NHTSA Complaint #10146199 — 2006 SUBARU FORESTER

THIS IS A REPEATABLE EVENT THAT COULD LEAD TO AN INJURY: PURCHASED A NEW 2006 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5X END OF OCTOBER 2005. AFTER APPROX. TWO WEEKS CAR BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE UNEXPECTED ENGINE RPM INCREASES IMMEDIATELY AFTER A "COLD START." WHEN CAR IS FIRST STARTED, ENGINE RPMS ARE AT AROUND 1500. PUT CAR INTO REVERSE AND BACK OUT OF PARKING SPACE. WHEN THE CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED, ENGINE RPMS SHOOT UP TO 3000+. THEN, AFTER PUTTING CAR IN 1ST GEAR, AND RELEASING CLUTCH, ENGINE RPMS DROP TO ABOUT 1500 BUT SLOWLY INCREASE TO AROUND 2500-3000 RPM AND VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES WITHOUT FOOT EVEN BEING ON THE ACCELERATOR. PROBLEM USUALLY CLEARS UP AFTER DRIVING A FEW MINUTES EXCEPT ON ONE OCCASION WHEN CAR HAD BEEN OPERATING FOR AROUND 15 MINUTES... WHEN I CAME HOME FOR LUNCH AND PULLED INTO OUR DRIVE AND PUT IN THE CLUTCH, THE RPMS SHOT UP TO AROUND 3000. TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTING WILL "RESET" THE RPMS TO AROUND 1500 UNTIL IT IS PUT IN GEAR ONCE AGAIN AND THE CLUTCH DEPRESSED. A COUPLE OF TIMES THIS HAPPENED: AFTER THE RPMS SHOT UP TO 3000+, I KEPT THE CLUTCH PRESSED TO SEE HOW LONG THE RPMS WOULD STAY AROUND 3000. THE RPMS DID A DECAYING SINUSOIDAL OSCILLATION OF ABOUT 6 CYCLES OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT 30-45 SECONDS, FINALLY LEVELING OUT AROUNT 1500 RPM. *NM