2020 Subaru Outback

THE LEFT-MOST DASH VENT RATTLES INTERMITTENTLY, MOST OFTEN ON ROUGH ROAD SURFACE. VEHICLE PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2019, AND RATTLE STARTED IN APRIL 2020. MY LOCAL DEALER REPLACED THE VENT, BUT THE RATTLE CONTINUES AND APPEARS TO COME FROM BEHIND THE VENT. BECAUSE IT'S INTERMITTENT AND CAN'T BE REPRODUCED ON DEMAND I'VE THOROUGHLY DOCUMENTED IT WITH AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDINGS. ESCALATING WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA TO GET IT RESOLVED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE, A CRACK HAD FORMED FROM THE LOWER LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD AND SPREAD ACROSS TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT TO THE WINDSHIELD TO CAUSE THE CRACK. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE WINDSHIELD GLASS WAS POORLY MANUFACTURED AND THAT THE CRACK COULD OBSTRUCT HIS VISION WHILE DRIVING. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 969.

MY 2020 SUBARU IS 9 MONTHS OLD AND THIS WILL BE THE 2ND WINDSHIELD I WILL BE REPLACING IN THE CAR. THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WAS IN MOTION BUT NOT STRUCK BY DEBRIS. THE SECOND TIME THERE WAS DEBRIS THAT HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND THE CRACK MOVED QUICKLY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD WITHOUT STOPPING. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT ABOUT THE FAULTY WINDSHIELDS WITH MANY SUBARU OWNERS INVOLVED AND RECENTLY THE SUIT WAS DISMISSED BY THE COURT. I UNDERSTAND OUTBACKS AND FORESTERS HAVE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS GOING BACK AS FAR AS 2016 AND SUBARU HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE WINDSHIELD IS THINNER THAN MOST TO ACCOMMODATE THE SENSORS. THE COST TO REPLACE A WINDSHIELD IS $900+ EACH TIME DUE TO THE NEED FOR ONLY A SUBARU WINDSHIELD AND THE CALIBRATION OF THE SENSORS NEEDED.

I WAS DRIVING TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF A LOW BATTERY. I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT IN A BUSY INTERSECTION, AND THE AUTO STOP-START SYSTEM SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN, I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. I WAS LEFT WITH NO POWER, IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION, WITH CARS AND TRUCKS HAVING TO SWERVE AROUND ME. I RECEIVED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO JUMP-START THE VEHICLE AND THEY DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THE BATTERY HAD COMPLETELY FAILED AND WILL BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. WE DON'T YET KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE BATTERY FAILURE.

DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD, MADE A STOP AT A LIGHT. WHEN I GOT THE GREEN ARROW TO TURN LEFT, CAR JUST DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. WAS FORTUNATE, 4 GOOD INDIVIDUALS JUMPED OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES TO PUSH US OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND AVOID COLLISION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. CALLED SUBARU FOR A TOW. DURING THE 2 HOUR WAIT, TRIED TO START A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH NO LUCK. WHEN TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, WAS TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, SO ATTEMPTED TO START AGAIN, WHICH IT DID. DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO DEALERSHIP. STAYED THERE FOR 2 AND A HALF WEEKS. THEY REPLACED FUEL PUMP, WHICH IN MY MIND, MAY NOT BE AT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT SOMETHING OVERHEATED, POSSIBLY A CIRCUIT OR SOFTWARE THAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. IT WAS A 95 DEGREE DAY, THE CAR HAD BEEN IDLING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES IN A STORE PARKING LOT RIGHT BEFORE THE SHUTDOWN. IN TALKING WITH SUBARU, THEY WILL NOT GIVE ME ROOT CAUSE ONCE THEY DO FURTHER ANALYSIS ON THE PROBLEM. I FEEL AT GREAT RISK THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME GOING FORWARD, (IE ON THE INTERSTATE, AT AN INTERSECTION, ETC). I'M HOPING THAT LOGGING THIS INCIDENT WILL HELP OTHER OUTBACK OWNERS KNOW OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER THEY MAY BE IN.

THIS IS NOT AGAINST SUBARU IT IS AGAINST DOHCLO COMPANY. I PURCHASED AN AFTER MARKET SEATBELT EXTENDER. IT IS DEFECTIVE AND WILL NOT SECURE THE SEATBELT TO RESTRAINT YOU IN AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD RESULT IN EJECTION FROM THE VEHICLE DURING AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED THE COMPANY AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO ASSIST. I WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT MAY USE THE ITEM WITHOUT CHECKING THAT IT IS SECURED PROPERLY. I FEEL THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE STARTED. I HAVE PHOTOS, THE PRODUCT AND COPIES OF ALL MY EMAILS REGARDING THIS.*DT*DT*AS*DT *TR*DT