NHTSA Complaint #10165110 — 1999 SUBARU FORESTER

WE HAVE A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER WITH A 2.5 L ENGINE. WE GOT A RECALL NOTICE 2-2004 REGARDING EXTERNAL COOLANT LEAKS AT THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS. THIS RECALL COVERED VEHICLE YEARS 1999-2002 OR 4 YEARS OF VEHICLES. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD THE SPECIFIC (SPECIAL CONDITIONER) INSTALLED AS REQUIRED BY SUBARU. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US IT TOOK SUBARU 5 YEARS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AS WE ARE ON THE FRONT END OF THE MODEL YEARS IN QUESTION. LAST WEEK THE HEAD GASKETS FAILED AND WITH IT A LARGE REPAIR BILL. SUBARU WILL NOT HONOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AS WE ARE OUTSIDE IT BY LESS THAN 10% IN MILEAGE BUT WITHIN THE SPECIFIED 8 YEARS IN AGE. WE LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND IT IS OUR OPINION THE MILEAGE AMOUNTS ALLOWED DO NOT REPRESENT THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY AND ARE NOT REAL WORLD. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH 2 EXTREMELY EXPERIENCED MECHANICS INCLUDING A NISSAN MECHANIC (NOTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY) WHO INDICATED THE CONDITIONER WAS MERELY A BAND-AID, A WAY FOR SUBARU TO MAKE A TEMPORARY FIX, AND NOT MAKE A PROPER REPAIR BY REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS IN QUESTION. *JB