Manufacturer: FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES U.S.A., INC. (C/O SUBARU OF AMERICA)
Manufacturer Id: 1075
Model: Forester
Model Year: 1999
Other Restraint System Info: SRS Airbag
Plant City: Ota
Plant Company Name: FHI
Plant Country: Japan
Plant State: Gunma
Seat Belts All: Manual
Transmission Speeds: 5
Transmission Style: Manual/Standard
Trim: S, Sport Wagon
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2004
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
RAW FUEL SMELL IN CABIN DURING COLD START. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND HE SEES FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINE UNDER PASSENGER INTAKE MANIFOLD. TO RESOLVE ISSUE HE WILL HAVE TO PULL THE INTAKE, REPLACE FUEL LINES AND USE BETTER CLAMPS. THE CLAMPS AND HOSE USED BY SUBARU IS FAULTY AS I SEE A TON OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. THEY EVEN DID A RECALL ON THE WRX WHICH HAS THE SAME MOTOR AS THE FORESTER.
1999
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
DRIVING ON FAST DOWNHILL SECTION OF MOUNTAIN 2 LANE HIGHWAY, ON ICE / PACKED SNOW, TAPPED BRAKES WHILE ENTERING CURVE ... 2 SECONDS LATER WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THE VEHICLE LOST ADHESION, OVERSTEERING DANGEROUSLY. I RECOVERED WITH CONSIDERABLE OPPPOSITE STEERING LOCK AND SLIGHT APPLICATION OF POWER (CAR IS ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.) IT HAPPENED SO FAST, I KNEW NOT WHAT HAD CAUSED THE CAR TO SLIDE OUT OF CONTROL. TODAY, I LEARNED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. WITH THE GEARSHIFT SELECTOR IN DRIVE, TRAILING THROTTLE AND APPLICATION OF BRAKES, THE COMPUTER WILL OCCASIONALLY (AUTOMATICALLY) DOWN-SHIFT THE CAR INTO 3RD. GEAR. THIS SOFTWARE BUG, COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND TOTALLY DANGEROUS IN MARGINAL TRACTION CONDITIONS CAUSEDG A VICIOUS SKID FROM WHICH MOST DRIVERS OF AVERAGE EXPERIENCE WOULD HAVE NOT RECOVERED. WE PUT ABS ON CARS SO THAT BRAKING CAN BE MORE PREDICTABLE WHEN DRIVING UNDER MARGINAL COEFFICIENTS, THAN WE DESIGN SOFTWARE WITH A BUG WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO THROW THE CAR TOTALLY AND UNPREDICTABLY OUT OF CONTROL ON ICE. NICE WORK, SUBARU !*AK