2015 Subaru Forester

SEVERAL ISSUES: 1) REPLACE REAR STRUT ASSEMBLIES. 04/22/19. (THE CAR SEEMED FINE BUT WHEN THEY PUT IT ON A LIFT TO WORK ON BRAKES MECHANICS SAW THIS. 2) THE THE ENGINE SHIMMIES AND FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL. THIS HAS GONE ON SINCE 2016. THIS HAPPEN WHEN GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT THEY FOUND NOTHING. IT STILL FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL. 3) BEARINGS IN REAR PASSENGER SIDE IN 2017. REAR WHEELS WERE MAKING NOISE WHEN DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH. (DIFFERENT MECHANIC LOOKED AT THIS. 4) RIGHT FRONT AXLE SHAFT REPLACED 06/26/19 THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS USED FOR HIGHWAY DRIVING.

AT 38K EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND NOISE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WAS NOTICED. DEALER REPLACED BOTH OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. AT 42K THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BEARING WENT BAD AND WAS REPLACED. PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE BAD CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. AT 44K THE CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WERE BAD AGAIN. THIS CAUSED A SEVERE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR IN SLICK CONDITIONS. THIS TIME THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH OF THE CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLIES. THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. TIME FOR A RECALL.

THE CAR WAS WOBBLY AND WENT IN FOR SERVICE AND THEY FOUND ONE REAR STRUT THE TECHNICIAN TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE AND THE OTHER ONE BROKE ON HIM. IT COSTS ME $1390 TO FIX IT AND I DROVE IT ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT STILL WOBBLY. SUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY SUBARU WHEN THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS. THIS CAR ALSO HAD ROTORS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE ARM CONTROL, WHEEL BEARINGS ALL UNDER 60,000. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, I COULD GET KILLED OR HAVE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND SUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. *JS

WHILE COMPLETING A TIRE ROTATION, I PLACED THE SPARE TIRE ON THE HUB AS A PLACEHOLDER WHILE I MOVED ON TO OTHER WHEELS. I HAND TIGHTENED THE LUGNUTS HOLDING THE SPARE ON (NO WRENCH, NO OVER TORQUEING). I LEFT THE DRIVER FRONT JACKED UP SUPPORTED BY A JACK STAND WHILE I COMPLETED THE REST OF THE TIRE ROTATION; THE SPARE WAS NEVER LOWERED TO THE GROUND AND WEIGHTED, IT WAS SIMPLY INSTALLED AS A BACKUP TO MY JACK STAND. WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE DRIVER FRONT TO REMOVE THE SPARE AND INSTALL THE NORMAL WHEEL, 2 OF THE 5 LUGNUTS THAT I HAD HAND TIGHTENED SEIZED. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THEM AFTER APPLICATION OF PENETRATING OIL, TWO OF THE STUDS SNAPPED RENDERING THE CAR ENTIRELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN I WENT AROUND THE CAR WITH A TORQUE WRENCH SET TO THE MANUAL SPECIFIED TORQUE OF 89 FT/LBS A THIRD STUD STRIPPED. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE STUDS TO SNAP OR STRIP. I DID NOT OVER TORQUE THE LUGNUTS, THEY WERE HAND TIGHTENED LESS THAN 30 MINUTES PRIOR. THERE IS NO REASON FOR HAND TIGHTENED LUGNUTS TO SEIZE ON A WHEEL STUD AND CAUSE THE LUGNUTS TO SNAP OTHER THAN DEFICIENCY OR WEAKNESS OF THE WHEEL STUD. I HAVE NEVER OVER TORQUED THE WHEELS; I ALWAYS USE A TORQUE WRENCH SET TO 89FT/LBS AS SPECIFIED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TO TIGHTEN THE LUGNUTS. I DID NOT CROSS THREAD THE LUGNUTS; I RAN THEM DOWN BY HAND TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE CORRECTLY INSTALLED. MY RESEARCH ON VARIOUS SUBARU ONLINE FORUMS SUGGESTED THAT THE WHEEL STUDS COMMONLY FAIL AND MANY USERS SUGGESTED REPLACING ALL WHEEL STUDS WITH AFTERMARKET HARDENED RACING STUDS RATHER THAN INSTALLING NEW OEM PARTS. WHEN I CONTACTED SUBARU I RECEIVED THE RESPONSE "SUBARU APPRECIATES YOUR TIME IN COMMUNICATING WITH US, HOWEVER WE DO NOT INVESTIGATE EVERY CONCERN THAT IS REPORTED TO US."

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE THE WHEEL LUGS HAVE SNAPPED WHILE THE WHEELS WERE REMOVED FOR TIRE REPLACEMENT, ROTATION AND REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE BRAKE CALIPER RETAINER BOLTS SNAP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION SO THAT THE REAR BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE WERE NEXT TO INOPERABLE AS ONLY A PORTION OF THE BRAKE PAD CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR. THE DEALER DID NOT MAKE ANY ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE OR REPAIR THE BRAKE ROTORS OR PADS UNDER WARRANTY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WHAT MADE IT MORE OF AN ISSUE WAS THE THE LOCAL DEALER DIDNT HAVE THESE PARTS ON HAND AND GAVE ME THE SPECS FOR THE BOLT TO PURCHASE FROM THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE. THESE NEW BOLTS HAVE HELD.

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR INDICATED LOW PRESSURE. RIGHT REAR TIRE NEEDED AIR. TIRE CONTINUED TO SLOWLY LEAK AND THE PRESSURE MONITOR TRIPPED AGAIN DAYS LATER. MENTIONED PROBLEM TO DEALERSHIP DURING SERVICE. DEALERSHIP FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE AND PROPERLY INFLATED ALL WHEELS. A FEW DAYS LATER THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW (TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR TRIPPED AGAIN). BRINGING VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT OF TIRE. PROBABLY A PROBLEM ISOLATED TO MY SPECIFIC CAR, BUT LOGGING THE INCIDENT IN CASE THERE ARE MORE TIRES OUT THERE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR