2012 Subaru Impreza

THE DASHBOARD "AIRBAG MALFUNCTION" LIGHT TURNS ON AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT SWITCHES TO "OFF" WHILE THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THIS PROBABLY MEANS THAT IF THERE WAS A COLLISION, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY, WITH PASSENGER IN FRONT SEAT. IT WAS HAPPENING ABOUT 40% OF THE TIME THAT I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. TOOK THIS TO ALEXANDRIA'S BEYER SUBARU AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PULL THE CODE/REPRODUCE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOME SENSOR IN THE SEAT THAT CAUSES THIS MALFUNCTION. THEY ARE REPLACING THE SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE (COVERED UNDER WARRANTY). ..UPDATED 01/20/15 *TR UPDATED 08/28/2017*CT

IN A CRIME RIDDEN NEIGHBORHOOD I HAD A FLAT TIRE WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE. THIS WAS DUE TO MY SUBARU LABELED AND PACKAGED "MCGARD" WHEEL KEY WHICH CRACKED AND BECAME UNUSABLE. TIRE SALES AND REPAIR FACILITY SUMMONED FOR ASSISTANCE REPORTS THEY HAVE A "BUCKET" FULL OF THIS BRAND OF WHEEL LOCK "KEYS" WHICH CRACKED AND BECAME UNUSABLE. AFTER MY FIRST MCGARD WHEEL LOCK KEY CRACKED, MCGARD SENT ME A FREE WHEEL LOCK "KEY" AND SAID THE ORIGINAL CRACKED, BECAUSE SOMEONE USED EXCESSIVE AIR-WRENCH TORQUE TO REMOVE LUG NUTS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE UNTRUE, BECAUSE TO ELIMINATE THIS POSSIBILITY, I PERSONALLY ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE FOUR KEYED WHEEL LOCKS (WITH MY BRAND NEW WHEEL LOCK KEY) PRIOR TO A TIRE ROTATION AT A TIRE SALES FACILITY. THE BRAND NEW WHEEL LOCK KEY CRACKED AGAIN (AFTER THE THIRD MCGARD LUG), SIMPLY BY ME TRYING TO REMOVE THE KEYED LUGS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED SUBARU LUG NUT TORQUE HAD BEEN APPROXIMATELY 62' LBS., AND IT IS NOW APPROXIMATELY 85' LBS. PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER NHTSA COMPLAINT REGARDING THE UNUSABLE SUBARU SUPPLIED LUG WRENCH. I BELIEVE THIS AFFECTS 2013 MODELS, AND VERY POSSIBLY MODEL YEARS PRIOR TO 2012. *TR

UPON ENTERING A PARKING GARAGE AND PARKING, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND CRASHED INTO A CEMENT WALL. I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY HAVING JUST MADE SEVERAL TURNS WITHIN THE GARAGE AND THEN ALIGNED, AS USUAL, WITH THE LINES TO PARK. THE CAR REVVED EXTREMELY HIGH AND TOOK OFF STRAIGHT INTO THE WALL THROWING ME BACK IN TO THE SEAT. I ONLY NEEDED TO SOFTLY TAP THE BRAKES TO BREAK NORMALLY, BUT IT TOOK OFF. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I MADE SURE TO CHECK THE FOOT PEDAL AREA TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS INTERFERING WITH THE GAS, BUT NOTHING WAS NEAR. THE MATS ARE CUT WELL AWAY FROM THE PEDALS. I SUFFERED BURNS/SCRAPES FROM THE SEAT BELT ACROSS MY COLLAR BONE, WHIPLASH FROM THE IMPACT, AS WELL AS, A SORE CHEST ALSO FROM THE IMPACT AND SEAT BELT. I FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS POSSESSED AND TOOK OVER. I REFUSE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. I AM SCARED THAT SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT, OR WORSE, DUE TO THIS DEFECT IN THE CAR. *TR

THIS SUBARU TAKES SYNTHETIC OIL, WHICH SHOULD LAST A MINIMUM OF 6000 MILES BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. EVERY OIL CHANGE I HAVE HAD ON THIS CAR (I CHANGE IT EVERY 7500 MILES), I HAVE HAD TO ADD AN EXTRA QUART OF OIL BY ABOUT 3000 MILES INTO AN OIL CHANGE. THIS HAS DONE THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF OWNERSHIP. A BRAND NEW CAR SHOULD NOT BURN UP OIL SO QUICKLY. THIS CAN HAS BEEN SO MANY HEADACHES FROM THE MOMENT I PURCHASED IT. ELECTRICAL FAILURES, PASSENGER AIRBAGS NOT WORKING, GPS SYSTEM FAILURE, BRAKES NOT RESPONDING AS THEY SHOULD...THE LIST GOES ON. *TR

MY SUBARU IS EQUIPPED WITH A PASSENGER AIRBAG MONITOR. WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE LIGHT SHOULD INDICATE THE AIRBAG IS ON. WHEN A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT OF MY IMPREZA, THE AIRBAG CONSISTENTLY TURNS OFF. I CALLED SUBARU THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL. WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED, THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT IN A SECOND TIME WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. I AM NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TURNS OFF ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. *TR

OIL LIGHT CAME ON. SUBARU MANUAL SAYS TO CHANGE OIL EVERY 7,500 MILES. THEY USE SYNTHETIC OIL WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE. HAD TO FIND A DEALER WHO ADDED A QUART OF OIL. HAD THE 15,000 MILE SERVICE AND LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AT 18,000 AND AT 19,800. BOTH TIMES OIL WAS ADDED. SUBARU SAYS THIS IS NORMAL. HOWEVER, I DON'T FEEL I CAN MAKE A TRIP OF ANY EXTENSIVE MILEAGE SAFELY. ESPECIALLY WHEN SUBARU IS PUTTING IN A SYNTHETIC OIL THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO FIND. *TR

I SIDESWIPED A PARKED CAR AND THE MOMENTUM CAUSED MY CAR TO FLIP OVER AND LAND ON ITS ROOF. HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE ADJUSTER BUT IT IS OBVIOUS THE CAR IS "TOTALED". WRITING TO YOU TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I ALSO WROTE TO SUBARU TO ADVISE THEM THAT I THINK THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED BUT NONE OF THEM DID. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN UNION, N.J. *TR

WHEN DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER AND GOING ON A HIGHWAY, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR FOR THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SHOWS "OFF", MEANING IF THERE WAS A COLLISION, THERE WOULD BE NO AIR BAGS. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALER, THEY FINALLY TEST DROVE WITH A PASSENGER AND GOT IT TO FAIL. THE SENSORS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WERE REPLACED. THERE ARE OTHER REPORTS ON THIS PROBLEM AND SUBARU SHOULD RECALL THE VEHICLES. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 01/16/15. *JB