1997 Subaru Outback

OUR 1997 SUBARU SHARES THE COMMON PROBLEM DOCUMENTED AT HTTP://FORUMS.VMAG.COM/SUVSUBARU0200/MESSAGES/5096.HTML : NAMELY, AS WITH OTHER SUBARU OUTBACKS AND FORESTERS, IT WILL SPONTANEOUSLY SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR INTO NEUTRAL -- COMPLETELY BY ITSELF. IT HAS BEEN TO THE SOUTHERN OREGON SUBARU DEALER IN MEDFORD, OREGON TWICE AND THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BOTH TIMES (EVEN THOUGH IT IS BOTH A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS AN IN-WARRANTY COVERED DEFECT). IT WAS REPORTED TO THE SOUTHERN OREGON SUBARU DEALER WITHIN APPROXIMATELY THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP WHEN WE HAD POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THAT IT WAS NOT MERELY A PROBLEM WITH INCORRECT PLACEMENT OF THE SHIFT LEVER DURING SHIFTING. FOLLOWING THE DEALER'S INITIAL REFUSAL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, SUBSEQUENT CONTACT WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA RESULTED IN THE ASSIGNMENT OF CASE NUMBER 201743. ACCORDING TO SOA, THE DEALER ALLEGEDLY WAS CONTACTED. NEVERTHELESS, ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED, THE DEALER AGAIN REFUSED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM CHARACTERISTIC OF SUBARU OUTBACK AND FORESTER VEHICLES (SEE THE WEB SITE CITED AND RELATED COMMENTS.) IT APPEARS THAT SUBARU IS UNWILLING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM UNLESS REQUIRED TO BY NHSTA. PLEASE PROTECT MYSELF AND OTHER SUBARU OWNERS BY MAKING THIS A MANDATORY SAFETY RECALL. THANK YOU. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

BACKGROUND: MY 1997 SUBARU OUTBACK DEVELOPED A PROBLEM THAT INVOLVED A FAILED PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND COLLATERAL DAMAGE FROM THIS FAILURE. I TOOK MY SUBARU OUTBACK TO JIM NORTON SUBARU OF TULSA, OK, FOR REPAIR. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER DARRIN JOHNSON AND THE MECHANIC, LORIN, THE PROBLEM RESULTED WHEN THE BOLT THAT SERVES AS A SPINDLE TO THE TENSIONER PLATE SHEARED OFF THUS CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO PLASTIC COWLING, BELTS, AND THE FACING PLATE THAT ANCHORED THE BOLT. ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR WAS QUOTED AS $512.61 WITH A REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING BELT IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER BELTS. I TOLD MR. JOHNSON THAT I WAS ALARMED THAT THIS BOLT SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND WONDERED WHAT IT MEAN TO SAFETY OF DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS OF 70+ MILES PER HOUR. I TOLD MR. JOHNSON THAT SUBARU AMERICA SHOULD BE CALLED TO ALERT THEM OF THIS FAILURE.*AK

LOCAL SUBARU DEALER HAS SOLD THESE PARTS SEVERAL TIMES RECENTLY. IT APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM. WHEN THIS FAILS THE PULLY SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE FALLS APART, LITERALLY, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER, POWER STEERING, BRAKE WARNING... THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS HAD WE NOT BEEN ON A BACK ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC. *AK