2013 Subaru Impreza

A crack appeared in the area noted as the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Gear Box housing Assembly. The dealership said it was in fact dangerous as it could affect the steering. My car has a distinct 'pull to the left' when the steering wheel is turned slightly left. The system is available for inspection upon request and I do have pictures of the crack as well.

WITHOUT WARNING AND WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THE STEERING WHEEL IS NOT ONLY MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN NOW, BUT IT DOES NOT TURN SMOOTHLY OR CONSISTENTLY. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS COULD EASILY RESULT IN AN OVERTURN AND SERIOUS VEHICLE ACCIDENT. THIS IS AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING UNIT (NOT HYDRAULIC) SO THERE IS NO WAY TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM. THE REPAIR IS ABOUT $1900 AND REQUIRES A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING UNIT, RACK AND PINION. SUBARU HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL AS I'VE DISCUSSED THE SAFETY CONCERN WITH THEM.

WHILE I WAS BACKING THE VEHICLE OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY I BECAME AWARE THE I HAD NO POWER STEERING. I PARKED THE CAR IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND TOOK MY SECOND CAR TO A SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT. UPON RETURNING HOME I MOVED THE SUBARU IMPREZA TO THE FRONT OF THE DRIVEWAY. IT STILL DIDN'T HAVE POWER STEERING. I CALLED THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY 1/8/2020 AND LEFT THE CAR PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. FORTUNATELY THE CLOSEST SUBARU DEALERSHIP IS APPROXIMATELY 2.3 MILES FROM MY HOME. I WOKE UP AT 5:30 AM TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND I CAREFULLY (SLOWLY) DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON LOCAL STREETS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE MECHANIC CONCLUDED THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED SO I OPTED TO LEAVE THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $839.95. THE CAR IS A 2013 SUBARU IMPREZA WITH ONLY 17,450 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE CAR REMAINED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR TWO DAYS AND I PICKED IT UP ON 1/10/2020. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I RESEARCHED VARIOUS WEBSITES TO DETERMINE WHETHER OTHER SUBARU OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. MY INTERNET SEARCH PROVED TO BE ENLIGHTENING. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE/WERE ENUMERABLE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING SUBARU IMPREZA POWER STEERING FAILURES. GO TO THE AUTO RECALL FOR CONSUMERS WEBSITE (ARFC) FOR CONFIRMATION OF MY ASSERTION. THE COMPLAINTS GO BACK TO 2009, 2010, 2011,....EVERY YEAR THROUGH 2019, THERE ARE ENUMERABLE COMPLAINTS RECOUNTING POWER STEERING FAILURES FOR THE SUBARU IMPREZA. I ALSO CAME ACROSS A SUBARU SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 04-21-18 DATED 07/24/18 SUBJECT UNEVEN STEERING EFFORT. I CAN'T FATHOM HOW THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DESIGN FAILURE HAS NOT RESULTED IN A NATIONAL RECALL BY THE NHTSA.

2013 SUBARU IMPREZA HAS 67,000 MILES. STEERING PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN DRIVING AND THEN ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT WHEN STOPPED OR TURNED OFF. VERY HARD TO KEEP STRAIGHT. SUBARU DEALER TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW STEERING RACK AND ELECTRONIC STEERING MODULE. REPLACEMENT WOULD BE 2000.00. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL 1800SUBARU3. I DID NOT HAVE IT FIXED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ELECTRONIC STEERING SHIFTED THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO CORRECT THE STEERING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO QUIRK AUTO GROUP (293 HOGAN RD, BANGOR, ME 04401, (866) 413-4706) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING GEAR BOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

THE STEERING BECAME UNEVEN AND "SLOPPY" WHEN NOT MOVING. WHEN MOVING, IT WAS EASIER TO TURN ONE DIRECTION THAN THE OTHER. THE PROBLEM IS DESCRIBED IN SUBARU SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 04-21-18. THE STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. I RETAINED THE PART AND FOUND THAT THE STEERING GEAR BOX HAD CRACKS AS DESCRIBED IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN.