NHTSA Complaint #10294344 — 2009 SUBARU FORESTER

I AM WRITING TO YOU TODAY WITH GREAT REGRET. AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCHING AND THOUGHT, I PURCHASED THE SUBARU FORESTER ON AUGUST 2008 FROM DUNNING SUBARU ANN ARBOR MI 48103. WHAT DREW ME TOWARDS THE FORESTER WAS THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO PURCHASE THIS CAR. I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH IT UP TILL A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. FIRST, AFTER RETURNING FROM AN OIL CHANGE ON MAY 2009, I CAME HOME AND PACKED MY CAR. LATER WHEN I WENT BACK TO THE GARAGE, THE FLOOR WAS FILLED WITH OIL BECAUSE IT WAS DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE; I WAS TERRIBLY UPSET AND CONTACTED SUBARU RIGHT AWAY. THEY ASKED ME TO COME BACK AND TOOK CARE OF IT. AGAIN, ON NOVEMBER 29TH I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM DROPPING MY DAUGHTER AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY WHEN ENGINE SUDDENLY JUST STOPPED. IT STARTED MAKING SOME ODD SOUNDS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND JUST WITHIN 5 SECONDS, THE ENGINE WAS DEAD. I WAS ON HIGHWAY HEADING TOWARDS ANN ARBOR, WHICH IS A EXTREMELY BUSY HIGHWAY. BUT TO MY LUCK, AT THAT MOMENT IT WAS NOT CROWDED, AND I WAS ABLE TO SWITCH LANES AND PULL OVER TO THE CURB RIGHT AWAY. BECAUSE THE ENGINE STOPPED SO SUDDENLY AND QUICKLY, IT DID NOT GIVE ME ENOUGH TIME TO PULL OVER ALL THE WAY TO THE CURB, CAUSING MY CAR TO BE HALF IN THE LANE, AND HALF ON THE CURB, TRY TO CONSIDER HOW DANGEROUS THAT SITUATION IS, ESPECIALLY ON A RAINY NIGHT AT 11PM. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE CURB, WE WAITED 20 MINUTES(IN THE RAINY WEATHER) TO LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN AND TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR BECAUSE WE DIDN'T EXPECT SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM SUBARU. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DID NOT WORK, AND NOTHING WORK. THE ONLY OPTION WE WERE LEFT WITH WAS TO CALL AAA AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED. WHILE MAKING THE CALLS TO AAA, A COP PULLED UP BEHIND US TO TELL US THAT OUR CAR WAS IN DANGER BECAUSE WE WERE HALF IN THE LANE AND HALF IN THE CURB, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, BECAUSE OF SUBARU'S' ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN ON US SO QUICKLY AND SUDDENLY, IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO PULL OVER COMPLETELY TO THE CURB. *TR