NHTSA Complaint #10588656 — 2014 SUBARU FORESTER

AFTER A ROUTINE PERIODIC MAINTENANCE THAT WAS REPORTED TO INCLUDE A SOFTWARE UPDATE (UNRELATED?), INTERMITTENT EVENTS WITH UNEVEN AND BRIEFLY ABSENT ACCELERATION OCCURRED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE VEHICLE SPEED FROM SLOW SPEEDS OR FROM A STOPPED CONDITION WHEN DEPRESSING THE THROTTLE. NO INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE PRESENT ON THE DASH OF AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL PROBLEM OR ANY UNSAFE CONDITION. AFTER INITIALLY DENYING THE PROBLEM THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE IT. ELECTRONIC DATA WAS REPORTED TO BE COLLECTED ON THE EVENT AND EXAMINED BY SUBARU. SUBARU AMERICA IS REPORTED TO HAVE SUGGESTED CHECKING THE KNOCK SENSOR CONNECTION. DEALER REPORTED "TIGHTENING" THE CONNECTION. NO PARTS LISTED AS REPLACED, NO REASON FOR "LOOSENING" GIVEN (AT 11500 MILES), NO REASON GIVEN FOR "INTERMITTENT" PERFORMANCE, NO REASON GIVEN FOR LACK OF INDICATION/DASH LIGHT FOR A PRESUMED UNCERTAIN STATE IN A SENSOR CONTROLLING ACCELERATION/FUEL IGNITION. I GUESS THE DEALER AND SUBARU AMERICA KNOW THEIR PRODUCT BEST - AND THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED - BUT I AM SURPRISED THAT AN INTERMITTENT CONNECTION TO A SENSOR IMPACTING ACCELERATION WOULD NOT RESULT IN A DASH INDICATOR OR CODE. ALSO, SINCE NO REASON FOR THE "DISCONNECTION" WAS GIVEN - AND NO PARTS WERE REPLACED - I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT A FACTORY ASSEMBLY DEFECT OCCURRED (MANIFEST JUST AFTER A SOFTWARE CHANGE?). IN ANY CASE, SUBARU AMERICA INDICATES THIS PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT SINCE THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCELERATION CONTROL, IT DESERVES TO BE NOTED. *TR