I just bought an '04 Forester XS. I've read past threads about the complaints concerning the auto climate control. I have a question that I haven't seen answered. Even when I turn it off, there's is still air coming out of the lower & upper vents... The temperature is affected by the temperature setting, if I turn it up it gets hot & vice versa.

 

Is this normal? Shouldn't "off" mean off? Thanks

When you turn off the fan, make sure that the RECIRC light is on as well, this will prevent the air from entering the vents when you're driving. Make sure the the selector is on one of the first 3 choices, UPPER, BI-LEVEL or LOWER.

 

Hope this helps.

Turning on RECIRC helps, but then the windows fog up! It's an improvement, though.... Thanks.

 

I would be thrilled with the car if it wasn't for this one problem...

I think you'll find this on every modern car. It is a safety feature. There is a constant flow of outside air into the passenger compartment to prevent a build-up of CO should there be a leak into the car.