NHTSA Complaint #10949892 — 2017 SUBARU FORESTER

MY 2017 SUBARU FORESTER HAS A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHENEVER I ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE VEHICLE BY DOWNSHIFTING, THE VEHICLE WILL OFTEN CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. THIS UNWANTED ACCELERATION IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING DOWN A GRADE, HOWEVER IT ALSO FREQUENTLY HAPPENS ON FLAT GROUND. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I AM GOING 35 MPH IN 4TH GEAR AND AM ANTICIPATING A STOP LIGHT AHEAD, I WOULD TYPICALLY RELEASE MY RIGHT FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND DOWNSHIFT TO 3RD GEAR, THEN 2ND GEAR WHILE LIGHTLY BRAKING TO DECELERATE THE VEHICLE. INSTEAD, DOWNSHIFTING HAS MINIMAL AFFECT ON THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE, WHILE DOWNSHIFTING MERELY INCREASES ENGINE RPM, NOT ASSIST IN BRAKING THE VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN SCENARIOS WHEN THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED ON FLAT GROUND (WITHOUT DRIVER ACCELERATION INPUT) DESPITE DOWNSHIFTING. THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO HAPPENED ONCE ON ICY ROADS AND CAUSED ME TO ALMOST LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AS A FRAME OF REFERENCE, I HAVE DRIVEN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AS A PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR ALL OF MY DRIVING LIFE (NEARLY 22 YEARS). I HAVE NEVER PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED A MANUAL TRANSMISSION THAT ACCELERATES WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT ON FLAT GROUND. IT SEEMS THAT THIS ISSUE OF UNWANTED ACCELERATION COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN AVOIDED. THANKS.