2017 Subaru Impreza

I'VE HAD SUBARUS MY WHOLE LIFE AND AM A LOYAL CONSUMER. RECENTLY I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. MY CAR WAS HIT IN THE FRONT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I'M INCLUDING A PHOTO TO SHOW YOU THE DAMAGE TO MY 2017 IMPREZA. IT WAS TOTALED AND THANKFULLY, I WAS NOT HURT. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT INFORMATION THAT WAS RELEASED BY THE NHTSA CONCERNING AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING, I FEEL I NEED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. I WILL BE SENDING THE SAME INFORMATION TO THE NHTSA. I REALIZE IN CERTAIN INSTANCES AIRBAGS DO NOT DEPLOY AND PERHAPS THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES. HOWEVER I WOULD FEEL IRRESPONSIBLE IF I DID NOT BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. THE CLAIM WAS HANDLED AND THE VIN NUMBER IS . [XXX]. (THIS EMAIL WAS SENT TO SUBARU). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER. SPEED OF THE SUBARU WAS BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH AT TIME OF IMPACT WITH FULL ABS ACTUATION ON SNOW COVERED ROADS. THE FRONT OF THE SUBARU WAS PUSHED BACK FAR ENOUGH SO THAT THE RADIATOR IS NOW IN CONTACT WITH THE ENGINE. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT, BUT STILL MADE CONTACT WITH THE A-PILLAR WITH HIS HEAD, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT.

SUBARU IMPREZA 2017, 14.7K MILES: I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN JUN 2017. IN JAN 2018 AND AUG 2018, SEVEN AND SIXTEEN MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, RODENTS CHEWED THROUGH THE SOY-BASED ELECTRICAL WIRING AND WIRE HARNESS, RESPECTIVELY. MY SUBARU SERVICE DEPT. ADVISED ME THE IMPREZA WILL ALWAYS BE PREDISPOSED TO WIRE DAMAGE FROM RODENTS BECAUSE THEY CAN GAIN ACCESS TO GARAGES AND OTHER TYPES OF CAR STORAGE FACILITIES, AND, THEY LOVE THE TASTE OF THE SOY WANTING MORE AFTER THEY EXPERIENCE THE TASTE. SUBARU WAS WELL AWARE OF THE SOY WIRING PROBLEM AS EARLY AS 2015 AND WAS SUED BECAUSE OF IT IN 2017. EVEN SO, SUBARU DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM, AND IN FACT, OBVIOUSLY CONTINUES TO MANUFACTURE VEHICLES CONTAINING SOY-BASED PRODUCTS THAT ARE A PROVEN ATTRACTANT TO RODENTS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO COMPLETELY PREVENT RODENTS FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS MY CAR, AND AFTER MANY, MANY RODENT ABATEMENT ATTEMPTS, I WAS FORCED TO BUY A CAR BUBBLE WHERE I COULD LITERALLY SEAL THE CAR INSIDE AND PROTECT IT. SUBARU'S NEGLIGENCE CAUSES A BUILT-IN FINANCIAL LIABILITY FOR MANY IMPREZA OWNERS. AS OF OCT 2018, THE REPAIRS, RODENT ABATEMENT AND CAR BUBBLE HAS COST $2,000+ DOLLARS. SUBARU USED PROVEN RODENT ATTRACTANTS IN IMPREZA VEHICLE PRODUCTION CAUSING 1) UNNECESSARY REPAIRS EVEN FOR NEW CAR OWNERS WHO RIGHTFULLY DO NOT HAVE ANY EXPECTATION THAT THE VEHICLE WILL REQUIRE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF SOY INDUCED RODENTS, 2) FINANCIAL HARDSHIP FROM REPAIRS THAT CAN BE EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE, AS WELL AS THE COST OF PRIMARY AND SUPPLEMENTAL RODENT ABATEMENT PROGRAMS, 3) INCONVENIENCE HAVING TO DEAL WITH ONGOING, SIMILAR TYPES OF REPAIRS AND RELATED INSURANCE CLAIMS, AND, 4) THE ROUTINE OF THE TIME AND EFFORT REQUIRED TO REMOVE AND REPLACE A VEHICLE THAT HAS TO BE HOUSED IN A CAR BUBBLE. DESPITE MY REQUESTS, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO MAKE ANY AND ALL REPAIRS UNDER THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY.

THE RPM IS DROPPING TO 6,000 TO 5,800. EVERY TIME I APPLY THE BREAK ALL THE WAY. FELT THE VIBRATION OF THE CAR EVERY TIME THE CAR IS STOP. TOOK IT TO THE 2 DIFFERENT DEALER STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I ALSO CALL THE SUBARU MAIN OFFICE THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY EVEN SEND ME A GIFT FOR NO REASON AFTER I YELL AT THEM OVER THE PHONES.

THE LOW-OIL LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED TWICE WITHIN THE FIRST 11,400 MILES. SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS TOLD THAT THIS OIL CONSUMPTION IS NORMAL. HOWEVER, WE FIND IT EXCESSIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. WE NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE CAR IF WE HAD KNOWN ABOUT ITS OIL CONSUMPTION. SUBARU SHOULD PLACE A WINDOW STICKER WARNING DRIVERS TO CARRY EXTRA OIL TO PREVENT GETTING STRANDED WITH A BLOWN ENGINE.

DRIVING ON A FOUR-LANE FREEWAY WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME, THE PASSENGER'S DOOR SIDE MIRROR "EXPLODED". THERE WAS A LARGE BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE A BLOWN TIRE, WHICH IS WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS AT FIRST. THEN I LOOKED TO MY RIGHT AND SAW MY PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR MIRROR HANGING IN PIECES BY ITS ELECTRICAL WIRING, AND THE PLASTIC, OUTSIDE MIRROR CASING COMPLETELY DESTROYED. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO GET A BETTER LOOK, AND THE DEBRIS SCRAPPED-UP MY PASSENGER WINDOW PRETTY BADLY, TOO. LOTS OF "ETCHING" IN THE PASSENGER WINDOW. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THROUGH A CURVE ON A FOUR-LANE ROAD. THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME OR BEHIND ME, AND NOTHING FOR ME TO HIT OR SIDESWIPE. THE SIDE DOOR MIRROR SIMPLY "EXPLODED". HAD THERE BEEN A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT WITH THE WINDOW ROLLED-DOWN, I AM CERTAIN THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, OR SERIOUSLY INJURED, FROM THE FLYING GLASS AND PLASTIC CASING FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR MIRROR AND ITS CASING. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET TODAY SHOWED ME THAT THIS IS MORE OF A REOCCURRING PROBLEM THAN PERHAPS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. VERY DANGEROUS, AND SCARY. I'M TAKING THE 2017 SUBARU IMPREZA 5 DOOR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS AFTERNOON, HOPING THEY WILL REPAIR/REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY AS I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 12,000 MILES ON IT. (CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN OCTOBER 2017)

UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND PREPARING TO START I PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT PROCEEDED TO TRAVEL TO THE FIREWALL WITH NO RESISTANCE. I THEN PUSHED THE START BUTTON AND THE INSTRUMENTATION LIT UP. I COULD NOT PROCEED ANY FURTHER. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR SHUT THE DOOR. I PONDERED WHAT TO DO NEXT IE, CALL A TOW TRUCK, DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND DECIDED TO RE-ENTER THE VEHICLE. UPON ENTERING EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL. AFTER THIS OCCURRED I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IN THE PAST I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DISPLAY NOT FUNCTIONING, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMING ON. THESE PROBLEMS DISAPPEARED AFTER THE THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. THESE PROBLEMS APPEAR NOT TO REGISTER IN THE SYSTEM COMPUTER. I HAVE NOTIFIED SUBARU OF AMERICA OF THESE PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY THE BRAKE INCIDENT, WHICH I CONSIDER A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BUT THEY SHOW VERY LITTLE CONCERN.