Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||||||||||||
| 04V473000 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | from 02/04/2003 to 03/05/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 26 | 10/08/2004 | MFR | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 10/01/2004 | 09/30/2004 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the cover bolts for the engine oil control valve may not be sufficiently tightened, allowing oil to leak from around the cover gasket. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If leaking oil contacts components operating at high temperatures, a fire could result in the engine compartment. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect and retighten the oil-flow control valve cover bolts. the recall began on october 8, 2004. owners should contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Subaru recall no. wwu-05.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 029705 | 10/06/2005 | 10017968 | Active valve control system (avcs) union screw filter. if a rough idle and/or rpm does not increase smoothly there is the possibility that the union screw filter of the active valve control system (avcs) could be damaged affecting the oil | 12/09/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 029605 | 09/09/2005 | 10016869 | 2.5l remanufactured sohc short block release. *tt | 10/13/2005 | |
| 029304 | 11/05/2004 | 10011775 | Modification of timing belt tensioner bracket to prevent knocking noise. *nm | 01/31/2005 | |
| 05 | 10/01/2004 | 10010528 | Engine oil control valve cover bolts. *tt | 11/30/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| 02 | 02/01/2006 | 10019343 | Rubbing mark on timing belt. subaru. *tt | 03/09/2006 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 03/09/2012 | 119000 | 1 | |
| There has been a continuous oil leak from my 2004 subaru forester xs. my mechanic diagnosed the problem as a leak in the main seal between the transmission and the engine. this is not normal and it will cost me $1,000 to fix because the transmission will have to be removed. there are other complaints registered about similar oil leaks in this model year. subaru should investigate. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2012 | 118148 | 1 | |
| There was a very strong gasoline smell inside the car (2004 subaru forester xs) that happened in cold weather during january 2012. it happened again just recently in january 2013. it was so strong it made the driver and passenger have a headache and become nauseous. many other owners have reported the very same thing and have not been successful in getting subaru to at least investigate. subaru has issued a recall for the wrx model, but not for the forester. this is a health and safety risk that should be taken care of by subaru. *tr | |||
| 03/09/2012 | 119000 | ||
| There has been a continuous oil leak from my 2004 subaru forester xs. my mechanic diagnosed the problem as a leak in the main seal between the transmission and the engine. this is not normal and it will cost me $1,000 to fix because the transmission will have to be removed. there are other complaints registered about similar oil leaks in this model year. subaru should investigate. | |||
| 01/10/2012 | 118148 | ||
| There was a very strong gasoline smell inside the car (2004 subaru forester xs) that happened in cold weather during january 2012. it happened again jsut recently in january 2013. it was so strong it made the driver and passenger have a headache and become nauseous. many other owners have reported the very same thing and have not been successful in getting subaru to at least investigate. subaru has issued a recall for the wrx model, but not for the forester. this is a health and safety risk that should be taken care of by subaru. | |||
| 03/09/2012 | 119000 | ||
| There has been a continuous oil leak from my 2004 subaru forester xs. my mechanic diagnosed the problem as a leak in the main seal between the transmission and the engine. this is not normal and it will cost me $1,000 to fix because the transmission will have to be removed. there are other complaints registered about similar oil leaks in this model year. subaru should investigate. | |||
| 01/10/2012 | 118148 | ||
| There was a very strong gasoline smell inside the car (2004 subaru forester xs) that happened in cold weather during january 2012. it happened again jsut recently in january 2013. it was so strong it made the driver and passenger have a headache and become nauseous. many other owners have reported the very same thing and have not been successful in getting subaru to at least investigate. subaru has issued a recall for the wrx model, but not for the forester. this is a health and safety risk that should be taken care of by subaru. | |||
| 03/09/2012 | 119000 | ||
| There has been a continuous oil leak from my 2004 subaru forester xs. my mechanic diagnosed the problem as a leak in the main seal between the transmission and the engine. this is not normal and it will cost me $1,000 to fix because the transmission will have to be removed. there are other complaints registered about similar oil leaks in this model year. subaru should investigate. | |||
| 01/10/2012 | 118148 | ||
| There was a very strong gasoline smell inside the car (2004 subaru forester xs) that happened in cold weather during january 2012. it happened again jsut recently in january 2013. it was so strong it made the driver and passenger have a headache and become nauseous. many other owners have reported the very same thing and have not been successful in getting subaru to at least investigate. subaru has issued a recall for the wrx model, but not for the forester. this is a health and safety risk that should be taken care of by subaru. | |||
| 03/09/2012 | 119000 | ||
| There has been a continuous oil leak from my 2004 subaru forester xs. my mechanic diagnosed the problem as a leak in the main seal between the transmission and the engine. this is not normal and it will cost me $1,000 to fix because the transmission will have to be removed. there are other complaints registered about similar oil leaks in this model year. subaru should investigate. | |||
| 01/10/2012 | 118148 | ||
| There was a very strong gasoline smell inside the car (2004 subaru forester xs) that happened in cold weather during january 2012. it happened again jsut recently in january 2013. it was so strong it made the driver and passenger have a headache and become nauseous. many other owners have reported the very same thing and have not been successful in getting subaru to at least investigate. subaru has issued a recall for the wrx model, but not for the forester. this is a health and safety risk that should be taken care of by subaru. | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Strong fuel odor inside cabin developed when operating on cold mornings; fuel odor typically went away within 15 minutes of starting the car. inspection of fuel lines, filter, etc. revealed no obvious leaks above the intake manifold. dealer quoted approximately $800 to remove intake manifold and inspect. i have had two independent shops attempt to fix this issue over the past 3 years with varying degrees of success; the most recent (2011) removed the intake manifold and replaced all rubber fuel lines under the manifold, but the problem has recurred this fall and winter and at increasingly warm temperatures. now, there is a visible and obvious leak from a fuel line just as it goes under the manifold--inaccessible without removing the manifold. clearly, the problem is with the design of the metal fuel rail to rubber line interface, since this is a common problem in forester xts across several model years. subaru of america issued a recall for this problem on the wrx, but so far has not acknowledged the problem for the forester or forester xt. this is a costly repair and a huge safety issue: the leaking fuel drips directly onto the engine cylinder heads and in some cases (on passenger-side fuel line leaks) is in close proximity to the turbocharger--representing a significant risk of engine fire. the fuel fumes in the cabin are also a health and safety risk which should be dealt with by subaru. | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 84572 | 1 | |
| The engine overheated and seized while on a freeway without a single warning light regarding high temp or check engine. no coolant was visible in the radiator during inspection after the incident. shouldn't a 21st century driver/owner be notified by some indicator that they are on the verge of heating an engine to the point of failure? and where did the coolant go? does this vehicle have a history of bad thermostats i'm not aware of? it would have been a lot safer if there were some warning light for high temp so we can pull over to allow the car to cool down in order to prevent an accident and save the engine. *tr | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 84572 | ||
| The engine overheated and seized while on a freeway without a single warning light regarding high temp or check engine. no coolant was visible in the radiator during inspection after the incident. shouldn't a 21st century driver/owner be notified by some indicator that they are on the verge of heating an engine to the point of failure? and where did the coolant go? does this vehicle have a history of bad thermostats i'm not aware of? it would have been a lot safer if there were some warning light for high temp so we can pull over to allow the car to cool down in order to prevent an accident and save the engine. | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 78000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. the contact stated there was a slight leak of oil coming from the engine that was dripping into the catylitic converter. the vehicle was taken to dealer after learning of nhtsa recall campaign id number: 04v473000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.pmb | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 78000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 subaru forrester. the contact stated there was a slight leak of oil on the vehicle coming from the engine that was dripping into the catylitic converter. the contact then took the vehicle to dealer after learning of nhtsa recall camaign id number: 04v473000 (engine and engine cooling) which dealt with a leak from the head gasket. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. the failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.rl | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 03/17/2010 | 85000 | ||
| This car has an oil leak coming from the top of the engine. it is exactly the same problem described in your recall number 04v-473 of september 27, 2004. because this forester, an xs model, is not listed in the recall 04v-473, the dealer refused to repair the oil leak. it is the same problem as noted in the recall for the xt model forester | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 2 | ||
| 2004 subaru forester 2.5xs. consumer writes in regards to a head gasket leaking anti-freeze. *tgw the consumer stated the head gasket had to be replaced twice. *jb | |||
| 12/15/2005 | 29500 | 5 | 06/20/2004 |
| When outside temperature falls below 10 degrees f., car will not start or starts only with greatest difficulty. last year(2004), same sort of starting problem was attributed to a cracked ignition coil. this year dealers service department can not find a problem, also can't explain the problem. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| The vehicle's transmission made noise while driving. the vehicle was inspected and it was determined that he vehicle was operating as designed. the consumer would like to return the vehicle and receive a refund for the purchase price. *nm the consumer stated that the engine is making a high pitch whining noise. the consumer was told that the noise is from the reduction gear teeth transmission and was normal. the consumer also experienced problems with her 1998 subaru forrester the consumer experienced overheating and engine damage. a faulty thermostat caused the overheating. an initial test show carbon monoxide indicating probable damage to the sleeves between the pistons and cylinders, which would require replacement of the short block. overheated cams are warped due to the heat. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 02/10/2011 | 106000 | ||
| Had timing belt replaced on 2004 forester turbo as recomended on maintanence,schedule, next day on highway, loud sceeching noise and lose of power. stopped driving towed to mechanic. said it was blown turbo. never notified of banjo bolt issue, subaru should recall or remedy situation at their cost | |||
| 01/14/2010 | 102323 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2004 subaru forrester xt in february of '09 with 93,008 miles on it. the dealership had all service records relating to the vehicles history, and all guidelines were followed according to the manufacturer's specifications. the current mileage on the vehicle is 102,323 and i was just informed that the turbocharger is coming apart and needs replaced or the vehicle will be non-operational. i contacted subaru of north america and they informed me that there was nothing that they could do, which i understand. my main problem is that the representative that i talked to informed me that the manufacturer changed its guidelines for later models of the vehicle to a shorter recommended interval between services. these models have the same engine and turbocharger as my vehicle and they changed the scheduled maintenance from 7,500 miles to 3,500 miles. i understand the power train coverage expired at 5 years or 60,000 miles but my main concern is that they had changed their service requirement for a reason. the mechanic shop that i have taken the vehicle to has had service bulletins on this problem concerning the turbochargers. it states vehicles that are turbocharged should have the oil changed every 3,750 miles to prevent failure/ damage to the turbo and that i was not to drive it or the engine could seize up and cause a crash. *tr | |||
| 06/29/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Engine caught fire while the car was driven. corresponds to nhtsa campaign number: 7v043000. *tr | |||
| 07/25/2006 | 3 | ||
| 2004 forester xt stalled, had loss of power during acceleration and jerked violently. *ts the vehicle was taken to the dealer three times but they were unable to diagnose and repair the problem. *nm | |||
| 12/17/2004 | 8000 | 1 | 01/03/2004 |
| Car producing noxious odor inside. when parking car in garage, accidentally stepped on accelerator rather than brake. hit and destroyed back wall. cosmetic damage to car. dealer claims leaves were sucked into the engine compartment through turbocharge intake. but, odor was of burnt rubber or plastic, not leaves. and, the car is always parked in the garage. finally, most leaves were down several weeks earlier this year, i.e., by end of november. *nm | |||
| 12/02/2004 | 7785 | 1 | 01/04/2004 |
| Engine compartment fire, resulting from oil leaking in engine compartment. there were no injuries and because of proximity of fire department fire was extinguished within 4-5 minutes. subaru of america (soa) maintains that oil leaked from oil filter and that this is no fault of theirs. given the history of recalls of this type of vehicle in japan for leaking oil and fires i am not sure that this point has been demonstrated. soa refused to fix damage and told me to file an insurance claim... which i have done. damage is estimated to be $6-10k. matter will be subrogated to insurance company for settlement.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - TURBO-CHARGER | |||
| 06/19/2010 | 1 | ||
| Consumer writes regarding automobile manufacturer design flaw exclusive dealerships repairs *tgw the consumer stated he experienced a catastrophic failure with his engine due to a blown turbo. the local dealership refused to sell the replacement part to his local mechanic due to the cause of the failure and the installation process. subaru later responded in writing denying all claims even when the consumer supplied them with valid reasons. the consumer learned subaru was aware of the problem dating back to 2005 and a tsb was issued. the tsb stated that oil starvation to the turbo was the main cause for the turbo failure. the oil starvation happened when the oil feed filter bango became clogged. subaru realized the design flaw in the turbo system and later redesigned the turbo to address the problem. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 01/14/2010 | 102323 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2004 subaru forrester xt in february of '09 with 93,008 miles on it. the dealership had all service records relating to the vehicles history, and all guidelines were followed according to the manufacturer's specifications. the current mileage on the vehicle is 102,323 and i was just informed that the turbocharger is coming apart and needs replaced or the vehicle will be non-operational. i contacted subaru of north america and they informed me that there was nothing that they could do, which i understand. my main problem is that the representative that i talked to informed me that the manufacturer changed its guidelines for later models of the vehicle to a shorter recommended interval between services. these models have the same engine and turbocharger as my vehicle and they changed the scheduled maintenance from 7,500 miles to 3,500 miles. i understand the power train coverage expired at 5 years or 60,000 miles but my main concern is that they had changed their service requirement for a reason. the mechanic shop that i have taken the vehicle to has had service bulletins on this problem concerning the turbochargers. it states vehicles that are turbocharged should have the oil changed every 3,750 miles to prevent failure/ damage to the turbo and that i was not to drive it or the engine could seize up and cause a crash. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 300 | 1 | |
| Excessive sulfur dioxide odor (rotten egg). company refuses to fix converter, blames fuel. converter should handle the sulfur content of fuel, regardless. *jb | |||