2014 Subaru Forester

I BOUGHT MY BRAND NEW SUBARU FORESTER 2014 IN AUGUST, 2013. AFTER MY FIRST OIL CHANGE I NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS OVERFILLED WITH 1 - 2 QUART OIL. I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE AGENT AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND HE WAS TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT WAS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT. ON MY SECOND OIL CHANGE I CLEARLY ASKED THEM IF THERE IS ANY OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM WITH MY ENGINE AND IF THIS IS THE REASON FOR OVERFILL . THE ANSWER WAS NO PROBLEM WITH OIL CONSUMPTION. I MADE A COMPLAIN FOR THIS OIL CONSUMPTION TO SUBARU USA. THEIR ANSWER WAS THAT THIS IS A NORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION. ON MY THIRD OIL CHANGE I COULDN'T MAKE EVEN 3000MI.WITHOUT ADDING EXTRA QUARTER +THE EXTRA ONE I HAD FROM THE DEALER. TO BE FARE I DON'T SEE ANY SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST, BUT I'M SURE THAT'S GOING TO COST ME EMISSION PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. ACCORDING TO THE 2014 SUBARU FORESTER MANUAL - 1 QUART FOR 1200 MILES IS CONSIDERED NORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION.. TODAY THE VEHICLE IS OVER 12 000MI. AND I'M CONSTANTLY ADDING OIL AND PAYING OUT OF MY POCKET AND WONDERING HOW THIS IS GOING TO END. AFTER SHORT RESEARCH I REALIZED I'M NOT ALONE. IF I KNEW FOR THIS PROBLEM EARLIER I'D NEVER BUY THIS EXPENSIVE SUBARU FORESTER. *TR

I WAS TURNING LEFT ON AN ARROW AND A CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ME, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 3MPH AND HE WAS DRIVING 45MPH. HIS CAR WAS TOTALLED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND ON FIRE. I HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK UP. AS A RESULT I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY KNEE AND MY ANKLE GOT LACERATED AND BLUNT TRAUMA FROM THE BRAKE/ACCELARTATION PEDAL. *TR

AT COLD STARTING, APPROXIMATELY ONE TIME OUT OF 20, THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO START. IT CRANKS FOR UP TO 10 SECONDS BEFORE STARTING. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A FUEL DELIVERY OR AN IGNITION PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES FROM 35 TO 65 DEGREES. IF I DIDN'T CONTINUE CRANKING THE ENGINE TO AN EXTENT THAT I THINK IS HARMFUL TO IT, IT WOULDN'T START. I CONSIDER THAT A SAFETY ISSUE, IF I NEEDED TO GET THE CAR GOING QUICKLY. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2014 FORESTER IN JULY 2013. I LOVE THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THE DESIGN OF THE CLIMATE CONTROL DIALS WHICH I CONSIDER TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN AT A GLANCE WHAT THE CURRENT SETTING IS FOR EACH FUNCTION (HEAT/AC TEMP, FAN SPEED, FAN DIRECTION.) STARING AT THE DIAL(S) OR REPEATED GLANCES TAKES THE DRIVER'S ATTENTION OFF THE ROAD FOR TOO LONG, AND THEREFORE IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY ISSUE: EACH ROUND DIAL HAS A RUBBER GRIP SURFACE THAT THE USER CONTACTS. ON THE FRONT FACE OF THE DIAL IS A SHINY CHROME BEZEL RING. THIS RING IS QUITE NARROW AND HAS 7 SMALL, EQUIDISTANT INDENTATIONS AROUND THE RADIUS. ONE OF THE INDENTATIONS IS YELLOW PLASTIC, WHICH INDICATES THE SETTING. AT A GLANCE, THE SMALL YELLOW PLASTIC INDICATOR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE AMONG THE OTHER SIX INDENTATIONS. WHAT THE PURPOSE IS OF THE INDENTATIONS IS A MYSTERY (SOME MARKETER WANTED SPARKLE?) AND WHY SUBARU CHOSE PALE YELLOW AGAINST SHINY CHROME MAKES NO SENSE. I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ALTERED MY DIALS BY PUTTING A TINY DROP OF WHITE FINGERNAIL POLISH ON THE BLACK RUBBER GRIP DIRECTLY ABOVE EACH YELLOW PLASTIC INDICATOR. NOW, AT A QUICK GLANCE, I CAN EASILY SEE AT WHAT POSITION EACH FUNCTION DIAL IS SET. IT'S GREAT. I FEEL MUCH SAFER. I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE A SMALL, UNIMPORTANT PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS A HUGE CONCERN TO ME. I HOPE NO FORESTER OWNER IS INVOLVED IN A CRASH BECAUSE HE/SHE TOOK HIS/HER EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR TOO LONG TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ONE OR MORE OF THE CLIMATE CONTROL SETTINGS. THE FORESTER MIGHT BE A "TOP SAFETY PICK" BUT NOT ON THIS. THANK YOU. *TR

WHEN I PURCHASED MY NEW VEHICLE LAST JULY, I NOTICED DRIVING IT HOME THERE WAS A "CLUNK" SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END WHEN I WENT OVER RAILROAD TRACKS OR ANY BUMP. I TOOK IT BACK TO SUBARU AND THEY FOUND A BENT AND TWISTED PART ON THE RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION. I NOW HAVE 19K ON MY CAR A YEAR LATER. I NOTICED MY RIGHT REAR TIRE BALD ONLY ON THE OUT SIDE. ALL OTHER TIRE TREAD IS PERFECT. SO I TAKE IT BACK TO SUBARU AND THEY HAD IT ALIGNED AND SAID THE RIGHT WHEEL HAD BEEN TIPPED OUT! I DRIVE MY CAR VERY EASY! I HAVE NEVER HIT ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS MALFUNCTION. THE TIRE CO. WILL NOT REPLACE MY WORN TIRE AND I AM FEELING A BIT SLIGHTED ON THIS AS I FEEL IT WAS LIKELY A PROBLEM FROM THE CAR HAULER OR SOMETHING. PERHAPS TOO AGGRESSIVELY CINCHING THE CAR ON THE TRAILER...OR SOMETHING! BOTH INCIDENTS WERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE AT THE LEAST A NEW SET OF TIRES! THIS HAS BEEN NO FAULT OF MINE IN ANY WAY! *TR

I SLOWLY PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AT WALMART AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY AND JUMPED THE MEDIAN. THE CAR CRASHED INTO METAL RACKS WITH PLANTS ON THEM. THE CAR WAS SUSPENDED ON THE MEDIAN. WITNESSES SAW THAT THE CAR SURGED FORWARD WHILE MY BRAKES LIGHTS WERE ON AS I SLOWED TO ENTER THE PARKING SPACE. EARLIER ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE DAY BEFORE I NOTICED THAT THE CAR HESITATED (CHUGGING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH), BUT THAT STOPPED WHEN I ENTERED THE HIGHWAY. I NOW THINK THIS IS SOMEHOW RELATED TO THE ACCELERATION SURGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SWAYED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

AFTER A ROUTINE PERIODIC MAINTENANCE THAT WAS REPORTED TO INCLUDE A SOFTWARE UPDATE (UNRELATED?), INTERMITTENT EVENTS WITH UNEVEN AND BRIEFLY ABSENT ACCELERATION OCCURRED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE VEHICLE SPEED FROM SLOW SPEEDS OR FROM A STOPPED CONDITION WHEN DEPRESSING THE THROTTLE. NO INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE PRESENT ON THE DASH OF AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL PROBLEM OR ANY UNSAFE CONDITION. AFTER INITIALLY DENYING THE PROBLEM THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE IT. ELECTRONIC DATA WAS REPORTED TO BE COLLECTED ON THE EVENT AND EXAMINED BY SUBARU. SUBARU AMERICA IS REPORTED TO HAVE SUGGESTED CHECKING THE KNOCK SENSOR CONNECTION. DEALER REPORTED "TIGHTENING" THE CONNECTION. NO PARTS LISTED AS REPLACED, NO REASON FOR "LOOSENING" GIVEN (AT 11500 MILES), NO REASON GIVEN FOR "INTERMITTENT" PERFORMANCE, NO REASON GIVEN FOR LACK OF INDICATION/DASH LIGHT FOR A PRESUMED UNCERTAIN STATE IN A SENSOR CONTROLLING ACCELERATION/FUEL IGNITION. I GUESS THE DEALER AND SUBARU AMERICA KNOW THEIR PRODUCT BEST - AND THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED - BUT I AM SURPRISED THAT AN INTERMITTENT CONNECTION TO A SENSOR IMPACTING ACCELERATION WOULD NOT RESULT IN A DASH INDICATOR OR CODE. ALSO, SINCE NO REASON FOR THE "DISCONNECTION" WAS GIVEN - AND NO PARTS WERE REPLACED - I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT A FACTORY ASSEMBLY DEFECT OCCURRED (MANIFEST JUST AFTER A SOFTWARE CHANGE?). IN ANY CASE, SUBARU AMERICA INDICATES THIS PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT SINCE THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCELERATION CONTROL, IT DESERVES TO BE NOTED. *TR