NHTSA Complaint #10051432 — 2001 SUBARU FORESTER

AFTER A SNOW STORM I NOTICED MY 2001 SUBARU FORESTER WOULD NOT DRIVE ON SLIPPERY SURFACES. I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR, THE WHEELS SPUN AND NOT MUCH ELSE HAPPENED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 12/19/03 AND THEY LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS NUTS TO COMPLAIN THAT A CAR DIDN'T DRIVE PROPERLY ON PACKED SNOW AND ICE. THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS THAT IT MUST BE POOR TIRES (BOUGHT NEW ALL SEASONS ON 10/02) OR THAT I NEEDED TO PURCHASE SNOW TIRES (FOR AN AWD?). AFTER PUSHING THE ISSUE, THE SERVICE MANAGER BROUGHT IT BACK INTO THE GARAGE, PUT IT ON THE LIFT AND HAD SOMEONE GUN THE ENGINE. THE FRONT WHEELS SPUN FAST (AS THEY SHOULD) AND THE BACK WHEELS WENT VERY SLOWLY. THEY SCRATCHED THEIR HEADS AND CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA FOR SOME HELP ON THE ISSUE. TURNS OUT THE VALVE THAT SUPPLIES FLUID TO THE REAR WHEELS MALFUNCTIONED/BURNT OUT/NO LONGER WORKED. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID NO SUCH LIGHT TO INDICATE A MALFUNCTION IN THE AWD SYSTEM HAS EVER EXISTED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CROSSED THEIR FINGERS THAT THE ONLY REPAIR I WOULD NEED WAS THE VALVE ($460 PARTS AND LABOR) AND WARNED ME THAT IF THIS HAD BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE I COULD BE IN FOR SOME MORE SERIOUS REPAIRS. I WAS ALLOWED TO TAKE THE CAR HOME BECAUSE I COULD DO NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CAR (WAS TOLD IT SHUT DOWN). BROUGHT IT IN 12/31/03 FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THE VALVE AND THEY DISCOVERED THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND THE CLUTCH WAS COMPLETELY BURNT. THE COST IS NOW ($1500). THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER TO FIX IF THERE HAD BEEN A WARNING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. A VALVE FOR THE AWD SYSTEM SHOULD NEVER MALFUNCTION. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN IT HAPPEN BEFORE. THE CAR IS NOT OLD ENOUGH (3 YEARS 60K MILES) TO HAVE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS!