2019 Subaru Outback

SUBARU OUTBACK 2019 IS UNDER WARRANTY - PURCHASED 4-6-2019 12/3/2020 CAR WHICH IS IN THE GARAGE WOULD NOT START. BATTERY WAS DEAD/DRAINED,INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON. WENT BACK OUT AND TRIED IT AGAIN AND JUST CLICKS WOULD NOT START. 2. CALLED SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO JUMP AND START THE BATTERY GOT CAR STARTED, LET IT RUN FOR 40 MINUTES. THEY DID NOT CHECK THE ALTERNATOR BUT WE ASKED THEM TO. TURNED THE CAR OFF AFTER 40 MINUTES AND PUT THE CAR BACK IN THE GARAGE.- 12/4/2020 - MORNING - CAR STARTED, WENT TO MY DESTINATION. RETURNED HOME, TURNED OFF THE CAR NOTICED CLICKING SOUNDS FOR 5 MIN WHICH I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE. 12/4/2020. CALLED CAR SERVICE DEPARTMENT: THEY RECOMMENDED TO BRING THE CAR TO CHECK THE BATTERY ETC. WHICH I DID.. NOTE: BETWEEN DEC 4 AND DEC 13 HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR REGULARLY. DEC. 13, 2020 - SUNDAY - 2ND TIME CAR WOULD NOT START DROVE CAR TO GROCERY STORE. CAME OUT OF STORE .. CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED ROADSIDE ASSIST. JUMP START MY CAR. AFTER JUMP START CAR, I DROVE CAR AT LEAST 1/2 HR TO 45 MIN AND CAME HOME, LEFT THE CAR RUNNING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR AT LEAST 45 MI . CAME HOME AND SET UP AN APPOINT AT SERVICE DEALERSHIP FOR 11:30 ON DECEMBER 14. DEC. 14, 2020 - MONDAY -DROVE HOME FROM DEALERSHIP, CONTINUED TO DRIVE CAR FOR A F ABOUT 25 MILES. ARRIVED HOME - TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. WHEN I TRIED TO START CAR TO PARK IT IN THE GARAGE, CAR STARTED BUT THE STARTER MOTOR WAS VERY SLUGGISH AT THE ONSET. DEC 16, 2020 - TRIED TO START THE CAR WHICH IS IN THE GARAGE AND IT WOULD NOT START, TOTALLY DEAD ..NO LIGHTS. SEND ATTACHED LETTER TO MANAGER OF SERVICE. NO RESPONSE YET.

WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY MY GRANDSON ASKED ABOUT A "LINE"IN THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD NOT NOTICED IT BUT THERE WAS A SIX INCH CRACK EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM THE TOP EDGE. FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE IT WAS OBSCURED BY THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. WITHIN TWO OR THREE DAYS IT HAD CURVED IN AN S SHAPE TO ABOUT EIGHTEEN IN CHES IN LENGTH. NOTHING HAD HIT THE WINDSIELD WHILE DRIVING AND I HAD NOT DRIVEN ON ANY ROUGH ROADS.

THE DAY I DROVE THE CAR OFF THE LOT, I NOTICED A CHIP ON THE WINDSHIELD RIGHT IN THE LINE OF VIEW THAT I DID NOT SEE DURING THE TEST DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO GET REPAIRED BY A REPUTABLE COMPANY AND THEY NOTICED 4 SEPERATE CHIPS. THEY PERFORMED THE RECOMMENDED REPAIRS AND REPLACED MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS. WHEN THE WEATHER BECAME COLD IN HOUSTON, I NOTICED A NEW CHIP THAT HAD A CRACK FORM DOWN THE UPPER RIGHT QUADRANT ON THE WINDSHIELD. I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD PHYSICALLY DAMAGED THE CAR, BUT UPON EXAMINATION THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SUCH A THING HAVING HAPPENED.

ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 9TH, 2020 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS ON AN INTERCHANGE FROM ONE FREEWAY TO ANOTHER WHEN I SUDDENLY HEARD A 'CRACK'. AS I ARRIVED TO WORK A FEW MINUTES LATER I NOTICED THAT MY WINDSHIELD NOW HAD A LARGE CRACK IN IT. I LOOKED FOR A POINT OF IMPACT THINKING A PROJECTILE MIGHT HAVE HIT IT BUT I DID NOT FIND ONE. AT THAT POINT I REMEMBERED THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE INTERCHANGE AT THE TIME AND THAT THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME TO SEND ANY PROJECTILES FLYING BACK. I BELIEVE THIS IS DUE TO A FAULTY WINDSHIELD AS THERE WAS NO OTHER CAUSE FOR THE CRACK. ADDITIONALLY, ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT SPUTTERS OR AS IF TRANSMISSION DOES NOT CHANGE GEARS CAUSING A DELAY IN PICK UP AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LACK OF ACCELERATION.

MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE RIGHT REAR STABILIZER BRACKET OUTSIDE WELD. THE WELD IS IMPROPERLY PLACED AND DOES NOT ACTUALLY ATTACH PART OF THE BRACKET TO THE SUBFRAME. (NOTE, THE WELD ON THE LEFT REAR STABILIZER BRACKET IS PROPERLY PLACED AND DOES ATTACH THE BRACKET TO THE SUBFRAME.) IT'S CLEAR THAT THE BRACKET OR WELD WERE OUT OF POSITION BECAUSE THE WELD BEAD HAS NO PENETRATION ON THE STABILIZER BAR BRACKET. THE LACK OF WELD ON THIS SIDE OF THE BRACKET WILL PLACE THE BRACKET UNDER A TORSIONAL LOAD THEREBY PLACING GREATER STRESS ON THE WELD ON THE INSIDE TAB OF THE BRACKET. FAIILURE OF THIS BRACKET COULD LEAD TO REDUCE VEHICLE STABILITY. CHANCES ARE IF MY VEHICLE WAS PRODUCED LIKE THIS THEN OTHER VEHICLES WERE ALSO PRODUCED LIKE THIS. IT'S NOT SOMETHING WHICH YOU WOULD NORMALLY NOTICE BECAUSE THIS ISN'T A ROUTINE INSPECTION ITEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN HIS DRIVEWAY HE NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKED FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE ALL THE WAY ACROSS TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND VIRTUALLY STRAIGHT UP THE MIDDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PREMIER SUBARU OF FREMONT (5601 CUSHING PKWY, FREMONT, CA 94538, (510) 319-5500) WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

SINCE PURCHASING CAR NEW IN 08/19, I HAVE BEEN STRANDED WITH A DEAD BATTERY 10 TIMES IN 12,000 MILES. THIS IS DUE TO 4 THINGS: 1. A POORLY DESIGNED KEY FOB WITH A HYPERSENSITIVE BUTTON THAT OPENS THE HATCH UNINTENTIONALLY WHICH KILLS BATTERY; 2. COMPUTER MODULES THAT REMAIN FULLY 'ON', DRAWING AT LEAST 3.6 AMPS (MUCH MORE IF INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE ON) WHEN HATCH IS OPEN AND/OR DOOR IS OPEN OR AJAR WITHOUT MITIGATION FROM A TIMER AS LONG AS KEY FOB IS DETECTED. SO IF I OPEN HATCH FOR DAY USE ACTIVITY, THE THE BATTERY DIES UNLESS I FIND A WAY TO DEACTIVATE THE FOB. IF THE UNINTENTIONALLY BUMP THE HATCH BUTTON WHILE CAR IS IN SECURE GARAGE, HATCH IS OPEN AND BATTERY IS DEAD NEXT MORNING; 3. AFTER AN UNINTENDED HATCH OPENING RESULTING IN A DEAD BATTERY, MANUALLY CLOSING THE HATCH, JUMPING THE BATTERY, AND DRIVING RESULTS IN A LOUD, CONTINUOUS ALARM WITH NO DASH LIGHT IDENTIFICATION IN THE CAR FOR ONE MINUTE OR UNTIL CAR COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN ALARM RESUMES CAUSING GREAT ANXIETY AND DISTRACTION! ; AND 4. THESE PROBLEMS AND WHAT YOU MUST DO TO COMBAT THEM ARE NOT REVEALED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL NOR IN THE SALES AND PURCHASE PROCESS WHICH I FIND VERY DECEPTIVE! DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS EITHER NOT INFORMED OR NOT FORTHCOMING UNTIL BACKED INTO A CORNER BY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS BEEN CONTACTED BUT WILL NOT RESPOND. THEY CLAIM 'OPERATOR ERROR'. I CLAIM DESIGN DEFECT. I HAVE TO CARRY MY OWN JUMP START BATTERY BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT BECAUSE CARGO AREA IS NOT ACCESSIBLE WITH A DEAD BATTERY, AND I MUST TREAT MY KEY FOB LIKE A HAND GRENADE IN ORDER TO KEEP FROM BEING STRANDED. I CANNOT TRUST THIS CAR, NOR DO I HAVE MY WIFE DRIVE IT ANYMORE.