2008 Subaru Forester Steering Problems

I was getting on the highway in Minnesota doing 55-60 mph when the car started violently shaking and I lost steering with cars whizzing by me at 65-70+ mph. I was finally able to get the car just off the road and called for roadside assist. Once the car was left at my house I examined the right front wheel which was cockeyed to discover the lower control arm steel body had disintegrated (see photos). Looking online I discovered there had been a recall on these arms 9 years ago. I sent a message to Subaru Customer Care and received no reply. I sent a tweet on twitter to Subaru of America and received no reply. I finally called their 800 number and was told the recall had been completed on this vehicle in 2012 by putting some "rust-proofing" on the arms. They did not go through the effort to replace with the upgraded replacement part. SOA said they would not cover any repair or replacement of the lower control arms. There have to be 10s of thousands of these vehicles on the roads with arms rotting from the inside out because SOA did the recall on the cheap. The bushings and balljoint was still intact and no clunking or judder prior to the catastrophic failure. Is it going to take a death(s) to get this corrected. SOA know they should have replaced these arms and will sell you the upgraded one for around $300. No aftermarket companies are making these arms as far as I can find. Subaru admits on their own parts site the arms "do not often fail" i.e the body and instead the bushings wear out. The body of the car has very minimal rust and no signs the arm(s) would have deteriorated. I have asked SOA to replace the arms with ones that are structurally sound but think a second recall on cars that didn't get new arms may be required.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2020, I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, AT 10:30 PM, GOING 75MPH AND AL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD POP. I HAD LOST ALL CONTROL OF MY CAR AND MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FELT LIKE IT COMPLETELY GAVE OUT ON ME. I SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS AND TRIED TO GET IT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT I COULDN'T. IT SENT ME ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THE FAST LANE, RIGHT UP AGAINST THE INTERSTATE DIVIDER WALL, MY CAME TO A STOP INA COUPLE SECONDS. I WAS SITTING FLUSH WITH THE WALL, I COULDN'T OPEN MY DOOR, AND I DIDN'T WANT MY PASSENGER IN THE CAR TO OPEN HIS DOOR ONTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I TURNED MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON AND PROCESSED TO CLIMB OUT OF MY WINDOW ONTO THE CONCRETE WALL. I STARTING LOOKING AT THE FRONT END OF MY CAR TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I SAW BOTH OF MY FRONT TIRES HAD POPPED, THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD BLEW OUT AND HAD HOLES IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. IT WAS DRIVING ON THE WHEEL OF THE CAR BECAUSE THE WHEEL WAS ALL CURBED AND SCRAPED. I NOTICED IT WAS LEANING LOWER ON THE GROUND ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE THAN DRIVER SIDE. I WASN'T SURE WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE ALL THAT GREAT WITH THE WHEELS TURNED THE WAY THEY WAS. I STARTED LOOKING FURTHER AT THE CAR, GOT ON THE GROUND TO LOOK UNDER IT AND NOTICED AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF GREASE THAT WAS COVERING THE MAJORITY OF MY STEERING COLUMN AND MY EXHAUST. SO ONCE COPS CAME, FILED A REPORT AND HAD A FLAT BED TRUCK BRING IT TO MY HOUSE I WAS ABLE TO LOOK MORE IN DEPTH TO IT IN THE DAY LIGHT. IT HAD: SNAPPED MY CONTROL ARM INTO 2 PIECES ,BENT MY OUTER TIE ROD, SNAPPED MY CV AXLE, WHICH CAUSED ALL THE GREASE TO GET OUT, THE BALL JOINT BOOT WAS LEAKING LUBRICANT, POSSIBLY MESSED UP THE FRONT STRUT TOWER, AND SO ON WHAT I COULDN'T SEE OR TELL WAS BROKEN. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEEMS AND LOOKS INTACT. I'VE BEEN HAVING TO REPLACE THE WHOLE PASSENGER SIDE. I AM THE THIRD OWNER OF THIS CAR, I BOUGHT IT FEB, 12, 2019

JUST LIKE THE JUST RECENT RECALL OF SUBARU'S 2009-2013 FORESTER, MY 1998 FORESTER STEERING RACK AND PINION SYSTEM HAD RUSTED OUT TUBING THAT LEAKED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT AFTER STEERING JUST WENT OUT. HOW YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN CONTINUE TO ALLOW CAR MANUFACTURES TO USE REGULAR STEEL FOR MANY OF THE PARTS UNDER A CAR (LIKE THE RACK AND PINION, BRAKES, ETC) IS BEYOND ME. THAT SHOULD BE A CRIME BUT OH NO, THE POLITICIAN WILL BUREAUCRATS WILL ALLOW THIS TO GO ON UNTIL A BUNCH OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE KILLED. THEN YOU MIGHT DO SOMETHING. *TR

I HAVE PROBLEM WITH MY 2008 SUBARU FORESTER. WHEN I QUICKLY TURN STEER WHEEL FOR CHANGING LANE, THE CAR SEEMS LOST CONTROL AND CAN ONLY GO ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT. THEN WHEN YOU HAVE TO TURN THE STEER WHEEL TO THE RIGHT TO RETURN STRAIGHT, THE CAR WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT. I HAVE TO KEEP THIS BALANCE UNTIL THE CAR TURN ITSELF OFF. IT HAPPENS TO ME TWICE. ONE TIME IS ON A BRIDGE, ONE TIME IS ON THE BUSIEST INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 95. I FEEL EXTREMLY LUCKY EITHER TIME. I AM STILL ALIVE AND DID NOT KILL ANYBODY. BUT IS THAT NORMAL FOR A SUBURA ALL WHEEL DRIVE? *TR