NHTSA Complaint #10005513 — 2001 SUBARU FORESTER

EXHAUST FUMES SOME CO POISONING SYMPTOMS 2001 SUBARU FORESTER POSTED BY DAVE ON FEBRUARY 08, 03 AT 06:52:29: I FUELED MY FORESTER WITH 91 OCTANE PREMIUM FUEL AND TOOK OFF ON A 5 HR DRIVE TO DENVER. THERE WERE EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS 40 MPH WINDS AND GROUND BLIZZARDS. SET THE CRUISE CONTROL AT 75 MPH AND IT WAS ALL THE CAR COULD DO TO MAINTAIN 70 MPH IN HIGH GEAR AND ON SOME HILLS IT WOULD DOWNSHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR TO SATISFY THE COMPUTER SETTING OF 75. AFTER 2+ HOURS OF DRIVING I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF EXHAUST FUMES. I DEVELOPED A HEADACHE. I OPENED THE BRRRRR WINDOWS AND WROTE A NOTE TO THE EFFECT THAT IF I SUCCOMED TO CO FUMES AND DIED FOR MY SURVIVORS TO SUE SUBARU. IN THE STATE CAPITOL, I STOPPED AT THE D.O.T. AND WENT INTO THE TESTING LAB AND BORROWED A CO TESTER THEN WENT BACK ONTO THE INTERSTATE (THE CAR WAS IDLING WHILE IN THE LAB). I WAS WOOZIE AND DISORIENTED CLASSIC CO SYMPTOMS. SCARIE! ANYHOW BACK ONTO THE ROAD FOR A 15 MIN ATTEMPT TO REPRODUCE THE SCENARIO. THE FUMES WERE GONE THE CO DETECTOR STAYED AT ZERO/PPM, I SUPPOSE THE CONVERTOR HAD COOLED OFF. ON THE RETURN TRIP THE WIND HAD DIED AND THE ENGINE DID NOT HAFTO WORK QUITE AS HARD THERE WERE STILL SOME TIMES OF SLIGHT SMELL OF THE FUMES BUT NOT AS INTENSE AS ON THE INITIAL 2 HOUR EXPERIENCE. I ALSO REFUELED AT THE 2 HR MARK WITH 87 OCTANE FUEL. I BELIEVE THAT THE PURCHASE OF A SMALL CO DETECTOR MAY BE A GOOD IDEA FOR SAFETY. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS AS A POSSIBLE SERIOUS HAZARD BUT HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GO ABOUT INITIATING SUCH A THING. THIS POST IS TO FURTHER THAT CAUSE. CC: SUBARU MFG.COM