| Issue ID | 755867 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10299794 |
| Manufacurer | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. |
| Brand | SUBARU |
| Model | FORESTER |
| Model Year | 2004 |
| File date | 14/01/10 |
| Component | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | I purchased a 2004 subaru forrester xt in february of '09 with 93,008 miles on it. The dealership had all service records relating to the vehicles history, and all guidelines were followed according to the manufacturer's specifications. The current mileage on the vehicle is 102,323 and i was just informed that the turbocharger is coming apart and needs replaced or the vehicle will be non-operational. I contacted subaru of north america and they informed me that there was nothing that they could do, which i understand. My main problem is that the representative that i talked to informed me that the manufacturer changed its guidelines for later models of the vehicle to a shorter recommended interval between services. These models have the same engine and turbocharger as my vehicle and they changed the scheduled maintenance from 7,500 miles to 3,500 miles. I understand the power train coverage expired at 5 years or 60,000 miles but my main concern is that they had changed their service requirement for a reason. The mechanic shop that i have taken the vehicle to has had service bulletins on this problem concerning the turbochargers. It states vehicles that are turbocharged should have the oil changed every 3,750 miles to prevent failure/ damage to the turbo and that i was not to drive it or the engine could seize up and cause a crash. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 102323 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | MANFIELD, OH |
| VIN pattern | JF1SG69644HXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 30 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |