1999 Subaru Forester

(PARTIAL COPY OF MESSAGE I SENT TO SUBARU EARLIER THIS WEEK.) [MY] FORESTER IS OLD, BUT I WOULDN'T BE REPLACING IT IF I DIDN'T NEED ANOTHER HEAD GASKET. YOU SURELY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM YOUR 4 CYL. ENGINES HAVE HAD WITH FAILING HEAD GASKETS. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS THE SECOND ONE EXPERIENCING SUCH FAILURE. I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL ONE SEVERAL YEARS BACK AT MY OWN EXPENSE. LET ME STATE MY UNQUALIFIED CASE THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS REPLACEMENT, AS YOU--SUBARU--KNEW WELL THAT GASKET FAILURE WAS IN THIS CAR'S FUTURE. HOW DO I MAKE THIS CLAIM? WELL, WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, IT CAME WITH AN ADDITIVE IN THE RADIATOR. SOMETHING YOU CALL "COOLANT CONDITIONER." NOBODY TOLD ME WHY THIS WAS NECESSARY. I FOUND OUT ONE DAY WHEN MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE RED-LINED AND MY RADIATOR RAN DRY. I QUICKLY MADE MY WAY TO THE NEAREST SUBARU DEALERSHIP SO, RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM, THE MECHANIC THERE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS COOLANT CONDITIONER AND HOW IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN MY FORESTER THE DAY I DROVE IT FROM THE DEALERSHIP. HE SOLD ME ANOTHER BOTTLEAND ADVISED ME TO POUR IT INTO THE RADIATOR IMMEDIATELY. I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THE PROBLEM, AND I DROVE ANOTHER, SAY 30,000 OR SO CARE-FREE MILES, UNTIL THE GASKET AGAIN BROKE DOWN. TIME FOR A REPLACEMENT, MY PERSONAL MECHANIC ADVISED ME. I RELENTED AND DROVE ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON THE NEW GASKET...UNTIL EXPERIENCING FAILURE AGAIN. AS I INDICATED BEFORE, FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, YOU--SUBARU--MUST HAVE KNOWN IT HAD A BIG PROBLEM ON ITS HANDS. WHY YOU FAILED TO INITIATE A RECALL AND WERE NEVER CALLED TO TASK FOR IT IS A MYSTERY TO ME. RECALL WHAT HAPPENED TO VOLKSWAGEN ONLY A FEW YEARS BACK. THEY KNEW ABOUT THEIR "PROBLEM" AS WELL. LET ME ADD THAT I KNOW OF SCORES OF OTHER SUBARU OWNERS MORE RECENT THAN 1999 THAT FEEL THE SAME WAY.

WHY IS THE BRAKE LINE CORROSION RECALL WQK-47 ONLY FOR 2009-2013 FORESTERS? I OWN A 1999 FORESTER WHICH HAS JUST HAD A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE LINE FAILURE THAT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. CORROSION OF THE BRAKE LINES IS IN THE AREA OF THE JUNCTION BLOCK THAT IS LOCATED UNDER THE CAR BEHIND THE AREA OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT SEEMS THAT VEHICLE SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE DEPENDENT ON THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY SOMETHING AS CRITICAL AS THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILED, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME VERY SOFT AND I COULD FEEL IT SINKING TOWARD THE FLOOR. PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL HELPED SOME, BUT IT WAS STILL SINKING UNCOMFORTABLY QUICKLY. I WAS LESS THAN A MILE FROM HOME AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT THERE SAFELY BY PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL. AFTER PARKING, THAT WAS A LARGE PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE AREA UNDER THE JUNCTION BLOCK. I AM RESEARCHING WHETHER MY LOCAL MECHANIC CAN FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SUBARU IS NOT RESPONSIBLE WHEN THIS IS CLEARLY THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND SEIZED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

AS OTHERS HAVE STATED HERE AND MANY MORE FROM VARIOUS SUBARU FORUMS, I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE SHIFTING INTO DRIVE ISSUE (IT ACTS AS IF IT'S IN NEUTRAL) WITH THE AT. IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL SECONDS TO SEVERAL MINUTES (AND SOMETIMES LONGER OR NOT AT ALL) BEFORE IT ENGAGES. I USUALLY HAVE TO REV/PUMP THE ACCELERATOR UNTIL IT CORRECTS ITSELF. ONCE I'M IN DRIVE ALL IS WELL AS LONG AS I STAY THAT WAY. THIS IS RANDOM UNTIL IT STARTS TO GET WORSE OVER TIME. I'VE READ THAT THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON AND IT'S A WORN PISTON SEAL OR SOMETHING THAT PREVENTS ENOUGH PRESSURE FOR THE FORWARD GEAR TO ENGAGE. THIS BEGAN IN 2010 WITH ONLY 89K MILES. THE ONLY TEMP FIX HAS BEEN TO DRAIN & REPLACE THE AT FLUID & FILTER, BUT THAT MAY ONLY LAST FOR MAYBE 500-1000 MILES OR SO. THE LATEST TEMP FIX INCLUDES THAT PLUS AN ADDITIVE (TRANS X) THAT WORKS BY SWELLING SEALS. THIS HAS BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE WITH 2500-3500 MILES BETWEEN FLUID CHANGES, SO I BASICALLY HAVE IT DONE EVERY TIME I CHANGE THE OIL NOW. I FIND THIS APPALLING THERE'S NO RECALL FOR THIS SINCE THERE'S SO MANY I'VE SEEN ONLINE WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. PERHAPS THEY JUST HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THE RIGHT PROCEDURES IN REPORTING THIS, WHICH IS WHY I'M JUST DOING THIS NOW MYSELF.

NOTE: BELOW IS AN EXTRACT FROM A MESSAGE I SENT TO AN ATTORNEY IN WISCONSIN IN 2011 REGARDING THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WITH MY VEHICLE. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEM REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. NOTE ALSO: I SEE WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A RECENT ENTRY FOR PENDING DEALER REPAIRS ON A HONDA CIVIC (I THINK) PERTAINING TO "COOLANT LOSS". AT LEAST HONDA COMPANY WILL LIVE UP TO AND CORRECT ITS MANUFACTURING MISTAKES. I AND OTHERS HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THEIR SUBARU VEHICLES CIRCA 1997-2004. THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE HAS TO DO WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM LOSING COOLANT AT AN UNACCEPTABLE RATE. THIS IS THE RESULT OF FUNCTIONAL DESIGN FLAWS OF USING DIFFERENT METALS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS ALLOWS LARGER THAN NORMAL GAPS TO OPEN UP IN THE CYLINDER WALLS AS THE TWO METALS EXPAND DIFFERENTLY WHEN THE ENGINE HEATS UP. COUPLED WITH CHEAP GASKETS, THIS FORMULA HAS LED TO MANY ENGINE SEIZURES IN THESE CARS ACROSS THE COUNTRY DUE TO OVERHEATING. (I'VE CAUGHT MINE BARELY IN TIME AS THE THERMOSTAT HIT RED-LINE TWICE NOW WITHOUT WARNING.) MEANWHILE, SUBARU KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FROM THE ONSET, SINCE DEALERS TREATED THE COOLANT SYSTEM WITH SO-CALLED COOLANT "CONDITIONER" BEFORE SELLING THESE CARS. AND THEY DIDN'T ADVISE THE PURCHASER THAT THEY WERE DOING THIS AND WHY. PROBLEMS IS...THE CONDITIONER WILL NOT WORK INDEFINITELY AND MAY EVEN ACCELERATE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE CHEAP GASKET. I'VE GOT 81,400 MILES NOW ON MY CAR AND I'M ON MY SECOND CAN OF CONDITIONER. BUT THE COOLANT LEVEL KEEPS DROPPING AND IT'S BURNING AWAY IN THE HOT ENGINE. I CAN SMELL IT WHEN I LEAVE THE CAR IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT. (IT SMELLS SWEET BUT I'M NOT TOO PLEASED WITH IT.). SUBARU HAS SINCE HAD THE FORETHOUGHT TO CHANGE ITS GASKETS TO MUCH STURDIER ONES. BUT, OF COURSE, THAT MEANS I'D HAVE TO SHELL OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE MINE. *TR

IN ONE MONTHS TIME WE HAVE HAD 4 SEPARATE COOPER WEATHERMASTER S/T2 205/70R15 TIRES HAVE SIDEWALL FAILURE. THESE ARE SNOW TIRES USED ONLY DURING WINTER MONTHS. 3 OF THE 4 TIRES WERE PURCHASED FOR THE 2010/11 WINTER, AND HAD LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON THEM, THE 4TH WAS NEW WITH ABOUT 100 MILES ON IT WHEN IT FAILED. 1ST BLOWOUT) DRIVERS SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT IN DRIVEWAY JUST AFTER WE RETURNED HOME FROM ERRANDS. REPLACED WITH NEW TIRE BY DEALER. 2ND FAILURE) NOTICED BUBBLE ON DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE WHILE SHOPPING 45 MINUTES FROM HOME. CALLED ROADSIDE SERVICE TO PUT ON SPARE AND WHEN HOME, WENT TO DEALER WHO REPLACED WITH A NEW TIRE. 3RD FAILURE) 2 HOURS FROM HOME, STOPPED FOR GAS AND NOTICED DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE WITH BUBBLE IN SIDEWALL. THIS WAS THE NEW REPLACEMENT FOR THE 2ND FAILURE. PUT ON SPARE AND DROVE HOME. THAT NIGHT WE HAD OUR 4TH FAILURE - BLOWOUT) THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT DURING THE NIGHT. 3 OF THE TIRES WERE 2 SEASONS OLD, THE 4TH WAS A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT TIRE FOR ONE OF THE EARLIER FAILURES. IN ALL CASES WE WERE GIVEN BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES OF THE SAME BRAND AND MODEL. WE WERE FORTUNATE AND NOT DRIVING WHEN THE BLOWOUTS HAPPENED. THIS ALL HAPPENED BETWEEN MID NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 16TH 2012. ALL BLOWN AND DEFECTIVE TIRES HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO DEALER AND WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE DOT NUMBER. *TR

199 SUBARU FORESTER. LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN SARBANES ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT WITH CONCERNS ABOUT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH SUBARU VEHICLES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PUT THE GEAR INTO DRIVE. A MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE FAILURE WAS WITH THE CLUTCH. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH ONLY A 119,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THERE WAS CORROSION AROUND THE GAS CAP. SHOP DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS RUSTED FUEL FILLER NECK - REPLACED AT A COST OF $330. I HAD STARTED TO NOTICE A FUEL SMELL IN MY GARAGE, SO FUMES WERE LEAKING OUT. MECHANIC SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE GAS MAY HAVE COME THROUGH. VEHICLE IS KEPT IN GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE AND THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS PIPE TO CORRODE UNLESS THE MATERIAL IS DEFECTIVE. *TR