Subaru forester 07

My daughter has a 8-month old forester w 17,000 miles, mostly from commuting in the Bay area of CA. She made 3 trips to Tahoe w no problems. After a 15,000 service check, the next trip to Tahoe - she was accelerating uphill and the tach went crazy and power did not increase. On the same trip, this happened as she left a stop sign. On a 5th trip to Tahoe, I was with her as this happened twice again - both uphill at high elevations. Service center says no record of computer problems and cannot duplicate it locally. Anyone else have this problem? THANKS

If the car is automatic, I would say the transmission is slipping and needs to tended to RIGHT AWAY, before further damage is done. If a stick shift, the clutch must be slipping . Also needs to be fixed quickly.

I agree with Docnick. This is a problem with either the transmission (if automatic), or the clutch if it is a manual transmission.

This behavior is most definitely NOT normal and the fix should be covered in full by your warranty, as long as it is an automatic transmission. Since a driver can burn out a clutch, literally in a matter of days, the clutch would not be covered after this much elapsed time or odometer mileage. If the dealership that you have gone to already has been unhelpful, as it sounds, then I would suggest that you try another dealership.

Ultimately, you may have to get the factory zone representative involved in order to get satisfaction (contact info is in the Owner’s Manual), but the solution is spelled w-a-r-r-a-n-t-y–as long as this is an automatic transmission. You should not have to spend one dime to get this repaired, no matter whether anyone else had this problem or not, as it is not normal and should not be tolerated for very long.

If this is a manual tranny, I’d bet the clutch is slipping. 17,000 is short clutch life and generally indicates a need to improve technique.

If it’s an automatic, the tranny is slipping. I’m not a tranny guy, but generally the first place to look is the tranny fluid level. The fluid operates the hydraulics that hold the selected geartrain in place and low fluid could cause an inability of the hydraulics to do so under load.

Again, I’m not a tranny guy. But checking the fluid level is a good start. If it’s low, you need to have the tranny checked out to find out where it may have disappeared to.

It is an automatic - thanks for your speedy reply!

It is an automatic - I asked her about fluids, but it was fresh out of its scheduled maintenance by 1-2 days when she had the first problem. Won’t hurt to check. Input appreciated!

i’ll agree about the transmission possibly being at fault.

a question or two.
Who exactly is this service center; Subaru dealer, fast lube facility, etc.?
What was done during this 15k mile service?
Any trans fluid changes or flushes?

ok4450 makes an excellent point, as usual. If that 15k service was done by Quicky Lube, it is possible that the wrong type of fluid was used, and the wrong type of fluid can cause some major damage to a transmission. Even if it was not Quicky Lube, there are independent mechanics who are not as competent as they should be, and the wrong fluid could have been used in that situation, as well.

So–on the assumption that the above scenario is accurate, then the warranty will not cover the problem, and you would have to go after the quick lube facility for compensation. The dealership could be your best ally in terms of a written statement that the transmission contained the wrong fluid. That documentation, combined with a demand letter from an attorney, could actually net you the cost of a new transmission without having to enter a court room. Just don’t let the Quicky Lube facility designate the repair place where the transmission would be replaced. You have the right to have the repairs done at the dealership, at Quicky’s expense.

If the service was done at the dealership, then please ignore the above statement, and continue to press for warranty coverage at the dealership.