2014 Subaru Forester

MY 2014 SUBARU FORRESTER WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN A VERY LOUD SOUND OCCURRED. THE REAR, DRIVER COIL SPRING BROKE AND THREE PIECES OF METAL WERE ON THE FLOOR. THE CAR BODY DROPPED AND THE TIRE WAS ALMOST HITTING THE WHEEL WELL. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT ON A RELATIVELY NEW CAR THE COIL SPRING BROKE. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT ABOUT THE 2014 FORRESTER COIL SPRINGS. THEY WERE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE BUT SUBARU WAS NOT HELPFUL IN COVERING ANY OF THE REPLACEMENT COSTS ESPECIALLY BECAUSE BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED.

THE RIGHT REAR SUSPENSION ON THE CAR COLLAPSED SOMETIME BETWEEN 6/29/19 AND 7/4/19. WE DID NOT PUT WEIGHT ON THE CAR. THE COIL SPRING JUST SHEARED SOMEHOW. THE CAR HAS 76K MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN IN MI FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW THIS HAPPENED, AND WE ARE FRANKLY PUZZLED TOO. WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. HTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-T61866_DS789686

REAR PASSENGER SIDE SPRING COIL WAS BROKEN I DON'T KNOW WHEN. MY MECHANIC SAW IT WHEN SHE WAS REPLACING MY BREAKS. EVERY PERSON I SPOKE TO ABOUT THIS SAID IT HAD NEVER HAPPENED TO THEM, EVEN WITH CARS THEY BASICALLY RAN INTO THE GROUND, LET ALONE A 5 YEAR OLD CAR. MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT 2014 FORESTERS ON NHTSA SEEMED TO BE ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, SINCE MOST GARAGES DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS NEEDED, AND I WAS HOPING THAT SUBARU WOULD PAY SINCE THEY SEEMED TO USE SHODDY STEAL ON THE SPRINGS THAT RUSTED PREMATURELY. SUBARU OF WAKEFIELD IN MA GAVE ME THE BEST DEAL OF ANY IN MA THAT I TALKED TO, I PAY FOR ONE SIDE ($750 FOR WHEEL BEARINGS, STRUT AND COIL) AND SUBARU PAID FOR THE OTHER. MAKE SURE TO MENTION ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON NHSTA THAT SEEMED TO HELP ME GET THIS DEAL.

REAR DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. IT BROKE IN THE SAME SPOT AS SO MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED RECENTLY, HAVING COMPLETELY RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT IN A SMALL SPOT ON THE BOTTOM. UNACCEPTABLE TO HAPPEN WITH A 5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE AND VERY, VERY DANGEROUS AS THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE AND/OR A TIRE BLOWOUT FROM THE SPRING BREAKING. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART ON THE 2014 SUBARU FORESTER AND REALLY SHOULD BE AN OFFICIAL RECALL ASAP BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT.

PASSENGER SIDE REAR COIL SPRING BROKE. THIS DIDN'T SEEM TO HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AT LEAST NOT IN A WHAT THAT WAS NOTICEABLE. I WALKED OUT OF WORK AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR WAS SITTING A COUPLE INCHES LOWER THAN IT SHOULD. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY FOUND THAT ONE OF THE COILS OF THE SPRING HAD SNAPPED, CAUSING THE SAGGING.

WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT FLAT ROAD, THE TWO REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE. THE BROKEN SPRINGS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO RAPIDLY LOSE RIDE HEIGHT AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. SEARCHING ONLINE FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS SHOWED THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER SUBARU FORESTER OWNERS MODEL YEARS 2014-2016 HAVE HAD SIMILAR REAR COIL SPRING FAILURES. THE SERVICE WRITER AT THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY HAD SEEN ENOUGH SIMILAR FAILURES THAT HE EXPECTED A RECALL.

BOTH REAR SUSPENSION COIL SPRINGS BROKE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AND SO DO THE STRUTS. BOTH BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON A WELL PAVED RODE GOING 35 MPH. I DID NOT HIT OR RUN OVER ANYTHING. THEY COMPLETELY SNAPPED APART. THIS IS CLEARLY DUE TO DEFECTIVE PART AS THERE ARE 100'S OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS HAPPENING TO 2014-2015 MODEL FORESTERS AND COMING FROM A FAMILY OF MECHANICS, THIS DOES NOT JUST HAPPEN. THE CAR HAS 50K MILES AND IS ONLY DRIVEN ON WELL PAVED ROADS. SPRINGS BROKE WHILE DRIVING KIDS IN BACK. CAR VERY UNSTABLE AND CANNOT STOP AS QUICKLY. REALLY UNSAFE. THESE NEED TO BE RECALLED.

I HAVE KEPT UP WITH MY CAR AND SERVICED IT WHEN SUGGESTED. I TOOK MY 2014 FORRESTER IN FOR A 67.5K MILE CHECK AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH REAR SPRING COILS BROKE OFF WHILE ON THE LIFT. WHEN SHOWN THE BROKEN COIL, THE PLASTIC WAS DETERIORATED AND THE COIL RUSTED THROUGH. THIS IS MY 5TH SUBARU, THE 4 OLDER MODELS HAVE HAD WELL OVER 150K MILES - TWO ARE STILL ON THE ROAD, AND NONE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. I ALSO FIND IT STRANGE THAT THE DEALERSHIP QUICKLY OFFERED TO REPLACE THEM "UNDER WARRANTY" WHEN MY CAR IS ALREADY OUT OF WARRANTY. ALMOST LIKE THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER UP SOMETHING. I HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THIS LISTED AND WANTED TO FURTHER VERIFY THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU.

DRIVERS SIDE REAR DAMPER SPRING BROKEN APPROXIMATELY 1/2 COIL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DAMPER. THIS APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 INCH PIECE OF SPRING WAS RUSTED IN THE AREA OF THE BREAK, RESTING ON THE LOWER DAMPER "HAT". THE BREAK WAS COMPLETE. THIS SHARP PIECE WAS EASILY LIFTED OFF THE DAMPER. THE SPRING DISPLAYED PEELED PAINT AN RUST ON SEVERAL LOCATIONS. FOUND AT AROUND 46,000 MILES ONLY UPON INSPECTION WHILE REPLACING BRAKES. UNSURE OF ANY SPECIFIC TIME OF BREAKAGE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT 30,000 MILES. NO REMARKS ABOUT THE DAMPER SPRING. DEALER AND SUBARU CORPORATE REPLACED THE SPRING.