2014 Subaru Forester

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.

REPEATED ISSUE WITH HEADLIGHTS FAILING AFTER VERY SHORTY PERIOD OF TIME FROM INSTALLATION. REPLACED HEADLIGHTS 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 11 MONTHS (HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 1 ADDITIONAL TIME SINCE MAY 2017). BULBS INSTALLED CORRECTLY WITHOUT MAKING CONTACT WITH ANY PART OF BULB EXCEPT PLASTIC END WITH BULB GREASE APPLIED TO REAR CONNECTOR.

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.