1996 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ML

FIRST INSTANCE WAS IN DEC 98, 2ND 6-21-99 CRUISE CONTROL STAYS ON, CANNOT CANCEL OR TURN OFF, BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR WITH NO EFFECT WHAT SO EVER, HAVE TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND RESTART THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF CRUISE AND GET THE BRAKES BACK (THIS IS A LITTLE SCARRY WHEN YOU HAVE POWER STEERING). THIS WAS A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION IN TRAFFIC AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON AN APPROACH TO A SEVERE TURN ON A EXIT RAMP. *AK

VEHICLE HIT A POLE HEAD-ON AT 30 TO 35MPH AND NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ALSO, SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK

AFTER CAR IS WARM AND YOU HAVE DRIVEN A WHILE, WHEN YOU STOP, TURN OFF THE ENGINE, SAY TO GET GAS, WHEN YOU START UP AGAIN THE ENGINE RUNS BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000 RPMS. IF YOU DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE IDLE COMES DOWN, YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE SLOWING DOWN WITHOUT USING THE BRAKE. EVEN IF YOU SHIFT DOWN, YOU WILL BE IDLING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 30 -35 MPH AND YOU EXPECT TO BE SLOWING DOWN. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM THE VERY START. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THOMASON AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE CAR DO WHAT WE SAID IT WAS DOING AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. ALL THEY SAID WAS IT WAS TO NEW AND IT SHOULD BE ALRIGHT AFTER A FEW MILES. WE TOOK IT BACK BEFORE THE 30,000 MILE WARRANTY WAS UP AND THEY BASICALLY SAID THE SAME THING. THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. WE THEN TO THE CAR TO CARR CHEVROLET IN BEAVERTON, OR. THEY DID A LOT OF CHECKING ON THE CAR AND SAID THEY WOULD LIKE A FACTORY REP. TAKE A LOOK AT IT. WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A FACTORY REP. AND HE DROVE THE CAR AND SAID THAT IT WAS DOING JUST WHAT WE HAD SAID AND THAT HE HAD HEARD OF A COUPLE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME TYPE. HE WAS GOING TO CHECK AND GET BACK TO US. HE NEVER DID, SO WE CONTACTED CHRIS, WHO WAS OUT CONTACT AT CARR, AND HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AT THIS TIME. THAT THE CAR WAS PERFORMING AS IT WAS MADE TO DO. WE ARE CURRENTLY WAITING FOR ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WITH THE FACTORY REP. TO HAVE HIM DRIVE IT AGAIN AND DECIDE WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY BE ON YOUR TOES. YOU MAY THINK YOU WILL SLOW DOWN IF YOU TAKE YOUR FOOD OFF THE GAS AND SHIFT DOWN, BUT YOU WILL STILL BE GOING AT A SPEED YOU MAY NOT WANT TO BE GOING. THIS IS NOT THE WAY A 5 SPEED SHOULD WORK. MY WIFE DOESN'T DRIVE THE CAR AS MUCH AS I DO AND SHE FEELS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSAFE WHEN SHE DOES. THE LAST WE HEARD IS THAT THE CAR IS PERFORMING AS MANUFACTURED. THAT MAY BE SO, BUT IT WAS MANUFACTURED WRONG.

WAS RETURNING FROM A FRIENDS HOUSE AND THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS WORKED ON FOR 3 1/2 WEEKS. THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED, SO THEY TOLD SUBARU OF AMERICA THAT IT WAS AN "OUTSIDE SOURCE" (WHATEVER THAT IS) THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THEY ALSO INSINUATED THAT I HAD DONE SOMETHING AND HAD NEGLECTED TO TELL THEM. THEY WERE VERY RUDE, AND NOT AT ALL HELPFUL. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT FROM A CERTIFIED SUBARU MECHANIC THAT THERE WERE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE ALTERNATORS IN SOME OF THE SUBARU'S WHICH CAUSED THE MAIN FUSE TO BLOW. INTERESTING THAT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR, BUT NO ONE SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE CONNECTION. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, AND DEAL WITH THE RUDENESS OF THE DEALER AS WELL AS THE CUSTOMER SERVICE FOLKS AT SUBARU OF AMERICA. I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED SOMEONE ALONG THE WAY TO HAVE HAD SOME KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEMS SUCH AS THIS, AND I WOULD ALSO HAVE EXPECTED TO HAVE BEEN TREATED A LITTLE BETTER AS A PAYING CUSTOMER WHO SIMPLY WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THEIR CAR. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A BETTER ANSWER TO MY QUESTIONS THAN THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY AN "OUTSIDE SOURCE". WHEN THERE ARE EQUIPMENT OR PARTS PROBLEMS, PEOPLE SHOULD BE NOTIFIED. MINIMALLY, THE SUBARU MECHANICS SHOULD BE AWARE OF PROBLEMS. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT IT HAS BEEN TO OWN A SUBARU.

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND ANOTHER CAR HIT HIM, AND DRIVER'S AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK

ENGINE FAILED , LOUD KNOCKING AT ENGINE STARTUP. SUBARU REPLACED ENTIRE ENGINE SHORT-BLOCK AT 18K MILES. REPLACEMENT ENGINE FAILED AT 19K MILES OPERATION WITH SAME PROBLEM (OR 37K MILES ON CAR). SUBARU CLAIMS IT IS A PISTON RELATED PROBLEM. AFTER MANY COMPLAINTS TO SUBARU, THEY HAVE AGREED TO REPAIR IT. CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER GETTING NEW: PISTONS, PINS, RODS AND BEARINGS AS NEEDED. THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM THAT SUBARU IS NOW TELLING DEALERS AND OWNERS "IT IS A NORMAL OPERATING NOISE IF THE NOISE GOES AWAY AFTER 5 MINUTES OF OPERATION". IT IS NOT NORMAL ! AND IN MY OPINION WILL ONLY GET WORSE IF NOT REPAIRED. I PLAN TO SELL MY CAR AFTER REPAIRED. *AK

WHEN CAR STARTED AFTER HAVING STOPPED FOR 3 HOURS, BATTERY WARNING LIGHT AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CHECKED BRAKES/FLUID AND ALTERNATOR BELT - NO PROBLEM FOUND. CONTINUED DRIVING; VARIOUS LIGHTS, INCLUDING "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CONTINUED TO GO ON AND OFF. CAR FINALLY STALLED ON HIGHWAY AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. ALTERNATOR REPLACED. *AK

FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER'S AIR BAG RESULTING IN A CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND INJURY. (QCAW)

DURING FRONT IMPACT AT LESS THAN 5 MPH, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON, CAUSING PASSENGER TO SUSTAIN BURNS TO THE SKIN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. 838195 DUP OF 824824; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK