2018 Subaru Outback

IN DEC 2018 THE FUEL LINE OF MY 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN CHEWED THROUGH BY A RODENT AND WAS LEAKING IN THE CAR. TOTAL DAMAGE WAS OVER $2000. IN MAY 2019 ANOTHER $3500 DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED FROM A RODENT CHEWING ON ELECTRICAL HARNESSES IN THE DASH. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS IS BECAUSE SUBARU IS NOW USING SOY-BASED INSULATION FOR FUEL LINES, WIRING, AND ELECTRICAL HARNESSES. RODENTS ARE ATTRACTED TO THE SOY BECAUSE THEY THINK IT IS FOOD. IN BOTH CASES MY DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED WHILE TRYING TO START THE CAR WHILE IT IS PARKED. BUT WHAT IF I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND A CHEWED WIRE CAME LOOSE THAT SHORTED SOMETHING OUT AND IMPACTED MY ABILITY TO CONTROL THE CAR? OR WHAT IF THE FUEL LINE BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND CAUSED THE CAR TO SUDDENLY STALL? MANUFACTURERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE MATERIALS (E.G. SOY) THAT ACTUALLY ATTRACT RODENTS. IF ANYTHING, THEY SHOULD BE USING MATERIALS THAT DETER RODENTS. FUEL LINES AND ELECTRICAL HARNESSES ARE CRITICAL TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF A CAR AND THESE SYSTEMS ARE NEEDLESSLY BEING PUT AT RISK BY USING SOY TO PRODUCE THEM. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TROUBLING FOR SUBARU BECAUSE PART OF THEIR IMAGE ENCOURAGES THEIR OWNERS TO EXPLORE "THE GREAT OUTDOORS." WHAT HAPPENS WHY I GO CAMPING AND PARK MY CAR IN THE WOODS AND CHIPMUNKS CHEW THROUGH MY COMPONENTS AND STRAND ME IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE? OR, WORSE, A CRITICAL SYSTEM ON THE CAR FAILS AS I'M DRIVING HOME AND I LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH. THE USE OF SOY-BASED COMPONENTS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. OR, IF IT IS, OEMS SHOULD COVER RODENT DAMAGE TO THESE SYSTEMS UNDER WARRANTY. AT THE VERY LEAST, OEMS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE THE USE OF SOY IN THE CAR BEFORE A VEHICLE IS PURCHASED. I HAD NO IDEA SOY-BASED PRODUCTS WERE USED IN THIS CAR. HAD I KNOWN, I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT. FYI... SUBARU DENIES USING SOY PRODUCTS.

WINDSHIELD CRACKS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE MARCH 2018 AND THE WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TWO WERE THE RESULT OF ROCKS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD - THE THIRD WAS JUST A SMALL CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE RIGHT ABOVE THE WINDSHIELD. .I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 45 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A WINDSHIELD CRACK - THIS WINDHIELD CRACKS CONSTANTLY. - THE PRODUCT SHOULD BE RECALLED

SMOKE ELECTRICAL SHORT ISSUE IN DRIVER SIDE MIRROR. DIAGNOSED BY SUBARU MECHANIC TO BE A SHORT IN THE APPROACH LIGHT MODULE. SIGNIFICANT SMOKE WAS EMITTED FROM MIRROR WITH BURN MARKS ON BOTTOM INSIDE MIDDLE OF MIRROR. THE CAR HAD JUST CAME TO REST IN A HOSPITAL PARKING DECK. CAR WAS REMOVED FROM DECK IN ORDER TO PREVENT FIRE HAZARD. NOTE - A 10 AMP FUSE DID BLOW WHICH CAUSED A FAILURE OF THE TPMS (TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM) AND THE REMOTE LOCK/UNLOCK SYSTEM.

NAVIGATION SYSTEM SUCKS!!!!!!!!! THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND CAUSES ROAD RAGE !!!!! WHILE DRIVING THE SYSTEM USUALLY WILL NOT ACCEPT VOICE COMMANDS. SYSTEM SAYS "I'M SORRY I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. LET'S TRY AGAIN." I TRY AGAIN; SAME RESPONSE. I AM USING THE SYSTEM RECOMMENDED COMMANDS SUCH AS "FIND NEAREST" OR "NAVIGATE TO : " ALSO WHEN TRYING TO ENTER A STREET NUMBER,STREET ,CITY, STATE; I GET THE SAME "I'M SORRY I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. LET'S TRY AGAIN." WHEN I TRY AGAIN SYSTEM REPEATS "I'M SORRY I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. LET'S TRY AGAIN." OR INTERRUPTS ME BEFORE I CAN TRY AGAIN. MY WIFE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I SET A DESTINATION WITH THE KEYBOARD (NOT AVAILABLE WHEN MOVING); THE DIRECTIONS ARE WRONG WHEN YOU ARE NEAR THE DESTINATION, SUCH AS THE TURN DIRECTION OR LOCATION BEING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT.THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND CAUSES ROAD RAGE !!!!! DEALER SAYS THE SYSTEM IS WORKING AS DESIGNED AND IS DIFFICULT TO USE. NO [XXX]! WE CONTACTED SUBARU. NO RESPONSE. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE THE ENGINE HAD CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE GREW AND THE CAR WAS DEMOLISHED AS A RESULT OF AN ENGINE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER BEFORE THE FIRE, WELL MAINTAINED AND HAD LOW MILEAGE FOR A ONE YEAR OLD VEHICLE.

THE ENTIRE "INFOTAINMENT" SYSTEM, CENTRAL DISPLAY CONSOLE, AND CONTROL PANEL DOES NOT WORK. IT WILL NOT TURN ON. THE SCREEN IS BLACK. NOTHING WORKS. THE REAR VIEW CAMERA SAFETY SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. THE RADIO, BLUETOOTH, AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. THIS SYMPTOM IS CONSTANT. IT OCCURS WHEN STATIONARY, IN MOTION, IN CITY, HIGHWAY, TURNING - ALWAYS. IN REVERSE THE REARVIEW CAMERA DOES NOT DISPLAY AN IMAGE. THE HANDS FREE CALLING SYSTEM/BLUETOOTH DOES NOT WORK - AGAIN, THIS ISSUE IS CONSTANT REGARDLESS OF CONDITIONS.