2015 Subaru Forester

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. DURING THE FAILURE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE MESSAGE DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER (JONES BEL AIR SUBARU, 1317 BEL AIR RD, BEL AIR, MD) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS FAULTY. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AND 12,000 MILES LATER, THE SAME FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PEDAL WAS A NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

I BOUGHT THE CAR A MONTH AGO AROUND MARCH 10,2018 FROM GLANZMANN SUBARU. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF DRIVING, THE CAR WAS SHAKING AND HAD TROUBLE ACCELERATING INTERMITTENTLY WHEN AT STOP SIGNS OR AT LOW SPEEDS. AFTER WORDS I NOTICED WHEN THE CAR IS AROUND 80 MPH, SOMETIMES THE RPMS GO UP BUT THERE IS NO TORQUE. I WAS TOLD TO DROP THE CAR OFF AT THE SERVICE STATION WHICH I DID AND AFTER 4 DAYS GOT THE CAR BACK BUT THEY SAID THEY "COULD NOT REPLICATE" THE ISSUE THAT I WAS HAVING. I ALSO GET 18MPG WHILE THE ADVERTISED MPG IS AROUND 25. I SHOULD ATLEAST GET 22MPG. I HAVE A VERY GOOD FEELING I WAS SOLD A CAR WITH A CLUTCH THAT WAS ON ITS WAY OUT. THE DEALER IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE ISSUE BUT I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE ON MY WAY FROM THE SERVICE CENTER. I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH A TECH BUT ON THE DAY OF THE PICKUP , THE TECH WAS UNAVAILABLE. IT HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN MERGING INTO A HIGHWAY OR TURNING INTO STREETS FROM A CENTER LANE THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE GOOD PICK UPLIKE IT IS SUPPOSE. I KNOW MY CAR IS AN ISSUE BECAUSE THE LOANER THAT I GOT FROM GLANZSMANN WAS ALSO A FORESTER AND I COULD TELL THE DIFFERENCE RIGHT AWAY. THANK YOU.

NOVEMBER 28, 2017 ' A SUBARU TRANSMISSION WARRANTY EXTENSION HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR 2010-2015 LEGACY AND OUTBACK, 2012-2015 IMPREZA, 2013-2015 CROSSTREK, 2014-2015 CROSSTREK HYBRID, 2014-2015 FORESTER AND 2015 WRX VEHICLES, ALL EQUIPPED WITH CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSIONS (CVTS) DUE TO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. I BOUGHT MY CAR USED IN SEPTEMBER 2017. I WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT THERE WERE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE AND FAILURES. A TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A HIGHWAY COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH. AND YET THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. I HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO NOTICE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION- JERKING WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE AND DELAYED TURNOVER BETWEEN 2 AND 3RD GEAR. CONSUMERS WERE NOT INFORMED OF THIS I FOUND IT ONLINE. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE MODELS ABOVE AND MY CAR IS INCLUDED. WHEN I ASKED FOR PAPERWORK THE DEALER SERVICE REP SAID NONE WAS SENT TO ANYONE, BUT THE WARRANTY FOLLOWS THE VEHICLE BY VIN #. SO, THERE ARE POTENTIALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND WITH TRANSMISSIONS THAT COULD FAIL, BUT WHO ARE UNAWARE. SUBARU DID THIS QUIETLY TO NOT DRAWN ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION AND A RECALL. TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A HIGHWAY COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. AGAIN I FEEL "JERKING" EVERY TIME I TRY TO BREAK. IT'S LIKE THE CAR IS TRYING TO ACCELERATE INSTEAD OF COMING TO A STOP. IT HAS STOPPED SO FAR, BUT WHAT IF IT DOESN'T NEXT TIME? THIS PROBLEM IS CONSTANT. I THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO COLD BUT I ALWAYS WARM UP MY CAR UNTIL THE INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWS TRANSMISSION IS WARM. AND THE WEATHER HAS BEEN WARM FOR A FEW DAYS NOW AND THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING. I HAVE REPORTED OTHER PROBLEMS TO THE DEALER THAT ARE NOT SAFETY RELATED AND THEY JUST BLOW IT OFF SUCH AS THE COMPUTER IS NOT RECORDING AVERAGE MPG AND AVERAGE MPH CORRECTLY. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED PREOWNED 2015 FORESTER IN NOVEMBER FROM NORTHTOWN SUBARU IN AMHERST, NY IN NOVEMBER 2017. I WAS SOLD A BASIC MODEL AND ASSURED THAT THE REMOTE CAR STARTER AND HEATED SEAT THAT THEY COULD INSTALL AT THE DEALERSHIP WERE AS GOOD AS THE ONES INCLUDED IN MORE EXPENSIVE FORESTER MODELS. SAFETY ISSUE: ON WEDNESDAY 3/28/18 I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO WITH MY HEATED SEAT TURNED ON. THE BACK OF MY LEG, RIGHT BELOW MY KNEE BECAME INTOLERABLY HOT. I TURNED THE HEATED SEAT OFF IMMEDIATELY AND REACHED DOWN. THE SEAT INSTANTLY BURNT TWO OF MY FINGER TIPS. I SHOUTED IN PAIN AND EXPLAINED TO MY FRIEND WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID HE SMELLED SMOKE AND BURNING PLASTIC. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND LOOKED AT THE FRONT OF THE SEAT (NEAR MY CALVES) AND THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT HAD BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT UPHOLSTERY AND WAS STILL BURNING INSIDE THE SEAT AND SMOKING. I CALLED NORTHTOWN SUBARU AS SOON AS THEY OPENED IN THE MORNING AND EXPLAINED THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION. I WAS PASSED TO VOICEMAIL BOXES THAT WERE FULL AND PUT ON HOLD FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I EXPLAINED TO EVERYONE I SPOKE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN THE SMART CAR DEPARTMENT BUT THEIR VOICEMAIL BOXES WERE FULL. THE SERVICE REP WOULD LEAVE A NOTE ON THE SMART CAR EMPLOYEE'S DESK AND HAVE HIM CALL ME IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS AT 9:30 AND BY 2 I HAD NOT HEARD BACK. I CALLED THE SALES PERSON WHO SOLD ME THE CAR AND HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE HIS MANAGER CALL ME IMMEDIATELY. I FINALLY HEARD BACK AT 3 AND WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD DROP OFF MY CAR MONDAY MORNING AND THEY WOULD 'MAKE IT RIGHT.' I FELT THAT EVERYONE AT NORTHTOWN WAS DISMISSIVE AND NOT CONCERNED WITH A PRODUCT THEY INSTALLED THAT HAD SEVERELY MALFUNCTIONED AND INJURED ME.

OUR SUBARU FORESTER SHUTS DOWN AS WE DRIVE ON THE EXPRESSWAY. IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES NOW ON 10/24/2016, 3/28/2017, 5/31/2017, AND 12/31/2018. IT HAPPENS ONLY ON THE EXPRESSWAY DURING LONG ROAD TRIPS. THE GAS TANK IS USUALLY BELOW A QUARTER TANK, BUT THE CHECK GAUGE LIGHT IS NOT ON AND THE METER SAYS THERE'S 50-70 MILES LEFT. WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY TO BE ON 2-LANE EXPRESSWAYS AND TO BE ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER EVERY TIME SO FAR. SHORTLY AFTER THE ENGINE STOPS ACCELERATING, EVERY SINGLE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP AND 50% OF THE TIME WE CANNOT GET THE CAR TO RESTART. OUR INFANT HAS BEEN TRAVELING WITH US IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED AND ON THE LAST OCCASION WE HAD TO BE RESCUED BY STATE TROOPERS AND TAKEN TO A SAFE AND WARM LOCATION BECAUSE IT WAS SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR EVERY TIME AND THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. ONE TIME THEY SAID IT WAS A BAD BATTER CELL AND REPLACED THE BATTERY; ANOTHER TIME THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL SENSORS AND REPLACED BOTH OF THOSE, YET WE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. WE BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT WITH OUR VEHICLE AND IT IS PUTTING US IN A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. THE CAR HAS NOW BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE 1/9 WITHOUT RESOLUTION.

ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH. NO WARNING OR ENGINE SPUTTERING. PLENTY OF FUEL. FOGGY WEATHER AND 37DEGREES F. DASH LIGHTS STAYED ON SAME AS IF IT WAS IN THE ON POSITION. AFTER 1 1/2 HOURS VEHICLE RESTARTED AND HASN'T SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING SINCE. TOOK IN TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID BATTERY WAS WEAK AND REPLACED THAT. THEY SAID OTHER ENGINE CODES POINTED TO POWER SUPPLY. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A VEHICLE QUITTING WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE OF A WEAK BATTERY SO AM SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THIS AS A GOOD REPAIR. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM.