2009 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

WE ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT THE TAKATA AIRBAG IN OUR 2009 SUBARU FORESTER HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED YET. ESPECIALLY FRUSTRATING IS THE FACT THAT, EVERY SIX MONTHS OR SO, WE GET A NOTICE FROM TK HOLDINGS WARNING US ABOUT THE POTENTIALLY DEADLY AIRBAG (AS IF WE DIDN'T KNOW) AND URGING US TO CONTACT OUR DEALER FOR A FREE REPLACEMENT. EACH TIME WE GET THAT NOTICE, WE AGAIN CALL OUR DEALER, FOX MOTORS IN MARQUETTE, MICH., AND ARE TOLD THAT OUR REPLACEMENT AIRBAG WILL BE ORDERED. MONTHS PASS WITH NO WORD. THEN WE GET ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE. THEN WE CALL FOX MOTORS AGAIN. MONTHS PASS. REPEAT. REPEAT. WE APPRECIATE THE NEED TO REPLACE TAKATA AIRBAGS IN HOT, HUMID PLACES FIRST. IF WE LIVED IN THE SOUTH, WE WOULD CERTAINLY WANT PRIORITY IN THIS DANGEROUS MATTER. BUT IT'S BEEN NINE YEARS SINCE THE FIRST TAKATA AIRBAG DEATH, AND FIVE YEARS SINCE TAKATA ADMITTED THE DANGER. PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE NORTH DO TRAVEL IN THE SOUTH WITH TAKATA AIRBAGS LURKING IN THEIR DASHBOARDS. IT'S TIME TO GET THIS DONE FOR ALL OF US! AND, ON THE SUBJECT OF RECALLS IN GENERAL: WE ARE SCANDALIZED BY THE FACT THAT TAKATA (OR ITS BANKRUPTCY MANAGER) IS HANDLING THIS DEADLY ISSUE IN SUCH A LEISURELY MANNER, WHILE VOLKSWAGEN WAS REQUIRED TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PROMPTLY REPLACING PERFECTLY FUNCTIONAL, NON-LETHAL CARS BECAUSE THE COMPANY FUDGED ITS POLLUTION NUMBERS. THESE TWO RECALLS ARE GROSSLY OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE RESPECTIVE OFFENSES. WE HAVE NO CONNECTION TO VOLKSWAGEN; HAVE NEVER EVEN OWNED ONE. BUT WE KNOW UNFAIRNESS WHEN WE SEE IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS CRITICAL MATTER. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TAKATA RECALL. THE VERY DAY THAT I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE THAT THIS REPAIR WAS 'URGENT' AND WITH AN EXPLICIT WARNING OF 'DO NOT LET ANYONE RIDE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ' UNTIL THIS REPAIR WAS COMPLETED, I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER, WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR, (SERRA OF TRAVERSE CITY MI) AND THE EARLIEST THEY COULD SCHEDULE ME WAS SIXTY (YES, 60) DAYS AWAY!!!! WE ARE A SINGLE CAR FAMILY, AND THIS WOULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON OUR JOBS, AND ASSORTED FAMILY COMMITMENTS. SO I CALLED SUBARU BY THE BAY, A SUBARU DEALER ABOUT 65 MILES AWAY, AND FROM WHOM I HAD NEVER PURCHASED ANYTHING, AND THEY GOT ME IN FOR AIR BAG REPLACEMENT WITHIN FOUR DAYS!

TAKATA RECALL : I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE, CALLED THE ONLY SUBARU DEALER IN THE AREA, AND WAS TOLD THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY REPLACEMENT AIRBAGS AND DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL GET MORE. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AND I AM UPSET ABOUT THE HARDSHIP NOT HAVING A USEABLE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT CAUSES FOR MY FAMILY WITH NO TIMELINE FOR REMEDY.

CAR WAS PUT INTO REVERSE. WITHOUT THE DRIVER STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR REVVED AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. ATTEMPT TO BRAKE DID NOT STOP THE CAR. CAR STOPPED ONLY WHEN IT HIT A RETAINING WALL APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET FROM START OF ACCELERATION. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO REAR DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR.

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BRACKET ON DOOR SIDE HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM SEAT RESULTING IN A SEAT WHICH IS UNRESPONSIVE TO HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS ON THE LEFT SIDE.

FILE DESCRIBES FOUR SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN 2017. CASE OPENED WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA. ALL UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. TWO COLLISIONS, TWO CLOSE CALLS. ALL DETAIL OF ALL FOR IS IN PDF.

TAKATA AIR BAG: I AM WRITING TO COMPLAINING ABOUT SUBARU'S INABILITY TO COMPLETE TWO NHTSA RECALL NOTICES: IN THE FALL OF 2016 WE GOT TWO RECALLS ON OUR CAR, 16V738000 (AIR INJECTION PUMP) AND 17V026000 (PASSENGER AIRBAG). WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR OVER 16 MONTHS WITH THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL TO GET THE REQUIRED PARTS SHIPPED TO A GERMAN SUBARU DEALERSHIP TO GET OUR CAR BACK ON THE ROAD. OVER THIS TIME WE HAVE SEEN NOTHING CONCRETE, HAD A LACK OF FOLLOW UP, HAD OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CLAIM NUMBER DELETED IN THEIR SYSTEM AND REINSTATED AGAIN AND WERE TOLD ALL THE BLAME WAS ON YOUR PARENT COMPANY IN JAPAN AND THEIR INABILITY TO EITHER RESPOND TO YOUR RECALL DEPARTMENTS PERSONNEL EMAILS AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO SHIP THESE PARTS. I HAVE ANOTHER JAPANESE CAR WITH ME IN GERMANY, A HONDA. HONDA OF AMERICA CONTACTED HONDA OF GERMANY AND HAVE AUTHORIZED A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO ORDER AND REPLACE THE PART ON MY HONDA'THAT PROCESS ONLY TOOK 6 WEEKS VERSUS 16 MONTHS WE HAVE BEEN WAITING WITH SUBARU. MY PATIENCE HAS RUN VERY THIN. I KNOW THAT GETTING AMERICAN SERVICEMEN'S VEHICLES SERVICED OVERSEAS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS LONG. CAN YOU PLEASE INQUIRE WITH SUBARU AND PUT PRESSURE AT THE RIGHT LEVEL TO GET THESE PROBLEMS FIXED.

RECALL FOR PUDDLE LIGHTS--SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IN 2017--I TOOK CAR TO RAPID CITY SD COURTESY SUBARU. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PUDDLE LIGHTS HAD BEEN REMOVED, AND THERE WEREN'T ANY PUT BACK IN, NOR DID THEY HAVE ANY AND WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THEM. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CALL WHEN THEY GOT THEM, BUT I HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, SUCH AS SOME WARNING INDICATORS, WIPERS, AND THE DEFROSTER, CEASED TO FUNCTION. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AND WOULD CORRECT THEMSELVES ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS MANUALLY RESTARTED. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON FIVE OCCASIONS. AUTONATION SUBARU IN SPOKANE VALLEY, WA COULD NOT REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

TAKATA RECALL LOCAL DEALER STILL DOES NOT HAVE REPLACEMENT PARTS. THEIR ONLY SUGGESTION IS TO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE, YET NEW CARS ARE BEING PRODUCED, WITH [SUPPOSEDLY GOOD INFLATORS]. APPARENTLY PROFIT COMES BEFORE SAFETY.