2001 SUBARU FORESTER Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

BOUGHT MY 2001 FORESTER USED WITH APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER OWNING IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOTICED HESITANCY WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT. SLOWLY STARTED GETTING WORSE. CAR WOULD SIT FOR ABOUT 10 TO 15 SECONDS AFTER BEING PUT INTO DRIVE BEFORE ENGAGING AND IF FOOT IS NOT ON BRAKE, HAS A HARSH ENGAGEMENT (WHIPLASH TYPE THING WHERE IT THROWS YOU FORWARD). SO, AFTER MUCH RESEARCH AND FINDING OUT THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY 1000S OF OTHER FORESTER OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA WHO OF COURSE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND IF THEY FOUND ANYTHING WRONG, SUBARU MIGHT GIVE ME SOME GOODWILL ASSISTANCE. WELL AS THEY FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION FILTER WAS NOT A SUBARU BRAND AND NOR WAS THE FLUID, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE IT AND THEN RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, SAYING THAT MAYBE THAT OTHER FILTER...

PURCHASED USED "AS IS" 02/01/2007 FROM DEALER THAT LISTED 2001 FORESTER AT $9800.00, THEN WHEN I WENT TO BUY THEY REDUCED COST TO $5200.00 JUST TO MOVE THEIR USED VEHICLES OFF LOT. THEY DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PROBLEMS AND SAID FORESTER WENT THOROUGH VEHICLE INSPECTION AND VEHICLE WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION MECHANICALLY. (1) FAILURE OF EMISSION SYSTEM IE,OXYGEN SENSORS (2) FRONT AND REAR LOCATIONS. SECOND DAY AFTER PURCHASE. (2) FAILURE OF LEFT FRONT CV JOINTS (2) AND AXLE. THIRD DAY AFTER PURCHASE. (3) AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD ONLY GO INTO REVERSE AND NOT ANY DRIVE OR FORWARD GEARS WHILE COMING HOME FROM WORK ON "5TH" DAY OF OWNERSHIP AND THIS BEING THE "THIRD" TIME TO HAVE FORESTER TOWED TO SERVICE CENTER. I CONTACTED THE MULTI-FRANCHISED (INCLUDING SUBARU) FOR HELP AND INFORMATION. THEY RESPONDED THE FORESTER WAS SOLD AS IS AND DIDN'T CARE EVEN IF THE VEHICLE FELL IN HALF ONCE IT...

WHEN I SHIFT INTO DRIVE (ANY OF THE DRIVE GEARS), THE CAR HESITATES TO ENGAGE (MOVE FORWARD) FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2-3 SECONDS AND UP TO 1 MINUTE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE WAIT TIME IS RANDOM SO I NEVER KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE. THE OTHER DAY, I HAD TO REVERSE TO GET OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND THEN THE CAR WOULDN'T ENGAGE INTO DRIVE FOR ANOTHER 45 SECONDS AND I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY A CAR COMING UP BEHIND ME. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! I'VE READ ABOUT HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS BY OTHER SUBARU FORESTER (1999 - 2001) OWNERS ON-LINE. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I SPOKE WITH BOTH THE DEALER AND SUBARU REPRESENTATIVE AND THEY WON'T COVER THE COST OF A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. I THINK THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE...

AFTER A SNOW STORM I NOTICED MY 2001 SUBARU FORESTER WOULD NOT DRIVE ON SLIPPERY SURFACES. I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR, THE WHEELS SPUN AND NOT MUCH ELSE HAPPENED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 12/19/03 AND THEY LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS NUTS TO COMPLAIN THAT A CAR DIDN'T DRIVE PROPERLY ON PACKED SNOW AND ICE. THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS THAT IT MUST BE POOR TIRES (BOUGHT NEW ALL SEASONS ON 10/02) OR THAT I NEEDED TO PURCHASE SNOW TIRES (FOR AN AWD?). AFTER PUSHING THE ISSUE, THE SERVICE MANAGER BROUGHT IT BACK INTO THE GARAGE, PUT IT ON THE LIFT AND HAD SOMEONE GUN THE ENGINE. THE FRONT WHEELS SPUN FAST (AS THEY SHOULD) AND THE BACK WHEELS WENT VERY SLOWLY. THEY SCRATCHED THEIR HEADS AND CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA FOR SOME HELP ON THE ISSUE. TURNS OUT THE VALVE THAT SUPPLIES FLUID TO THE REAR WHEELS...

WHEN DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED FOR 10+ MINUTES, THE CAR SPEED BEGINS TO DRAG AND SURGE (SUDDENLY SLOWS, THEN RESUMES SET SPEED). THE CAR SEEMS TO BE ACTIVELY PULLING BACK AGAINST THE THROTTLE IF I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS TO ACCELERATE PAST THE CRUISE SETTING, THE DRAGGING BACK AGAINST THE THROTTLE STILL OCCURS. IF THE CRUISE IS LEFT ENGAGED, THE LURCHING WORSENS, AND WHEN I EXIT THE FREEWAY THE (AUTOMATIC) TRANSMISSION DOESN'T WANT TO DOWN SHIFT. IT RESISTS UNTIL THERE'S A LOUD NOISE, THE REAR OF THE CAR BUCKS, AND THEN IT GOES INTO THE NEXT LOWEST GEAR. THIS HAPPENS THROUGH EVERY GEAR, AND THEN AGAIN UPSHIFTING FROM A STOP: THE RPMS WIND UP HIGHER THAN NORMAL, THE CAR RESISTS SHIFTING, AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO THE NEXT GEAR. THE PROBLEM REMAINS UNTIL I STOP AND TAKE THE CAR OUT OF DRIVE, WHICH APPARENTLY RESETS...

WHILE DRIVING IN BUMPER HIGH SNOW FOR 5 MILES VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM 3 RD TO 4 TH GEAR. CONSUMER HAD TO FORCE IT INTO 4 TH GEAR. DEALER DETERMINED SNOW HAD ACCUMULATED AROUND TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED THE PROBLEM.*AK

WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK INTO DRIVEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR MOVED FORWARD. ENGAGING THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP CAR AND IT WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT. IN PREVIOUS YEARS SUBARUS WERE RECALLED FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS.ALSO FOR PROBLEMS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *AK