE ABS SYSTEM, BUT ALSO IN VAIN. SUBARU CANT EXPLAIN WHY AN EYESIGHT EQUIPPED CAR ENDS UP REAR-ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT, IN BUSY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THEY SIMPLY DIDN'T ANSWER ME ANYMORE.

I HAVE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MY 2014 SUBARU FORESTER THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2013, IN WHICH THE CHECK OIL LIGHT ROUTINELY GOES ON APPROXIMATELY HALF-WAY THROUGH A 6K OIL CHANGE. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST SUBARU THAT STIPULATED AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST COULD BE INITIATED FOLLOWING AN OIL CHANGE. THE OIL LEVELS ARE CHECKED AT 1,200 MILES AFTER THE OIL CHANGE AND IF THE LEVELS ARE LOW THE VEHICLE WILL FAIL THE TEST AND QUALIFY FOR A NEW ENGINE AT NO COST. I'VE HAD 2 OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS COMPLETED ON MY CAR, WITH THE FIRST ONE DONE 1 YEAR AGO. MY VEHICLE PASSED BOTH TESTS AT 1,200 MILES, BUT ROUTINELY IS LOW ON OIL WELL BEFORE MY NEXT SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE. I HAVE FILED 2 COMPLAINTS WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA WITH NO SUCCESS. I LAST HAD MY OIL CHANGED AT 71,308 MILES, AND BROUGHT IT BACK FOR THE TEST 1,200 MILES LATER. I AM NOW 3K INTO THE SAME OIL CHANGE AND MY CHECK OIL LIGHT WENT ON YESTERDAY AND TODAY. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK THE LEVEL AND IT WAS 3/4 OF A QUART LOW, WHICH SUBARU OF AMERICA SAYS IS NORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION AT 3K INTO AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR SUBARU FORESTERS MANUFACTURED IN 2014, AS SUBARU OF AMERICA CHANGED THE PISTONS IN THE ENGINE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. I AM VERY STUCK; THE DEALER WON'T HELP ME, SUBARU OF AMERICA WON'T HELP ME, AND THE CAR IS WORTHLESS GIVEN THE SERVICE RECORDS INDICATING THAT IT USES EXCESS OIL. I WORK FULL-TIME. I AM ALSO THE MAIN TRANSPORTATION FOR MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN. I DRIVE WITH EXTRA QUARTS OF OIL IN MY CAR AND HAVE TO ADD OIL APPROXIMATELY 3-4.5K INTO A 6K OIL CHANGE WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON. I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY ON THIS ISSUE WITH NO SUCCESS AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE. I AM HOPING YOU CAN HELP. I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH ALL EMAILS TO SUBARU OF AMERICA AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR THE CAR. UPDATED 11/07/2017*JS

CVT 2.5I 70K MILEAGE. ON 8/12/17, WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NONSTOP FOR 310 MILES, WITH CRUISE ON 76 MPH, TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING WENT "OUT OF GEAR." ENGINE RPMS RACED TO OVER 5,000 BUT CAR WAS OUT OF GEAR. NO PROPULSION WHATSOEVER. IT FELT EXACTLY LIKE WHEN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF GEAR OR IS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL BY ACCIDENT AY SPEED, BUT THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SHIFT LEVER HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED. TRANSMISSION JUST FELT LIKE IT "GAVE WAY." I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO THE SHOULDER AND ENGINE DIED. "CHECK ENGINE," "VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL," AND BATTERY CHARGE WARNING" LIGHTS LIT ... MAYBE OTHERS. ENGINE DIED. PUT IN PARK. WAITED A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THEN RESTARTED ENGINE. IT RAN ROUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN SMOOTHED OUT AND WE DROVE 2 MILES TO FILL UP GAS AND PROCEEDED ANOTHER 100 MILES OR SO WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. 2 DEALERS NEVER RESPONDED TO MY INQUIRY. DROVE AROUND TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS WITHOUT INCIDENT. THEN, ON 8/20/17 WHILE AGAIN DRIVING NON-STOP FOR OVER 300 MILES AND AGAIN WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET ON 74, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. NO WARNING. SUDDENLY "OUT OF GEAR." ENGINE REVS SPIKED. WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. COASTED TO SHOULDER. SHUT DOWN ENGINE FOR MAYBE 20 SECONDS THEN RESTARTED ENGINE AND PROCEEDED ON WITHOUT INCIDENT TO REFUEL AND RESUME TRIP. WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED BY A TAILGATER THIS TIME SINCE HE WAS DRIVING SO CLOSE TO ME WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST PROPULSION. BOUGHT CAR NEW OVER 70K MILES AGO AND HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE 8/12/17 AND NOW IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN 8 DAYS AND UNDER VERY SIMILAR CONDITIONS. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DUAL CAMERA SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED OVER TIME. THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WAS AFFECTED BY THE FOG BUILD UP ON THE DUAL CAMERA SYSTEM FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE. THE TWO FRONT CAMERAS ATTACHED TO THE HEADLINER OF THE VEHICLE WERE THE AFFECTED. RANDY MARION SUBARU OF MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROCEDURE OR TSB AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN CLEANING THE CAMERAS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000. UPDATED 09/19/17*LJ *CN

AT VEHICLE START, OR WHILE DRIVING, THE FOLLOWING WARNING MESSAGES APPEAR ON THE VEHICLE INFORMATION PANEL: 1) VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED; 2) ABS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED; AND 3) HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED. THESE WARNINGS APPEAR, GO AWAY, AND THEN REAPPEAR RANDOMLY. WHEN THESE WARNINGS APPEAR AT VEHICLE START, I AM UNABLE TO PUT IN GEAR WITHOUT PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEN THESE WARNINGS APPEAR WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION, I AM UNABLE TO UTILIZE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC, WARNINGS WERE NOT BEING DISPLAYED AT THE TIME, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, I WILL BE TAKING THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE SOON AND WILL ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AT THAT TIME.

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (AL SERRA AUTO PLAZA IN GRAND BLANC, MICHIGAN) AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED AT 50,557 MILES. THE DEALER HAD THE CONTACT RETURN AT 52,062 MILES TO CHECK THE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT BURNING ENOUGH OIL FOR IT TO BE A FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE PASSED THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS BELOW .2 QUARTS OF OIL AND THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,557...UPDATED 08/23/17 *BF