2008 Subaru Outback

When I braked downhill the main brake line, from front to rear, ruptured underneath in the middle of the Subaru. This car came from Wisconsin and apparently had a lot of rust, caused by salt, affecting the steel brake lines. Subaru calls Wisconsin the Salt Belt. I could avoid an accident, using the parking brake. I looked up recalls recently and learned that 2 recalls have been offered by Subaru. Only the first one was carried out: In 2014, after "6 years of rusting", they applied wax on the already rusted brake lines, to no avail. The second recall (there is a 40 pages document issued by Subaru) would require replacement of all 4 main brake lines, "in any cases of rupture". I contacted Subaru of Gwinnett (Georgia) and then SOA Subaru of America, case number 2210041700431 in order to get the second recall carried out, which was denied. I was told "Subaru has no further obligation, because the first recall was successfully (!) done" - in spite of the rupture! Now the vehicle, which has gotten a makeshift repair in the meantime, must be considered unsafe and a danger in public traffic. There is a reason why Subaru requires replacement of all 4 main brake lines in case of rupture: It can happen again; all 4 are equally affected by rust. I want to keep this car, it's our daily driver, and I want the second recall performed. (Repair invoice of makeshift repair available, can be sent separately, $550.)

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag sensor light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was also flashing. The failure became constant. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact's husband had inspected the air bag sensor under the front passenger’s seat and determined that the sensor was functioning. The contact stated that her husband replaced the air bag sensor in the front passenger’s seat sun visor. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

Brake pedal became less firm, and less effective, and Brake warning light came on. I was able to park my Outback, and saw evidence of brake fluid leaking from under the right rear passenger seat. After pulling the lower rear seat cushion off, and pulling the brake line grommet out of the body, I saw, through the hole the brake lines go through, a fitting that had bare rusty brake lines attached to it, covered in brake fluid, with plastic sheathing that started about an inch from the fitting. After I discovered that there have been a lot of outbacks with the same problem, I found out that there was a recall years ago, so I called a local dealership. The person I spoke with said that the previous owner of my vehicle had neglected to have the brake lines serviced during the recall and that the recall expired years ago, so I would have to pay for replacing the defective line myself.

Airbag dashboard warning light stayed on while driving on 1/31/2022 and 2/1/2022. Dealer (Autofair Subaru in Haverhill Massachusetts) confirmed there was a problem in the overhead console. Researching the problem, I came across https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/2006-obw-airbag-light-on-my-fix.42574/ which identified a loose component on the printed circuit board caused by a crack in the solder. Cold weather seems to exacerbate the crack and cause the component to fail intermittently. Many have reported this problem with their Subaru and have made repairs by touching up the solder. Subaru states that the collision system may not function when this condition causes the Airbag Warning Light to remain on.

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH and attempting to make a turn downhill, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond, causing the vehicle to crash into a ditch. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he did not sustain any injuries. The contact was unsure whether a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, then it was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated he repaired the vehicle himself. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Brake line ruptured suddenly. Thankfully it happened at slow speed. Had just enough braking power to make it to the shop. If it would have happened on the highway, it could have been catastrophic. There is a known recall on brake lines. Unfortunately Subaru merely sprayed brake lines with wax-like substance. This only delays problem, it does not fix it. Confounding factor is the brake line is hidden under the undercarriage substructure, so it can not be inspected. I did have it fixed and it was pricey, as expected as they had to remove substructure.

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing unknown repairs to be completed. The vehicle was repaired however, after the repairs she started to hear an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing unknown repairs to be performed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was informed that the front passenger’s side ball joint and power steering rack needed to be replaced. Additionally, the rear differential fill plug and the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired however, the transmission was not replaced. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure of the transmission. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated recently the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer and independent mechanic were made aware of the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

VEHICLE HAD RECALL IN 2014 DUE TO CORRODED BRAKE LINES. THEY COULD EITHER SPRAY IT WITH ANTI CORROSIVE SPRAY OR REPLACE THE LINES. THEY OPTED TO JUST SPRAY THEM. TWO WEEKS AGO CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AND LOST BRAKE PRESSURE. THANKFULLY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. CONTACTED SUBARUS RECALL NUMBER. THEY TOLD ME THIS IS A WEAR ITEM SIMILAR TO TIRES. THIS IS NOT A VALID ARGUMENT. THE LINES ARE UNDERNEATH AND ARE PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTED BY GAS TANK. NO WAY THESE CAN BE INSPECTED BY AVERAGE DRIVER. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IS REFERENCED IN RECALL WQK-47. THEY SIMPLY PUT A BANDAID ON A SERIOUS ISSUE. BRAKE LINES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MADE WITH METALLURGY THAT DOES NOT FALL APART IN SALTY CONDITIONS. THE FIX IS ABOUT 3,000 DOLLARS AS THEY NEED TO DROP GAS TANK AND SUBSTRUCTURE ON REAR OF CAR TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES. AS YOU CAN SEE THIS IS BOTH RISK TO DRIVERS AND THEIR WALLETS. ALL THIS BECAUSE THEY ENGINEERED SOME BAD BRAKE LINES WITH POOR METALLURGY AND/OR POOR PLACEMENT IN THE CAR. IF WHAT I AM SAYING IS NOT TRUE, THEN THE FRONT BRAKE LINES SHOULD HAVE SAME ISSUE. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED