2001 Subaru Forester vehicle speed control problems

“WHILE PULLING OUT OF A CURBSIDE PARKING PLACE ON A CITY STREET THE ENGINE STARTED RACING AND I COULD NOT CONTROL IT BY STOMPING ON THE BRAKES OR APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AS I WAS WRESTLING TO KEEP THE SURGING CAR UNDER CONTROL ANOTHER CAR CAME DRIVING BY AND WAS SIDESWIPED. ON TWO PRIOR OCCASIONS I HAD TAKEN THIS CAR TO CHECK OUT THE SURGING WHICH TAKES PLACE WHEN THE CAR IS STARTING UP. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP THAT I CONSULTED BOTH ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAD ADJUSTED THE IDLE AND THE CAR WAS NOW SAFE TO DRIVE. BUT IS IT?”

“BRAKES JUST DO NOT WORK ON SNOW, ICE (ABS DOES NOT KICK IN), AND THE WHEELS DO NOT TURN. HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, RAN INTO AN INTERSECTION ON RED AT LEAST 4 TIMES. ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN; NOTICED OTHER COMPLAINTS OF ACCIDENTS. *TR”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING, IT ACCELERATED WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT ALSO CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE FIFTEEN FEET AWAY AND ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND STATED THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 178,000. UPDATED 1/7/14*CN”

“ON MONDAY AT 4:50 PM I WAS DRIVING N A SCHOOL ZONE AND REALIZED THAT I WAS HAVING TO RIDE MY BRAKES I ALSO THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME FUNNY NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. I ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOW AND COULDN'T HEAR ANY THING. AS I APPROACHED THE STOP SIGN MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND I PRESSED MY BRAKES ALL THE WAY DOWN. THE RPMS WENT ALL THE WAY INTO THE RED AND MY CAR CONTINUED ABOUT 4 TO 6 FEET WITH BRAKES ALL THE WAY DOWN. WHEN CAR FINELY CAME TO A STOP I PLACED IT IN PARK BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS MY STOP MY CAR FROM GOING INTO GEAR AGAIN AND THE RPMS CONTINUED TO RISE MORE INTO THE RED. I WAS AFRAID AND PLACED IT IN DRIVE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE TO GET IT INTO THE PARKING LOT I TOOK A RIGHT. WHEN I HAD TO STOP IN THE LOT THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND THE RPMS WENT UP ALL THE WAY AS MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE IT WENT ABOUT 3 EXTRA FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. I PLACED IT IN PARK AND QUICKLY TURNED THE CAR OFF. I TURNED THE CAR ON TO SEE IF IT WOULD RESET BUT THE RPM WENT ALL THE WAY UP AGAIN. A MAN CLAIMING TO BE A MECHANIC LOOKED AT MY THROTTLES TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE NOT STUCK AND TOOK ONE FINGER AND TAPPED ON THE THROTTLE SENSOR. I STARTED THE CARE AGAIN AND THE RPMS WERE BACK TO A…”

“DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET. TRIED TO CANCEL CRUISE CONTROL WITH STALK, IT DID NOT DISENGAGE. TRIED REPEATEDLY, IT DID NOT DISENGAGE. HIT THE BRAKES TO CANCEL CRUISE CONTROL, IT DID NOT DISENGAGE (BRAKES ONLY SLOWED CAR DOWN). STEPPED ON THE CLUTCH TO CANCEL CRUISE CONTROL, IT DID NOT DISENGAGE. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE CLUTCH AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE REVVED ALL THE WAY TO REDLINE AND REMAINED THERE (MEANING THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS STILL ENGAGED). COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD WITH CLUTCH IN, ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AT REDLINE... CONTINUED HITTING CANCEL ON THE STALK, EVENTUALLY REVS SETTLED DOWN TO IDLE. MANUAL TRANSMISSION WAS NON-OPERATIONAL AFTER THIS INCIDENT.”

“I WAS DRIVING ALONE IN A 2001 SUBARU FORESTER AROUND 3PM ON A SUNNY AUGUST DAY IN 2010. HEADING SOUTH ON A 2 LANE ROAD IN TALLAHASSEE, FL, I APPROACHED A RED STOPLIGHT AHEAD WITH TWO VEHICLES STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. AS I STARTED TO BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED, I SWERVED INTO THE ONCOMING LANE TO AVOID THE STOPPED CARS IN MY LANE AS THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 40 MILES/HR. A VEHICLE HAD JUST MADE A TURN AT THE LIGHT INTERSECTION INTO THE ONCOMING LANE, SO I HAD TO STEER THE FORESTER TO THE LEFT, UP OVER A CURB ONTO AN EMBANKMENT TO GET AROUND THE ONCOMING CAR TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION, THEN STEER BACK ONTO THE ROAD TO AVOID A TELEPHONE POLE. THE VEHICLE CAREENED BACK ACROSS INTO THE ORIGINAL LANE I STARTED IN WHILE THE TRAFFIC WAS STILL STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. I PASSED IN FRONT OF THE STOPPED CARS AND MISSED THEM . AT THAT POINT I SMACKED HARD AGAINST THE OTHER CURVE IN THE ORIGINAL SOUTHBOUND LANE I WAS TRAVELING IN AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST. THREE OF FOUR TIRES WERE DAMAGED FROM IMPACT WITH THE CURBS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OTHER THAN TO THE THREE…”