2012 Subaru Impreza

SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. (SUBARU) IS RECALLING CERTAIN 2012-2014 SUBARU IMPREZA, 2012-2013 IMPREZA STATIONWAGON, 2013 SUBARU BRZ, XV CROSSTREK AND TOYOTA SCION FR-S VEHICLES. THE ENGINE VALVE SPRINGS IN THESE VEHICLES MAY FRACTURE CAUSING AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION OR A POSSIBLE ENGINE STALL. CONSEQUENCE AN ENGINE STALL CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. REMEDY SUBARU WILL NOTIFY THEIR OWNERS. TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY THE FR-S OWNERS. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VALVE SPRINGS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DECEMBER 26, 2018. SUBARU OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-844-373-6614, TOYOTA OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AT 1-888-270-9371. SUBARU'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS WTY-84. DETAILS ISSUED 12/26/2018 RECALL ID 289102 NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 18V772000 VEHICLES AFFECTED 165,534 COMPONENT AFFECTED ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR (ODS) CANNOT DETECT A PERSON WHEN SEATED IN THE PASSENGER. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WITH THE ENGINE ON AND OFF; WHILE IN MOTION AND ALSO WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE CENTER DASH REMAINS ILLUMINATED "OFF" ALSO, THE AIRBAG SYMBOL TURNS ON AT ALMOST RANDOM TIMES, INDICATING THAT THERE IS AN ERROR WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME I DRIVE, THE AIRBAG SYSTEM LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON DURING MY DRIVE, WHETHER I AM DRIVING ALONE OR WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. SOMETIMES IF I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURN IT BACK ON, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL TURN OFF - BUT THERE IS NO CONSISTENT PATTERN.

I WAS AT A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION ABOUT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY REAR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED AND BROKE. I LOOKED TO SEE IF A CAR HAD HIT ME AND THEIR WAS NO CAR THERE. I PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE AND LOOKED FOR A ROCK OR STONE. NOTHING WAS THERE, THE REAR WINDOW JUST BROKE ON IT'S OWN. I WAS USING MY REAR DEFROSTER AT THE TIME. IT WAS STRANGE AND I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A FAULT FROM THE FACTORY. I HAVE READ THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE IN THE PAST WITH SUBARU. THE REAR GLASS HAD NO CHIPS OR CRACKS PRIOR TO THIS SPONTANEOUS DAMAGE.

SUBARU HAS SENT A RECALL FOR THE ABOVE VEHICLE. THE RECALL NUMBER IS WTY-84 / NHTSA ID 18V-772 (DECEMBER 2018). I WAS TOLD BY MY LOCAL DEALER THAT THE NEXT AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT IS IN SEPTEMBER, 2020. I THEN CALLED THEIR RECALL HOTLINE AND WAS TOLD THAT PARTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN SENT TO DEALERS, THAT A SECOND LETTER WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS AFTER DEALERS HAVE RECEIVED THEM, AND THAT I COULD THEN GET IN IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER, THEY CANNOT SAY WHEN THAT WILL BE. THIS IS AN ENGINE PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE A STALL WHILE DRIVING. THE LETTER SENT BY SUBARU IS CLEAR ABOUT THIS BEING A POTENTIAL DANGER. THE DEALER ONLY TOLD ME THAT, IF THE ENGINE STALLED, THEY WOULD PICK ME UP AND GIVE ME A LOANER VEHICLE. THEY ADDED THAT THAT ANY STALL WOULD HAPPEN GRADUALLY AND I WOULD NOT BE INJURED. NEEDLESS TO SAY (PERHAPS), MY CONCERNS ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ARE NOT ASSUAGED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MANY DIFFERENT THINGS BY SUBARU, AND THEY DON'T FIT TOGETHER. EITHER SUBARU DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IT'S DOING, OR IT IS TELLING ITS EMPLOYEES TO DELIBERATELY LIE. SUBARU IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS THE FAULT OF THE COMPANY. I WANT TO GET MY VEHICLE REPAIRED. I WANT TO KNOW THAT I AM DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRUST SUBARU. NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE TRUE AT THIS TIME. SINCE SUBARU IS NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR ITS CUSTOMERS, AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION MUST FORCE SUBARU TO DO SO. I HOPE THAT THE NHTSA WILL DO JUST THIS AND FORCE THE COMPANY TO TREAT THIS ISSUE WITH THE RESPECT AND CONCERN IT DESERVES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V772000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. KOEPPEL SUBARU (42-01 NORTHERN BLVD, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101, (718) 786-1660) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V419000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF CORVALLIS (LOCATED AT 800 NW 5TH ST, CORVALLIS, OR 97330, (541) 754-1515) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.