2001 Subaru Legacy

DRIVING ON SECONDARY ROAD - WELL KNOW TO ME - AT DUSK @ 45 MPH APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION WITH A MAJOR ROAD. BEGAN TO TAP GENTLY ON BRAKE TO EASE TO MY "YIELD" OR STOP IN CASE DRIVER ON OTHER ROAD DID NOT DO SO. EACH TIME I HIT BRAKES, THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP & PULL FORWARD @ INCREASED SPEED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO BRAKE, I ATTEMTED TO DOWNSHIFT, PUT IN PARK AND PULL UP PARKING BRAKE -- ALL TO NO AVAIL, EXCEPT ENGINE AND FRONT END MADE LOUD GRINDING NOISES. THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT STOP AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25' FROM THE INTERSECTION, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DRIVE INTO A "SNOW BANK" WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW OVER A PILE OF GRAVEL. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR & IT WAS TOWED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD A DIFFICULT TIME STARTING THE CAR SO HE COULD WINCH IT ONTO HIS FLATBED TRUCK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SUBARU DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER MAINTAINS THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY "BIRDSEED IN THE FILTER" IN THE AIR BOX GOING TO THE THROTTLE. (HE ALSO SAID THE SEED INDICATED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MOUSE NEST, BUT HE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A NEST AT THAT TIME.) I TOLD HIM THAT I FOUND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE MY CAR IS IN A HEATED AREA OF THE GARAGE AND ANY MICE HAVE MUCH WARMER PLACES TO STAY. MY OWN MECHANIC SAID THE BIRDSEED EXPLANATION WAS IMPLAUSIBLE AND, IF ANYTHING, THE BIRDSEED WOULD HAVE LED THE CAR TO STALL OUT - NOT INCREASE ACCELERATION. I CHECKED YOUR WEB SITE AND FOUND OTHER 2001 LEGACIES WITH "FUEL: THROTTLE LINKAGES & CONTROL PROBLEMS. I PRINTED THESE OUT AND TOOK THEM TO THE DEALER. HE SAID HE CHECKED THE THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROLS ELECTRONICALLY AND FOUND THEM TO BE FINE BUT WOULD NOT PUT THIS IN WRITING. HE STANDS FAST ON HIS BIRDSEED EXPLANATION. AM AN EXPERIENCED & SAFE DRIVER - HAVE "PLATINUM" LEVEL OF SAFE DRIVER DISCOUNT. THIS CAR IS MY 6TH NEW SUBARU IN UNDER 20 YEARS. HAVE ALWAYS FOUND THEM RELIABLE IN THE PAST. AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR.*AK

2001 SUBARU LEGACY GT LIMITED. THIRD INSTANCE OF FUEL LEAK IN ENGINE. THIS TIME, VISIBLE FUEL LEAK FROM FUEL LINES UPON STARTING CAR IN 15 DEGREE WEATHER. SUBARU OF AMERICA AND RYE SUBARU HAD BEEN INFORMED OF PROBLEM ON PRIOR OCCASION AND RYE SUBARU WAS EXPECTING CAR TO COME IN FOR SERVICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. DROVE CAR TO RYE SUBARU. DURING DRIVING GAS FUMES ENTERED PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. UPON ARRIVAL AT RYE SUBARU, DEALERSHIP WAS NOT PREPARED TO IMMEDIATELY DEAL WITH PROBLEM AS SERVICE MANAGER WORKING ON CASE HAD LEFT TOWN AND HAD NOT LEFT INFORMATION BEHIND RELATING TO PROBLEM. *LA

CAR AT ISSUE IS A 2001 SUBARU LEGACY GT LIMITED. ON TWO OCCASIONS IN THE PAST MONTH, A STRONG RAW GAS SMELL FILLED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS BELOW 10 DEGREES. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, CAR WAS LEFT AT DEALER WHO FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THE CAR WAS FINE FOR NEXT 5 DAYS (WEATHER WAS 10 TO 30 DEGREES). ON DAY 6, WEATHER DROPPED TO ABOUT 8 DEGREES AND GAS SMELL RETURNED. CAR WAS LEFT IN GARAGE AFTER DRIVING AND GARAGE FILLED WITH VERY STRONG GAS SMELL. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS CORRELATION BETWEEN EXTREME COLD (10 DEGREES OR LESS) AND THIS PROBLEM. WILL RETURN CAR TO DEALER FOR SECOND ATTEMPT AT REPAIR BUT SINCE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER 10 DEGREES FOR NEXT 2 WEEKS AM NOT SURE WILL BE ABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM. SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE PROBLEM IS A GAS LEAK AT COLD TEMPERATURES, WHICH MAY WELL BE A SAFETY HAZARD AND FIRE/EXPLOSION DANGER. *CB

THE PAINT IS CHIPPING OFF OF MY REAR BUMPER NEAR THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDER THE TAIL LIGHTS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHEN I WAS HAVING ANOTHER ISSUE LOOKED AT (MY ROUTERS KEEP WARPING). THE DEALER CALLED AND SAID THE PAINT GUY WOULD TAKE A LOOK AND LET ME KNOW. I PICKED UP THE CAR AFTER HOURS AND THERE WAS NO INFO ABOUT THE PAINT. WHEN I CALLED THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NEVER LOOKED AT. I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. THE PAINT GUY LOOKED AT AND SAID THAT HE CAN'T MAKE A DECISION ON PAINT, IT HAS TO BE MADE BY THE SUBARU REP. IT HAS BEEN PROBABLY 2 MONTHS AND NO ONE HAS CONTACTED TO TELL ME WHEN THE REP WOULD BE AT THE DEALER TO LOOK AT MY CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE NEVER RECEIVED HIS SCHEDULE.*AK

THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL SUN ROOFS WHICH LEAKED THROUGH THE MAP LIGHT ONTO THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 4 TIMES TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC WOULD CHECK FOR WATER TIGHTNESS OR LEAKAGE AFTER REPAIRING SUN ROOF. THE PROBLEM WOULD RECUR REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF REPAIR THAT WAS DONE. THE CONSUMER HAD CHECKED INTO THE LEMON LAW. *NLM PH *JB

FUEL SYSTEM ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS. I BOUGHT IT AS A USED CAR FROM SLOANE IN PHILADELPHIA. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 17000 MILES ON IT AND IS CONSIDERED STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE 4 TIMES FOR THE VEHICLE HESITATING UPON ACCELERATION. THE SERVICE CENTER FIRST SAID THE HESITATION CAME FROM A BAD BATTERY, SECOND INCIDENT THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, THIRD INCIDENT, WHEN I ALMOST GOT IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE STARTED TO STALL UP ENTERING THE FREEWAY TRAFFIC, I BROUGHT IT BACK IN FOR SERVICE. THEY DID A THOROUGH CHECK AND SAID IT WAS THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THEY REPLACED IT. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS LATER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN HESITATING ONCE AGAIN! AGAIN, AT A CRUCIAL POINT IN A TRAFFIC SITUATION. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE AGAIN FOR SERVICE, THEY STATED IT WAS THE CODES, THEY JUST NEEDED TO BE CLEARED. THE VEHICLE IS STILL HESITATING AND IS CAUSING A POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS INJURY UPON DRIVING UNDER CRUCIAL SITUATIONS. I HAVE NOW RESORTED TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. AUDIO SYSTEM ISSUE: VEHICLE'S RADIO WILL DISPLAY ALL IT'S FEATURES, BUT WILL NOT PLAY ANY SOUND THROUGH SPEAKERS. THIS HAS BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THE SERVICE TEAM ON 3 PAST OCCASIONS, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. LAST KNOW PROBLEM WAS THE SPEAKER AMPS AND GROUNDING MECHANISM FOR SPEAKER, ALSO THE RADIO, WHEN IT DOES WORK GETS INTERFERENCE WHEN THE REAR DEFROST IS ON. *NLM

MY SUBARU LEGACY, 2001, 25,000 MILES, CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE FRONT RIGHT PART UNDER THE HOOD SUDDENLY ON MY WAY HOME 2/5/03, I WAS LOCKED IN THE CAR AND UNABLE TO GET OUT TILL THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE, I WAS PANICKING, AS I WAS UNABLE TO BREATH. AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT I WOULD PASS OUT, OR DIE SOON, THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE COULD NOT GET ME OUT. MY CAR WAS TOTALED, AND STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SUBARU HAS NOT RESPONDED, I AM WITHOUT A CAR. THIS HAS BEEN VERY STRESSFUL FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. WE TRUSTED THE NAME OF SUBARU AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR TILL NOW. AFTER OUR INSURANCE COMPANY SENT A FORENSIC MECHANIC TO INVESTIGATE, IT WAS DETERMINED NOT TO BE ARSON, AND TO BE THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER. WE ALWAYS TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR SO THIS HAPPENING WAS QUITE A SHOCK TO US AND OUR OTHER FRIENDS THAT OWN SUBARU'S. WE ALL ARE NOT SO PATIENTLY WAITING TO HEAR FROM SUBARU. I WOULD LIKE A NEW CAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *JB