2012 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints

ORDERED & PURCHASED CAR 2012 BEGAN SENDING COMPLAINTS TO DEALER & MANUFACTURE ABOUT THE VEHICLE WANDERING OVER THE ROAD, BRAKES GRABBING, TIRES LOSING AIR, POOR TRANSMISSION RESPONSE, BAD BATTERY AND MANY MORE. AFTER MY COMPLAINTS WERE NEGLECTED I HAD TO SAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE FAULTY FACTORY YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES @ 24K MILES & PURCHASED WARRANTEE DIRECT EXTENDED WARRANTY TO ADDRESS COMPLICATIONS (LIKE STARTER) THIS CAR HAS WELL UNDER 40K MILES NOW BUT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY & THE CAR WILL NOT STAY ALIGNED. THIS CAR ALWAYS USES COOLANT & BRAKE FLUID, AS WELL AS A STRANGE ENGINE OIL SITUATION (PRESENTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE CLASS ACTION OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM). I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE NON-RESPONSIVE TRANSMISSION & POOR ACCELERATION. I'M ALREADY DISABLED FROM JOB-RELATED SPINAL INJURIES & HAVE DONE MY DARNEDEST TO DRIVE AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID DRIVING DURING RUSH TRAFFIC, CHECK TIRE PRESSURES & OIL USE SO I KEEP MY PERFECT DRIVING RECORD FOR INSURANCE & HEALTH PURPOSE. I THOUGHT THAT BUYING A NEW CAR KEEPS ONE FROM MANY PURCHASES YET, I HAVE SPENT MORE MONEY ON THIS NEW CAR THAN ANY USED CAR. WHAT MORE CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF? WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHICH FILES ARE BEST TO SEND?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V419000 (AIR BAGS) AT CAPITALAND MOTORS SUBARU (47 SARATOGA RD, SCOTIA, NY 12302 (518) 399-9999) OR GOLDSTEIN SUBARU (1754 CENTRAL AVE, ALBANY, NY 12205 (518) 869-1250), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY SERVICED PER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE OCCUPANT WEIGHT SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WHEN THE PASSENGER IS DAMP (COMING BACK FROM THE BEACH) AND WITH UNKNOWN ORIGIN. THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER 2012 IMPREZAS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM, BUT FOR SOME REASON OUR CAR IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL.

PASSENGER AIRBAG OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (ODS) TURNS AIRBAG OFF WITH ADULT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. ADULT PASSENGER HAD SEAT UPRIGHT, EVERYTHING DRY. NO DEVICES PLUGGED IN. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 5 HOURS WHEN LIGHT CAME ON SAYING PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF. STOPPED FOR GAS, TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK TO NORMAL FOR ONLY 5 MINUTES. NOW LIGHT IS ON AS IF NO PASSENGER IN SEAT WHEN IN FACT THERE IS AN ADULT THERE.

OIL LEAK (SMALL DRIP) FROM THE FRONT TIMING BELT COVER, ON THE DRIVER SIDE (SIDE OF THE WATER PUMP). THE LEAK IS NOT OBVIOUS: DUE TO THE LOCATION, UNDER THE COVER, IT IS NOT VISIBLE FROM CASUAL INSPECTION. THE SMALL DRIP IS CAUGHT BY THE ENGINE UNDERCOVER AND DOES NOT LEAVE A MARK ON THE FLOOR. IT TAKES TIME TO NOTICE IT. THE COVER STARTED TO LEAK ABOUT A YEAR AGO (2016), IF NOT EARLIER--SUBARU FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE LEAK DURING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE UNTIL LAST MONTH -- WHICH IS QUITE SURPRISING. THE FRONT COVER IS SUPPOSED TO BE SEALED (NO GASKET). THE SEAL IS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOR THE DESIGN LIFE OF THE ENGINE. BASED ON GOOGLE SEARCH, THIS SEAL ISSUE IS A WELL DOCUMENTED DEFECT OF THE FACTORY SEAL AT THE LOCATION OF THE SCREWS. IN SOME CASES, THE LEAK WAS FIXED BY REMOVING THE SCREWS, ADDING SEALANT AND PUTTING BACK THE SCREWS (MY COVER ALSO SEEMS TO LEAK AT THE SCREW LOCATION TOO). THIS FIX SUGGEST A MANUFACTURING DEFECT DURING INSTALLATION OF THE COVER: FAILURE TO ADD SEALANT TO THE SCREWS OR FAILURE TO ADD SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF SEALANT AT THE SCREW LOCATION. SUBARU NOW RECOMMENDS A FRONT COVER RESEAL ($650). THIS KNOWN ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH DURING THE ENGINE WARRANTY PERIOD.

PASSENGER AIRBAG DEACTIVATES WHILE A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. THERE ARE NO ELECTRONICS PLUGGED INTO MY CAR. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT ABOVE MY RADIO STATES THAT IT IS OFF WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. MY SRS AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALSO ON. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2014. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A RESOLUTION IN SIGHT/ MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW AND THEY ARE TELLING ME MY CAR IS WORKING AS DESIGNED.

THE AIRBAG SENSOR RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE, BUT THE INDICATOR LIGHT CONTINUE TO MALFUNCTION. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED SAYS THEY HAVE 3-4 OTHER 2012 SUBARU IMPREZAS WITH THE SAME POST-RECALL PROBLEM. THE ONLY FIX THEY RECOMMEND IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE MODULE UNDER THE SEAT WHICH THEY QUOTED AS AN $800 FIX. THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS EXACTLY WHAT IS LISTED ON THE INITIAL RECALL WHERE THE LIGHT TURNS TO "OFF" WHEN A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE SEAT AND SOMETHING IS PLUGGED INTO THE POWER OUTLET OR THEY MOVE AROUND IN THE SEAT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS IT COULD CAUSE THE AIRBAG NOT TO DEPLOY IF A CRASH WERE EVER TO HAPPEN.

PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL SOMETIMES DEACTIVATE WHILE A PASSENGER IS SEATED IN IT. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING WITH A DEACTIVATED PASSENGER AIRBAG. THIS HAPPENS SEEMINGLY AT RANDOM, BUT WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES. IT CAN BE RESOLVED BY PULLING OVER AND RESTARTING THE CAR USUALLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATER STOPPED WORKING. THE CONTACT PULLED OUT THE PANEL WHERE THE SWITCH WAS LOCATED AND NOTICED THAT THE SWITCH WAS BURNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

WHILE DRIVING WITH OCCUPANT (ADULT WOMAN) IN PASSENGER SEAT THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DISPLAY OF PASS AIRBAG STATUS WENT TO OFF. PREVIOUS RECALL (SERVICE CAMPAIGN: WQT55|NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 15V419000) WAS COMPLETED IN OCT 2015, AND THINK THIS IS SIMILAR ISSUE. WAS NOT USING ANY ELECTRONICS/CONNECTIONS, BUT OCCUPANTS WERE DAMP FROM SNOW SKIING. TRIED TO STOP CAR, REMOVE KEY, AND RESTART BUT ISSUE REMAINED FOR REST OF TRIP (~ 2 HOURS). *TR