1998 Subaru Forester Transmission Problems

CLUTCH CHATTERS BADLY AND CLUTCH DOES NOT ENGAGE UNTIL THE PEDAL IS ALMOST FULLY DEPRESSED WHEN VEHICLE SITS OVERNIGHT. PROBLEM SEEMS MORE PRONOUNCED IN COLDER WEATHER, BUT OCCURS IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION TO CAUSING AN UNSAFE DRIVING SITUATION, THE CONDITION MAY CAUSE FIRST AND REVERSE GEARS TO GRIND WHEN SELECTING THESE GEARS FROM A STOP. AFTER DRIVING A FEW MILES THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY AND THE CLUTCH OPERATES NORMALLY. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO SUBARU REPAIR SHOPS NUMEROUS TIMES, INCLUDING AT 33,220; 59,451; 74,213; AND 92,380 MILES. THE SUBARU REPAIR SHOPS CAN USUALLY DUPLICATE THE CHATTER, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CLUTCH ENGAGING ONLY AFTER BEING ALMOST COMPLETELY DEPRESSED. AT 92,380 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONLY 1.5 MILES IN THE MORNING TO THE SUBARU REPAIR SHOP WITH THE POOR CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT STILL OCCURRING, AND THE SUBARU REPAIR SHOP SAID THEY STILL COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED AND REPAIRED SHORTLY AFTER THE 33,220 MILE SERVICE COMPLAINT AT SUBARUS EXPENSE, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR SUBARU FORESTERS, AND POSSIBLY OTHER MANUAL TRANSMISSION SUBARUS (FOR PLE, ://FORUMS.VMAG.COM/SUVSUBARU0200/MESSAGES/5197.HTML).*AK

NHTSA ID

10025425

Incident

Jun 30, 2003

Mileage

30,000 mi

CONSUMER WAS PARKING ON AN UPGRADE. CONSUMER STATED THAT THEY PUT VEHICLE IN PARK ATTEMPTED TO EXIT WHEN VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE CROSSING A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND STOPPING IN SOMEONES YARD. CONSUMER FEELS THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS, SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN HIT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA ID

10001063

Incident

Jun 19, 2002

NO SUMMARY. DT

NHTSA ID

770487

Incident

Dec 5, 2002

WHEN VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS VERY FAST, CRASHING INTO TWO VEHICLES. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND CONSUMER HAD FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND TURNED ON IGNITION THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY FAST IN REVERSE AND CAUSED ACCIDENT, CONSUMER IS ALSO HAVING VARIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, SUCH AS THE BATTERY DRAINING, SECURITY SYSTEM GOES OFF WHILE PARKED, AND THE DOORS LOCK BY THEMSELVES. *YD

NHTSA ID

8002093

Incident

Jan 9, 2002

WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, CONSUMER DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL AND IT STAYED ON THE FLOOR, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT A BOLT IN THE TRANSMISSIONS CLUTCH PIVOT BALL THAT BROKE AT THE POINT THAT ENTERS THE TRANSFER CASE.*JB

NHTSA ID

785747

Incident

Oct 19, 2001

YESTERDAY AFT. MY CAR DROVE ITSELF INTO A STORE WINDOW WITH ME AT THE WHEEL. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL DISASTER. I WAS ALREADY PARKED THERE, PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND IT TOOK OFF WITHOUT MY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. IN FACT, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). MY BRAKING WOULDN'T STOP IT, SO I MANAGED TO GET IT INTO A FORWARD GEAR. HAD I NOT, THE CAR MIGHT WELL HAVE DRIVEN FURTHER INTO THE STORE AND HURT THE SEVERAL SHOPPERS. ONCE IN A FORWARD GEAR, THE CAR THEN IT TOOK OFF FORWARD ON A WILD RIDE; AGAIN, I WAS MERELY THE PASSENGER. I MANAGED TO STEER THE CAR FOR A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE IT DECELERATED, MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE ALL THIS TIME, WHILE I CLEARED A LIGHT POST AND TWO CARS ON EITHER SIDE, AS WELL AS TRAFFIC IN THE ROAD. *AK

NHTSA ID

749137

Incident

Jul 24, 2001

CLUTCH CANNOT HANDLE ENGINE TORQUE. CLUTCH CHATTERS ON ENGAGEMENT WHEN COLD, RESULTING IN VEHICLE NOT STARTING UP AND ACCELERATING AS EXPECTED. THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENT IF VEHICLE CANNOT MOVE OUT OF WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC. CLUTCH VIBRATION ON HARD ACCELERATION FIRST NOTED AT 8653 MILES AND REPORTED TO DEALER. NOTICEABLE CHATTER WHEN COLD (UNDER 40 DEGREES OUTSIDE TEMP) UNTIL USED SEVERAL TIMES. CHATTER CONTINUES TO BECOME WORSE AND OCCUR AT HIGHER TEMPERATURES AS MILEAGE INCREASES. REPORTED TO DELAER AT 30,110 MILES AND DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE. REPORTED AGAIN AT 35,913 MILES AND DEALER NOTED BUT SIAD DID NOT REQUIRE REPAIR. REPORTED AGAIN AT 48,000 MILES AND DEALER WANTS TO REPAIR AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE. PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY IF REPAIRED AT ORIGINAL REPORT (8653 MILES).*AK

NHTSA ID

747410

Incident

Aug 5, 1998

VEHICLE DELAYED THEN JERKED INTO REVERSE, RUNNING INTO A BUILDING AN CAUSING SIGNIFICANT VEHICLE DAMAGE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

784757

Incident

Nov 1, 1998

THE CLUTCH DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD AND FOR EXTENDED PERIODS IN COLD WEATHER. CLUTCH "CHATTERS" MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO START UP FROM REST WITHOUT HESITATION AND/OR STALLING. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. CLUTCH SEEMS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE TORQUE OF THE ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

725476

Incident

Mar 30, 1998

AFTER OWNING THE FORESTER JUST 3 MONTHS, THE WINDSHIELD HAD THREE CHIPS IN IT WHICH THEN SPREAD INTO A CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER'S VIEWING AREA. AFTER ONLY 21,000 MILES THE CLUTCH DISC/PLATE HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WAS NOT A WARRANTY MATTER. AFTER 42,000 MILES A BEARING IN THE REAR AXLE HAS GONE BAD AND THE CLUTCH IS BEGINNING TO MAKE THE SAME NOISE FOR WHICH IT HAD TO BE REPLACED EARLIER. I AM MOST DISAPPOINTED IN THIS VEHICLE.000 MILES,000 MILES THE

NHTSA ID

718706

Incident

Dec 24, 1998

TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE ACCELERATING ON TO THE INTERSTATE, TRANSMISSION WAS REBUIT BY SUBARU AT 30,767 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

718175

Incident

Jan 29, 2000

ENGINE STARTED TO RACE WHILE DRIVING,TRANSMISSION WON'T ENGAGE WITHOUT GRINDING. NEEDS NEW CLUTCH. NOT SURE WHY A CLUTCH SHOULD GO IN 2 YEARS OF HAVING THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

713604

Incident

Oct 19, 1999

BAD SEAL ON O RING OF OIL DIP STICK CAUSED OIL TO OVERFILL TRANSMISSION FLUID, CAR WOULD STALL DUE TO LACK OF OIL PRESSURE. DEALER FIXED AFTER THIRD VISIT.

NHTSA ID

707551

Incident

Dec 20, 1998