NHTSA Complaint #701898 — 1995 SUBARU SVX

2/14/97-REPORTED TO BROWN'S SUBARU THAT CAR FELT LIKE IT STARTED IN A DIFFERENT GEAR OTHER THAN IN 1ST GEAR. DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY ABNORMALITIES IN TRANSMISSION FUNCTION.CAR SEEMED TO RUN OKAY AFTER THIS UNTIL FEB 1998 WHEN WHILE TRAVELING AT 30-35 MPH LOST ALL GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC POSITION.WAS ABLE TO PUT TRANSMISSION IN "MANUAL MODE" AND DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER(BROWN'S SUBARU OF ARLINGTON WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW, BUT WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT DO WARRANTY THERE BECAUSE THE SUBARU SERVICE HAD MOVED TO ALEXANDRIA, WHERE I TOOK AUTO NEXT MORNING, WHERE AFTER APPROXIMATELY 33 DAYS THE CAR, SUPPOSEDLY WAS REPAIRED.NEW PARTS PUT INTO TRANSMISSION TWO OR THREE TIMES DURING THIS 33 DAY PERIOD BECAUSE TRANSMISSION, ACCORDING TO MECHANIC AND SERVICE MANAGER WOULD WORK THEN WOULD FAIL. SUPPOSEDLY NO NEW TRANSMISSION WAS AVAILABLE, AND THE DISTRICT MANAGER, MR. HARRY CROOK, WANTED TO FIND OUT THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM SINCE NO OTHER 1995 SVX TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS HAD BEEN REPORTED.TOOK RECEIPT OF CAR WITH EVERYTHING WORKING OKAY. SEVERAL DAYS LATER(I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE WITH ME, BUT HAVE THE WORK INVOICE AT HOME, I DETECTED A WHIRRING SOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN I WOULD PUT INTO REVERSE. SERVICE WRITER HEARD NOISE AND TOOK CAR IN.IF IT SERVES ME CORRECTLY THE INITIAL MECHANIC WAS OUT ON SICK LEAVE, SO I HAD TO TAKE AUTO TO STOHLMAN'S SUBARU, RT 7 MCLEAN,VA.COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. DEC'98 CAR STARTED TO HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AGAIN. WHILE IN "DRIVE" AFTER PRESSING THE ACCELARATOR, THE ENGINE WOULD JUST REV AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. ABLE TO PUT IT MANUAL MODE AND TAKE TO BROWN'S SUBARU WHERE AGAIN, AT THIS DATE THEY ARE NOT PUTTING NEW PARTS TO REPLACE THIRD GEAR CLUTCH PARTS, ETC. IN *AK TRANS.