NHTSA Complaint #10082454 — 2000 SUBARU LEGACY

WHILE SUBARU DOES NOT REGARD THEIR DEFECTIVE CLUTCH MECHANISM AS A SAFETY PROBLEM, I HAVE HAD TWO INCIDENTS IN WHICH IN FACT MY SAFETY HAS BEEN ON THE LINE. I AM ANNOYED AT THE CASUAL ATTITUDE SUBARU HAS DEMONSTRATED ON THIS ISSUE, AND I HAVE GOTTEN EXCUSES OR SHRUGS OVER THE PROBLEM. THIS IS THE STUTTERING CLUTCH PROBLEM THAT IS APPARENTLY WELL KNOW TO SUBARU AND CLUTCH OPERATORS OF THEIR CARS SINCE THE LATE 90'S. I AM A VETERAN CLUTCH USER, THIS IS NOT OPERATOR ERROR. IN MY CONVERSATION WITH SUBARU, THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS AN INCIDENCE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT IT WAS COVERED BY A SERVICE BULLETIN. RELEVANT INTERNET FORUMS CONTAIN MANY COMPLAINTS AND QUESTIONS ON THIS PROBLEM. THE TWO INCIDENTS I HAVE HAD THAT QUALIFY THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE INVOLVE THE CAR BEING UNEXPECTEDLY UNABLE TO MOVE THROUGH TRAFFIC AS CARS APPROACHED ME. IF ANOTHER CAR HAD PROCEEDED NORMALLY FROM MY STOPPING PLACE, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEM WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC, BUT MY CAR WILL, WITH INCREASING REGULARITY, NOT MOVE PROPERLY WHEN IT IS ASKED TO DO SO. IN THE CASES I AM REPORTING, AS I MOVED AWAY FROM A STOP, THE CLUTCH HAD BEGUN TO ENGAGE, MOVED ME INTO THE INTERSECTION, BUT THEN IT HAS GONE INTO ITS LURCHING ROUTINE THAT STOPS ME IN FRONT OF APPROACHING TRAFFIC. ONLY WHEN I STOP AND RE-ENGAGE THE CLUTCH SEVERAL TIMES IN SUCCESSION CAN I GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. SUBARU WILL NOT ROUTINELY REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE TALKED TO DEALERS THREE TIMES, AND HAVE RECEIVED DISMISSIVE EXPLANATIONS. ONE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE MY PROBLEM TO THEIR SATISFACTION. I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, NOT A MERE TECHNICAL ISSUE. THE CLUTCH PROBLEMS ARE APPARENTLY WIDESPREAD, AND IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB