Subaru Forester electrical problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE AUTOMATIC SAFETY FEATURES FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 50-55 MPH AND CHANGING LANES, THE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED STERNUM THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

I WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREETS (SPEED LIMIT 45MPH) TO RUN SIMPLE ERRANDS WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND TO GO HOME WHICH WAS JUST A MINUTE OR TWO AWAY. AS I SAT AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I REALIZED THE ENGINE WAS IDLING A BIT ROUGH. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. I PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND SPOKE WITH SUBARU AS WELL AS OUR MECHANIC AT NEW DIMENSIONS AUTOMOTIVE. APPARENTLY, SUBARU HAD ISSUED A MECHANICS NOTICE TO BE AWARE THAT ALTERNATOR PROBLEMS EXISTED. WE ULTIMATELY HAD THE REPAIR COMPLETED AT NEW DIMENSIONS ON 8/6/19 IN THE AMOUNT OF $877.53. OUR MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THIS MECHANICAL ISSUE MAY WELL BECOME A RECALL, AND TO KEEP OUR RECEIPT FOR JUST THAT REASON.

TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, TAPPED BRAKES AND ANTI LOCKS ACTIVATED, IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS ENTIRE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH EVERY WARNING LIGHT POSSIBLE ON THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE FIRST EXIT, TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF A MILE FROM START OF INCIDENT, INTO A PARKING LOT, DIRECTLY OFF THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO RESTART THE CAR- IT WOULD CATCH AND THEN SHUT OFF. ENDED UP GETTING IT TOWED TO MY HOME DEALER. THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. IT APPEARED TO BE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE COMPUTER WHICH CAUSED THE ENTIRE CARS SYSTEMS TO SHUT DOWN. PICTURES SHOW DASH LIT UP AND SCREEN SHOT OF 'MY SUBARU' APP WHICH INDICATED ONLY SOME OF THE WARNING LIGHTS, ALTHOUGH ALL LIGHTS WERE LIT.

MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND HAD NOT BEEN STARTED FOR ONE DAY. THE BATTERY WOULD NOT START THE CAR, I HAD TO CALL FOR A JUMP. I WAITED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR FOR SOMEONE TO COME THROUGH SUBARU ROAD SIDE ASSIST. THE BATTERY WAS RELATIVELY NEW, AS THE ORIGINAL WAS REPLACED 1/2019. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TESTED THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR, WHICH WERE FINE. THEY RECHARGED THE BATTERY. I PAID FOR THE BATTERY INSPECTION.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE CAR WILL NOT LOCK DUE TO A TYPE OF TRIP OR WIRING WITH THE LOCKING SYSTEM. WHILE THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND STATIONARY, RIGHT BEFORE LOCKING THE DOOR, THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LIGHT FLASHES. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS CLOSED, EVEN IF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ACTS LIKE IT IS TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THIS PREVENTS THE CAR FROM LOCKING, DUE TO SOME TYPE OF TRIP IN THE DOOR SENSOR. IT MIGHT BE A TRIP BETWEEN THE KARR ALARM SYSTEM AND THE DOOR SENSOR INSTALLED IN THE CAR. I'VE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR OR RESOLVE THIS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND IT IS HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS STUCK AND FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE IN PARK. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MASTRIA SUBARU (1255 NEW STATE HWY, RAYNHAM, MA 02767) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY SHIFT PLATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,900.*DT CONSUMER STATED PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED.*JB

SINCE OWNING CAR SINCE DECEMBER 2018, I HAVE NOTICED INTERMITTENTLY THAT THE REAR HATCH WILL NOT OPEN MANUALLY WHEN I PRESS THE BUTTONS IN THE BACK. ALSO SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT OPEN WHEN I PRESS THE BUTTON ON LEFT SIDE OF DASHBOARD. THERE IS A RELEASE MECHANISM ON THE INSIDE REAR DOOR PANEL BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH BECAUSE I HAVE TO CRAWL INTO THE REAR OF CAR FROM A SIDE DOOR. I ALSO NEED A METAL TOOL TO OPEN PANEL. I THINK SUBARU NEEDS TO ADD A KEYHOLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF HATCH SO I CAN USE MY KEY TO OPEN IT IN EMERGENCIES.

DRIVING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY. CAR SUDDENLY NO LONGER RESPONSIVE TO ACCELERATOR AND SPEED DROPS. RECOVERED IN A FEW SECONDS. DEALER EXAMINED AND STATES IT WAS DUE TO DEFECTIVE CONDITION IN BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH THAT WAS INSTALLED 6 MONTHS EARLIER DUE TO RECALL. DEALER STATES CAR WENT INTO "LIMP" MODE. SWITCH CONDITION RESOLVED WITHOUT REPLACEMENT ACCORDING TO DEALER.

THERE ARE ACTUALLY THREE ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE BIGGEST ISSUE, AND POTENTIALLY THE MOST DANGEROUS, IS THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY SHUTTING ITSELF OFF - NOT STALLING. THE PROBLEM OCCURS MOST OFTEN WHILE STOPPED AT LIGHTS, BUT HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER SITUATIONS AS WELL. ALL FUNCTIONS IN THE VEHICLE STOP, A LOUD, CONTINUOUS BEEP BEGINS AND THE DASH INDICATES AN 'EYE SITE' ERROR. APPARENTLY, WHEN THE EYE SITE FEATURE HAS AN ISSUE, IT RESPONDS BY RENDERING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. SO FAR, RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO PARK AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE RESETS THE FEATURE AND RESTORES FUNCTIONALITY. THE PROBLEM IS, HOWEVER, HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. THE SECOND ISSUE IS A LOUD, RAPID CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASH. IT ALSO OCCURS RANDOMLY AND WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HINDER FUNCTIONALITY, BUT IT CAN BE INCREDIBLY DISTRACTING. FINALLY, AS OTHERS HAVE REPORTED, THE REAR HATCH ALSO RANDOMLY SHUTS ITSELF OFF AND DOES NOT RESPOND TO PROMPT TO OPEN. SUBARU'S RESPONSE TO THESE ISSUES HAS THUS FAR BEEN THE EQUIVALENT OF A SHOULDER SHRUG.