2000 Subaru Forester Powertrain & Transmission Problems

IN EARLY 2008 MY SUBARU BEGAN POPPING OUT OF FIFTH GEAR. THIS IS VERY INCONVENIENT AND UNSAFE AS IT CAUSES AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF SPEED. ON A FREEWAY GRADE FOR EXAMPLE I HAVE ALMOST BEEN RAMMED FROM BEHIND BY VEHICLES FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT IN THE RIGHT LANE. UPON INVESTIGATION I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT IN THIS MODEL OF SUBARU AND IS COVERED BY TECHNICAL BULLETIN 17 01/01/2002. MY MECHANIC REMOVED THE REAR OF THE TRANSMISSION AND TIGHTENED THE LOOSE MAINSHAFT NUT AT A COST OF $417. THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE BUT A YEAR AND A HALF LATER THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. THE CAR ROUTINELY POPS OUT OF FIFTH GEAR TO THE POINT THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN IN THAT GEAR ON THE HIGHWAY. I EMAILED SUBARU ABOUT THIS BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURING FLAW WHICH IS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR AND IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD WHICH SHOULD BE MADE RIGHT BY SUBARU. *TR

I HAVE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 2000 SUBARU FORESTER. OFF AND ON, SINCE 2007, THE CAR WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN I WOULD SHIFT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. WHILE IN DRIVE, WITH MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. AT FIRST THE DELAY WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS. AND IT WOULD OCCUR ONLY AFTER I HAD DRIVEN A FEW FEET IN REVERSE AND THEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. NOW, HOWEVER, THE DELAY IS MUCH LONGER AND IT CAN HAPPEN EVEN WHEN I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IN REVERSE. THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE. THE ONLY GEAR IN WHICH THE CAR WILL MOVE IS IN REVERSE. SO FAR, THE CAR EVENTUALLY DOES MOVE, BUT I NEVER KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE. EARLY ON, I COULDN'T DETECT A PATTERN IN WHICH THIS WOULD OCCUR. LATELY, THOUGH, IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR AT LEAST TWICE DURING THE DAY, TURNED IT OFF EACH TIME AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AFTER IT HAS SAT AWHILE. WHEN I START THE CAR AGAIN, THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND AS IT SHOULD. TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, ON MY THIRD ERRAND OF THE DAY, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. SO, I TURNED IT OFF AND ON A FEW TIMES, PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR (AND THE BRAKE) EACH TIME I TURNED IT ON, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. IT FINALLY DID AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER IN 2007, I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. (I DIDN'T NOTICE A PATTERN THEN). THE NEXT TIME I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LOW AND THE FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, AS THIS HAS OCCURRED EVEN WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS NOT LOW, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS COULD BE THE PROBLEM. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET INDICATES THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH SUBARU FORESTERS (PRIMARILY 1999 AND 2000) HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS SEVERAL YEARS OLD, I HAVE FEWER THAN 45,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOT YET HAD ANY DIRE CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS LITERALLY AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-55 MPH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR. HE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE VEHICLE OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000. UPDATED 1/14/10 *CN UPDATED 01/15/10.*JB

IF I PLACE MY 2000 SUBARU FORRESTER INTO DRIVE IT WILL NOT MOVE, IT WILL SIT THERE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL SUDDENLY IT JERKS FORWARD INTO GEAR. PLACE INTO REVERSE IT WORKS WELL, MOVES IN REVERSE. VISIT SEVERAL REPUTABLE CAR REPAIR FORUMS ONLINE YOU WILL LITERALLY SEE HUNDREDS OF CUSTOMERS WITH THESE SAME PROBLEMS POSTING FROM 2004-PRESENT. *TR

2000 SUBARU FORESTER WITH A SLIPPING TRANSMISSION. WHEN IN DRIVE, I DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND GO NOWHERE. JUST HEAR A SHRIEKING. ITS BEEN COMING ON FOR A MONTH NOW AND NOW HAS GOTTEN SO BAD I DARE NOT DRIVE IT. IT IS IN THE SHOP NOW AND WILL BE BETWEEN 1500-2500 TO FIX. THEIR ESTIMATE IS THAT THERE IS A LOSS OF PRESSURE SOMEWHERE. THEY ALSO HAVE ANOTHER 2000 FORESTER IN THE SHOP WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM, SIMILAR MILES ETC. UNACCEPTABLE ON A CAR WITH LESS THAN 80K MILES. AND VERY SCARY WHEN YOU ARE ON A SLOPE AND GO TO GO AND FIND YOURSELF ROLLING BACKWARDS. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM? THERE SEEMS TO BE REPORTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!! *NM

IF I PLACE MY 2000 SUBARU FORRESTER INTO DRIVE IT WILL NOT MOVE, IT WILL SIT THERE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL SUDDENLY IT JERKS FORWARD INTO GEAR. PLACE INTO REVERSE IT WORKS WELL, MOVES IN REVERSE. PLACE INTO DRIVE, LIGHTLY PRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT WILL JUMP FORWARD INTO GEAR! PLACE INTO DRIVE WAIT FOR IT TO MOVE: IF I AM ON AN INCLINE IT WILL ROLL BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS DEPENDING ON THE SLOPE, OTHERWISE I CAN SIT THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL JERK FORWARD. SUBARU STATES THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE; LATER THEY STATE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS. HOWEVER, VISIT SEVERAL REPUTABLE CAR REPAIR FORUMS ONLINE YOU WILL LITERALLY SEE HUNDREDS OF CUSTOMERS WITH THESE SAME PROBLEMS POSTING FROM 2004-PRESENT. ALL CUSTOMERS HAVE SUBARU FORRESTER'S OR OUTBACK'S. ALL CLAIM THIS HAZARD! SOME CUSTOMERS STATE A TEMPORARY FIX: REPLACE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FOR A FEW WEEKS/MONTHS THESE PROBLEMS WILL DISAPPEAR. ALL MEMBERS OF THE FORUMS STATE THAT THEY WITHIN WEEKS/MONTHS HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, MANY JUST GAVE UP ON THEIR CARS BY TRADING THEM IN. I FIND THIS HIGHLY UNACCEPTABLE! WHO ELSE WILL THEN PURCHASE THESE SAFETY HAZARDS? GOOGLE ON: SUBARU, TRANSMISSION OR SUBARU JERKING FORWARD INTO GEAR MY AUTOMOBILE HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF! THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED AND MY AUTO HAS LESS THAN 65,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN VERY DILIGENT IN DOING ALL THE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICES ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS MANUAL AS WELL. I SEE THAT 5 OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ON YOUR SITE. PLEASE, PLEASE INVESTIGATE INTO THESE ISSUES. IT'S A HAZARD TO HAVE A CAR BE PLACED INTO DRIVE AND THEN NOT MOVE FORWARD UNTIL YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATOR OR IT MOVES FORWARD AFTER 2 - 30 MINUTES OF WAIT TIME! PLEASE REVIEW THE POSTS ON SEVERAL FORUMS TO SEE THAT MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SUBARU CARS. IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE. OTHERWISE THESE CARS ARE WONDERFUL! *JB

THE 2000 SUBARU FORESTER, WHEN SHIFTED TO "D", "3", "2, OR "1" WILL NOT GO FORWARD. IT WILL ALWAYS GO WHEN IN REVERSE! WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL DEALERS THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED (AT THE TIME THE CAR HAD 70K MILES AND WAS 5+ YEARS OLD - JUST OUT OF WARRANTY). THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WELL KNOWN TO SUBARU DEALERS. TO MITIGATE THIS PROBLEM, I MUST TAP THE ACCELERATOR, AND WAIT AND WAIT 1 SECOND TO 30 SECONDS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WILL ENGAGE. A YEAR AGO, THE TRANSMISSION WAS DRAINED, FLUSHED AND THE FILTER REPLACED, THAT HELPED A LITTLE. THE SERVICE WRITER SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF WARRANTY A SHOULD BE REPLACED, HE ALSO SAID THE WARRANTY SPECIFIED THAT BEFORE 40K MILES THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE DRAINED, FLUSHED, AND THE FILTER REPLACED. AFTER READING THE 2000 WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE BOOKLET (MSA5M0001W, ISSUED JUNE 1999), PAGE 42 (2000 MY FEDERAL SPECIFICATION VEHICLES) AND PAGE 43 (NOTES) I FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS IN ERROR. ITEM 10 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID IS AN "INSPECTION (I)" ITEM ONLY AT 30K, 60K, 90K, AND 120K MILES. PAGE 43 "NOTES 4 AND 9" ARE SPECIFIC, REPEAT SPECIFIC, TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ITEM 10). NOTE 4 DESCRIBES "SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS", BUT ONLY TWO OF THEM "APPEAR (NOT SPECIFIC TO ITEM 10)" TO PERTAIN TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID, "C. DRIVING IN DUSTY CONDITIONS" AND "G. TOWING A TRAILER" - I AND MOST OTHER OWNERS DO NEITHER. AND AS FOR NOTE 9, THE NOTES STOP AT 8, - 9 IS MISSING -, THE CALIFORNIA SCHEDULE OF INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND NOTES (PAGES 44 AND 45) ALSO HAVE NOTE 9 MISSING! INTERNET CITATIONS ATTRIBUTE THIS HESITATION PROBLEM TO A SOFTWARE PROBLEM (THIS YEAR WAS AMONG THE FIRST YEARS TO HAVE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL - THEY MENTION) A PERVASIVE AND CONTINUING PROBLEM THAT SUBARU IS ATTEMPTING TO AVOID. THE APRIL 2005 CONSUMER REPORTS (PAGE 92 RELIABILITY SCORES) ALSO DOCUMENTS THE HIGHER INCIDENCE OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THE 1999 AND 2000 FORESTER.

THE PROBLEM ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A DELAY WHEN SHIFTING THE CAR INTO DRIVE. THIS WAS ABOUT A 1 SECOND DELAY, AFTER WHICH THE CAR WOULD ENGAGE INTO DRIVE, AND THEN RUN AND SHIFT FINE. BUT THEN, THE DELAY GOT WORSE. ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WAS 2 SECONDS, THEN THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER GO INTO DRIVE AT ALL. AFTER EVALUATION, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE 5 OF THE 7 SOLENOIDS REPLACED IN THE SUBARU. THIS WAS ON A TRANSMISSION THAT WAS 5 YEARS OLD, WITH ONLY 80000 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED SUBARU ABOUT THE INCIDENT, AND THEY SAID THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THAT ME THINKING THAT 80K ON A TRANSMISSION BEFORE REPLACEMENT WAS ODD, IT WAS JUST MY OPINION. I INFORMED THE LADY ON THE PHONE THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE COMPLAINTS, THEY WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE ONLINE. SAME THING, OVER AND OVER, ONE PERSON HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AROUND 70K! I GOT NO RESPONSE FROM SUBARU ABOUT THE ISSUE, I WAS TREATED RUDELY, AND THEY BASICALLY HUNG UP ON ME. I DID INFORM THE ATTENDANT THAT FOR MY RECORDS I WAS RECORDING THE PHONE CALL, AND SHE THREATENED ME, SAYING THAT TO DO SO WAS ILLEGAL. I LOOKED UP THE LAW IN NEW JERSEY ABOUT RECORDING PHONE CALLS, AND AS LONG AS ONE PARTY CONSENTS TO THE CALL (ME BEING THE PARTY), THE PHONE CALL COULD BE RECORDED. HERE'S THE STATUTE: "IN ADDITION, AN INTERCEPTION IS LEGAL IF THE INTERCEPTOR IS A PARTY TO THE COMMUNICATION, OR ONE OF THE PARTIES HAS GIVEN PRIOR CONSENT, SO LONG AS NO CRIMINAL OR TORTIOUS INTENT IS PRESENT." I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL SOLENOIDS FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I ALSO HAVE A WRITTEN REPORT ON THE FINDINGS BY THE MECHANIC ON WHAT THEY FOUND. THE REPAIR COST AROUND $2200. HOPEFULLY, SOMEONE OTHER THAN SUBARU WILL LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM.

VEHICLE POPS OUT OF FIFTH GEAR, INTO NEUTRAL, ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 12 TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS.*AK

REPEAT PREMATURE FAILURE OF REAR AXLE BEARING. REAR AXLE BEARING ON BOTH SIDES BECAME NOISY WHEN CAR WAS 35K MI (12-09-02) DEALER REPLACED BOTH UNDER WARRANTY WITH SAME OEM SUBARU 28016FC001. REAR AXLE ON LEFT BECAME VERY NOISY AGAIN AROUND 57K MI, ESPECIALLY ON FREEWAY AND HIGH SPEED. TOOK IT TO DEALER AGAIN (06-22-04). THIS TIME, DEALER (SCHUMAN CARRIAGE MOTORS INC., DBA SUBARU OF HAWAII, ALSO DBA AS WAIALAE SUBARU) DISMISSED NOISE AS FROM TIRES, REFUSED TO HONOR WARRANTY, AND CHARGED US AN UNDISCLOSED $96 "DIAGNOSTIC FEE". UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE AT DEALERSHIP CAUSED GREAT EMOTIONAL TRAUMA TO MY WIFE. SHE SUBSEQUENTLY WAS DIAGNOSED BY MEDICAL DOCTOR OF SHINGLE LIKELY INDUCED BY STRESS AND LEAVING HER UNABLE TO WEAR EYE CONTACT LENSES EVEN TO THIS DAY. OTHER CAR GARAGES LATER CONFIRMED THE LEFT REAR AXLE BEARING IS THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. FOUND A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED IT WITH A SUBARU 28015AA0050 ROLLER BEARING (03-26-05) MECHANIC TOOK IT THE DEFECTIVE BEARING APART. SIGNS OF IRREGULAR WEAR ON THE BEARING CASING IS VISIBLE.

WHEN ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE IT MOVED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB

ON A COLD START, GENERALLY THE VEHICLE WILL GO FORWARD WHEN SHIFTING IT INTO DRIVE, BUT AFTER IT IS WARMED UP IF YOU STOP THE ENGINE AND THEN TRY TO GO AGAIN, IT WON'T ENGAGE IN DRIVE BUT IT WILL GO IN REVERSE. I SEE ON SUBARU'S SERVICE BULLETINS, ON THE WEB, SHOW THERE ARE PAGES UPON PAGES OF THE SAME HAPPENINGS. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE INTERIOR SEALS OF THE TRANSMISSION ARE ALLOWING FLUID TO LEAK BY DECREASING FLUID PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION PREVENTING IT FROM OPERATING PROPERLY, SOMETIMES LEAVING US STRANDED. THE VEHICLE IS A SUBARU FORESTER 2000, OTHER VEHICLES WERE SAME MODELS AND WERE ALSO INCLUDED 1999 MODELS. MY QUESTION IS SHOULD THIS BE HAPPENING IN CARS JUST FOUR YEARS OLD?*AK

MY 2000 SUBARU FORESTER HAS PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE AT 70,000 MILES. *AK

CLUTCH SHUTTER, THROUGH ALL FOUR GEARS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE VEHICILE IS COLD. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BROUGHT IT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING STANDARD TRANSMISIONS FOR 40 YEARS AND NEVER HAVE I EXPEREINCED THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE SUBRAU HAS A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH AND FOR SOME REASON REFUSES TO CORRECT THE SITUATION .*AK

THE VEHICLE'S POWER TRAIN ASSEMBLY FAILED AND CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO MAKE A CHATTERING NOISE. *NLM

BEGAN NOTICING AND COMPLAINING OF CLUTCH CHATTER AT 20,000 MILES. MENTIONED AT EVERY SERVICE VISIT AND TOLD BY DEALER THAT IT WAS NORMAL OR THAT THEY ADJUSTED THE CLUTCH. CAR WOULD BE FINE FOR A MONTH AND THEN CHATTER WOULD RETURN. PARTICULARLY OCCURS WHEN COLD AND TRYING TO ENGAGE IN FIRST GEAR. TOLD AT 44,000 MILES THAT THE CLUTCH WAS WORN AND NEEDED REPLACING. WHEN I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CHATTER THEY NEVER RESOLVED, THEY KEPT SAYING THAT WAS NORMAL AND THE EARLY WEAR MUST BE DUE TO MY DRIVING. REPLACED THE CLUTCH AND ONCE AGAIN, A FEW MONTHS LATER CHATTER RETURNED. ANOTHER DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE FLYWHEEL AS WELL SINCE 99% OF CLUTCH CHATTER IS CAUSED BY THE FLYWHEEL SURFACE. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER WHO AGAIN SAID THE CHATTER WAS NORMAL AND WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE CAR STILL JERKS WHEN I SHIFT INTO FIRST WHEN IT IS COLD, MAKING IT VERY UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER TO DRIVE. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****764329

CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE ON A 5-DEGREE INCLINE, AND IN IN 1ST GEAR. 10-15 MINUTES LATER, CONSUMER HEARD CAR ALARM GOING OFF & SAW VEHICLE HAD ROLLED BACKWARDS, DOWN SLOPE INTO BUSHES. *AK

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL UNIT FAILED FROM LACK OF LUBRICATION, SUBARU STATED THAT INDEPENDENT FACILITIES MISTAKENLY DRAINED THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID INSTEAD OF ENGINE OIL DURING OIL CHANGE BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF PLUGS, THE DIFFERENTIAL PAN AND OIL PAN NEES TO BE PROPERLY LABELED. NLM