2000 Subaru Outback

UNKNOWN COMPONENT PART/SYSTEM. DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. CHECKED FUSE AND BULB WHICH WAS STILL GOOD; REPLACED BULB ANYWAY AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. NEXT DAY THE OTHER HEADLIGHT ALSO WENT OUT. CHECKED THE SAME THINGS. HIGH BEAMS, FOG AND PARKING LIGHTS STILL WORKED. MY SON JIGGLED THE BULB SOCKET AND WIRES AND THE LIGHTS CAME ON BUT NOW THE DRIVER HIGH BEAM WENT OUT. HIGH BEAM BULB AND FUSE WERE BOTH OKAY. THE LOW BEAMS ALSO NOW APPEARED TO BE YELLOW. HAD TO DRIVE AT NIGHT A FEW DAYS LATER (I ALWAYS DRIVE WITH MY FOG LIGHTS ON UNLESS THE HIGH BEAMS ARE USED) AND IT SEEMED LIKE I COULD NOT SEE VIRTUALLY ANYTHING AHEAD OF ME; THE LOW BEAMS WERE EXTREMELY DIM AND UNSAFE TO USE. WAS FORCED TO USE MY SINGLE WORKING HIGH BEAM. IN GOOGLING THE PROBLEMS ONLINE I CAME ACROSS SCORES OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SOME REPLACED THE DRL MODULE WITH NO CHANGE IN RESULT. IT HAS TO BE A SOCKET PROBLEM OR GROUNDING PROBLEM OF SOME SORT, OR PERHAPS A WIRING PROBLEM, THOUGH SOME PEOPLE REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS TO NO AVAIL, AND REPLACED PINS, CLIPS IN THE BULB SOCKET ASSEMBLY. THIS IS DANGEROUS.

THE BRAKE LIGHT/TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY ON OUR SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON FILLS WITH WATER EVERY TIME IT RAINS. IT IS A CLAMSHELL DESIGN SPANNING THE ENTIRE REAR HATCH OF THE VEHICLE AND INCLUDES THE BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS AND REVERSE (BACKUP) LIGHTS. IT APPEARS THAT THE HEAT IN FLORIDA HAS AFFECTED THE SEAM OF THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY, CAUSING IT TO FAIL PREMATURELY, SO THAT RAIN WATER FILLS UP IN THE TAILIGHT ASSEMBLY EVERY TIME IT RAINS, WHERE A SHORT CIRCUIT IS INEVITABLE. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WATER INSIDE THE REVERSE LIGHTS PORTION OF THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY, AS THE LENS IS CLEAR. THIS IS A BIG LIFE SAFETY HAZARD. I CONTACTED SUBARU MOTORS OF AMERICA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND 1) THEY DENY THAT THEY HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM HAVING EVER HAPPENED TO ANY SUBARU OWNER, AND 2) THEY ARE DENYING MY REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR (VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY). HOWEVER, THE DEALER'S REPAIR TECHNICIAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON IN FLORIDA - HE HAS REPAIRED THE SAME PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. I EXPRESSED CONCERN TO SUBARU AMERICA ABOUT LIABILITY FROM THIS SAFETY HAZARD, BUT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT DID NOT EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS WHICH COULD RESULT IN FATALITIES. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT A MANDATORY RECALL BE PERSUED SINCE SUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS DESIGN. I CLEARLY SEE THIS AS BOTH A DESIGN FLAW AND A SAFETY HAZARD.*AK