2014 Subaru Outback

1. The under carriage has corroded creating a safety hazard. Senior dealer representative indicated verbally that 2010-2014 models years are the most prone. 2. If the under carriage fails the engine and transmission could fall out of the car potentially creating a serious issue. 3. The dealer brought the issue to my attention after performing an inspection of the car. 4. I was unaware of the issue until the dealer brought the issue to my attention. 2014 Subaru Outback.  The car has been taken care of in a manner that exceeds the manual recommendations including always flushing the underside of the chassis during washes; especially the winter season. The car was taken to a dealer to have the intake manifold gasket looked at. The dealer took the opportunity to raise the car in the air, conduct an inspection and reported that the front carriage assembly is rusting away and considered dangerous. The Service Manager indicated that the model years 2010 to 2014 exhibit a high-degree of corrosion to the supportive member which holds the engine and transmission in place and if it fails could cause an extremely dangerous situation.  What if any information has NHTSA compiled regarding these issues and Subaru's use of an under-designed, defectively manufactured part that could potentially cause a serious accident if the support structure collapsed?  And if the NHTSA has conducted any research into this issue is there any option for a consumer to recoup or require Subaru to cover the cost of replacement which according to two Subaru Dealers is approximately $4,200. Below is a recap of the repair costs including parts and labor: CRADLE FRM CP OBK 2-3 Day QT 1 $842.66 20202AJ04B ARM ASSY F RH In Stock QT 1$173.41 901000346 BOLT FLG 14X128 In Stock QT 2 $8.18 / $16.36 20420XA000 LINK AY F STABILIZER In Stock QT 2 $72.85 / $145.70 20202AJ05B ARM ASSY F LH In Stock QT 1 $173.41 901000060 BOLT FLANGE In Stock QT 2 $2.88 / $5.76 The labor is calculated at 13.5 Hours @ $189.00

I was in a store parking lot, putting purchases into the trunk of my 2014 Subaru Outback. The rear gate had been opened for about five minutes. As I was leaning into the trunk, as I'd just done 2 or 3 times, with no warning I suffered, a sudden forceful blunt impact on the back of my head. I was so startled, I didn't know for a second what had happened, then realized, I couldn't move, as the rear gate was on top of me. I lifted it up off my head. It was quite heavy as there was no help from the hydraulic arms. I stepped back, while holding the gate/door, and let it go. It rapidly slammed shut. I tried to open it again, and realized the hydraulic arms were not activating to lift it. Each time it is opened, it only stays open for as long as I hold it and then slams closed. It is clear how I or my family could have been seriously injured or killed. If I had looked up to close the gate in the second preceding the failure, the gate would have come down on my face. I or a family member could have had hands or arms crushed when the gate crashed down, and would have been trapped under the gate until help came. I have not used the trunk since the incident as am trying to get Subaru to repair it this week. The problem remains, exactly the same and can be replicated by anyone. There were no warning messages that this was coming and no previous signs that the hydraulic system was going to imminently malfunction and fail. I have seen other reports by Subaru Outback owners that they have had similar failures with their gates and one was almost identical to my situation.

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MILES/HOUR ON HIGHWAY 17 NEAR APALACHIN, NY, WHEN A DEER JUMPED FROM THE RIGHT SIDE AND HIT THE FRONT OF MY CAR. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. IMMEDIATELY, THE GAS RELEASED FROM THE AIRBAGS COMPLETELY FOGGED THE WINDSHIELD REDUCING VISIBILITY ZERO, SO I COULD NOT SEE WHERE I WAS GOING DURING THE BRAKING PERIOD. FORTUNATELY, I ONLY SHIFTED TO THE OTHER LINE AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND. THE GAS DEPOSIT REMAINED ON THE WINDSHIELD AND I HAD TO USE A CLOTH TO CLEAN IT. IN MY OPINION, THE FOGGED WINDSHIELD RESULTING FROM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WAS A MUCH HIGHER SAFETY HAZARD THAN THE COLLISION WITH THE DEER ITSELF. AN UNRELATED COMPLAINT IS THAT AFTER THE CAR STOPPED, THE DOORS WERE BLOCKED (WOULD NOT OPEN) FOR HALF A MINUTE OR SO.

IN SEPTEMBER 2017, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR DOOR CHILD SAFETY LOCK ON MY 2014 OUTBACK BECAME STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THIS MEANS PASSENGERS CANNOT GET OUT UNLESS SOMEONE OPENS THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. ASKED DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT FOR FREE, BUT THEY WOULD ONLY GIVE ME HALF OFF. THEN TODAY (JULY 10, 2019) I DISCOVERED THAT THE SAME DOOR ON MY 2009 IMPREZA IS HAVING A SIMILAR PROBLEM. THE SWITCH CAN STILL MOVE FROM LOCKED TO FREE, BUT THE DOOR WILL NO LONGER OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. I THINK SUBARU HAS A DEFECTIVE CHILD SAFETY LOCK THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED.

ON TWO OCCASIONS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS MY HOOD LATCH HAS RELEASED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF 65 TO 70 MPH. THE FIRST OCCASION WAS ON NOVEMBER 14, 2018 AND THE SECOND OCCASION WAS TODAY FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE SAFETY LATCH HELD BUT THE HOOD VIBRATED UP AND DOWN UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PUSH DOWN ON THE HOOD TO RE-ENGAGE THE PRIMARY LATCH. ON BOTH OCCASIONS I WAS SURROUNDED BY NUMEROUS VEHICLES GOING THE SAME SPEED. I HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS THAT THE HOOD MAY OPEN COMPLETELY WHILE I AM DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY CREATING AN ACCIDENT AND OR INJURIES. I HAVE CHECKED THE MECHANISM AND THERE ARE NO OBSTACLES. ADDITIONALLY, THE TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST DISENGAGEMENT AND THE SECOND WAS MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN IN FOR ANY SERVICES THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE HOOD BEING OPENED. I HAVE SEEN THAT OTHER SUBARU MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE AND BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED. A REVIEW OF THE WEB SHOWS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THESE TWO OCCASIONS.

HOOD LATCH IS NOT HOLDING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 45 MPH EFFECTIVE 1/20/2019. OVER THE PAST WEEKS IT IS POPPING UP MORE FREQUENTLY. SO FAR SAFETY LATCH APPEARS TO BE HOLDING BUT DUE TO FREQUENT POP UPS, I HAVE SECURED MY HOOD WITH DUCT TAPE UNTIL I GET TO THE DEALER. IN CROSSING A BRIDGE ON 02/09/19 IN WINDY CONDITIONS, I BECAME VERY CONCERNED THAT THE LIFTING OF THE HOOD WOULD CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE UNTIL I COULD SECURE IT. I HAVE AN APPT ON FRIDAY, 02/15,2019 BUT THEY INDICATE MY VIN IS NOT PART OF A SAFETY RECALL.

I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON I-17 NORTH OF PHOENIX AZ. ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC) WAS SET AND I WAS FOLLOWING THE CAR AHEAD AT THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE SET BY ACC. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR OR THE BRAKE. I SAW THE PRECEDING CAR'S BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON, AND I FELT MY CAR START TO SLOW. THE PRECEDING CAR STOPPED AND IT BECAME APPARENT THAT MY CAR WAS NO LONGER BRAKING, OR IF IT WAS, NOT HARD ENOUGH TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND WE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF US AT A SPEED GREAT ENOUGH TO DO $7000 OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF MY CAR. CURIOUSLY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSENGERS IN THE CAR INCLUDED MY WIFE IN THE FRONT SEAT, WHO WAS THROWN INTO THE SEAT/SHOULDER HARNESS HARD ENOUGH TO KNOCK THE WIND OUT OF HER. SHE COMPLAINED OF CHEST PAINS AND WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. NO SERIOUS INJURIES WERE FOUND. MY DAUGHTER IN THE BACK SEAT AND I WERE RESTRAINED PROPERLY BY THE SEAT BELT AND SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. I CONTACTED SUBARU AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. THEY RESPONDED BY TELLING ME THAT THEY WERE SENDING TWO ENGINEERS TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE. AFTER A MONTH OR 6 WEEKS THEY RESPONDED THAT THEIR INVESTIGATION WAS COMPLETE. THEY FOUND THAT 5 SECONDS BEFORE THE CRASH I WAS TRAVELING AT 45 MPH. 1.5 SECONDS BEFORE THE CRASH THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED (DISABLING ACC). THEY TOLD ME THAT THE EYESIGHT WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AND WILL NOT STOP ALL CRASHES. SO SORRY. I BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG, EITHER WITH THE DESIGN OR THE FUNCTIONING OF EYESIGHT AND ACC. MY CAR HAD 60,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. I HAVE USED ACC HUNDREDS (PERHAPS THOUSANDS) OF TIMES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. IT HAD ALWAYS PERFORMED AS ADVERTISED, I.E. MAINTAINING A CONSTANT DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE CAR AHEAD. IT SLOWED AS NEEDED, AND CAME TO A STOP WHENEVER TRAFFIC STOPPED. THEN ONE DAY IT DIDN'T

I WAS PULLING UP TO PARK BEHIND A TOYOTA PRIUS ON A ROAD THAT WAS PARTIALLY COVERED WITH SNOW & ICE. THE WHEELS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WERE ON SNOW & ICE AND THE WHEELS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR WERE ON DRY ROADWAY. I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY TO PARK WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO THE REAR BUMPER OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS. THE ENGINE WAS RACING WILDLY AND MY ATTEMPT TO BRAKE WERE INEFFECTIVE. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE REAR TRUNK & BUMPER OF THE PRIUS AND DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE SUBARU. I SUSPECT THAT THE SUBARU TRACTION/SPEED/STABILITY/ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROLS HAD MALFUNCTIONED. *TR

THE ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME INVOLVES THE INITIAL HOOD RELEASE THAT IS LOCATED INSIDE THE CAR ALONG THE LEFT SIDE (DRIVER'S SIDE). SPECIFICALLY, ON NUMEROUS, RANDOM OCCASIONS THE TOE OF MY RIGHT FOOT RELEASED THE HOOD AS I AM PIVOTING TO EXIT THE CAR. A FEW TIMES, I HAVE NOTICED THE HOOD IS SLIGHTLY RELEASED AND I SHUT IT. HOWEVER, MORE OFTEN, I DIDN'T NOTICE THE HOOD UP SLIGHTLY AND STARTED OFF ON MY TRIP. FOR EXAMPLE IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER WE MADE A ROUND TRIP FROM MILFORD, CT TO BRADENTON, FL. AND RECENTLY REPEATED THE TRIP FROM MILFORD. AT LEAST 6 OR 8 TIMES ALONG I-95 I-10 OR I-75, I NOTICED THE HOOD WAS RELEASED AND I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE ROAD SIDE FROM A HIGHWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT RANGES FROM 50-70 MPH. AS I AM SURE YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SECONDARY HOOD RELEASE THAT HAS TO BE MANUALLY RELEASED FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. HOWEVER, SHOULD THAT SECONDARY RELEASE FAIL, THE HOOD WOULD BLOW OPEN WHILE WE WERE IN MOTION AND EITHER BLIND OUR VISION OR BLOW OFF TO ONLY GOD KNOWS WHERE. I HAVE CALLED THIS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF PREMIER SUBARU IN BRANFORD, CT AND ASKED THAT THEY INFORM SUBARU. I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM EITHER COMPANY. *TR