2005 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

TAKATA RECALL: I'M WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SUBARU'S HANDLING OF THE TAKATA INFLATORS. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER TODAY TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO REMEDY THE PASSENGER AIRBAG PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE A DELAY OF 2-3 MONTHS BEFORE SUBARU WILL HAVE THE FIX AVAILABLE. THE EMAIL I HAD RECEIVED STATED THAT I SHOULD NOT LET ANYONE USE THE FRONT PASSENGER SET DURING THAT TIME. THAT IS UNREALISTIC. THEN WHEN I WENT TO THIS WEBSITE TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE DELAY, I NOTICED THAT AS OF A FEW DAYS AGO, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG IS ALSO BEING RECALLED. IF THIS MEANS NO ONE CAN DRIVE THE CAR FOR 2-3 MONTHS, THIS IS EVEN WORSE THAN THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT SUBARU GIVE ME A CAR TO USE FOR 3 MONTHS, UNTIL THEY CAN FIX BOTH AIRBAG PROBLEMS. THANKS FOR ANY ACTION YOU CAN TAKE WITH THESE PROBLEMS.

I REC'D NOTIFICATION THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG INFLATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT THE PARTS AREN'T CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. IN THE MEANTIME, I WAS ADVISED TO NOT LET A PASSENGER SIT IN THE FRONT. THAT'S A DIFFICULT ADVISORY WITH WHICH TO COMPLY. CAN'T THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG INFLATOR BE DE-ACTIVATED FOR THE TIME BEING? HAS THIS POSSIBILITY BEEN CONSIDERED? I'VE ALSO WRITTEN TO SUBARU ABOUT THIS SITUATION. THANKS, JOE

THE CAR IS CREATING A GAS LEAK AND SMELL AFTER COLD START UPS. THE CAR ALSO FILLS UP WITH SMOKE AFTER WARMING UP THE CAR 5-10 MIN.

CAR DID NOT HAVE BACKUP LIGHTS, ELECTRONIC LOCK FOR REAR HATCH DID NOT WORK. TESTED BULBS AND SWITCH FOR BACKUP LIGHTS AND THEY WERE FINE. UNCOVERED WIRING HARNESSES LEFT AND RIGHT OF REAR HATCH 6 BROKEN WIRES RIGHT SIDE 1 BROKEN WIRE RIGHT. SPLICED TEMPORARILY UNTIL I GET THE TIME AND MONEY TO MAKE PERMANENT REPAIR.

2005 SUBARU LEGACY WITH 202,000 MILES HAD A FAILURE OF THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THE CAR HAD A CURRENT SAFETY INSPECTION FOR PA WHERE IT WAS BEING DRIVEN AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT SKIDDED OFF THE ROAD TO A STOP. THERE IS CURRENTLY A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ( NUMBER: 11V464000 ) FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM BUT NOT FOR THIS VEHICLE MODEL. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ON THE LEGACY WAS NOT MANUFACTURED BY FIJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES USA, INC, ACCORDING TO SUBARU AND THAT IS WHY IT WAS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE ON OUR 2005 SUBARU LEGACY WAS DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AS WE LIVE IN THE "SALT BELT". WHEN BEING REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP WE WERE TOLD THE LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND WE HAD THEM REPLACED IT ALONG WITH THE FAILED RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM FRACTURED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON ONE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V464000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 202,000.

THE WIRING HARNESS THAT GOES TO THE HATCH IS MADE OUT OF UNDERSIZED WIRE AND FROM OPENING AND CLOSING THE HATCH THE WIRES HAVE BROKEN. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PREVIOUSLY, BUT AT THAT TIME, THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS THAT THE HATCH WOULD NOT LOCK. NOW I DO NOT HAVE BACKUP LIGHTS. THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN DEFECT. WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO GET SUBARU TO FIX THIS?

AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, WE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A AIRPLANE PROPELLER WHIRLING. THE CAR THEN STOPPED. THE MECHANIC AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP SAID WE BLEW A CYLINDER. THE CAR IS NOW IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE OR WILL BE SCRAPPED. WE KEPT THE CAR SERVICE RELIGIOUSLY AND WAS IN GREAT SHAPE. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? I THOUGHT WE HAD A RELIABLE CAR.

MICHELIN DEFENDER TIRES; ALL 4 TIRES ARE DRY ROTTING WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE CASING AND BELTS . DEGRADATION OF THE TIRES OVER A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS IS EXTREMELY PREMATURE CONSIDERING THESE TIRES ARE ADVERTISED TO GIVE 90,000 MILES AND WE PROBABLY ONLY PUT ON AROUND 8,000 MILES A YEAR . WE LIVE IN THE PITTSBURGH, PA AREA WHERE THEY USE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ICE MELTING CHEMICALS INCLUDING ROCK SALT THAT CAN ENTER THE LARGE CRACKS IN THE RUBBER AND EAT AWAY AT IT . I'M AFRAID TO TAKE THE CAR ON LONG TRIPS USING INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEED FOR FEAR OF THE TREAD SEPARATING FROM THE CASING OF THE TIRE . WHAT'S IRONIC IS THAT LOOKING ON-LINE THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE ALSO COMPLAINING ABOUT MICHELIN TIRES DRY ROTTING PREMATURELY . I HAVE SEVERAL EXCELLENT CLOSE-UP PICTURES THAT I CAN EMAIL UPON REQUEST .

WHILE PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE CAR CONTINUED AT IT'S NORMAL IDLE, BUT PRESSING ON THE GAS GAVE NO RESPONSE. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP OFF THE ROAD AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED AGAIN TWO TIMES AS OF TODAY AND IT TOOK SEVERAL TIMES TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO GET USE OF THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUED, AND OF COURSE A PROBLEM THAT COULD EASILY LEAVE ME AND MY KIDS STRANDED OR INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT IF I WERE TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS. I'VE READ ONLINE THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARU. THE CODE THAT I RECEIVED WAS P2138 (THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR). *TR