NHTSA Complaint #10081210 — 1999 SUBARU FORESTER

REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ON MY 1999 SUBARU FORRESTER PURCHASED ON MAR 6, 1999 HAVE FAILED ON THE LEFT REAR WHEEL AT 31619 MILES ON NOV. 13, 2001. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED ON JULY 1, 2004 AT 58974 MILES. THE LEFT REAR FAILED AGAIN ON A VACATION TRIP TO VERMONT ON JULY 12, 2004 AT 59832 MILES. ON THIS LAST FAILURE THE LEFT REAR HOPUSING HAD TO BE REPLACED AS EXCESSIVE HEAT SCORCHED THE PART. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRENTY. THE OTHER 2 FAILURES WERE COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED $900 WARRENTY THAT WAS PURCHASED WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED OTHERWISE ADDED EXPENSE TO MYSELF WOULD HAVE $286.33 FOR THE SECOND FAILURE AND $507.17 FOR THE THIRD FAILURE AS THE CAR WAS OUT OF THE STANDARD CAR WARRENTY. THIS STILL COST ME $100 (2 INCEDENTS AT $50 DEDUCTABLE). AT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LAST 2 BEARINGS THE MECHANICS PERFORMING THE WORK SAID SUBARU CAME UP WITH A NEW HEAVIER DUTY BEARING A FEW YEARS BACK TO REPLACE THE STANDARD BEARINGS SUOPPLIED WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED. IF NOT FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE EXTENDED WARRENTY THE REPAIRS WOULD HAVE COST ABOUT $800. AS I WAS ON VACATION AND TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH WHEN THE LAST BEARING FAILED WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE BEARING HEATED UP MORE THAN WHAT IT DID. PARTS WERE KEPT BY THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER HERE IN LAKEWOOD AND THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN ST. JOHNSBURY, VT. I'M HOPING THATR SUBARU'S NEW DESIGNED BEARING WILL LAST LONGER THAN THEIR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED ON THEIR VEHICLES. I'M STILL OUT THE $100 I HAD TO PAY FOR MY DEDUCTABLE ON GETTING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY SUBARU'S ARE OUT THERE THAT CAN CAUSE SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS IF THE OLD DESIGN BEARINGS GET HEATED UP ENOUGH TO CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FOR ME, THESE INCIDENTS BASICALLY CAUSED LOSS OF TIME, ESPECIALLY THE LAST INCIDENT AS I LOST 6 HOURS OF VACATION TIME WAITING FOR THE REPLACEMENT PARTS TO BE FOUND AND THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK