2018 Subaru Crosstrek

2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK, MILEAGE 17,000 AS OF 12/02/2019. VEHICLE BEING DRIVEN ON A CITY STREET AT 35 MPH STARTED TO FEEL HEAVY/RIGID AND LOSING MOTIVE POWER. EXHAUST STARTED TO DISCHARGE NON-STOPPING HEAVY BLACK SMOKE LIKE THAT OF TIRES BURNING. ALSO, THERE WAS A VERY STRONG PLASTIC-LIKE SMELL IN THE SMOKE. IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE NEAREST SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND TOOK THE VEHICLE IN. I WAITED OVER 4 LONG HOURS UNTIL THE TECHNICIAN SAID I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR AS THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS SINCE ALL TESTS PERFORMED HAD COME OUT OK. A LOANER WAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING DAY AND A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT 100% SURE ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THAT THEY SUSPECTED IT HAD TO DO WITH MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER WUP01 (NHTSA 19V744000) AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 2 WEEKS TO REPAIR. SUBARU OF AMERICA FAILED TO SEND LETTERS OR EMAILS CONCERNING 2 OPEN RECALLS FOR THIS VEHICLE SINCE OCTOBER 2019. I DO NOT HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO SUBMIT AT THE TIME OF THIS COMPLAINT AS I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED ANY COPIES FROM THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP. MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN WE HAVE BEEN RIDING ON THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN AT GREAT RISK BECAUSE SUBARU HAS FAILED TO INFORM OF THESE RECALLS WHICH COULD HAVE ENDED UP IN A FATALITY. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FROM A MANUFACTURER I HAVE PUT ALL MY TRUST IN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED TWO RECALL NOTIFICATIONS IN THE MAIL FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 19V744000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 19V743000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). PRIOR TO THE NOTIFICATIONS, THE CONTACT INFORMED CMA'S COLONIAL SUBARU (2122 RUFFIN MILL RD, SOUTH CHESTERFIELD, VA 23834, 888-929-4456) THAT SHE HEARD A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE NOISE WAS RELATED TO THE ENGINE COOLING OFF AND THAT AN OIL CHANGE WAS NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TURNED OFF (COMPUTERS AND ALL). THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS BEING TURNED OFF (FROM GOING ABOUT 75) BECAUSE I WAS APPROACHING TRAFFIC AND IT JUST TURNED OFF. BRAKES STILL WORKED AND I GOT ON THE SHOULDER. THEN WHEN TRYING TO TURN IT BACK ON, IT WOULD HAVE VERY STRANGE NOISE LIKE AN OLD FAN OR CLUNKING. I WOULD PRESS MY ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY DOWN AND IT WOULD ONLY GO 5 MILES AN HOUR. FINALLY AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AN RESTARTING ENOUGH TIMES IT RAN NORMALLY. BUT THEN THE COMPUTER WAS ON THE FRITZ. FLASHING THE HIGH INCLINE SIGN, THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SIGN, AND FLASHING ALL THE CRUISE CONTROL. AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS REAR ENDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO BODY DAMAGE TO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO IRVINE SUBARU (23663 ROCKFIELD BLVD, LAKE FOREST, CA 92630, (949) 837-3500) WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED PER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 10144878 (EQUIPMENT, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE SINCE PURCHASED IN JUNE 2018 DUE TO JERKY, BUCKING AND HESITANT ACCELERATION AND SHIFTING. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HESITANCY HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN BEING HIT WHILE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND FROM PARKING SPACE IN LOT. THIS CAN OCCUR IN FWD DRIVE AND REVERSE. VIBRATION AND SHAKING OCCURS AT ABOUT 1700RMP AND LESS OCCASIONALLY 1100RPM.

THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY CAR FOR THE ENGINE STALLING AND HESITATION. THE RECALL DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP TWO TIMES. THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION. SUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED TO HELP MY DEALER REPAIR THE CAR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE WHEN IT DOES LOSE POWER ITS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.

MY OIL TEMP ON MY SUBARU IS HIGHER THAN NORMAL...I HAVE HAD IT IN THE DEALER 2 TIMES ALREADY AND EVEN THO THEY SAY THE TEMPS ARE NOT NORMAL THE SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE EVERYTHING LOOK FINE..BUT THEY TELL ME TO CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3K NOW INSTEAD OF 6K...I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT THE OIL TEMPS AND HAVE NOT FOUND ANYONE OR ANY OTHER CASE THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM WITH A 2018 CROSSTREK .I HAVE ASK SUBARU WHAT THE OIL TEMP RANGE IS AND AFTER MONTHS OF CALLING SOMEONE FINALLY TELLS ME MAX TEMP IS 247...MY CAR GOES OVER THAT..I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND SAME THING..THEY DO NOTHING..I ASK THEM AGAIN WHAT THE NORMAL TEMP RANGE IS AND THEY DON'T KNOW...THEY TELL ME TO JUST DRIVE IT THAT IT'S UNDER WARRANTY..THE HIGH OIL TEMP PROBABLY DID SOME LONG TERM DAMAGE...SUBARU IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING HERE EVEN THO THEY SAY THE TEMPS ARE NOT NORMAL....THE TEMPS RISE UP AT HIGHWAY DRIVING..UP HILLS MOSTLY...NORMAL SPEED...IT'S LIKE THERE IS NO COOLING...GO UP HILLS DURING REGULAR HIGHWAY DRIVING THE OIL TEMP JUST SHOOTS UP...WATER TEMP IS NORMAL

JUNE 2, 2018. PURCHASED A NEW 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK FROM MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND DROVE THE CAR HOME. THE NEXT DAY (JUNE 3, 2018), ON MY FIRST TRIP OUT TO RUN ERRANDS THE CAR STALLED AFTER GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AT SLOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT. THE NEXT DAY (JUNE 4, 2018), THE CAR STALLED AGAIN TWICE IN RAPID SUCCESSION UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS IN ANOTHER PARKING LOT. THE SAME DAY (JUNE 4, 2018), I DROVE THE CAR TO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. SUBARU ENGINEERS EVALUATED A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON OTHER CROSSTREKS AND DETERMINED THAT THE ISSUE WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. 21 DAYS LATER I AM STILL WAITING FOR A REMEDY.

VEHICLE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING TWO TIMES IN TRAFFIC CAUSING NEAR COLLISIONS. ITS BEEN AT DEALER FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. THE DEALER SAYS THEY COULDN'T REPAIR IT SO SUBARU SENT OUT ENGINEERS AND DETERMINED THEIR WAS A FAULT WITH NO REPAIR PROTOCOL AVAILABLE. THEY SAY THEY WILL HAVE TO KEEP MY CAR UNTIL THEY CAN REPAIR IT. THEY MENTIONED ANOTHER CAR IN THE PHOENIX AREA HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO DEVELOP NEW SOFTWARE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA CASE #[XXX] ON JUNE 18, 2018. I ASK THEM TO RETURN THE VEHICLE THAT I HAVE HAD FOR LESS THAN 2 MONTHS, BUT THERE IS NO RESOLUTION FROM THEM AT THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE HAS ALREADY HAD AIR CONDITIONER ISSUES THAT THE DEALER SERVICE TEAM SAY ARE RESOLVED, BUT AS YET WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE THE REPAIR, TO SEE IF THE AC IS ACTUALLY WORKING PROPERLY. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FOR ITS OUTSTANDING SAFETY RATING IN THE TRANSPORTATION OF OUR ELDERLY MOTHER TO AND FROM MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AND ANY COLLISION COULD BE A LIFE THREATENING EVENT FOR HER, IN HER CURRENT CONDITION. WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS AND VERY DISAPPOINTED IN SUBARU FOR CONTINUING TO SELL THIS VEHICLE TO THE PUBLIC WITH THE KNOWLEDGE IT HAS A DEFECT THAT CAN TURN IT OFF AT ANY TIME CAUSING A COLLISION. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR