2014 Subaru Forester

BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 6" ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE COIL. BOTH FAILED AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS UP ON JACKS AND AS I WAS REMOVING THE BRAKE ROTORS TO REPLACE THE ROTORS AND PADS I HEARD A LOUD CRACK FOLLOWED BY THE METAL PARTS LANDING ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF CORROSION AT THE BREAK POINTS (SEE PHOTOS). THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES ON THE CAR.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY LAST NIGHT, I HEARD A LOUD METALLIC BANG BUT COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING OUTSIDE. THIS MORNING I FOUND THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE SAGGING AND A PILE OF PIECES OF MY REAR DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL ON THE GROUND UNDER MY CAR. VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN TWO DAYS BEFORE BREAKAGE. THE CRACKED EDGES WHERE THE COIL BROKE ARE QUITE RUSTED, SO THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN DEVELOPING FOR SOME TIME.

MY CAR HAS 43K MILES ON IT AND DURING A BRAKES SERVICE AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THEY FOUND THE LEFT REAR COIL SPRING SEVERELY CRACKED AND ABOUT TO BREAK. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE BOTH COIL SPRINGS REPLACED IMMEDIATELY, THAT THE CRACKED ONE COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME CAUSING THE CAR TO SINK AND POTENTIALLY PUNCTURE THE TIRE. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I NOT DRIVE THE CAR HOME WHILE AWAITING THIS PART TO COME IN - IT WAS THAT SERIOUS A RISK. THEY QUOTED ALMOST $900 TO REPLACE BOTH COIL SPRINGS PLUS THE COST OF AN ALIGNMENT. WHEN I LOOKED UP MORE ABOUT THIS, I FOUND DISCUSSION BOARDS WHERE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS AND SAID IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH SO FEW MILES ON THE CAR, AND THAT PEOPLE HAD FOUND THESE SPRINGS TO BE RUSTED AND FAULTY, CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. SOME DEALERSHIPS WERE COVERING THIS REPAIR AS "GOODWILL." I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP BACK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT AS GOODWILL, BUT I COULD ASK SUBARU HEAD OFFICE IF THEY WOULD. I CALLED 1-800-SUBARU-3 AND STARTED A CLAIM. THEY CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AND THEN CALLED ME BACK WITHIN 20 MINUTES AND SAID THEY WOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR IN FULL, AND GIVE ME A LOANER CAR WHILE AWAITING THE PART. I WONDER IF THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I ALSO WONDER WHY SUBARU IS NOT BEING UP FRONT ABOUT COVERING THIS REPAIR IF IT IS INDEED A FAULTY PART ON THEIR PART. I WAS QUOTED $900+ FOR THE REPAIR, AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF LOOKING UP THE HISTORY OF OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND ESCALATING THE ISSUE TO THE HEAD OFFICE WAS THIS REPAIR COVERED. MY DEALERSHIP WAS NOT FORTHCOMING THAT THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT 43K MILES AND SEEMED UNUSUAL.

IN LATE MAY 2019, I WENT OUTSIDE TO DRIVE MY FORESTER TO THE STORE. UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE REAR BUMPER, I FOUND PART OF A COIL SPRING, ROUGHLY A 1/2 TURN. I LOOKED AROUND A BIT, AND FOUND THAT IT HAD COME FROM THE DRIVER SIDE, REAR COIL SPRING, BOTTOM. THE SPRING AT THE BREAK WAS VERY RUSTY - BOTH THE FRAGMENT AND FROM THE BROKEN SPRING STILL IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 14 HOURS BEFORE I NOTICED THE SPRING FRAGMENT ON THE GROUND. THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ADULT DRIVEN AND NEVER ABUSED.

R REAR COIL SPRING BROKE WHILE TURNING ON A SMOOTH ROAD AT LOW SPEED. SUBARU DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THAT SEVERAL OTHER FORESTERS WERE AWAITING REPAIR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF THAT PART AND I ENDED UP WAITING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE IT COULD BE FIXED. SUBARU DID END UP PAYING FOR HALF THE COST UPON REQUEST.

2014 SUBARU FORESTER WAS PARKED WHEN THE LEFT REAR COIL SPRING SHATTERED. MADE A LARGE NOISE AND UPON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED CAR AT AN ANGLE IN WHEEL BED. CAR UNDRIVEABLE. ON VACATION AT THE TIME AND HAD TO DRIVE 5 HOURS (ROUNDTRIP) TO BUY TWO NEW REAR COIL SPRINGS ON ADVISE OF MECHANIC WHO TOWED CAR TO HIS GARAGE. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT COIL SPRING WAS VERY RUSTED AND SHOWING SIGNS OF DISINTEGRATION AS WELL. WAS ADVISED THAT THIS PART IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN AS THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT. OUR CAR HAD JUST OVER 41,000 MILES ON IT. DRIVEN PRIMARILY IN THE DC METRO AREA. SINGLE OWNER OF THE CAR. GIVEN THE AMAZED REACTION OF MANY, WE ARE SURPRISED THAT THIS PART HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. I DO NOT HAUL HEAVY LOADS, NOR DO I USE THE CAR TO TOW ANYTHING. THIS IS MY "GRANDMA" MOBILE, CHOSEN BECAUSE OF SUBARU'S SUPPOSED SAFETY AND RELIABILITY RECORD.

DURING A BRAKE CHECK, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE RIGHT PASS SPRING WAS BROKEN ON MY 48K MILE FORESTER. HE FELT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE PART COULD HAVE BROKEN OFF COMPLETELY AND POSSIBLE INJURED SOMEONE ELSE OR CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE PARTS ON OTHERS CARS OF THE SAME MODEL ALL BREAK AT THE SAME POINT, IT SEEMS, AND THE OPINION IS THAT THE SPRINGS ARE RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT (SEE ATTACHED IMAGE OF BROKEN SPRING.) ON ONLINE FORUMS, I SEE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND MY MECHANIC HAS SEEN MANY OTHERS WITH THE BROKEN SPRINGS IN FORESTERS OF THE SAME YEAR. I CALLED SUBARU AMERICA, MENTIONED THAT I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN SUCH A NEWISH CAR, AND MORE CONCERNING IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PART ONLY, NOT THE LABOR SINCE IT WAS NOT DONE AT A DEALER. BECAUSE THEY ARE REIMBURSING OWNERS, THEY SEEM TO REALIZE THIS IS AN ISSUE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE, AND DESERVES A LOOK BY THE NHTSA. THANKS FOR YOU CONSIDERATION.