Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 166602 | 03/15/2003 | 10001352 | Transmission control unit (tcu) code 45 and all-wheel drive harsh engagement. *tt | 04/30/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 035203 | 05/19/2003 | 10001726 | Clutch pedal sticking. *tt | 06/23/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 03/08/2011 | 200500 | ||
| Driving on highway at 75 mph with cruise control set. tried to cancel cruise control with stalk, it did not disengage. tried repeatedly, it did not disengage. hit the brakes to cancel cruise control, it did not disengage (brakes only slowed car down). stepped on the clutch to cancel cruise control, it did not disengage. when i stepped on the clutch and shifted into neutral, the engine revved all the way to redline and remained there (meaning the cruise control was still engaged). coasted to side of road with clutch in, engine continued to rev at redline... continued hitting cancel on the stalk, eventually revs settled down to idle. manual transmission was non-operational after this incident. | |||
| 07/26/2006 | 86300 | 1 | 03/27/2004 |
| 1) grinding noise when accelerating especially going up hill. 2) 4wd differential failure 3) differential can only be replaced as part of the whole transmission. 4) vehicle only has 86300 miles, seems like a transmission/differential should last longer than that. cost for replacement over $3,700. *nm | |||
| 1 | 09/13/2001 | ||
| The all wheel drive did not perform as designed, there was a severe vibration which almost caused consumer to loose control of the vehicle, consumer pulled over and noticed a lot of snow was packed in the wheels.*jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 08/23/2007 | 67000 | 80 | 10/11/2006 |
| 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 | |||
| 01/15/2007 | 109980 | 5 | 01/15/2007 |
| Purchased used as is 02/01/2007 from dealer that listed 2001 forester at $9800.00, then when i went to buy they reduced cost to $5200.00 just to move their used vehicles off lot. they did not disclose any problems and said forester went thorough vehicle inspection and vehicle was in excellent condition mechanically. (1) failure of emission system ie,oxygen sensors (2) front and rear locations. second day after purchase. (2) failure of left front cv joints (2) and axle. third day after purchase. (3) automatic transmission would only go into reverse and not any drive or forward gears while coming home from work on 5th day of ownership and this being the third time to have forester towed to service center. i contacted the multi-franchised (including subaru) for help and information. they responded the forester was sold as is and didn't care even if the vehicle fell in half once it leaves their lot. my next step is i contacted subaru america of my vehicle and dealer problems by email. i received returns from them with vauge at best reasons but no recall or tsb information. they gave me a case number and waiting for a personal reply via postal mail or telephone call. in total i have been towed 3 times, two different service centers and certified. mechanics. paid $300. for front axle, $429.00 for emmisison repairs, $150 for a transmission flush,filters (2 one internal one external spin-on) and subaru transmission. conditoner. finally after all that i still have the transmission problem and rarely use it because i am affraid to drive it with my two babies i have, i use my fathers car. can someone help me please. *ak | |||
| 05/30/2006 | 20 | 05/13/2004 | |
| When i shift into drive (any of the drive gears), the car hesitates to engage (move forward) for anywhere between 2-3 seconds and up to 1 minute. this does not happen when shifted into reverse. the wait time is random so i never know how long it will take. the other day, i had to reverse to get out of a parking spot and then the car wouldn't engage into drive for another 45 seconds and i almost got rear ended by a car coming up behind me. this is a safety issue! i've read about hundreds of other complaints by other subaru forester (1999 - 2001) owners on-line. this leads me to believe that it is a manufacturer's defect. i spoke with both the dealer and subaru representative and they won't cover the cost of a new transmission because i am out of warranty. i think this is unacceptable and am looking into the legal implications further. *jb | |||
| 12/31/2003 | 0 | 10/19/2000 | |
| After a snow storm i noticed my 2001 subaru forester would not drive on slippery surfaces. i pushed the accelerator, the wheels spun and not much else happened. i took it to the dealership on 12/19/03 and they looked at me like i was nuts to complain that a car didn't drive properly on packed snow and ice. the original thought was that it must be poor tires (bought new all seasons on 10/02) or that i needed to purchase snow tires (for an awd?). after pushing the issue, the service manager brought it back into the garage, put it on the lift and had someone gun the engine. the front wheels spun fast (as they should) and the back wheels went very slowly. they scratched their heads and called subaru of america for some help on the issue. turns out the valve that supplies fluid to the rear wheels malfunctioned/burnt out/no longer worked. there was absolutely no warning that this had happened. the dealership said no such light to indicate a malfunction in the awd system has ever existed. the service department crossed their fingers that the only repair i would need was the valve ($460 parts and labor) and warned me that if this had been happening for a while i could be in for some more serious repairs. i was allowed to take the car home because i could do no further damage to the car (was told it shut down). brought it in 12/31/03 for a replacement of the valve and they discovered there was extensive damage and the clutch was completely burnt. the cost is now ($1500). this problem would have been significantly cheaper to fix if there had been a warning that there was a problem. a valve for the awd system should never malfunction. the dealership said they had never seen it happen before. the car is not old enough (3 years 60k miles) to have a problem like this! | |||
| 04/01/2003 | 45000 | 25 | 02/22/2003 |
| When driving with the cruise control engaged for 10+ minutes, the car speed begins to drag and surge (suddenly slows, then resumes set speed). the car seems to be actively pulling back against the throttle if i put my foot on the gas to accelerate past the cruise setting, the dragging back against the throttle still occurs. if the cruise is left engaged, the lurching worsens, and when i exit the freeway the (automatic) transmission doesn't want to down shift. it resists until there's a loud noise, the rear of the car bucks, and then it goes into the next lowest gear. this happens through every gear, and then again upshifting from a stop: the rpms wind up higher than normal, the car resists shifting, and then the transmission slams into the next gear. the problem remains until i stop and take the car out of drive, which apparently resets it. the problem is most likely to occur in weather under 70 degrees. the dealer has reprogrammed an engine control module per recall #wwf89, and has also replaced the alternator and the ignition relay, but the problem persists. i believe this problem is dangerous, particularly when it's winding up to shift into fourth gear at 60 miles an hour, and it violently bucks into gear. also, the problem is getting worse and more unpredictable. most recently, i was testing the cruise control to see if the problem would occur in rainy weather. when it began surging, i immediately disengaged it, but the drag-back on the throttle continued anyway (this was the first incident in which the lurching continued after i turned off the cruise control). i am concerned this problem is going to occur without the cruise control being engaged at all, and also that the transmission is going to seize up without warning. (note: the incident date on this form is the date the first repair was attempted, but the problem actually started happening in april, 2003. the number of failures is an estimate -- it happens as often as i test it.)*jb | |||
| 12/01/2001 | |||
| While driving in bumper high snow for 5 miles vehicle would not shift from 3 rd to 4 th gear. consumer had to force it into 4 th gear. dealer determined snow had accumulated around transmission and caused the problem.*ak | |||
| 10/07/2001 | 3 | 03/01/2001 | |
| Was attempting to back into driveway when suddenly the car moved forward. engaging the brakes failed to stop car and it went over an embankment. in previous years subarus were recalled for brake problems.also for problems with automatic transmission. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 46000 | 30 | 05/01/2001 |
| Began as intermittent clutch slipping (judder) when cold or damp. it is now occurring more frequently and i took it back to the dealer this morning. they experienced the problem, knew all about it and the tsb that subaru had issued and advised they would call me when the parts came in. when i came home from work, i had a message that the vehicle was no longer under basic warranty (36000 miles) and since mine was 48,000, i would have to pay for the repair. it would seem to me since soa is aware of this problem and i was told by the svc mgr, has remedied it on new models, this is a defect. i live on a state road with heavy traffic around a curve. when i accelerate out of my driveway, i expect that the car would safely and quickly move me into traffic. this is just an accident waiting to happen and should be recalled and repaired by soa. there are numerous complaints about this on the internet if anyone was looking for this. and even those who had repairs made within the wty period complained of continuing failures.*ak | |||
| 07/10/2004 | 24000 | 2 | |
| Manual transmission suburu forester purchased may 12, 2001 in chicago, illinois. in may of 2004 car began to have slow start up in lst. and 2nd. gears. dealer said he did not find a problem. however, problem worsened and progressed into 3rd, 4th. and 5th. gears. until one day in july while on highway clutch exploded. dealership suggested car had been driven as though by a race car driver which caused the problem. dealer suggested in my june 04 phone call that car might need a tune up which is why i did not hesitate to drive it with my children in it at highway speeds. after looking at attorney internet complaint site i found numerous similar if not exact complaints as i have made to dealership. at present dealer has my vehicle in another state and tells me i must pay for the 'clutch disc at l39. and the cost of my rental car at 30. day , repair could take 4-7 days. also, i paid for the tow off the highway-the first tow. this problem could cost me $500. if the dealer would have found the problem initially in may this would have never occcured on the highway with children in car. vehicle lost 20 miles spped in less than 10 seconds causing me to quickly and calmly move off to the side of road and await state trooper help. mechanics tell me that dealership mechanic should have investigated clutch problems when i made complaints of loss of power in 1st. and 2nd. gears. *ak | |||
| 05/31/2001 | 1000 | 6 | 09/06/2000 |
| Clutch shudder occurs shortly upon startup, first application of 1st gear ok stop once and apply 1st gear again and the shudder is severe, shaking and complete loss of acceleration; this will continue for next 2-3 miles warming the car does not remove the problem. this is an extreme safety hazard - there is no forward acceleration. temp it frequently occurs 56 62 degrees, however once it begins it can re-occur at higher temps later in the day. occurrence is intermittent. i reported problem to subaru in san jose, they said no problem found after i left the car in service for 3 days - they said they could not repeat the problem. the clutch shudder happens to me frequently during the temps recorded above - i live in california we have those temps often in the morning spring/fall. the # of 600 failures is an estimate - i could not enter estimate in this form. i have had the car over 3 years and the problem seems worse. my sisters subaru outback has same problem with same response from subaru service. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 45000 | 1 | 12/14/2003 |
| 2001 subaru forester (manual transmission) experiences terrible clutch shudder (also called clutch chatter and clutch judder) starting from a stop in 1st gear, and occasionally in 2nd gear, most often when car is cold (morning). the shudder is extremely severe, shaking the whole car and results in loss of power. since this happens starting from a stop, the problem creates a hazard with intersections; there is enough power to get the car into an intersection, then the clutch shudder requires complete reapplication of the clutch, causing the car to remain in the intersection for an inordinate amount of time.*ak | |||
| 10/19/2001 | 15435 | 10 | 07/06/2000 |
| My 2001 subaru forester has had a clutch shudder when starting the car cold shortly after i leased the vehicle. it is an intermittent problem which i brought to the attention of my subaru technician in jan of 2001. they said they checked out the clutch and everything looks fine. it still has the same problem, but if i can't reproduce it for them they can't fix it. i have read other complaints from other forester owners about this and subaru has issued a tsb # 03-51-02r. why does the consumer have to tell these people how to fix the vehicles they service? *la | |||
| 11/04/2003 | 1 | ||
| Upon picking up my subaru forester in 2001, i complained to the dealer that the car was not driving correctly. was told car was fine. broke down 1 day later. ongoing problems with clutch. going from neutral to first car shudders. told car is functioing as designed. on 11/4/03 brought car into network mazda subaru with complaint about clutch told it was fine and functioning as designed.. broke down on 11/9/03, clutch plate broken. never experienced such a thing in the 30 years i've been driving a manual transmission. purchased car at neil subaru, went to gregoris subaru, no satisfaction, went to dealership stated above. service manager rude and talked down to me, i felt because i was a woman. manual trans. not working properly since the day i picked it up and no one will listen. gregoris replaced clutch and said something was broken. no satisfaction from subaru or the 3 dealers i have worked with so far. need your assistance.*ak | |||
| 11/11/2003 | 56000 | 1 | 07/01/2003 |
| While driving at any speed the rpm's were acting erratic. the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated the clutch needed to be repaired. consumer stated the vehicle was still under warranty, but the manufacturer and dealer refused to cover the cost. please provide further information. *ph *jb | |||
| 09/24/2003 | 18000 | 0 | 11/09/2000 |
| Severe clutch shudder especially when cold. dealer won't fix. says it's a gas problem. it's not | |||
| 09/10/2003 | 1 | 07/28/2000 | |
| After being told that it is normal for subaru clutches to have clutch judder, and now out of my 60,000 warranty, i find that subaru has issued a tsb to fix the clutch judder problem. i feel this is a recall issue and i should get a warrantied repair of my clutch as should other subaru owners with this maufacturer's defect.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - CENTER SUPPORT BEARING | |||
| 03/15/2002 | 41000 | 3 | 01/15/2001 |
| I own a 2001 subaru forester l. my husband and i purchased the vehicle new and it now has 41000 miles. it has experienced repeated failures of the rear wheel bearings, at (right rear) 16000, (left rear) 25000. the vehicle now has symptoms of a third failure at 41000 mi. the vehicle was serviced by a dealer for each complaint. i have estimated date of first failure as i do not exactly remember..*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | |||
| 01/15/2007 | 109980 | 5 | 01/15/2007 |
| Purchased used as is 02/01/2007 from dealer that listed 2001 forester at $9800.00, then when i went to buy they reduced cost to $5200.00 just to move their used vehicles off lot. they did not disclose any problems and said forester went thorough vehicle inspection and vehicle was in excellent condition mechanically. (1) failure of emission system ie,oxygen sensors (2) front and rear locations. second day after purchase. (2) failure of left front cv joints (2) and axle. third day after purchase. (3) automatic transmission would only go into reverse and not any drive or forward gears while coming home from work on 5th day of ownership and this being the third time to have forester towed to service center. i contacted the multi-franchised (including subaru) for help and information. they responded the forester was sold as is and didn't care even if the vehicle fell in half once it leaves their lot. my next step is i contacted subaru america of my vehicle and dealer problems by email. i received returns from them with vauge at best reasons but no recall or tsb information. they gave me a case number and waiting for a personal reply via postal mail or telephone call. in total i have been towed 3 times, two different service centers and certified. mechanics. paid $300. for front axle, $429.00 for emmisison repairs, $150 for a transmission flush,filters (2 one internal one external spin-on) and subaru transmission. conditoner. finally after all that i still have the transmission problem and rarely use it because i am affraid to drive it with my two babies i have, i use my fathers car. can someone help me please. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT | |||
| 02/24/2001 | 02/01/2001 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 12/15/2005 | 100000 | 20 | |
| Around 100k miles my 2001 subaru forester (manual transmission) experienced severe hesitation and missing (bucking) in all gears, resulting in a loss of power. the timing belt was replaced and mechanic assured me everything with the timing belt and clutch was ok. within a few days the car experienced the same severe jolting as before. in lower gears car accelerates extremely slowly, and often stalls after the severe shaking. this is a potentially very dangerous problem; while taking a left out of my neighborhood, my car began to shake violently and stalled, and i was almost struck by oncoming traffic. *nm | |||
| 09/10/2003 | 1 | 07/28/2000 | |
| After being told that it is normal for subaru clutches to have clutch judder, and now out of my 60,000 warranty, i find that subaru has issued a tsb to fix the clutch judder problem. i feel this is a recall issue and i should get a warrantied repair of my clutch as should other subaru owners with this maufacturer's defect.*ak | |||