2014 Subaru Forester electrical complaints

Filed May 4, 2014 · Electrical, Seats · 7,000 miles · NY

I was driving my 6 month old 2014 subaru forester at about 50 MPH at night and my driver's seat began reclining. I almost lost control of the car and had an accident because the mechanism to stop it was not working. It happened three more times after that occurrence. Also, the power lift gate was inoperable. I had to crawl into the back cargo area to try to open the rear lift gate. It would not open, even from the inside. It was reinitialized several times by kingery rye subaru in rye, ny and they failed to correct the problem. Eventually they replaced the part but the operation of lift gate remains unpredictable. I need to be able to use the power lift gate at all times to put a wheelchair in the back. I was informed by subaru of america (in writing) that some of the electrical problems that are occurring are because kingery rye subaru installed an after market remote starter into my car without my knowledge or approval. I have written documentation from subaru of america stating the dealers must install subaru parts. I paid a lot of money for a subaru remote starter. Rye subaru put a cheap after market starter into my car. That is fraud. My car is starting randomly and without a key in the ignition. A co-worker came into work and told me my car was locked and running in the parking lot. Recently I closed the lift gate, using the button on the lift gate and the car started itself as I was walking away from it. The car has started on its own many times. There are multiple dangerous electrical problems that are putting myself and my family's lives at risk. The side driver's and passenger's windows fog up when the heat is turned on. The de-fogger does not remedy the problem at all. I am unable to see anything out the side windows which poses a big safety issue especially during the winter. I bought the car because it had a high safety rating. This car is not safe.

Filed Mar 24, 2014 · Acceleration, Electrical · 7,700 miles · FL

This vehicle is a forester xt turbo. I was operating on cruise control at 78 MPH, approximately 900 miles from home, when a sudden loss of propulsion occurred. Dashboard had multiple warning lights. Engine was still operating, though at very low RPM so I was able to maintain steering and braking control. After maneuvering to the side of the road, I noticed the tachometer was fluctuating between 500-800 RPM. I turned off the engine and was able to restart. The following warning lights were still illuminated: check engine, hill control, cruise control, and operating mode. Operating mode was stuck in "sport" mode. I was able to drive vehicle at normal speed to nearest dealer approximately 10 miles away. The service technician stated I had an error code of p0606. This is a voltage issue on the engine control module, (ECM). The corrective action is to re-flash the ECM computer chip. This is a restricted action, requiring a field service engineer to come to the dealer to do the procedure. The technician stated they had already experienced this with a vehicle they sold but the problem with the module usually occurs on engine start. The technician cleared the error codes and I continued on my trip. Upon returning to my home, I took the vehicle to my dealer to be serviced. My dealer stated they were one of the first to experience this issue. I am wondering why there has been no recall/notice to owners of this problem since it has been known for a while. It is frightening to lose power when cruising at highway speed.