2012 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints

DRIVING HOME ON 12/11/16, THE CHECK ENGINE, VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL, AND CRUISE CONTROL INDICATORS CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. CHECK ENGINE AND VDC INDICATORS WERE STEADY, BUT CRUISE CONTROL WAS BLINKING. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE SO I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO SUBARU TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY DISCOVERED CODE P1449: "EVAP SYSTEM CLUGGED CHECK & FOUND SPIDER WEBS IS EVAP DRAIN & VALVE ASSY. TECH RECOMMEND REPLACE EVAP DRAIN & VALVE ASSY." THEY REPLACED EVAP DRAIN & VALVE ASSEMBLY AND PERFORMED EVAP SYSTEM CLEAN REINSTALL WHICH FIXED THE ISSUE. TOTAL COST 617.28 (416.50 FOR 3.5 HOURS LABOR, 41.16 FOR VALVE AY DRA, 159.62 FOR VALVE AY ELC). WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR IN DEC 2011, I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY (GOLD PLUS) WHICH COVERS 6 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES WITH $0 DEDUCTIBLE. BEFORE FIXING THE PROBLEM ABOVE, THEY ESTIMATED IT WOULD COST ME $600-$700 OUT OF POCKET SINCE THEY SAID THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSED BY A SPIDER AND NOT A PART DEFECT. I CALLED SUBARU'S WARRANTY DEPARTMENT WHICH SAID THE SAME THING. I MENTIONED THAT MAZDA, SUZUKI, HONDA, AND HYUNDAI ALL HAD THIS PROBLEM A FEW YEARS BACK AND THAT MAZDA AND SUZUKI HAD RECALLS, WHILE HONDA AND HYUNDAI WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. SUBARU AGAIN STATED THAT THEY DO NOT COVER IT. AFTER THE FIX, A SERVICE CENTER ADVISOR SAID HE SEES THIS PROBLEM A LOT BUT UNFORTUNATELY SUBARU DOES NOT COVER IT. I ASKED HOW TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN AND HE SAID TO SPRAY PEPPERMINT OIL OCCASIONALLY AROUND THE FUEL TANK AREA BELOW THE CAR SINCE THE SMELL DETERS PESTS. I PAID THE BILL TO GET MY CAR. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE A RECALL OF SOME SORT SHOULD BE ISSUED BY SUBARU TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN OR AT LEAST HAVE THE PROBLEM BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I AM FILING A COMPLAINT TO YOU AND HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME RECOVER THE COST. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR GRADUALLY STOPPED WORKING. THIS SEAT SENSOR HAD ALLEGEDLY BEEN CHECKED AND FIXED IN 2015 AS PART OF SUBARU VOLUNTARY RECALL SUBSEQUENT TO THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION. AT THAT TIME, THE SENSOR WAS WORKING PROPERLY; THE NATURE OF SUBARU'S FIX IS UNCLEAR. SINCE THE VOLUNTARY RECALL, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HAS NOT BEEN MODIFIED. THERE HAS BEEN NO WATER SPILL. THE ISSUE WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR STARTED SHORTLY AFTER AN IPHONE CHARGER WAS INSTALLED, I.E. PLUGGED IN THE FRONT 12V CIGARETTE LIGHTER RECEPTACLE. THE DEGRADATION OF THE SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR'S PERFORMANCE WAS GRADUAL. FIRST, IT STOPPED REGISTERING MY DAUGHTER'S WEIGHT, THEN MY WIFE'S THEN MINE -- THIS GRADUAL DEGRADATION IN PERFORMANCE, FROM FIRST INCIDENCE TO COMPLETE NON-PERFORMANCE TOOK ABOUT 3 TO 4 WEEKS.

THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT HAS FAILED 3 TIMES WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW AGAIN OUT OF WARRANTY. WHEN A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE SEAT WHILE DRIVING, THE AIRBAG SENSOR DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE PASSENGER'S WEIGHT, AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL NOT TURN ON, PUTTING MY PASSENGER AT RISK. UNDER WARRANTY, CARR SUBARU IN BEAVERTON OREGON REPLACED THE SENSOR EACH TIME IT FAILED. THEY BRIEFLY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE SENSOR "FAILS ALL THE TIME" AND "ITS POORLY DESIGNED." IF I UNDERSTOOD THEM CORRECTLY, THESE TYPE OF SENSORS ARE NO LONGER USED IN NEWER MODELS OF MY CAR. I AM NOW HAVING THE AIRBAG ISSUE AGAIN AND I AM NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. SUBARU SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS FAULTY SYSTEM AND REPLACE IT COMPLETELY, RATHER THAT JUST REPLACING THE SENSOR THEY ALREADY KNOW IS FAULTY.

FALSIFICATION OF RECALL SERVICE WORK PERFORMED FOR RECALL WQT-55 THAT IS RELATED TO THE AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING BASED ON AN ISSUE W/ THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM. WALDORF SUBARU STATES THEY PERFORMED THAT THEY DIDN'T DO. SUBARU HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SLOW AN UNRESPONSIVE IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. MY CAR WAS ORIGINALLY TAKEN TO WALDORF SUBARU TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED, AFTER WHICH I HAD A SERVICE WORK ORDER INDICATING IT WAS COMPLETE. I RECEIVE A PHONE CALL 2 DAYS LATER FROM THE PARTS MANAGER INDICATING THE "PART THAT WAS NEEDED FOR THE RECALL IS NOW IN STOCK." AS A SECOND CHECK, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO ANOTHER SUBARU LOCATION (HERB GORDON SUBARU/MILE ONE) TO CHECK IT OUT AND VERIFY IF THE RECALL HAD BEEN IN FACT FIXED, THIS PROVED THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN FIXED. I OBTAINED A SERVICE WORK ORDER WITH THESE DETAILS. I CONTACTED SUBARU TO HAVE THEM ADDRESS THIS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RESPOND AND HAVE BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED. THEIR INTERNAL COMPLAINT NUMBER HAS BEEN OPENED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE: SR #:1-17536427192

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BOLT ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE CALIPER FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

MY SON'S 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA, WAS BOUGHT USED, WITH 59,000. MILES, WITH HOPE OF OWNING A RELIABLE, SAFE VEHICLE ON 2/11/16. ON 6/26/16 HE WENT FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND WITHIN ONE WEEK THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY SEIZED. HE WAS DRIVING HOME, NO WARNING LIGHTS, OR ANYTHING JUST MADE A LOUD SOUND THEN HE WAS JUST BARELY ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF A BUSY 3 LANE ROAD TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK. AT THE TIME, WE WORRIED THAT THE OIL CHANGE MAY HAVE BEEN DONE IMPROPERLY AND CAUSED THE ISSUE. WE CONTACTED THE BUSINESS, WHO THEN HAD A ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC/INSPECTOR VERIFY THAT IT WAS NOT THE OIL CHANGE BUT AN INTERNAL ENGINE PROBLEM. WE THEN HAD TOWED IT AGAIN TO SUBARU DEALER THAT WAS 7/12/16. THEN WE BEGAN CALLING- DAILY OR EVERY OTHER DAY; TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND EMAILING TO CORPORATE SUBARU- ASKING WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIS CAR? WHY DID IT HAPPEN? WHAT CAN BE DONE? WHAT WILL IT COST? FINALLY, ON 8/22/16, WE HEARD FROM SUBARU SAYING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY -BUT WILL AUTHORIZE A $2,000. TOWARD REPAIR OR NEW CAR. WE CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN BECAUSE WE STILL HAD NOT HEARD OR RECEIVED A REASON/QUOTE OF REPAIR. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS DAMAGE TO A PISTON AND IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $10,000. AND THEY DID NOT RECOMMEND IT; BETTER TO TALK TO SALES. THE WARRANTY IS FOR 60,000 MILES OR 5 YEARS ON THE POWERTRAIN, WE ARE AT 67,000 MILES AND 4 YEARS. SO NOW WE STILL OWE $8,000. AND HAVE $10,000. REPAIR, AND THEY ARE OFFERING $2,000. MONEY VS SAFETY AND NOW VS TRUST WE WANT A SAFE RELIABLE CAR, FROM A COMPANY THAT WE COULD TRUST. WE THOUGHT THAT WAS SUBARU.

CAR WITH ONLY 65,000MILES, MINIMAL BRAKING SINCE LIVE AND TRAVEL ON COUNTRY ROAD. HAD REAR BRAKE PADS REPLACED. ONE MONTH LATER, AFTER LONG DRIVE THEN CAR SITTING FOR A WEEK, MASTER CYLINDER FAILED. NOTED NO BRAKES WHEN STARTED UP THE CAR AGAIN.

WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL TURN ON AND THE DASH WILL REPORT "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF." THIS HAPPENS ANYWHERE FROM IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED ON, BEFORE IT IS PLACED IN DRIVE, TO AN HOUR AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING. WE DO FREQUENTLY HAVE ELECTRONICS PLUGGED IN, BUT I JUST LEARNED OF THE POSSIBLE CONNECTION AND HAVE NOT TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT IT. THE SEATS ARE HEATED. THE AIRBAG LIGHT DOES NOT TURN ON WITHOUT A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. FIRST STARTED IN JUNE OF 2016 AND HAS BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THEN, APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE TIME A PASSENGER IS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

MY FIANC SAT IN THE DRIVER SEAT, I IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE STARTED THE CAR AFTER WE BOTH WERE SITTING DOWN. I HAD HIS PHONE CHARGING IN THE CENTER CONSOLE AND MY PHONE WAS IN THE HOUSE. MY SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE PASS. AIR BAG WAS TURNED OFF. CODES B1660, B16FO, AND B1650 WERE SAVED. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME A WET PASSENGER, A CELL PHONE IN A POCKET, OR EVEN A LAP TOP THAT WAS TURNED OFF IN A BAG COULD CAUSE THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION DUE TO IT BEING STATIC ELECTRIC BASED DUE TO THE SEAT HEATERS. I HAD A SEAT RECALL COMPLETED IN NOV 2015 AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO STATE THAT THIS COULD BE RELATED TO THE RECALL. SERVICE CAMPAIGN WQT55 NHTSA CAMPAIGN 15V419000. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO THINK THAT HAVING A CELL PHONE WHILE A PASSENGER IN A SAFETY RATED CAR COULD CAUSE A MALFUNCTION IN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. *JS

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS (APRIL 10, 2016, JUNE 13, 2016 AND AUGUST 5, 2016),SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR STOPPED RESPONDING TO GAS PEDAL INPUT, STOPPED RUNNING, AND COASTED TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. FORTUNATELY THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE ON CITY STREETS, AND NOT ON THE FREEWAY. HAD I BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. THAT WOULD HAVE HAD TRAGIC, PERHAPS FATAL CONSEQUENCES. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER'S FOR REPAIR AFTER THE THIRD AND LATEST INCIDENT. I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER'S AFTER EACH OF THE OTHER INCIDENTS AS WELL.