NHTSA Complaint #10747238 — 2015 SUBARU FORESTER

WHILE DRIVING EASTBOUND ON I-80 IN IOWA JUST EAST OF EXIT 220 (WILLIAMSBURG) OUR CAR LOST POWER BUT, BECAUSE IT HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, I WAS ABLE TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH AND COAST TO THE LEFT ROAD MARGIN. THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR HAD COME ON A FEW MILES BEFORE BUT THE DISPLAY INDICATOR SHOWED THAT WE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO DRIVE 60 MILES AT THE DISPLAYED AVERAGE OF 30.5 MILES PER GALLON. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECT AS THE MANUAL STATES THAT WHEN THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR COMES THERE ARE 2.6 GALLONS REMAINING. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AS THE INDICATOR CONTINUED TO SHOW ONE INCREMENT IN THE GAS GAUGE AND A RANGE OF 60 MILES ON THE DISPLAY. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING FUEL. WE EVENTUALLY WERE ASSISTED BY AN IOWA STATE PATROL OFFICER WHO TOOK ME BACK TO THE CASEY'S STATION IN WILLIAMSBURG WHERE I BOUGHT A GASOLINE CAN AND ABOUT 3.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. WITH HIS ASSISTANCE I WAS ABLE TO FUEL MY CAR (THE TRAFFIC AT THAT TIME AND PLACE WAS VERY HEAVY AND FAST), AND THE CAR STARTED IMMEDIATELY. IT IS BE IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR DID NOT COME ON AFTER I STARTED THE CAR. I HAD NOT PUT ALL OF THE GAS IN THE CAN INTO MY CAR, AND THE MANUAL STATES THAT THE INDICATOR WILL NOT COME ON WHEN THE TANK IS HOLDING 4.5 GALLONS OF FUEL, SO THERE WAS CLEARLY A GALLON OR MORE OF FUEL IN THE TANK WHEN IT DIED. ALSO, THAT SECTION OF EASTBOUND I-80 IS SLIGHTLY UPHILL. IT SEEMS THEN THAT EITHER THE ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE READING FUEL LEVELS ARE VERY INACCURATE, OR THE GAS TANK IS BUILT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHEN THE TANK IS LOWER ON FUEL AND GOING UPHILL GAS IS NOT GETTING TO THE ENGINE. HAD I NOT BEEN DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND ABLE TO ROLL ONTO THE MARGIN UPHILL BUT SIMPLY SLOWED TO A SUDDEN STOP IN THAT TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE DIED, I BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS SERIES IF COLLISIONS.