Subaru Forester transmission problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 55 TO 65 MPH THE ENGINE BEGAN TO OVER HEAT. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET CRACKED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION HAS ALSO FAILED. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,000.

OUR 2004 MODEL, MANUAL GEAR-BOX SUBARU FORESTER 2.5 X STALLS FAR TOO EASILY IN FIRST GEAR. RECENTLY, MY WIFE NARROWLY ESCAPED A HORRENDOUS ACCIDENT WHEN THE FORESTER'S ENGINE STALLED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY TRYING TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM THE SIDE ROAD WHICH SHE HAS TO USE TO ACCESS THE HIGHWAY FROM HER PLACE OF WORK. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER MANUAL GEAR-BOX SUBARU OWNERS, INCLUDING THE SUBARU WRX AND LIBERTY, WHO HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN ISSUE AFFECTING MOST RECENTLY BUILT MANUAL GEAR BOX SUBARU PASSENGER VEHICLES, BUILT BY SUBARU AT THEIR MAIN FACTORY IN JAPAN, AND DISTRIBUTED GLOBALLY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE USA. *TR

BOUGHT THE 2009 FORESTER IN DECEMBER 08. DROVE FINE FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS. THEN IT STARTED TO LAG IN ITS SHIFTING. IF I WAS ABOUT TO STOP AT A LIGHT AND THE LIGHT CHANGED, I PUT MY FOOT BACK ON THE GAS AND CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE SO I GIVE IT MORE GAS AND THEN IT KICKS IN HARD ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME. UNTIL I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 16 MILES FROM HOME GOT OFF THE EXIT AND IT DID IT AGAIN. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES THIS YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME TECH RESET THE COMPUTER AND IT DROVE FINE FOR 3 DAYS THEN STARTED AGAIN. IT HAPPENS IN ALL TYPES OF SITUATIONS WHEN IT WANTS TO. MY OTHER MECHANIC FELT THE SAME THING HAD ME TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER. I AM FRUSTRATED WITH DRIVING IT. I AM ALSO NOW HAVING THE VEHICLE MAKING LOUD NOISES AND ROUGH IDLING, MYSTERIOUS ACCELERATION THAT WILL ADJUST AFTER CAR IN TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN AND A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE AFTER BEING DRIVEN. I DRIVE LOCALLY A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK. SUBARU DEALER WANTS TO TAKE MY VEHICLE HOME TO EVALUATE TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD IT WAS BECAUSE IT IS A LEARNING TRANSMISSION, SO WHY HASN'T IT LEARNED HOW I DRIVE AND I'M THE ONLY ONE DRIVING CAR. *TR

IN EARLY 2008 MY SUBARU BEGAN POPPING OUT OF FIFTH GEAR. THIS IS VERY INCONVENIENT AND UNSAFE AS IT CAUSES AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF SPEED. ON A FREEWAY GRADE FOR EXAMPLE I HAVE ALMOST BEEN RAMMED FROM BEHIND BY VEHICLES FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT IN THE RIGHT LANE. UPON INVESTIGATION I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT IN THIS MODEL OF SUBARU AND IS COVERED BY TECHNICAL BULLETIN 17 01/01/2002. MY MECHANIC REMOVED THE REAR OF THE TRANSMISSION AND TIGHTENED THE LOOSE MAINSHAFT NUT AT A COST OF $417. THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE BUT A YEAR AND A HALF LATER THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. THE CAR ROUTINELY POPS OUT OF FIFTH GEAR TO THE POINT THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN IN THAT GEAR ON THE HIGHWAY. I EMAILED SUBARU ABOUT THIS BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURING FLAW WHICH IS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR AND IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD WHICH SHOULD BE MADE RIGHT BY SUBARU. *TR

VEHICLE: 2009 SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED, ON 6/20/09 I EXPERIENCED AN INCIDENT OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. BEFORE OUR EXIT I CANCELED THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT LEFT IT "ON". ON THE RAMP, I LET THE CAR SLOW. AT ABOUT 40 MPH I MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER INTO 'SPORT' MODE, DOWNSHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR, THEN 2ND, THEN BRAKED TO A STOP. THE CAR WAS STOPPED, IN GEAR, IDLING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE RACED AND THE CAR JOLTED FORWARD ABOUT A FOOT; IT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED BUT I INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE AND STOPPED THE CAR. THE ENGINE, WITH THE CAR STOPPED AND IN GEAR, RAN UP OVER 2000 RPM. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO REGULAR DRIVE MODE AND THEN INTO NEUTRAL. ONCE IN NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE BRIEFLY RACED HIGHER BUT THEN DROPPED TO IDLE AT ABOUT 700 RPM. I SWITCHED THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF. PLEASE NOTE: TO STOP THE CAR I DID NOT MOVE MY FOOT; IT WAS ALREADY ON THE BRAKE, AND I MERELY PRESSED HARDER. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF PEDAL CONFUSION. THE FLOOR MATS ARE IN PLACE. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF A FLOOR MAT INTERFERING WITH THE ACCELERATOR. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WE WERE NOT MOVING. I WAS NOT ON THE PHONE. I WAS NOT LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER. I WAS NOT OTHERWISE DISTRACTED. I WAS SITTING STILL, WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE, WITH MY FOCUS ON THE TRAFFIC STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. IN MY VIEW, THIS REPRESENTS A DANGEROUS DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE, AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE ADVISE REGARDING YOUR PROPOSED RESOLUTION. I HAVE ADVISED SUBARU VIA THEIR WEBSITE TODAY BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. I AM HAPPY TO BE CONTACTED FOR FURTHER DETAILS IF NEEDED. *TR

I HAVE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 2000 SUBARU FORESTER. OFF AND ON, SINCE 2007, THE CAR WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN I WOULD SHIFT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. WHILE IN DRIVE, WITH MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. AT FIRST THE DELAY WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS. AND IT WOULD OCCUR ONLY AFTER I HAD DRIVEN A FEW FEET IN REVERSE AND THEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. NOW, HOWEVER, THE DELAY IS MUCH LONGER AND IT CAN HAPPEN EVEN WHEN I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IN REVERSE. THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE. THE ONLY GEAR IN WHICH THE CAR WILL MOVE IS IN REVERSE. SO FAR, THE CAR EVENTUALLY DOES MOVE, BUT I NEVER KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE. EARLY ON, I COULDN'T DETECT A PATTERN IN WHICH THIS WOULD OCCUR. LATELY, THOUGH, IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR AT LEAST TWICE DURING THE DAY, TURNED IT OFF EACH TIME AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AFTER IT HAS SAT AWHILE. WHEN I START THE CAR AGAIN, THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND AS IT SHOULD. TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, ON MY THIRD ERRAND OF THE DAY, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. SO, I TURNED IT OFF AND ON A FEW TIMES, PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR (AND THE BRAKE) EACH TIME I TURNED IT ON, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. IT FINALLY DID AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER IN 2007, I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. (I DIDN'T NOTICE A PATTERN THEN). THE NEXT TIME I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LOW AND THE FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, AS THIS HAS OCCURRED EVEN WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS NOT LOW, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS COULD BE THE PROBLEM. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET INDICATES THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH SUBARU FORESTERS (PRIMARILY 1999 AND 2000) HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS SEVERAL YEARS OLD, I HAVE FEWER THAN 45,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOT YET HAD ANY DIRE CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS LITERALLY AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN ENGAGING THE CLUTCH, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION REVVED UP TO APPROXIMATELY 4000 RPM'S AND SEEMED AS IF IT WOULD SURGE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED 85% OF THE TIME. THE DEALER ALSO DUPLICATED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD WRITE A COMPUTER PROGRAM TO REMEDY THE ISSUE; HOWEVER, THE DEALER HAS NOT FOLLOWED UP WITH THE CONTACT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2200 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100. UPDATED 09/24/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/30/08.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE COASTING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 48,700. UPDATED 05/06/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED DREYER & REINBOLD CHECKED ENGINE, TRANSMISSION MOUNTS SPEED CONTROL AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. 05/06/08 *TR

IF I PLACE MY 2000 SUBARU FORRESTER INTO DRIVE IT WILL NOT MOVE, IT WILL SIT THERE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL SUDDENLY IT JERKS FORWARD INTO GEAR. PLACE INTO REVERSE IT WORKS WELL, MOVES IN REVERSE. VISIT SEVERAL REPUTABLE CAR REPAIR FORUMS ONLINE YOU WILL LITERALLY SEE HUNDREDS OF CUSTOMERS WITH THESE SAME PROBLEMS POSTING FROM 2004-PRESENT. *TR

BOUGHT MY 2001 FORESTER USED WITH APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER OWNING IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOTICED HESITANCY WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT. SLOWLY STARTED GETTING WORSE. CAR WOULD SIT FOR ABOUT 10 TO 15 SECONDS AFTER BEING PUT INTO DRIVE BEFORE ENGAGING AND IF FOOT IS NOT ON BRAKE, HAS A HARSH ENGAGEMENT (WHIPLASH TYPE THING WHERE IT THROWS YOU FORWARD). SO, AFTER MUCH RESEARCH AND FINDING OUT THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY 1000S OF OTHER FORESTER OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA WHO OF COURSE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND IF THEY FOUND ANYTHING WRONG, SUBARU MIGHT GIVE ME SOME GOODWILL ASSISTANCE. WELL AS THEY FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION FILTER WAS NOT A SUBARU BRAND AND NOR WAS THE FLUID, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE IT AND THEN RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, SAYING THAT MAYBE THAT OTHER FILTER CAUSED THE PROBLEM. I TRIED EXPLAINING THAT THE REASON WE CHANGED IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, NOT WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. WE CHANGED IT TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP AND OF COURSE IT DIDN'T. THEN, OF COURSE, SUBARU WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING AS I DID NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM TO CHANGE THE FILTER AND FLUID ONLY TO CHARGE ME FOR THAT AND THEN TELL ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I POINTED OUT ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS, BUT THEY INSIST IT IS NOT A DEFECT, WHEN APPARENTLY THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS. *TR