2013 Subaru Outback

MY 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS THREE OPEN RECALLS, NUMBERED 19V009000 (AIRBAG), 18V626000 (PARKING BRAKE), AND 16V694000 (WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR). SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS TOLD ME, WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAG. I LIVE 138 MILES FROM THE NEAREST SUBARU DEALER. I HAVE GIVEN SUBARU TWO QUOTES, REQUESTED BY THEM, INCLUDING CONTACT INFORMATION AT TWO COMPANIES, FOR TRANSPORTING THE CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALER, RIMROCK SUBARU IN BILLINGS, MT. SUBARU OF AMERICA REFUSES TO CONTACT OR MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE TWO COMPANIES AND REFUSES TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIRS UNLESS I PAY IN ADVANCE, APPROXIMATELY $1,700.00, FOR ROUND TRIP TRANSPORTATION AND CAR RENTAL, TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND BACK. SUBARU TOLD ME, IN AN EMAIL TODAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020, FROM [XXX] OF SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE, "MY ABILITY TO ASSIST IS ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS. THERE IS NO WORKAROUND FOR THIS." HIS EMAIL IS CUSTDLRSERVICES@SUBARU.COM THIS IS AN EXTREME HARDSHIP FOR ME AS I AM RETIRED WITH LIMITED DISCRETIONARY FUNDS. I HOPE YOU CAN CONVINCE SUBARU TO FULFILL ITS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLETE THESE RECALLS WITHOUT MY FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT. THANK YOU. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TOOK IT HOME FROM DEALER AND THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE WOULD NOT TURN ON. THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS ALSO BLINKING. A COUPLE DAYS LATER, ON THE WAY TO DEALER, I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION AND TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE. IT WORKED THIS TIME, BUT WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR TO DRIVE, THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE WOULDN'T TURN OFF. I WAS STUCK. THERE WAS NO WAY TO MOVE IT. I WAS BLOCKING THE GAS PUMP FOR ABOUT AN HOUR WAITING FOR A TWO TRUCK. TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD DIFFICULTY LOADING VEHICLE AND TAKING OFF VEHICLE BECAUSE THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ON AND IT WAS AN AWD MEANING NONE OF THE WHEELS CAN MOVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BRAKES SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. LAST WEEK, THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT HAD TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO PREVENT A CRASH. THE TRANSMISSION WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THREE TIMES TO MARIN SUBARU (595 FRANCISCO BLVD E, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901, (415) 454-9240) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FIVE ADDITIONAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 250,000.

WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-5 NEAR ORLAND, CA ON 12/26/18 WHEN MY OUTBACK BEGAN SHAKING AND ATTEMPTING TO "BRAKE" (I WAS DOING BETWEEN 65 - 70 MPH). I LOOKED DOWN AND THE PARKING BRAKE SIGNAL WAS ILLUMINATED. (I HAD NOT ENGAGED THE BRAKE.) I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I DISENGAGED THE BRAKE AND RESUMED. IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED MY SUBARU DEALERSHIP, CARLSEN SUBARU, REDWOOD CITY, CA. I DISENGAGED THE BRAKE -- BUT THE BRAKE KEPT TRYING TO RE-ENGAGE. I COULD DRIVE BUT ONLY HAVE CONSISTENTLY AND CONSTANTLY MAKING SURE THE BRAKE WAS NOT ENGAGED. THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD FLASH ON AND OFF PERIODICALLY. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON 12/27/18. AS SUSPECTED, THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE PARKING BRAKE MODULE. THE CHARGE WAS $185 FOR DIAGNOSIS AND ANOTHER ESTIMATED $1,250 FOR THE REPAIR. (SEE ATTACHED DIAGNOSTIC/ESTIMATE) ONE OF THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS GAVE ME THE NATIONAL SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER -- I CALLED AND ALERTED THEM. THEY ARE INVESTIGATING. HOWEVER, LATER THAT EVENING I DISCOVERED SUBARU HAS RECALLED 27,000 2010-2014 OUTBACKS & LEGACYS WITH FAILING PARKING BRAKES. THE SUBARU RECALL IS OFFERING REPLACEMENT OR EXTENDED WARRANTY PROVISIONS DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE CAR IS MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (WITH AFFECTED VIN NUMBERS). (RECALL BEGAN IN OCT 2018. I HAVE RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION.) THE NATIONAL SUBARU REPRESENTATIVE MADE NO MENTION OF THE CURRENT RECALL TO ME. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN THIS MORNING (12/28/18)--GOT A COPY OF THE DIAGNOSIS/ESTIMATE. THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS DO NOT SEE THE RECALL IN THEIR SYSTEM WITH MY VIN NUMBER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SIMILAR ISSUE TO OTHERS REPORTED IN THE RECALL -- SUBARU SHOULD LOOK CAREFULLY AT OTHER VEHICLES WITHIN THOSE SAME YEAR/MODEL RANGES. I FEEL THE CAR MAY BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.

SUBARU OUTBACK SELF-ACCELERATED (UNINTENDED ACCELERATION) ON MARCH 22, 2018 AS I WAS ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE CAR IN A PARKING LOT. DUE TO THE SELF-ACCELERATION THE CAR HOPPED OVER THE CURB IN THE PARKING LOT AND RAN OVER A BUSH. MY FOOT WAS NO WHERE NEAR THE ACCELERATOR AND EVEN WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE, I HAD TO PRESS EXTREMELY HARD ON THE BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHILE IT SELF-ACCELERATED THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD REVVING SOUND. ON MARCH 23, 2018 THE CAR SELF-ACCELERATED AGAIN WITH MY HUSBAND DRIVING ON THE OPEN ROAD. AFTER THIS INCIDENT WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO OUR CAR DEALERSHIP. SUBARU HAS HAD THE CAR SINCE MARCH 23 AND DENIES ANY PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR OR CAR.

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR AIRBAG RECALL, THE BRAKE LIGHT INDICATOR FLASHES ON/OFF ON DASH, INTERMITTENT. SERVICE DEPT COULD NOT REPLICATE AT FIRST, DISCOVERED ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE COMPONENT FAULTY. PARKING BRAKE COULD ENGAGE WHILE CAR IS IN DRIVE OR FAIL ON HILL. CHARGING ME 1100 FOR REPAIR, SAYS ITS NOT UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL. THIS IS SAME DEFECT/RECALL ON 2015 MODEL OUTBACK. DEALER SAYS NO RECALL FOR 2013 MODEL OUTBCAK. I DISPUTE THIS.

THIS VEHICLE HAS SEVERAL ISSUES. I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND WITHIN 1 WEEK THEY HAD TO ADD 1.3 QUARTS. CAR HAD 23,767 MILES. IN JUST OVER A MONTH I HAVE HAD TO ADD ALMOST 4 QUARTS OF SYNTHETIC OIL AND SPENT CLOSE TO $100 FOR THE OIL. THE CAR IS AN AUTOMATIC WITH A MANUAL OPTION AND I AM ALSO HAVEING PROBLEMS WHERE THE GEARS WON'T CHANGE IN AUTO NOR MANUAL OPERATION. IT REVS THE ENGINE AND I HAVE TO STOP, TURN IT OFF THEN RESTART. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME BUT THE DEALER SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT..THERE IS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH VIBRATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE TIME AND THE BRAKES DON'T WANT TO CATCH ALL THE TIME. SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES 2 OR 3 TIMES TO GET THEM TO ENGAGE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIDE WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL THE STEERING, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND AND STRUCK A DELINEATOR POST, SLID IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TOWARDS A CONCRETE WALL, AND SUDDENLY STOPPED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.