2017 Subaru Impreza

ON MARCH 22, 2018, MY 2017 SUBARU IMPREZA SPORT WAGON, WITH APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE REAR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS TRAVELING AT 8 MILES PER HOUR. I WAS PROCEEDING THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT ' MAKING A RIGHT. 3/4 OF THE WAY THRU THE TURN I FELT A VIOLENT JARRING OF MY CAR ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG SLAMMED THE LEFT SIDE OF MY UPPER BODY NECK AND HEAD. I SAW THAT MY DIRECTION OF TRAVEL DID NOT CHANGE I STARTED TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND APPLY THE BRAKES. HAD NO BRAKES. A WOMAN PULLED OVER AND SHE SAID " NO ONE HIT YOU, YOUR WHEEL JUST FELL OFF." POLICE CAME AND HELPED ME OUT OF MY CAR AND COMPLETED AN ACCIDENT REPORT. WE NOTICED 1/2 OF MY WHEEL WAS IN THE INTERSECTION AND A POLICE OFFICER RECOVERED IT FOR ME. MITCHELL SUBARU INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SUBMITTED A CLAIM WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA (SOA) STATING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE REAR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. SOA THEN CONDUCTED THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT. THE SOA REPRESENTATIVES WRONGLY CONCLUDED THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN A 'HIGH SPEED, REAR COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE'. THEY DID NOT EXAMINE OR REMOVE ANY SUSPENSION COMPONENTS FOR FURTHER TESTING. SOA CONCLUSIONS ARE COMPLETELY INACCURATE. THE POLICE OFFICER IS ADAMANT THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED. EYEWITNESS ON THE SCENE STATED THAT SHE WATCHED THE EVENT UNFOLD AND THAT MY WHEEL 'FELL OFF'. THE ADJUSTER FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY CONCLUDED THAT A 'MASSIVE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL / SUSPENSION CAUSED THE ACCIDENT', 'NO OTHER VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED'. A FACTORY TRAINED SUBARU TECHNICIAN WITH 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE THAT POINTED TO A COLLISION AND THAT THE SCUFF MARKS NOTED BY SOA WHERE CAUSED BY THE REAR TIRE SLAMMING INTO THE PANEL. SOA DENIES ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEVASTATING FAILURE OF THEIR PRODUCT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT IDLED STRANGELY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (OCEAN SUBARU OF FULLERTON, 1100 EUCLID ST, FULLERTON, CA 92832), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V216000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND THE FAILURE STARTED AFTER THE RECALL WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000. *TT

I BELIEVE MY CAR EXPERIENCED A SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION OF THE SUN ROOF GLASS: WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF HIGHWAY I HEARD AND FELT A SUDDEN, LOUD, EXPLOSIVE SOUND THAT I THOUGHT WAS FROM SOMETHING HITTING THE ROOF OF MY CAR. AT THE TIME I WAS DRIVING IT CLOUDY BUT NO PRECIPITATION, APPROX. 36 DEGREES, DRY ROAD CONDITIONS WITH MINIMAL TRAFFIC, APPROX. 3:30PM. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE, NO CONSTRUCTION OR OBJECTS NOTED IN THE ROAD IN THE AREA AND NOT NEAR AN OVERHEAD ROADWAY OR ELEVATED SIDE OF ROAD. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AT THE NEAREST EXIT AND PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO INSPECT MY CAR, AT WHICH TIME I FOUND A LARGE SECTION (APPROX. 10" X 4-5") OF SUN ROOF GLASS WAS MISSING AND THE SURROUNDING GLASS WAS BROKEN AND PROTRUDING OUTWARD (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO). THIS WAS MYSTERIOUS AS I HAD ASSUMED THAT SOMETHING HAD STRUCK THE TOP OF MY CAR AND, THUS, EXPECTED TO SEE THE GLASS PUSHED DOWNWARD FROM THE IMPACT. NO OBJECT (ROCK OR OTHER PROJECTILE) WAS FOUND RESTING ON THE SUN SHADE, WHICH FORTUNATELY WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I CALLED MY SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR IN JUNE 2017 NEW (ALL EQUIPMENT ORIGINAL) AND DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE IMMEDIATELY OFFERED, "AT NO COST" TO ME, A LOANER CAR AND ASKED ME TO BRING IN MY CAR, WHICH I DID THE NEXT MORNING. THE MANAGER AND A TECH STAFF PERSON LOOKED OVER MY CAR AND ASSESSED THAT I WOULD NEED ONLY TO REPLACE THE GLASS AS THE FRAME WAS INTACT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT SUBARU WOULD COVER THE COST OF THIS REPLACEMENT, WHICH THEY DID. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION BASED ON THE RESEARCH I FOUND ON THE INTERNET PARTICULARLY A CONSUMER REPORT ARTICLE.

I WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT THE LIGHT WHEN CAR SUDDENLY STALLED. BROUGHT IT TO LIBERTY SUBARU DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND TECH RELEASE IT AS SAFE TO DRIVE AFTER THEY CLAIMED TO FIX THE MAIN RELAY. A MINUTE AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP CAR STALLED AGAIN NEAR THE TRAIN TRACKS. THE 2017 SUBARU IMPREZA IS HAZARDOUS, UNSAFE, AND LIFE THREATENING. THIS TIME LIBERTY SUBARU SAID THEY HAVE TO REWIRE THE ENGINE. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING THIS CAR WITH MY CHILDREN. IT IS NOT SAFE FOR ME, MY FAMILY, AND OTHER DRIVERS.

I WAS PARKING MY CAR AT APARTMENT'S PARKING LOT BY RIGHT TURNING. I WAS DRIVING REALLY SLOW ABOUT 5MILES/HR.MY FOOT WAS ON THE BREAK PEDAL AND AS I PRESS THE BREAK TO SLOW MY CAR FURTHER IT GOT ACCELERATED (WITH RAVING ENGINE NOISE) AND HIT FRONT PARKING FENCE AS WELL AS PARKED CAR RIGHT TO ME. I MOVED THE AUTOMATIC GEAR STICK TO PARKING POSITION AND ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. I TALKED WITH MY CAR MAKER AND THEY LOOKED AT IT AND PREPARED A REPORT IN 10 WEEKS. ACCORDING TO THEM WEATHER MAT MIGHT BE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.BUT I DO NOT THINK WEATHER MAT MOVED FROM ITS PLACE DURING INCIDENT. I AM REALLY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN SPECIALLY MY CAR MANUFACTURER DOESN'T SEEMS TO FIND THE REAL CAUSE OF PROBLEM. I THINK MY VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE ACCELERATING EVEN MY FOOT WAS ON BREAK.

RADIO SOUND AT HIGH VOLUME ON START-UP WITH CONTROL KNOB USELESS TO TURN DOWN OR TURN OFF THE SOUND. THE HEAD UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED. PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL. TURNING SOUND OFF AT SHUTDOWN THE DAY BEFORE MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. REVERSING IN PARKING LOTS IS PERILOUS. THERE CAN BE A FEW SECONDS OF DELAY BEFORE THE LOUD SOUND BEGINS, WHILE THE CAR IS ROLLING. STABBING THE OFF BUTTON IS USELESS. VOLUME KNOB SPINS USELESSLY FOR ABOUT TEN SECONDS BEFORE MUTING THE SOUND. IT HAPPENS PRETTY MUCH EVERY TIME I START THE CAR.