2014 Subaru Crosstrek

ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2017 AT 12:30AM A POLICE OFFICER WOKE US UP TO INFORM US THAT OUR HAD SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A CITY STREET, TURNED OFF, AND NOT MOVING. THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED AND TURNED OFF FOR FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RULED THAT IT WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND NOT ARSON. THE FIRE ALSO TOTALED THE CAR THAT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF IT. THE REASON FOR THE FIRE IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN ALTHOUGH THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS ASSIGNING AN INVESTIGATOR TO FOLLOW UP ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS A PRE-OWNED LEASE AND HAD 53,000 MILES ON IT. WE ALSO HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PREFORMED AND OIL CHANGES EVERY 4,500 MILES. THE POLICE REPORT FOR THIS CASE IS THROUGH THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA POLICE DEPARTMENT - INCIDENT # 17-142429.

AUTOMOBILE WAS TAKEN TO HAVE AN OIL CHANGE AND WHEN CAR WAS ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE OUT THERE WAS A SLIPPAGE OF THE DRIVE TRAIN. I STOPPED AND HAD THE CAR CARRIED TO A MECHANIC THAT I TRUSTED. I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT I HAD OBSERVED AT THE CHANGING OF THE OIL AND AS A PRECAUTION HE DRAINED BOTH THE OIL AND THE TRANSMISSION AS I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THEY MAY HAVE DRAINED THE TRANSMISSION OIL. HE REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OIL WITH THE PROPER TRANSMISSION FLUID AS CALLED FOR BY SUBARU. THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT RUN PROPERLY. I THEN HAD THE CAR TRANSPORTED TO THE SUBARU DEALER HERE IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, CLASSIC CADILLAC. THE SUBARU DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WAS WRONG, HOWEVER I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. WE THEN CALLED THE SUBARU NATIONAL OFFICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY WAS VOIDED BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED BY AN UNAUTHORIZED COMPANY AND NOT BY SUBARU. THE PERSON SPOKEN TO WAS A MS. S. BROWN WHO IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS THE PERSON AT SUBARU THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WARRANTIES. MS. BROWN INSISTED THAT THE OIL CHANGE AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION S TRANSMISSION WAS QUOTED AS $7,800.00. THIS IS SO EVEN THOUGH NO ONE FROM SUBARU COULD TELL US WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT REQUIRED THAT IT BE REPLACED. I WOULD APPEAR THAT WE ARE THE VICTIMS OF THE REFUSAL OF SUBARU NOT TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CASES OF TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS, THIS IS SO EVEN THOUGH WE JUST RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SUBARU EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE POWER TRAIN. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN AT ANY TIME DURING EACH TIME THAT THE CAR WAS LOOKED BY ANY MECHANICS.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE TURNPIKE, ALL MY DASH LIGHTS WENT ON, & THE CAR STARTED BUCKING LIKE AN UNBROKEN HORSE AT 70 MILES AN HOUR WHILE I WAS SURROUNDED BY TRACTOR TRAILERS. I MANAGED TO GET HOME BY SWITCHING THE CAR TO MANUAL SHIFTING. TAKING THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER, I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT: 1. THAT RODENTS HAD EATEN PARTIALLY THROUGH MY SPEED SENSOR WIRE AND IT FINALLY COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SPEED SENSOR WIRE IS WHAT TELLS THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT. 2. THAT THEY SEE THIS PROBLEM AT LEAST 1 TO 2 TIMES A DAY!! 3. THAT THE SENSOR WIRE IS COATED WITH PEANUT OIL!!! (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?) 4. THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY 6 YEAR, 600,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY PURCHASED IN ADDITION TO THE VEHICLE. AND YES, THE WIRE WAS REPLACED WITH THE EXACT SAME WIRE WHICH THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DEALER'S SOLUTION: MOTHBALLS AROUND MY CAR EVERY TIME I PARK ANYWHERE OR URINATE AROUND MY CAR. HUMANS ARE APPARENTLY THE BEST 'PREDATOR' TO DETER RODENTS. MY 16 YEAR OLD SON IS LEARNING TO DRIVE & I HAD BEEN TEACHING HIM TO DRIVE ON MY SUBARU BELIEVING IT TO BE THE SAFER OF MY FAMILY'S VEHICLES. HE WOULD HAVE PANICKED ON THE HIGHWAY IF THAT HAPPENED TO HIM AND SOMEONE WOULD BE HURT, IF NOT DEAD. AS IT WAS, WITH 20 YEARS PLUS EXPERIENCE DRIVING, IT WAS STILL A SHOCK AND HAD THE TRACTOR TRAILER I PASSED RIGHT BEFORE THE CAR WENT CRAZY NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION OR BEEN TIRED, THAT TRUCK WOULD HAVE HIT MY CAR AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. UNFORTUNATELY, MY 'DAMAGES' FROM THE ORDEAL ARE ONLY MY $100 INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE AND SOME TIME OFF WORK, SO I DON'T MAKE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A SUIT AGAINST SUBARU. THE CONCERN IS IN WEIGHING COST VERSUS BENEFITS, THE CAR MANUFACTURERS WILL WAIT TO CHANGE ANYTHING UNTIL ENOUGH PEOPLE GET HURT OR DIE TO MAKE IT COST EFFECTIVE TO CHANGE THEIR PRACTICES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING!