2014 Subaru Forester

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE DISCOVERED A PIECE OF METAL ON GARAGE FLOOR WHICH LOOKED LIKE A PIECE OF A COIL SPRING. LATER FOUND VEHICLE TO HANDLE POORLY. FELT UNSTABLE AND SLAMMED HARD OVER SMALL BUMPS. LATER FIGURED OUT WHAT HAPPENED - REAR PASSENGER SIDE SPRING FAILED. THAT CORNER NOW SITS 2+ INCHES LOWER THAN OPPOSITE SIDE. NOW SITTING ON STRUT BUMP STOPS WITH NO SUSPENSION. VEHICLE FEELS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND THEY OFFERED TO HELP WITH REPAIRS ON A "GOOD WILL" BASIS BUT REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AS A KNOWN ISSUE. FOUND INTERNET FORUM WITH DOZENS OF REPORTS FROM PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. SEE: HTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-T61866_DS789686

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE DETECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS LEANING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BRILLIANCE SUBARU (1500 N RANDALL RD, ELGIN, IL 60123, (224) 281-4300) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED AFTER THE PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING WAS REPAIRED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. *BF CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN FAILURE FIRST OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL AUTO SHOP. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE REAR COIL SPRINGS BE REPLACED. CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PASSENGER REAR COIL SPRING REPAIR, BUT NOT THE DRIVER SIDE. ON 9/15/2019 DRIVER SIDE REAR COIL SPRING FAILED WHILE CAR WAS PARKED. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT REFUSED TO ASSIST BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *DL

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. WHILE PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, THE LEFT REAR COIL SPRING BROKE LEAVING SEVERAL PIECES LYING UNDER THE CAR AND LEAVING THE LEFT REAR END SAGGING SO THAT THE WHEEL WELL BARELY CLEARS THE TIRE. THERE WAS SOME VERY MILD SURFACE RUST ONLY. APPEARS TO BE POOR QUALITY METAL THAT SIMPLY FATIGUED AND BROKE. VEHICLE HAS NEVER TOWED A TRAILER, CARRIED HEAVY LOADS, DRIVEN OVER ROUGH TERRAIN, ETC. HAS ONLY ABOUT 77K MILES ON IT. QUICK SEARCH ON GOOGLE SHOWS THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON FAILURE ON 2014 AND 2015 SUBARU FORESTERS. DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. IF HAD OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED COULD HAVE HAD DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES. I'VE INCLUDED A PICTURE OF THE PIECES OF THE SPRING THAT WERE LAYING IN MY DRIVEWAY UNDER THE PARKED CAR, AS WELL AS A HORIZONTAL PICK OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT WHEEL DEMONSTRATING THE DIFFERENCE IN CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TIRE AND WHEEL-WELL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 25-30 MPH AND MAKING TURNS, THE VEHICLE SWAYED AND WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP STRAIGHT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BUDD BAER SUBARU (71 MURTLAND AVE, WASHINGTON, PA 15301, (724) 914-6670) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

BACKING UP IN DRIVE WAY HEARD A CLUNCK NOISE SO BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID BOTH COIL SPRINGS ON MY CAR WERE BROKE THE BOTH BROKE IN ABOUT THE SAME SPOT ABOUT3/4 OF A COIL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE COIL THEY BOTH LOOK RUSTED WERE THEY WERE BROKE UNDER THE RUBBER SLEAVE AT THE BOTTOM AND GAVE ME THE 2 PRICES OF COIL SPRING

THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SPRING ON MY 2014 FORESTER WITH 39,500 MILES BROKE SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. WHEN THE CAR WAS PLACED ON A LIFT AND RAISED UP AT THE REPAIR SHOP THE SUSPENSION DROPPED DOWN AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SPRING BROKE AS WELL. I HAVE NEVER GONE OFF ROAD, TOWED, OR CARRIED HEAVY LOADS. LOOKING AROUND ONLINE, MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME THING OCCUR. THE REPLACEMENT SPRINGS WERE BACK-ORDERED FROM SUBARU FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, INDICATING THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND A NATIONWIDE RECALL SHOULD OCCUR. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN MY SPRING BROKE BUT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS.

VEHICLE WAS IN FOR FRONT AND REAR PADS AND ROTOR REPLACEMENT (AT 30K MILES!) MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT I HAD A BROKEN REAR COIL SPRING AND SENT ME A PICTURE OF THE BROKEN PIECE. IT WAS HALF OF A COIL THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND SNAPPED OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE SPRING. CAR NOW SITS UNEVENLY AND HAS COMPROMISED SUSPENSION AND POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES. FURTHER RESEARCH FINDS MANY COMPLAINS OF EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE WITH 2014-2015 FORESTERS. NO ONE MAKES REPLACEMENT SPRINGS AND SUBARU DEALERS ARE BACKORDERED WITH NATIONWIDE REPAIRS, LEAVING US NO RECOURSE