1998 Subaru Forester engine problems

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND DOWN. THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO ACCELERATE IN ORDER TO REV DOWN. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE MAY BE DUE TO THE OXYGEN SENSOR OR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CONTACT CALLED LIBERTY AUTO CITY (1000 E PARK AVE, LIBERTYVILLE, IL 60048, (847) 362-2683) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED THE CONTACT WITH A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA complaint #11160794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VEHICLE LEAKING OIL AT FRONT SEALS AND GETTING ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.

NHTSA complaint #10171067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FAILED. HEADS WERE SAVED, BUT ENGINE HAD TO HAVE TOP-HALF REBUILT.

NHTSA complaint #10127227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

(1) NOTICED PERIODIC OVERHEATING ON 1998 FORESTER WITH 2.5L DOHC ENGINE. (2) HEAD GASKET FAILED TEMPERATURE SPIKED AND COOLANT BOILED OVER, LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE STEAM FROM HOOD. (3) DEALER SAID PROBLEM WAS HEAD GASKET AND THE ENGINE WAS REPAIRED FOR $1800, SUBARU OF AMERICA WAS NOTIFIED AND DENIED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR ENGINE IN SPITE OF A LARGE NUMBER OF SIMILIAR HEAD GASKET.

NHTSA complaint #10096493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

1. ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT -- THE CYLINDER WALLS ARE BEING BORED INTO TO PLACE THE ENGINE BOLTS ON THE SUBARU 2.5L ENGINES. IN THIS CASE THE CYLINDER WALL CRACKED THROUGH THE ENTIRE SECTION WHERE IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY BORED INTO ON THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FAIL COMPLETELY. EACH OF THE 4 CYLINDER WALLS ON MY VEHICLE WERE BORED INTO TO SOME DEGREE. I HAVE A 1998 SUBARU FORESTER L. WITH 72,000 MILES. THERE WAS NEVER AN INDICATION OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO ENGINE FAILURE. AT THE TIME OF FAILURE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE PROBLEM. MORE INFORMATION AND PICTURES CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTP://WEBDEV.CE.UTEXAS.EDU/IRWIN 2. THIS CONSEQUENCES OF THE DEFECT RENDERED THE VEHICLE USELESS AND WORTHLESS. AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM OCCURRING. I FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDED MAINTANENCE SCHEDULE GIVEN TO ME BY SUBARU AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY AMMENDMENTS TO THAT SCHEDULE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WE WERE LUCKY THE ENGINE FAILURE DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN A REMOTE LOCATION. 3. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM TO DATE. I HAVE A CASE NUMBER (643095) PENDING WITH SUBARU AS OF 6/25/04, BUT WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE REVIEWED FOR ANOTHER 10 DAYS ON 6/28/04. THE ENGINE FAILED ON 6/16/04.

NHTSA complaint #10078992 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

PLEASE NOTE!..... MY 1998 FORESTER L-MODEL WITH ONLY 54400 MILES HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A LEAKY OIL PUMP....THUS CAUSING OIL TO BE DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE, FRONT AREA, ON TO A PLASTIC SPLASH PAN....WHERE IT LIES UNTIL IT HAS BUILT-UP ENOUGH OF A PUDDLE THAT IT NOW SEEKS TO BE BLOWN REARWARD ALONG THE INSIDE OF THE PAN...(BETWEEN THE SPLASH-PAN AND THE ENGINE) UNTIL FINALLY IT IS BLOWN ON TO THE HOT EXHAUST PIPES LOCATED UNDER THE BODY OF THE CAR...ADJACENT TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER (WHICH IS EXTREMELY HOT)....IT APPEARS THAT SUBARU IS TOTALLY AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS....IN FACT THEY HAVE A REPAIR KIT, WHICH COST $ 30.00...AND THE LABOR COST $ 293.00, THIS CONDITION IS 1. AN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD, 2, A SAFETY HAZARD (POSSIBLE FIRE), AND 3, A RIP-OFF TO ALL CONSUMERS WHO OWN A SUBARU FORESTER, A OIL-PUMP SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 54,000 MILES FOR TWO-BOLTS COMING LOOSE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE BOLTS ARE LOCATED INSIDE THE ENGINE, HOUSING, AND PROTECTED BY NOT ONE, BUT TWO-SEPARATE COVERS.....AND A SPLASH PAN.....THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM....IN ANY ENGINE WHERE PARTS ARE FAILING AT 54,000 MILES IN-TODAY'S TECHNICAL-KNOWLEDGE DRIVE SOCIETY...THE MECHANIC KNEW EXACTLY WHERE TO GO TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM....AFTER I TOLD HIM I SMELT BURNING OIL!

NHTSA complaint #10078772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

BAD HEAD GASKET CAR IS OVERHEATING, SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE BURNING FROM EXHAUST.

NHTSA complaint #10052669 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

BAD HEAD GASKET CAR IS OVERHEATING, SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE BURNING FROM EXHAUST.

NHTSA complaint #10052669 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

DEALER RESEALED OIL PUMP DUE TO AN OIL LEAK, CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED THAT ENGINE WAS IN BEGINNING STAGES OF POSSIBLE FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #564372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

DEALER RESEALED OIL PUMP DUE TO AN OIL LEAK, CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED THAT ENGINE WAS IN BEGINNING STAGES OF POSSIBLE FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #564372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

DEALER RESEALED FRONT OF ENGINE, OIL PUMP ASSEMBLY LEAKED. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #564238 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

THE CLUTCH DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD AND FOR EXTENDED PERIODS IN COLD WEATHER. CLUTCH "CHATTERS" MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO START UP FROM REST WITHOUT HESITATION AND/OR STALLING. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. CLUTCH SEEMS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE TORQUE OF THE ENGINE.

NHTSA complaint #725476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

SNOW AND ICE BUILD UP IN MODEST SNOW CAUSED THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM TO FAIL. IT WAS THE OPINON OF THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE CAR THAT THE FRONT GRILL OF THE WAS OF POOR DESIGN THAT CAUSED THE ICE AND SNOW TO BUILD. THERE WAS ONLY 4-6 INCHES OF SNOW THE DAY BEFORE. A MODEST AMOUNT TO CAUSE SUCH A SEVER PROBLEM. THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT GRILL TRAPPED THE SNOW. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO OTHER CARS IN THIS SNOW CONDITION. *AK OPINI

NHTSA complaint #718261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

VEHICLE DRIPPING OIL/GREASE ONTO THE CATALYTIC COVERTER, CAUSING A BURNING SMELL. DEALER NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #829293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

GREASE AND OIL DRIPPING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER STARTS SMELLING. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AKTHEY DOUBLED THE VISCOSITY OF THE DRIVELINE GREASE. FROM 90 TO 150 WEIGHT. TTHERE ONLY ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS.THE FUMES COMING OFF THE EXHAUST WERE MAKING ME SICK.THE LAEKAGE WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS STARTING ON FIRE- FIRE HAZARD. *ADJ

NHTSA complaint #826556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.