2008 Subaru FORESTER problems and owner complaints

I PARKED FACING DOWNWARDS ON A STEEP HILL . AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS. RETURNED TO MY NEW 2008 SUBARU FORESTER LL BEAN WITH LESS THAN 610 MILES AND FELT SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE--IT WAS FLAT ON THE FLOOR. THE CAR PICKED UP SPEED (TWO SUCCESSIVE 15% GRADE HILLS); I BRAKED, DOWN SHIFTED AND COULD NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN. TO AVOID HITTING A CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I DROVE INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER A TERRIFYING RIDE FOR OVER HALF A MILE, ENDED UP HITTING TWO CURBS, STREET SIGN, FIRE HYDRANT & E…

Owner-reported narrative. 608 miles reported. Look up ODI 10218920 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE BRAKES FAILED. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 37959. UPDATED 03/10/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/07/10

Owner-reported narrative. 37,959 miles reported. Look up ODI 10306523 at NHTSA ↗

JUST LIKE THE JUST RECENT RECALL OF SUBARU'S 2009-2013 FORESTER, MY 1998 FORESTER STEERING RACK AND PINION SYSTEM HAD RUSTED OUT TUBING THAT LEAKED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT AFTER STEERING JUST WENT OUT. HOW YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN CONTINUE TO ALLOW CAR MANUFACTURES TO USE REGULAR STEEL FOR MANY OF THE PARTS UNDER A CAR (LIKE THE RACK AND PINION, BRAKES, ETC) IS BEYOND ME. THAT SHOULD BE A CRIME BUT OH NO, THE POLITICIAN WILL BUREAUCRATS WILL ALLOW THIS TO GO ON UNTIL A BUNCH OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE KILLED. THEN YOU MIGHT DO SOMETHING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10608120 at NHTSA ↗

SEPTEMBER 19, 2020, I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, AT 10:30 PM, GOING 75MPH AND AL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD POP. I HAD LOST ALL CONTROL OF MY CAR AND MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FELT LIKE IT COMPLETELY GAVE OUT ON ME. I SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS AND TRIED TO GET IT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT I COULDN'T. IT SENT ME ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THE FAST LANE, RIGHT UP AGAINST THE INTERSTATE DIVIDER WALL, MY CAME TO A STOP INA COUPLE SECONDS. I WAS SITTING FLUSH WITH THE WALL, I COULDN'T OPEN MY DOOR, AND I DIDN'T WANT MY PASSENGER IN THE CAR TO O…

Owner-reported narrative. 150,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11363012 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 7 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. HE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND ALTHOUGH THE RPMS INCREASED, IT EVENTUALLY IDLED BACK TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES FOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER DIRECTLY WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. HE STATED THAT THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE DEALER LATER FOUN…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,228 miles reported. Look up ODI 10323377 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A KEY HOLE ON THE LIFTGATE OR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. IN THE EVENT OF AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE TRUNK. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE VIN AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10224601 at NHTSA ↗

A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE INTERIOR OF OUR CAR WHILE PARKED. THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS DESTROYED AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS RUINED WITH SMOKE DAMAGE. INSURANCE DECLARED IT A TOTAL LOSS AND BOTH THE ADJUSTER AND FIRE DEPARTMENT SUSPECT IT WAS A WIRING ISSUE. WHILE ARSON WAS NOT RULED OUT, THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE CAR TO SUGGEST A BREAK-IN, AND NO PERSONAL BELONGINGS IN THE CAR WERE TAMPERED WITH. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 56,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10504069 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMALLY STRONG GASOLINE FUEL ODOR WHILE PARKED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTICED A LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HOUSING GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,399... UPDATED 05/09/12 *BF THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP HOUSING GASKET…

Owner-reported narrative. 25,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10455558 at NHTSA ↗

IN JULY OF 2012 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CANCELING MY CRUISE CONTROL. I TOOK THE CAR TO REPAIR GARAGE I WAS USING AND THE EVAP CODE INDICATED A LEAK OF .002. THE CAR WAS SMOKE TESTED AND THE GARAGE RECOMMENDED TO CHANGE GAS CAP, WHICH I DID WITH GENERIC CAP. THE AGAIN IN NOVEMBER OF 2012 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, AGAIN THE CODE WAS POSSIBLE EVAP LEAK. IN JAN 2013 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY, HAD IT SMOKE TESTED FOR 3 HOURS AT THE GARAG…

Owner-reported narrative. 67,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10524491 at NHTSA ↗

I was driving to work and my Subaru stalled at an intersection. I restarted the car and continued to work. It is raining heavily. I arrived at work and the parking lot is full of water. I was slowly pulling up forward in the parking spot. I had my foot on the brake trying to get as far forward in the spot to avoid as much of the huge puddle in the lot as I could when suddenly the vehicle lurched forward over the concrete stop in the parking spot, onto a raised concrete sidewalk and then smashed into my work's building. It happened in a sp…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11419667 at NHTSA ↗