2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 35MPH, HOOD OPENED AND CAME BACK FAR ENOUGH TO BREAK WINDSHIELD, COMPLETELY BLOCKING DRIVERS VIEW OF ROAD AND TRAFFIC NEAR A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, IT APPEARS PRIMARY HOOD LATCH FAILED AND SECONDARY SAFETY LATCH ALSO FAILED ALLOWING CONDITION TO EXIST. SECONDARY HOOD LATCH HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM HOOD BUT STILL SECURELY LATCHED TO BODY OF VEHICLE. SECONDARY LATCH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN ATTACHED TO HOOD WITH LIGHTWEIGHT PLASTIC TRIM RETAINERS WHICH BECAME BRITTLE WHEN COLD. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT WAS APPROX 10 DEGREES F. HOOD HAD BEEN OPENED EARLIER IN THE DAY THEN THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED APPROX 10-15 MILES AT INTERSTATE AND CITY SPEEDS THEN PARKED FOR ~8 HOURS BEFORE INCIDENT OCCURRED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A COUNTY ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE HOOD LATCH DISENGAGED CAUSING THE HOOD TO FLIP OVER BACKWARD AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD. THE HOOD WAS OPENED THE DAY PRIOR, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT INCIDENT PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL LATCH RELEASING. THE SAFETY LATCH DID NOT CATCH WHEN THE MAIN LATCH RELEASED, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD AND HOOD, AS WELL AS DAMAGING THE ROOF AND VEHICLE INTERIOR. *TR

AFTER ADDING WASHER FLUID, THE HOOD LATCH WOULD NOT LOCK AND SECURE THE HOOD CLOSED. ONLY THE SECONDARY SAFETY LATCH SECURES THE HOOD. THIS PRESENTS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FLYING OPEN WHILE DRIVING OBSCURING VISIBILITY AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE ALREADY MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THIS FAILURE MECHANISM. I REQUEST NHTSA INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. *TR

JUST FINISHED WASHING THE CAR OUTSIDE THE MY GARAGE, I THEN MOVED IT INSIDE THE GARAGE TO CLEAN AND VACUUM INSIDE. 30 MINS LATER, A STRONG BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER PUDDLE LIGHT AREA. I HAVE TO QUICKLY CALL 911, AND BEFORE 911 ARRIVAL I MANAGED TO OPEN THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND THE SMOKE STOPPED. THERE WAS STILL A STRONG SMILE IN THE AIR WHEN 911 CAME. 911 RECOMMENDED TOWING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP CONNECTED THE BATTERY AND DROVE IT OUTSIDE WHERE IT COULD BE EASILY TOW. JUST LUCKY TO BE IN THE GARAGE WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED OTHERWISE IT COULD HAVE BURN THE HOUSE. THIS VEHICLE (SUBARU TRIBECA B6 IS NOTHING BUT A DISASTER), THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER RENDERED NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER. *TR

ON 3/15/2014, TRAVELING AT POSTED HIGHWAY SPEED OF 70MPH ON I-71 SOUTHBOUND MILE MARKER 50 AT APPROX. 10 AM. THE PRIMARY VEHICLE HOOD LATCH FAILED AS DID THE HOOD SAFETY LATCH. THE HOOD FLEW COMPLETELY UP, INSTANTANEOUSLY SHATTERING THE WINDSHIELD AND COMPLETELY RESTRICTING VISIBILITY WHILE TRAVELING AT FULL HIGHWAY SPEED. THE INTERIOR HOOD SAFETY LATCH MOUNTING SCREWS WERE COMPLETELY RIPPED FROM THE HOOD LEAVING THE SAFETY LATCH MECHANISM DANGLING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE HOOD WAS DAMAGED, THE ROOF DENTED, THE MAP LIGHTS WERE DAMAGED AND SHARDS OF GLASS LITTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS SAFELY MOVED TO HIGHWAY BREAKDOWN LANE. A PASSING KY STATE TROOPER WHO STOPPED TO ASSIST US LOOKED AT THE DAMAGE AND INDICATED THIS WAS LIKELY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE HOOD HAD NOT BEEN OPENED SINCE THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED NEARLY 4 WEEKS AGO. A SUBSEQUENT INTERNET SEARCH ON SIMILAR ISSUES REVEALS THAT THE 2006 SUBARU B9 TRIBECA HAS HAD NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS IDENTICAL INCIDENTS; SOME OCCURRING MORE THAN ONCE TO THE SAME OWNERS, WITH NO MANUFACTURER RECALL TO DATE. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND THIS PROBLEM ADDRESSED--THIS HAS GREAT POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SEVERE INJURIES AND FATALITIES. AS A FORMER ATTORNEY WITH DOT/FMCSA UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2010, I AM CALLING UPON NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THESE INCIDENTS. IT IS PARAMOUNT THAT NHTSA ADDRESS THE HOOD LATCH FAILURES WITH THESE VEHICLES AND TAKE ACTION ON THIS REPORT. *TR

HOOD FLEW UP WHILE DRIVING ON RT9 SOUTH IN OLDBRIDGE, NJ @ 45 MPH. REPAIRS BILL WAS AROUND $5000. IT HAPPENED TO ME BACK IN 2009, AND JUST TODAY IN 2013 I WAS ABOUT TO ADD SOME WINDSHIELD WASHER, SO I OPENED MY HOOD, AND IT POPPED UP COMPLETELY, AND THAT SECONDARY LOCK DID NOT HOLD IT AGAIN! IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER ACCIDENT IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE RUNNING CAR. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T GO AWAY WITH REPAIRS - I HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED EVEN LOCK MECHANISM AND CABLE TO THE HANDLE UNDER YOUR DASH. AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY. I LEARNED TODAY THAT SECONDARY LATCH GETS DIRTY, STICKY, AND STOPS MOVING AT ALL OVER TIME AND ENTIRE MECHANISM REMAINS UNLOCKED AFTER YOU CLOSE THE HOOD. THERE IS A SPRING THERE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO RETURN THE LATCH INTO LOCKED POSITION AFTER YOU CLOSE THE HOOD - THIS SPRING HAS NO POWER TO MOVE THIS STICKY MECHANISM, AND THAT HOOK REMAINS NOT ENGAGED AFTER YOU CLOSE THE HOOD. YOU CAN NOT SEE WHETHER OR NOT SECONDARY LOCK DID LOCK YOUR HOOD ONCE YOU CLOSE THE HOOD, BUT TRUST ME - IT DOESN`T LOCK THE HOOD - OTHERWISE THERE WOULD NOT BE SO MANY COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE LIKE ME. THEN, WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR HOOD FROM THE INSIDE - IT OPENS UP ENTIRELY AND SECONDARY LOCK IS NOT ENGAGED AT ALL - IT REMAINS OPEN AT ALL THE TIMES. IF YOU OPEN YOUR HOOD WHILE YOU DRIVE - IT WILL CRASH YOUR CAR - SECONDARY LOCK IS NOT WORKING. IF YOU HIT A POTHOLE OR A BUMP - YOU HOOD MAY FLY UP AS WELL - PRIMARY LOCK GETS RELEASED BY STRONG SHOCK, AND SECONDARY LOCK IS NOT THERE AS YOU ALREADY KNOW - THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BACK IN 2009, I DROVE ABOUT 50 MILES AND HIT A BUMP ON THE ROAD - HOOD FLEW UP CRASHING MY CAR. THE DESIGN OF THE SECONDARY LOCK IS THE PROBLEM - IT JUST DOESN`T DO WHAT IT IS THERE FOR. BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LOCKS ON THIS MODEL ARE DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN AND CAN NOT BE FIXED BY REPLACEMENT - I AM STILL LIVING PROOF OF THIS STATEMENT. *TR

AS I PASSED UNDER A RAILROAD OVERPASS I HIT A LARGE POTHOLE PROBABLY CAUSED BY A RECENT 2-4" RAINFALL. THE IMPACT CAUSED MY HOOD TO RELEASE AND SLAM BACK INTO MY WINDSHIELD, OBLITERATING MY FORWARD VIEW. I SLOWED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT SWERVING AND ACTIVATED MY WARNING FLASHERS. LUCKILY, THERE WAS ONLY ONE CAR BEHIND ME AND NONE APPROACHING WHEN THIS OCCURRED. UPON STOPPING I FOUND THAT MY WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN BADLY CRACKED AND THE HOOD STRUTS HAD BROKEN, ALLOWING THE HOOD TO FOLD BACK FULLY. THE SAFETY CATCH ON THE RELEASE MECHANISM APPARENTLY FAILED TO KEEP THE HOOD FROM FLYING UP. THE HOOD LATCHED WHEN BROUGHT BACK DOWN, BUT I NO LONGER TRUST IT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FAR WORSE SITUATION IN TRAFFIC. *TR

FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, ON THE WAY TO WORK FROM HOME, DRIVING ON LOCAL STREET WHEN THE HOOD JUST POPPED UP AND SLAMMED ON THE WINDSHIELD. OBVIOUSLY A LATCH DEFECT BUT SINCE THEN, I MADE SURE THE HOOD IS PROPERLY LATCHED. SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED, DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY AT 55 MPH, WHEN THE HOOD SUDDENLY POPPED UP AGAIN AND DESTROYING THE WINDSHIELD. WE ARE LUCKY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR CRASH WITH OTHER VEHICLES. SEE ATTACHED RECEIPT OF WINDSHIELD REPAIR AS PROOFS. *TR

MY SISTER, MOTHER AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HOOD SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. IT SOUNDED LIKE A BOMB EXPLODED IN THE CAR. SHARDS OF GLASS RAINED DOWN ON THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. WHEN WE GOT OUT TO CHECK WHAT HAPPENED, WE NOTICED THE ENTIRE SAFETY LATCH MECHANISM WAS ATTACHED TO THE HOOD AND WAS DANGLING THERE. IT WAS NOT RUSTED. IT SIMPLY DETACHED. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH A SEMI BEHIND US. IT WAS EXTREMELY TRAUMATIZING AND I AM MENTALLY WORN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. *TR