2011 SUBARU FORESTER Power Train Problems

Thousands of Subarus are developing leaking cam carriers which can cause the vehicles to stall due to oil loss. There are online threads with many, many owners reporting their vehicles developed this problem - many with low mileage. My vehicle developed the problem with about 40,000 miles on the odometer. This vehicle should be recalled. Dealerships are making a fortune fixing these vehicles, often charging close to $3,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A. CRIVELLI SUBARU (768 ALLEGHENY BLVD, FRANKLIN, PA 16323) AND AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE RESULT CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SHORT BLOCK ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO PARTIALLY COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

WHEN MY HEAD LIGHTS GOT TURNED ON NONE OF MY TAILLIGHTS OR MY DASH LIGHTS CAME IN 1200 DOLLAR REPAIR. ALSO MY HEAD GASKET WENT WITH 1500 DOLLAR REPAIR WHICH SUBARU IN KNOWN FOR IF YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH. *TR

THE IGNITION KEY STARTS THE CAR, BUT STICKS IN THE IGNITION AFTER DRIVING TO DESTINATION AND PUTTING IT IN PARK. THE PROBLEM IS PERSISTENT BUT INTERMITTENT. IT TYPICALLY REPEATS IN THE MORNING AFTER THE FIRST DRIVE OF THE DAY. CAN'T ALWAYS GET THE KEY OUT AND HAVE TO RETURN HOME. AFTER DRIVING AND MUCH JIGGLING THE KEY WILL EVENTUALLY COME OUT. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED A PART IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT HE CALL THE "SHIFTER PLATE," TO THE TUNE OF $550, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.

SHIFT LINKAGE CORRODES CAUSING LOSS OF SHIFTING ABILITY, INCLUDING PUTTING INTO PARK AND DRIVE. THEY ALREADY HAD A RECALL ON THE SAME PROBLEM CAUSING CORROSION TO THE BRAKE LINES. THIS SAME ISSUE IS HAPPENING TO THE SHIFT CABLE LINKAGE

CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT 60,000 MILES WAS DUE TO VALVE SPRING FAILURE. THE VALVE SPRING FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. FATIGUE INITIATED AT A HIGH STRESS LOCATION NEAR A SUBSURFACE NON-METALLIC SLAG PARTICLE. SURFACE CRACKING WAS NOTED ON THE VALVE SPRING AT LOCATIONS NEAR THE FRACTURE ORIGIN.

MY WIFE AND I CURRENTLY OWN A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER WE PURCHASED NEW FROM HATFIELD SUBARU IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD IT SERVICED AT BYERS DUBLIN SUBARU IN COLUMBUS OHIO. AT THE 25,000 MILE MARK BOTH HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING SO THE MECHANICS AT BYERS PULLED THE MOTOR AND REPLACED THEM. JUST RECENTLY AT THE 33,000 MILE MARK I BROUGHT IN MY VEHICLE TO BYERS FOR MY 30,000 MAINTENANCE CHECK ALSO COMPLAINING OF A STRANGE NOISE. THEY INFORMED ME THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AGAIN AND THE NOISE WE HEARD WAS THE TRANSMISSION RUNNING LOW ON FLUID. THEY AGAIN PULLED THE MOTOR AND MADE REPAIRS, HOWEVER, WHEN PLACING THE MOTOR BACK IN THE CAR A STRANGE NOISE DEVELOPED IN THE ENGINE, THEY AGAIN PULLED THE MOTOR ADJUSTING THE TENSIONING ON THE TIMING CHAIN YET THE NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT. THEY THEN CONTACTED SUBARU TECHNICAL SUPPORT ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE....

ON 5/24/11, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, MY FORESTER WAS HIT BROADSIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. THE IMPACT OF THE SPEEDING VEHICLE CAUSED THE FORESTER TO SPIN 360 DEGREES AND FLIP-OVER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I WAS LEFT TRAPPED INSIDE THE FORESTER AND WITNESSES POINTED OUT THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO RUN AFTER THE FORESTER FLIPPED OVER. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION KILL SWITCH. FURTHERMORE, THERE IS NO INTERIOR RELEASE OF THE REAR HATCH. AS A RESULT I REMAINED TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND CONCERNED ABOUT A GASOLINE LEAK AND POSSIBLE EXPLOSION. I WAS EVENTUALLY REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE BY EMTS AND BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF SIMILAR ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN A REMOTE AREA OR IF THE DRIVER WAS MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED, MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE RESULTED. *TR