2006 Subaru Forester Suspension Problems

The contact owns a 2006 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon purchase of the vehicle, he discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension). The contact then took the vehicle a dealer where he was informed that the recall was serviced. Less than two months later, the contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake as he began to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off to the highway shoulder. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the front driver’s side lower control arm was fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact discovered that no work was performed on the vehicle. The contact purchased the parts and replaced the control arm himself. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR THE PASSENGER CONTROL ARM FAILED, SNAPPING IN HALF AND I LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. UPON LOOKIN UNDER MY CAR I COULD SEE THE SNAPPED CONTROL ARM, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. I ALSO OBSERVE THE DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM IS ALSO VERY RUSTY. BOTH CONTROL ARMS ARE THE ONLY ISOLATED RUSTED PARTS UNDER MY CAR, THE REST OF MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE ANY RUST. IT WAS ALARMING TO ME THAT BOTH CONTROL ARMS ARE THE ONLY COMPLETELY RUSTED PARTS UNDER MY CAR, SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CARE FROM TO INQUIRE ABOUT RECALLED PARTS. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CONTROL ARM HAD BEEN RECALLED, AND MY CAR HAD BEEN "SERVICED" FOR THIS RECALL IN 2012 THROUGH RUST-PROOF SPAYING. THE CONTROL ARMS WERE NOT REPLACED AT THE TIME OF SERVICE FOR THE RECALL. UPON CALLING SUBARU OF AMERICAN TO HAVE THESE RECALLED PARTS REPLACED NOW BECAUSE THEY FAILED IN A KNOWN LOCATION. I WAS ALARMED THAT RUST-PROOF SPRAY WAS USED TO TREAT A RECALLED PART THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED TO RUST AT ACCELERATED RATES AND THE PARTS WERE NOT AUTOMATICALLY REPLACED. THE RUST PROOF SPRAY SEEMS LIKE A TEMPORARY FIX THAT WILL EVENTUALLY WHERE AWAY AND THEN THE PART WILL FAIL IN THE FUTURE (WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING). SUBARU REFUSED TO REPLACE THE RECALLED CONTROL ARMS IN MY CAR BECAUSE THE PARTS HAS BEEN SPRAYED IN 2012.THE ATTEMPT AT SERVICING THE RECALL DID NOT WORK, AND THESE PARTS HAVE STILL RUSTED AT AN ACCELERATED RATE, ULTIMATELY FAILING. THE CONTROL ARMS ARE THE ONLY RUSTED PARTS OF MY CAR, AND THE PASSENGER ARM FAILED CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS RUSTED AGAIN. THE CONTACT CALLED THOMAS SUBARU AT 814-623-813 (LOCATED AT 4003 BUSINESS 220, BEDFORD, PA 15522) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V464000 (SUSPENSION); THEREFORE, THE REPAIR WOULD NEED TO BE DONE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A TIRE SHOP TO PURCHASE A SET OF NEW TIRES. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT THERE WAS NO POINT OF REPLACING THE TIRES BECAUSE BOTH FRONTAL CONTROL ARMS WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD TO BE INCLUDED IN A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V464000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM). THE CONTACT NOTIFIED AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS APPOINTMENT WAS RESCHEDULED BECAUSE THE PARTS NECESSARY TO REMEDY THE FAILURE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 115,000.

I PURCHASED MY 2006 SUBARU FORESTER BRAND NEW FROM THE SUBARU DEALER IN CATONSVILLE, MD; RUSSELL SUBARU. THERE WERE NO MILES ON THE VEHICLE WHEN I BOUGHT IT. BOTH REAR BEARINGS WORE OUT ON MY CAR AT ALMOST THE SAME EXACT TIME. EVERY MECHANIC WITH WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN SAYS THIS IS COMMON ON THESE VEHICLES. MY BEARINGS WORE OUT AT ABOUT 70K MILES. THE SUBARU DEALER CHARGED ME APPROXIMATELY $800 TO REPLACE ONE OF THEM. THE OTHER COST ABOUT $600 AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANICS WON'T REPLACE THE BEARINGS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T WARRANTY THE WORK SO YOU END UP REPLACING THE HUB ASSEMBLY. THAT IS WHY IT COST SO MUCH. WHEN IT WEARS OUT IT FIRST STARTS TO SQUEAL AND MAKE A NOISE THAT GETS PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER AS YOU ACCELERATE TO MODERATE SPEED. MY CAR NOW HAS 140K MILES AND MY WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE BEGUN MAKING NOISE AGAIN. AT A COST OF ($600 - $800) X 2, THIS CLEARLY SEEMS LIKE A POOR DESIGN DEFECT. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY FOR THE SAME PART IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. THE PART WORE OUT ALMOST PRECISELY AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED. EVERY PERSON I KNOW WITH A SUBARU FORESTER HAS THE SAME COMPLAINT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS FORUMS ON THE WEB FROM OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. SUBARU SHOULD PAY THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS AND LABOR TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS NOT TYPICAL OF WHAT A BUYER WOULD EXPECT WITH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE FOR A NEARLY $30K VEHICLE. ASIDE FROM THE PREMATURE WEAR OF THE REAR WHEEL/HUB ASSEMBLY, I HAVE BASICALLY BEEN PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF MY SUBARU. *TR