2015 Subaru Forester

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).

WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE FORM REVERSE OR PARK THE CVT TRANSMISSION CAN TAKE APPROX. 3 SECONDS TO ENGAGE AND FOR THE CAR TO START MOVING. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LONG TIME WHEN YOU ARE BACKING INTO A SPACE OR BACKING FROM A DRIVEWAY ONTO A BUSY ROAD. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THIS IS "NORMAL" ON A SUBARU CVT TRANSMISSION. I INSISTED THAT THE SUBARU SERVICE DEPT. CHECK MY CAR AND VERIFY. THIS IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, I WILL HAVE IT RECORDED. I WILL UPDATE THIS AFTER THE DEALER LOOKS AT THE ISSUE.

AFTER I SLOW DOWN TO TURN A CORNER THIS CAR OCCASIONALLY PAUSES, OR WILL NOT RESUME MOVING FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS. THIS HAS CAUSED CARS BEHIND ME TO ALMOST REAR END ME NUMEROUS TIMES. IT SOMETIMES HAPPENS TWICE IN ONE DAY THEN WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER BUT IT HAS NEVER DONE IT ON ANY OF THEIR TEST DRIVES. THIS HAS OCCURRED EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. I WAS TOLD OTHER OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THEY HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT WHEN THEY TEST DRIVE IT.

I LEASED THIS VEHICLE ON JUNE 2015. BACK ON 8/26/2017 WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AND GOING 70 MILE AND HOUR, CAR SUDDENLY DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF FREEWAY. I ALMOST GOT KILLED BY A TRUCK THAT WAS BEHIND MY VEHICLE. THEY TOWED THIS CAR TO GLENDALE SUBARU AND AFTER TWO DAYS, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. SINCE THAT INCIDENT I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER FOR PERFORMANCE AND TRANSMISSION ISSUE. IN ADDITION, SOME MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE ISITE SYSTEM. THE DEALER CHARGED ME OVER $2000.00 FOR UNRELATED REPAIRS. THE CAR HAS A MAJOR ISSUE IN COLD AND HOT IDEAL. MANY COMPLAINTS WERE FILED TO SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY DID NOT ASSIST ME AT ALL.

THE VEHICLES STUTTERS WHEN ACCELERATING. THE ISSUE WILL GO FOR A FEW DAYS TO A FEW WEEKS THEN DISAPPEAR AND RETURN A FEW WEEKS LATER. HAVE TRIED CHANGING TO SPORT AND SPORT + MODES AND ALSO USING THE PADDLE SHIFTERS AND NONE OF THEM HAD ANY CHANGE IN THE STUTTERING. THE CAR HAS 25,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE ABOUT 10K MILES. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR A RECALL IT WAS FUNCTIONING FINE AND THE TECHS COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES. I HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED FOR 2 WEEKS FROM NOW.

ENGINE HESITATES ON ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY FROM A DEAD STOP, LEAVING ME STUCK IN THE ONCOMING LANE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM AND IS VERY DANGEROUS! IT?S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT FEELING HESITATION AND SURGING. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS VERY SLOW TO GO INTO GEAR AND THEN LUNGES TO CATCH UP. THIS HAPPENS IN ALL WEATHER AND ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS, IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY. VERY DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE FOR A CAR I BOUGHT BRAND NEW.

ENGINE HESITATES ON ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS FROM A DEAD STOP, LEAVING ME STUCK IN THE ONCOMING LANE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM AND IS VERY DANGEROUS! SERVICE MANAGER SAYS IT'S DUE TO APPLYING BRAKE AND GAS AT THE SAME TIME WHILE WAITING FOR ONCOMING CARS TO CLEAR, BUT IT HAPPENS EVEN WHEN I'M CAREFUL NOT TO DO THAT. NEARLY BEEN HIT SEVERAL TIMES. IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT FEELING HESITATION AND SURGING, EVEN IN A STRAIGHT LINE.

TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 5-22-17 UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. ASSURED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN WORKING ORDER WE DROVE UP TO MAMMOTH LAKES CA THAT FRIDAY (5-26-17). 2 HOURS INTO THE DRIVE, JUST INSIDE THE MOJAVE DESERT, WE EXPERIENCED A ABRUPT STALLING/LUNGING SENSATION. LETTING OFF THE GAS FOR A MOMENT, I THEN GAVE THE CAR A BIT MORE GAS AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME SENSATION AGAIN. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND SMELT A CHEMICAL/OVERHEATING SMELL. SHUT THE CAR OFF, POPPED THE HOOD AND NO SMOKE. I THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR ANY OTHER LIGHT WAS ON. I THEN PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND PROCEEDED. THE RPM'S WENT TO ABOUT 4K BUT THE CAR WAS NOT EXHILARATING. I DROVE THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 1/4 MILE INTO A GAS STATION. AT 11PM I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY $600 TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO LADIN SUBARU OF THOUSAND OAKS. I AM CURRENTLY AWAITING YET ANOTHER DIAGNOSIS. NOT SURE I FEEL CONFIDENT IN THE VEHICLE ESPECIALLY IF IT PUTS ME AT RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED ON A HIGHWAY. NOT TO MENTION THE ISSUE OCCURRED JUST 4 DAYS AFTER IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED! SUBARU COULD POTENTIALLY BE IN THE HOLE FOR $16K AS THE CAR IS STILL UNDER ITS EXTENDED WARRANTY. NOT SURE I EVEN FEEL CONFIDENT THEY CAN RESOLVE THE ISSUE.

WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH THE LEFT WHEEL BOUNCES AND MY ENGINE RPM INCREASE, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AS WELL AS THE FRONT END. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING A ROAD WHICH CURVES TO THE RIGHT. IT MAKES THE CAR DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CV JOINT ON THE LEFT FRONT IT MAKES GRINDING OR PULSING SOUND. THIS ONLY HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I RECENTLY HAD A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND THE CAR DOES STOP STRAIGHT WITH NO PROBLEM AT ANY SPEED. I FEEL AS IF THE WHOLE FRONT LEFT IS GOING TO COME OFF AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED AND THE GEAR SHIFT IN THE DRIVE POSITION, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY LUNGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION, IT CONTINUED TO REV. THE FAILURE RECURRED MORE THAN TWELVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPROGRAMMED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.