This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
While pulling out of a curbside parking place on a city street the engine started racing and I could not control it by stomping on the brakes or applying the emergency brake. As I was wrestling to keep the surging car under control another car came driving by and was sideswiped. On two prior occasions I had taken this car to check out the surging which takes place when the car is starting up. The dealership and the independent repair shop that I consulted both assured me that they had adjusted the idle and the car was now safe to drive. But is it?
Brakes just do not work on snow, ice (ABS does not kick in), and the wheels do not turn. Happened several times, ran into an intersection on red at least 4 times. Accident waiting to happen; noticed other complaints of accidents.
The contact owns a 2001 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that when the vehicle stopped moving, it accelerated without the accelerator being depressed intermittently and without any warning. The contact also crashed into another vehicle fifteen feet away and almost hit a pedestrian when the failure occurred. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the mechanic stated that the problem was unknown. The contact researched the problem and stated that the throttle position sensor caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 78,000. The current mileage was 178,000. Updated 1/7/14
On Monday at 4:50 pm I was driving N a school zone and realized that I was having to ride my brakes I also thought there was some funny noise from the engine. I rolled down my window and couldn't hear any thing. As I approached the stop sign my car would not stop and I pressed my brakes all the way down. The rpms went all the way into the red and my car continued about 4 to 6 feet with brakes all the way down. When car finely came to a stop I placed it in park because I thought this my stop my car from going into gear again and the rpms continued to rise more into the red. I was afraid and placed it in drive with foot on brake to get it into the parking lot I took a right. When I had to stop in the lot the car would not stop and the rpms went up all the way as my foot was on the brake it went about 3 extra feet before coming to a stop. I placed it in park and quickly turned the car off. I turned the car on to see if it would reset but the RPM went all the way up again. A man claiming to be a mechanic looked at my throttles to make sure they were not stuck and took one finger and tapped on the throttle sensor. I started the care again and the rpms were back to a normal amount. The dealers have not been able to replicate and have found no fault in the diagnostic testing. Cause unknown.
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.
- Newburyport, MA, USA
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I was driving alone in a 2001 Subaru Forester around 3pm on a sunny August day in 2010. Heading South on a 2 lane road in tallahassee, fl, I approached a red stoplight ahead with two vehicles stopped in front of me. As I started to brake, the vehicle abruptly accelerated, I swerved into the oncoming lane to avoid the stopped cars in my lane as the vehicle continued to accelerate to about 40 miles/hr. A vehicle had just made a turn at the light intersection into the oncoming lane, so I had to steer the Forester to the left, up over a curb onto an embankment to get around the oncoming car to avoid a head on collision, then steer back onto the road to avoid a telephone pole. The vehicle careened back across into the original lane I started in while the traffic was still stopped at the light. I passed in front of the stopped cars and missed them. At that point I smacked hard against the other curve in the original southbound lane I was traveling in and the vehicle came to rest. Three of four tires were damaged from impact with the curbs on either side of the road and had to be replaced. No one was injured and there was no property damage other than to the three tires on my vehicle and the front left wheel assembly. I had purchased this car with 98,000 miles on it, had extensive repairs done on it and had driven it about 6,000 miles before this occurrence. I had noted no incidence of abrupt acceleration with this vehicle prior to this occurrence, nor in the additional 5,000 miles I have driven it since. I took the vehicle to the Subaru dealership who sent me to a body shop. I took the repaired vehicle back to the dealership and asked them to check the accelerator. They said nothing was wrong with the accelerator pedal or linkage system.
Car accelerating while brakes engaged and foot off gas pedal. Hit another car and brick wall while using the emergency brake. Engine afterward revved up so fast when car turned on several times. Returned to normal. Drove care to dealer. Nothing wrong can be found.
The contact owns a 2001 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that on June 14, 2010, while at a stop sign, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into the vehicle in front of her. There were no injuries but the vehicle sustained minor damages. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a repair center where it was currently being inspected. The contact had not called the dealership or the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 150,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2001 Subaru Forester. While driving 5 mph with the contact's foot off the accelerator pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 30 mph. She depressed the brake pedal, however, the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a tree. The vehicle was destroyed. The driver sustained bruises from the seat belt. The current and failure mileages were 64,000.
I was backing out of a parking place. My 2001 Subaru Forester suddenly accelerated. I had not put my foot on the accelerator pedal. I could not make the car stop with the brake although I practically stood on the brake. My right leg was injured because the ligament were strained by the force I used to try to stop the car. The car smashed into another car in the parking lot and suddenly came to a stop. Something similar happened in November, 2005 when the car suddenly surged forward and smashed into another car as I was coming to a stop. I assumed then that I had made a mistake, but now, with this second incident, I think there is something wrong with the car. The car is currently being repaired. I have asked the mechanic to check the accelerator.
My mother was backing her 2001 Subaru Forester into her parking space at work, when it suddenly accelerated in reverse. The car continued over a parking median, over a guard rail around the parking lot, through a row of bushes before eventually striking a telephone pole and stopping.
The consumer states on March 10, 2005, she totaled vehicle. The vehicle accelerated on its own, it went into a ditch. This was the second time this happened. The first time was in May 2004. This time, the vehicle went across traffic into a ditch. She had to call a tow truck. She took the vehicle to the dealership; he test drove the vehicle and replaced a tire that went flat. The mechanic told her the vehicle was fine. The second time, when going around a corner on a winding mountain road it went across the road again. It ended up in a ditch and the vehicle was totaled. There was a police report. She hasdtwo cracks on L-1 and both T-9 and T-10 need surgery. She also has a cracked sternum. She had to stay in the hospital for five days. She is currently seeing a specialist and an orthopedic surgeon. She found an article in the sacremento bee on April 13, 2005 title, click and clack. This article was in reference to sudden acceleration in Subaru's.
On 3/31/2004 I was exiting the parking lot of a supermarket in jackson, when suddenly, my 2001 Forester lurched forward and continued to accelerate even as I was breaking. It went out into cooper street (a very busy street). Fortunately there were no oncoming cars. It continued over the curb and hit several trees before it stopped.
Sudden acceleration..car was idling few minutes in park in my driveway, before entering garage. When shifted to drive, with foot still on brake, car revved up, accelerated, crashed through garage wall into family room of home. Brakes did not work;only impact stopped car. Airbag did not open.
While driving 60 mph and without warning vehicle will lose power /drops to 5 miles. Then goes back to 60 mph. Dealer has been notified 6 times, and could not find cause.
When applying brakes to park, vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumping a curb and hitting two parked vehicles. Problem was intermittent. Subaru was contacted to inspect vehicle.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Oakland, CA, USA