2001 Subaru Legacy Driver assistance Problems

COMPLAINT REGARDING SAFETY RECALL PROBLEM RESULTING IN TWO ACCIDENTS. *MR *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10079531

Incident

Jun 1, 2004

DRIVING ON SECONDARY ROAD - WELL KNOW TO ME - AT DUSK @ 45 MPH APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION WITH A MAJOR ROAD. BEGAN TO TAP GENTLY ON BRAKE TO EASE TO MY "YIELD" OR STOP IN CASE DRIVER ON OTHER ROAD DID NOT DO SO. EACH TIME I HIT BRAKES, THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP & PULL FORWARD @ INCREASED SPEED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO BRAKE, I ATTEMTED TO DOWNSHIFT, PUT IN PARK AND PULL UP PARKING BRAKE -- ALL TO NO AVAIL, EXCEPT ENGINE AND FRONT END MADE LOUD GRINDING NOISES. THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT STOP AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25' FROM THE INTERSECTION, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DRIVE INTO A "SNOW BANK" WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW OVER A PILE OF GRAVEL. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR & IT WAS TOWED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD A DIFFICULT TIME STARTING THE CAR SO HE COULD WINCH IT ONTO HIS FLATBED TRUCK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SUBARU DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER MAINTAINS THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY "BIRDSEED IN THE FILTER" IN THE AIR BOX GOING TO THE THROTTLE. (HE ALSO SAID THE SEED INDICATED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MOUSE NEST, BUT HE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A NEST AT THAT TIME.) I TOLD HIM THAT I FOUND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE MY CAR IS IN A HEATED AREA OF THE GARAGE AND ANY MICE HAVE MUCH WARMER PLACES TO STAY. MY OWN MECHANIC SAID THE BIRDSEED EXPLANATION WAS IMPLAUSIBLE AND, IF ANYTHING, THE BIRDSEED WOULD HAVE LED THE CAR TO STALL OUT - NOT INCREASE ACCELERATION. I CHECKED YOUR WEB SITE AND FOUND OTHER 2001 LEGACIES WITH "FUEL: THROTTLE LINKAGES & CONTROL PROBLEMS. I PRINTED THESE OUT AND TOOK THEM TO THE DEALER. HE SAID HE CHECKED THE THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROLS ELECTRONICALLY AND FOUND THEM TO BE FINE BUT WOULD NOT PUT THIS IN WRITING. HE STANDS FAST ON HIS BIRDSEED EXPLANATION. AM AN EXPERIENCED & SAFE DRIVER - HAVE "PLATINUM" LEVEL OF SAFE DRIVER DISCOUNT. THIS CAR IS MY 6TH NEW SUBARU IN UNDER 20 YEARS. HAVE ALWAYS FOUND THEM RELIABLE IN THE PAST. AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10055074

Incident

Jan 16, 2004

Mileage

40,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD, AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. WHEN IN REVERSE VEHICLE WILL JUST TAKE OFF ON ITS OWN GOING BACKWARD. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS ISSUE. *AK DEALER NOTIFIED. *TT

NHTSA ID

8007745

Incident

Mar 24, 2002

WHILE DRIVING, THROTTLE STUCK AT 53 MPH, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP BY BRAKING AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE IDLED AT 4500 RPM, CONSUMER SHIFTED TO PARK AND BACK TO DRIVE AND THE RPM DROPPED TO 3000 RPMS, CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND PARKED VEHICLE FOR 25 MINUTES, AFTER RESTARTING, EVERYTHING WAS WORKING OKAY, CONSUMER IS TAKING VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. *SLC

NHTSA ID

785912

Incident

Mar 17, 2002

CONSUMER WAS ATTEMTING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE WHILE LIGHTLY TOUCHING BRAKE PEDAL WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, RUNNING OVER AN ENBANKMENT AND HITTING THE SIDE OF A BUILDING. BRAKE PEDAL WAS TO THE FLOOR, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NECK AND BACK AREAS OF THE BODY, AND DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS ESTIMATED OVER THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER HAS THE VEHICLE TO TRY TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *YH

NHTSA ID

8001497

Incident

Dec 20, 2001

WHEN ENGINE IS COLD,VEHICLE HESITATES AND NEARLY STALLS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM IDLE SPEED OR TAKING OFF.*AK

NHTSA ID

751810

Incident

Sep 4, 2001

I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR NOW. IT HESITATES, THEN LUNGES FORWARD VERY QUICKLY. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM, WHICH HE SAYS IS A PROBLEM IN ALOT OF LEGACY SEDANS, BUT SUBARU CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX IT. I AM ASKING THEM TO FIX IT OR REPLACE THE CAR WITH A SAFE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

751011

VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND ENGINE WAS OFF. CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, AND VEHICLE OVERACCELERATED AND "LANDED ON TOP" OF CAR BEHIND HER. DEALERSHIP HAS VEHICLE AND REPAIRING DEFECT. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT INFORMED CONSUMER AS TO WHY DEFECT OCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

885537

Incident

Mar 18, 2001

CONSUMER HAD FOOT ON BRAKES WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, AND VEHCLE TOOK OFF. IT WENT THROUGH A FENCE AND DOWN INTO A DITCH. DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THROTTLE MUST HAVE GOTTEN STUCK, BUT NO PROOF IN INSPECTION. CONSUMER HAS ONLY HAD VEHICLE 3 WEEKS LEASED.*AK

NHTSA ID

883144

Incident

Feb 27, 2001