2014 Subaru Forester

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V149000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) REGARDING A BRAKE LAMP SWITCH REPLACEMENT. AFTER THE RECALL WAS SERVICED, WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE HILL ASSIST WARNING INDICATOR FLASHED AND THE VEHICLE DRASTICALLY SLOWED DOWN. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO SUBARU OF GEORGETOWN (7501 I-35 FRONTAGE RD, GEORGETOWN, TX 78626, 512 930-2111) WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY AND THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH TO THE CORRECT SPECIFICATIONS AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY CLEO BAY SUBARU (2125 E STAN SCHLUETER LOOP, KILLEEN, TX 76542, (254) 634-3175). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INITIAL RECALL, BUT NOT OF THE DEFECTIVE RECALL REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,032.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY LAST NIGHT, I HEARD A LOUD METALLIC BANG BUT COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING OUTSIDE. THIS MORNING I FOUND THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE SAGGING AND A PILE OF PIECES OF MY REAR DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL ON THE GROUND UNDER MY CAR. VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN TWO DAYS BEFORE BREAKAGE. THE CRACKED EDGES WHERE THE COIL BROKE ARE QUITE RUSTED, SO THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN DEVELOPING FOR SOME TIME.

CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF MY 2014 SUBARU FORESTER TOURING 2.0 TURBO MODEL. WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND TURNED OFF THE CAR AFTER DRIVING, IT DID NOT TURN OFF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, THE BELTS WERE STILL SPINNING AND I HAD TO REMOVE THE BATTERY TO SHUT IT OFF. 1 WEEK LATER THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. I JUMP STARTED AND THE ENGINE LIGHT AND OTHER ALERTS WERE ALL LIT. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC, HE RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND SAID THE TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. TOP OF THE LINE SUBARU AND I ONLY HAVE 56,860 MILES ON THE CAR.

MY CAR HAS 43K MILES ON IT AND DURING A BRAKES SERVICE AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THEY FOUND THE LEFT REAR COIL SPRING SEVERELY CRACKED AND ABOUT TO BREAK. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE BOTH COIL SPRINGS REPLACED IMMEDIATELY, THAT THE CRACKED ONE COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME CAUSING THE CAR TO SINK AND POTENTIALLY PUNCTURE THE TIRE. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I NOT DRIVE THE CAR HOME WHILE AWAITING THIS PART TO COME IN - IT WAS THAT SERIOUS A RISK. THEY QUOTED ALMOST $900 TO REPLACE BOTH COIL SPRINGS PLUS THE COST OF AN ALIGNMENT. WHEN I LOOKED UP MORE ABOUT THIS, I FOUND DISCUSSION BOARDS WHERE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS AND SAID IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH SO FEW MILES ON THE CAR, AND THAT PEOPLE HAD FOUND THESE SPRINGS TO BE RUSTED AND FAULTY, CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. SOME DEALERSHIPS WERE COVERING THIS REPAIR AS "GOODWILL." I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP BACK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT AS GOODWILL, BUT I COULD ASK SUBARU HEAD OFFICE IF THEY WOULD. I CALLED 1-800-SUBARU-3 AND STARTED A CLAIM. THEY CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AND THEN CALLED ME BACK WITHIN 20 MINUTES AND SAID THEY WOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR IN FULL, AND GIVE ME A LOANER CAR WHILE AWAITING THE PART. I WONDER IF THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I ALSO WONDER WHY SUBARU IS NOT BEING UP FRONT ABOUT COVERING THIS REPAIR IF IT IS INDEED A FAULTY PART ON THEIR PART. I WAS QUOTED $900+ FOR THE REPAIR, AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF LOOKING UP THE HISTORY OF OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND ESCALATING THE ISSUE TO THE HEAD OFFICE WAS THIS REPAIR COVERED. MY DEALERSHIP WAS NOT FORTHCOMING THAT THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT 43K MILES AND SEEMED UNUSUAL.

IN LATE MAY 2019, I WENT OUTSIDE TO DRIVE MY FORESTER TO THE STORE. UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE REAR BUMPER, I FOUND PART OF A COIL SPRING, ROUGHLY A 1/2 TURN. I LOOKED AROUND A BIT, AND FOUND THAT IT HAD COME FROM THE DRIVER SIDE, REAR COIL SPRING, BOTTOM. THE SPRING AT THE BREAK WAS VERY RUSTY - BOTH THE FRAGMENT AND FROM THE BROKEN SPRING STILL IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 14 HOURS BEFORE I NOTICED THE SPRING FRAGMENT ON THE GROUND. THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ADULT DRIVEN AND NEVER ABUSED.

R REAR COIL SPRING BROKE WHILE TURNING ON A SMOOTH ROAD AT LOW SPEED. SUBARU DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THAT SEVERAL OTHER FORESTERS WERE AWAITING REPAIR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF THAT PART AND I ENDED UP WAITING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE IT COULD BE FIXED. SUBARU DID END UP PAYING FOR HALF THE COST UPON REQUEST.

2014 SUBARU FORESTER WAS PARKED WHEN THE LEFT REAR COIL SPRING SHATTERED. MADE A LARGE NOISE AND UPON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED CAR AT AN ANGLE IN WHEEL BED. CAR UNDRIVEABLE. ON VACATION AT THE TIME AND HAD TO DRIVE 5 HOURS (ROUNDTRIP) TO BUY TWO NEW REAR COIL SPRINGS ON ADVISE OF MECHANIC WHO TOWED CAR TO HIS GARAGE. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT COIL SPRING WAS VERY RUSTED AND SHOWING SIGNS OF DISINTEGRATION AS WELL. WAS ADVISED THAT THIS PART IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN AS THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT. OUR CAR HAD JUST OVER 41,000 MILES ON IT. DRIVEN PRIMARILY IN THE DC METRO AREA. SINGLE OWNER OF THE CAR. GIVEN THE AMAZED REACTION OF MANY, WE ARE SURPRISED THAT THIS PART HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. I DO NOT HAUL HEAVY LOADS, NOR DO I USE THE CAR TO TOW ANYTHING. THIS IS MY "GRANDMA" MOBILE, CHOSEN BECAUSE OF SUBARU'S SUPPOSED SAFETY AND RELIABILITY RECORD.