2015 Subaru Forester

DRIVER PARKING VEHICLE INTO PARKING SPACE (<5 MILES/ HR) - BRAKE APPLIED, PREPARING TO SHIFT INTO PARK. VEHICLE ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED, UNABLE TO STOP MOTION USING BRAKE. VEHICLE HIT CURB AND PROCEEDED OVER EMBANKMENT, WITH VEHICLE STRIKING LOWER LEVEL PARKING PAVEMENT APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET BELOW AT 90 DEGREE ANGLE AND LANDING INVERTED (TOP ON PARKING PAVEMENT). VEHICLE SEVERELY DAMAGED, DRIVER WITH NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES - WEARING SEAT BELT. AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN CONTACTING LOWER-LEVEL PARKING PAVEMENT. DRIVER HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED UNEVEN ACCELERATION AND REPORTED ENGINE-RELATED ISSUES TO DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 60 DAYS (JUNE 9, 2018) PRIOR TO INCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS EVALUATED WITH NO DEFINITIVE CAUSE IDENTIFIED; LOW OIL IDENTIFIED AND OIL REPLENISHED. VEHICLE SERVED ROUTINELY BY DEALERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOLLOWED SINCE PURCHASE.

WHEN DRIVING AT SPEED AND CONSTANT ACCELERATION THE CAR WILL JERK AND THE RPMS APPEAR TO BOUNCE UP AND DOWN. LAST WEEKEND WHEN MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY THE CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE NORMALLY. THE RPMS SPIKED, BUT THERE WAS LIMITED ACCELERATION/RESPONSE. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND THEIR SEEMS TO BE NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN.

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXHIBITING A LOW RPM WHEN VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP(IE RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN) AND THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS AND ALMOST STALLS, AND ONCE ACTUALLY STALLING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES FOR SERVICE FOR THIS ISSUES. I HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION IN THE MAIL FROM SOA IN JULY 2017 CONCERNING THIS ISSUE AND OTHER KNOW ISSUES WITH THE THE CVT TRANSMISSION EQUIPPED IN THE VEHICLE STATING THAT IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE A SOLID BUSHING IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER CAUSING THE CONVERTER CLUTCH TO STAYED LOCKED UP AND NOT RELEASE PRESSURE. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THAT A CASE HAS BEEN STARTED WITH THEIR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUBARU OF AMERICA, THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH DATA(IE RECORDED STALLS OR DTC) TO APPROVE A REPAIR ON MY VEHICLE FOR SAID ISSUE, AND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A STALL EVENT FOR ANY FUTHER REPAIRS. BEING A FULLY CERTIFIED ASE AUTOMOTIVE MASTER TECHNICIAN, I DID MY OWN CHECKING AND FOUND TSB 16-107-17 WHICH COVERS MY VEHICLE AND OUTLINES THAT THEY HAVE A EXTENDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE VEHICLE/CVT TRANSMISSION FOR SEVERAL ISSUES, WHICH OUTLINED IN THE BULLETIN, SHOWS MULTIPLE ISSUES OUTLINED IN BULLETINS FOR DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE AND THE FIRST(16-90-13R) IS REGARDING A DESIGN CHANGE TO LOCK-UP TORQUE CONVERTER- CUSTOMER MAY EXPERIENCE SENSATION LIKE COMING TO A STOP IN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION EQUIPPED VEHICLE AND FAILING TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH. AFTER OBTAINING AND READING TSB 16-90-13R, WHICH IN NO WAY STATES THAT A STALL EVENT IS REQUIRED AND ONLY LOW RPM AT STOPS, I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP AS SUCH AND WAS TOLD THAT A STALL EVEN WAS REQUIRED. I ASKED FOR THAT TO RECORDED ON MY REPAIR ORDER AND HAVE YET TO PICK MY VEHICLE UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT S.O.A. FOR HIDING A KNOWN ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE A STALL EVENT WHICH CAN CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD GENERATE A NATIONWIDE RECALL.

VEHICLE IN MOTION FROM A STOP ON CITY STREETS IS EXPERIENCING HESITATION, SLIPPAGE, FAULTY ACCELERATION FROM 0-25 MPH. AFRAID OF MAKING A LEFT TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC AND A POSSIBLE STALL. PROBLEM IS EXAGGERATED ON ANY GRADE OF INCLINE. CALLED SERVICE COMPANY WHO SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE A TRANSMISSION ISSUE THAT MAY BE COVERED BY A RECENT TRANSMISSION RECALL. IT APPEARS MY MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT'S HAVING THE SAME REPORTED PROBLEMS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (CITYSIDE SUBARU, 790 PLEASANT ST, BELMONT, MA 2478, (617) 826-5000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIE ROD ENDS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,129.