2008 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. BECAUSE THE LIGHT HAD NEVER COME ON WHILE DRIVING BEFORE AND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS EARLIER WITH MY 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK (VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT ON FILE), I TOLD HER TO FIND A SAFE AREA AND STOP AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON. AFTER DOING SO SHE TOLD ME THE LIGHT WAS NOW OFF. I TOLD HER TO COME HOME (SHE WAS JUST A FEW MILES AWAY) AND WATCH TO SEE IF THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN, BECAUSE AS I HAD EARLIER BEEN TOLD BY A SUBARU TECHNICIAN THAT WHEN THE DASH "AIRBAG" LIGHT WAS ON THAT NONE OF THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAGS WOULD WORK IN A COLLISION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED THE COMPUTER CODES AND FOUND THE SAME CODE AS IN MY 2009 OUTBACK (CODE # 26-PASSENGER FRONT SEAT SYSTEM HAD FAILED) THE MAP LIGHT/PASSENGER SEATBELT LAMP ASSEMBLY (PART # 84621AG51A) WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE INTERIOR ROOF DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS ARE A "SUPPLEMENTAL SYSTEM" THEY ARE NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTIES. BUT SEAT BELTS BEING THE "PRIMARY SYSTEM" ARE COVERED. SINCE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2009 OUTBACK AND THE PART WAS AN IN STOCK ITEM AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH MY 2008 LEGACY, IT SEEMS A BIT STRANGE TO ME THAT SUBARU DOES NOT KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A PART THAT CONTROLS THE AIRBAGS IN THEIR CARS. "LOVE" (PUN IS INTENDED) TO KNOW WHEN THE RECALL WILL HAPPEN! I HAD TO PAY ANOTHER $200 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT WILL ALLOW MY VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS TO WORK IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION BECAUSE THE AIRBAGS ARE CONSIDERED A "SUPPLEMENTAL SYSTEM" IN A VEHICLE THAT IS ADVERTISED AS A VERY SAFE VEHICLE. THE MAIN REASON I PURCHASED TWO OF THEM. *TR

THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT WILL COME ON INDICATING THERE IS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. IT USED TO GO OUT ON ITS OWN BUT NOW IT STAYS ON FOR DAYS. SUBARU HAS DIAGNOSED AND TRACED THE PROBLEM TO THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE COMPONENT. WHEN THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON, THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SURFACE OF THE DASHBOARD HAD BECOME VERY SHINY AND THE GLARE FROM THE SUN LIGHT CAUSED A VISIBILITY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AT THE DEALER BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

MY 2008 SUBARU LEGACY WITH 59K MILES WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ISSUES. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD TURN OFF AND ON AT RANDOM TIMES WITH NO PATTERN OR REASONS. THE MANUAL ADVISES TO HAVE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY CHECKED OUT TO FIND REASONS THAT WOULD ILLUMINATE THE WARNING LIGHT. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TODAY AND THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY OVER HEAD MAP CONSOLE LIGHT CLUSTER NEAR THE SUNROOF CONTROLS. THE OFFICIAL PART THAT HAS A SHORT OR FAULTY WIRING IS PART # 84621AG51A. I ONLY NEED THE AIRBAG WIRING BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE ENTIRE OVERHEAD CLUSTER IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE JUST AN AIRBAG WIRING REPLACEMENT PART. THE TOTAL COST TO HAVE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM BACK TO WORKING ORDER WAS $294.00 COMPLETE. I HAVE RAN AN INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE AND THIS ISSUE IS VERY COMMON. IT SEEMS IRRESPONSIBLE FOR SUBARU TO HAVE SUCH AN IMPORTANT SAFETY SYSTEM BE DISABLED BY A FAULTY CRAPPY SOLDERING JOB IN THE OVER HEAD MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR A LONG TIME NOW. I AM FINALLY REPORTING THIS AFTER GIVING UP ON SUBARU AND ITS SERVICE NETWORK. CAR EXHIBITS SURGE AND DIP IN ACCELERATION AT CONSTANT THROTTLE, ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. TAKING FOOT OFF THROTTLE ALSO CAUSES SURGE WHEN GENTLY APPLYING THE BRAKES; THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS TO A LOWER GEAR. ALSO, THE CHANGE FROM 2ND-3RD GEAR IS VERY ABRUPT; THE ENGINE RPMS RISE BY 200 IN BETWEEN SHIFTS AND THEN SLAMS INTO 3RD GEAR. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME. DEALER EITHER SAYS THAT IT CANNOT BE REPRODUCED, OR THAT IT IS NORMAL. ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IS THAT IT ALMOST STALLS WHEN STARTING OFF FROM STANDSTILL AND IN INTELLIGENT MODE. THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE FROM A CAR THAT IS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED. THIS MIGHT BE MY FIRST AND LAST SUBARU. *TR

I OWN AN 08 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5I SEDAN WITH APPROXIMATELY 77000 MILES ON IT. AT APPROX. 76000 MILES, THE "AIRBAG" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN THE MAIN DASH CLUSTER. REFERRING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, ALL IT SAID WAS THAT THIS LIGHT INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND THAT THE SYSTEM MAY NOT ALLOW THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AT ALL DURING A COLLISION, OR MAY DEPLOY WITH EVEN A LIGHT COLLISION. IT RECOMMENDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER I HAVE ALWAYS HAD SERVICE DONE, AND THEY TOLD ME THE "LAMP ASSEMBLY - MAP" HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN IT AND NEEDED REPLACED. AN "ELECTRICAL SHORT"? THAT SOUNDS VERY SERIOUS. WITH PARTS AND LABOR, THE COST CAME IN AT $389.30, WHICH SEEMED QUITE EXCESSIVE. AS CRITICAL AS AIRBAG SYSTEMS ARE, IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO THINK THAT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM SHOULD WARRANT A SAFETY RECALL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE WARNING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL THAT THE SYSTEM MAY NOT FUNCTION AT ALL IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF. ALSO, THE SERVICE AGENT I SPOKE WITH AT THE DEALER SAID THERE HAVE BEEN A "HANDFUL" OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM, AND TREATED THE SITUATION AS ROUTINE....LIKE AN OIL CHANGE OR FILTER REPLACEMENT. I ALSO OWN A 07 TOYOTA RAV 4, WHICH HAS HAD SEVERAL RECALLS ISSUED FOR SEEMINGLY MUCH LESS CRITICAL ISSUES. ALL OF THEM WERE TAKEN CARE OF BY TOYOTA. I WROTE A SIMILAR LETTER TO SUBARU AMERICA, EXPLAINING THAT, GIVEN THIS ISSUE, I WOULD HAVE TO THINK TWICE ABOUT PURCHASING ANOTHER SUBARU VEHICLE IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU *TR

I BOUGHT CAR NEW & IT DEVELOPED ISSUE @ 3 1/2 YRS. I ALSO HAVE THE SUBARU EXTENDED WARRANTY.CAR HAS ONLY BEEN SERVICED BY SUBARU, INCLUDING TIRE CHANGES. 10/11 @ 38,000 NOTICED FRONT & REAR PASSENGER TIRES WERE LOSING AIR. I HAVE TPMS W/ METAL VALVE STEMS. BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER, THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE TWO SETS OF TIRES SO I BROUGHT CAR IN 11/11 TO PUT ON SNOWS. MONITORED TIRE PRESSURE EVERY FEW DAYS AND WAS STILL LOSING AIR. 10/12, I SPRAY SOAP/WATER MIXTURE ON TIRES, BUBBLES FORM AT THE BASE OF THE TIRE VALVE. FOUR VALVES SHOULD NOT BE FAILING PREMATURELY. OVER TIME, THE BOTH DRIVERS SIDE TIRES DEVELOPED SLOW LEAKS AS WELL. 10/12, I CALLED SUBARU WARRANTY DEPARTMENT & EXPLAIN THAT I'M LOSING AIR FROM THE VALVE. I ASK IF TPMS FAILURE IS COVERED & WAS TOLD IT IS. 11/12 45,044 BRING CAR IN TO PUT ON SNOWS. TELL DEALER THAT ALL FOUR VALVES ARE LEAKING. I'M TOLD IT MAY BE CORROSION & THAT'S NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I EXPLAIN THAT FOR ALL FOUR TO BE LEAKING IS PREMATURE. TECH CONFIRMS THAT THREE ARE LEAKING & REPLACES THEM. DEALER STATES THAT THERE ISN'T A WARRANTY CODE FOR AIR LEAKING BUT WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE IT'S COVERED. THE TPMS UNIT IS ONE PIECE SO IF THE VALVE STEM FAILS OR A RUBBER SEALING GASKET THE WHOLE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND CORROSION CAN CAUSE THE METAL VALVE STEMS TO FAIL PREMATURELY. I CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURE EVERY TWO WEEKS BY RULE & DON'T WAIT TILL THE TPMS LIGHT COMES ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING LIGHT WOULD MOSTLY ILLUMINATE WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE OCCUPANCY AIR BAG MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. UPDATED 12/13/12*LJ UPDATED 12/13/12

THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. WHEN DRIVING WITH MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF AND START TO BRAKE, THERE IS A SLIGHT ACCELERATION JUST AS I START APPLYING THE BRAKE. IT HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN AND I HAD GOTTEN USED TO IT BUT ONE DAY WHEN I WAS A PASSENGER AND MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED IT. THE NEXT TIME I DROVE IT, I NOTICED IT. IT SEEMS TO BE DOING IT MOST OF THE TIME. IT MAY BE A PRECURSOR TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR