NHTSA Complaint #10205790 — 2002 SUBARU FORESTER

IN THE LAST WEEK, MY HEATER STARTED WORKING SPORADICALLY, PUTTING OUT COOL AIR AND HOT AIR INTERMITTENTLY. THEN MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED CLIMBING QUICKLY TO THE HOT END. I TURNED MY HEATER ON FULL-BLAST TO COOL DOWN THE ENGINE AND THIS WORKED FOR ABOUT A MILE, THEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP IN THE RED. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY, LET THE ENGINE COOL, AND ADDED COOLANT (IT WAS SLIGHTLY LOW, BUT NOT THAT LOW). THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE WHEN THE HEATER WAS ON ALL THE WAY, SO WE LOOKED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SAW THERE WAS A LEAK. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS AN "EXTERNAL COOLANT LEAK FROM THE HEAD GASKET" JUST LIKE IN THE COURTESY RECALL OF THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED SUBARU, IT WAS FOR "PHASE 1" ENGINES ONLY, AND MINE WAS A "PHASE 2" ENGINE, THEREFORE MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE SAME RECALL. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD MY CAR SERVICED EVERY 3,000 TO 5,000 MILES. THE PREVIOUS OWNER KEPT A LOG OF ALL THE WORK ON THE CAR IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, AND HE TOO, HAD IT SERVICED REGULARLY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE FOR IT NOT TO BE A FAULTY PART, LIKE IN THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT WITH THE PHASE 1 ENGINE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER 2002 SUBARU FORRESTERS, WITH A PHASE 2 ENGINE, HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND IF SO, WHAT SUBARU IS GOING TO DO TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM? MY CAR IS FIVE YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 85,000 MILES ON IT, AND IT HAS BEEN SERVICED AT THE RECOMMENDED TIMES. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM THIS MAJOR ($2,500 TO FIX!) GIVEN THESE FACTS UNLESS IT WAS A FAULTY SYSTEM TO BEGIN WITH! *JB