NHTSA Complaint #10232580 — 2006 SUBARU LEGACY

ON JUNE 24, 2008 MY 06 SUBARU LEGACY LGT WAGON SUFFERED A SERIOUS ENGINE FAILURE. MY OIL PICKUP TUBE COMPLETELY SHEARED OFF FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE PICKUP TUBES FOR THE SUBARU LEGACY & IMPREZA MODELS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO REPORT MY OIL LIGHT WAS FLASHING, AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP REP "TO DRIVE IT IN AND THEY WILL CHECK IT OUT". I ASKED AGAIN ARE YOU SURE ITS OK TO DRIVE AND WAS TOLD YES. LATER THAT DAY I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON AND WAS TOLD "MY CAR WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE LOOKED AT TODAY BUT I COULD COME GET IT AND BRING IT IN TOMORROW". I AGAIN ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG AND WAS TOLD "THEY PULLED A COUPLE OF CAM TIMING CODES BUT THE CAR WAS OK TO DRIVE". THEN 20 MINUTES LATER THE DEALER CALLED ME AND SAID "WE HAVE TO PUT YOU IN A LOANER CAR BECAUSE WE DROVE YOUR CAR INTO THE SHOP CHECKED YOUR OIL LEVEL WHICH WAS FINE, BUT WHEN WE TESTED YOUR OIL PRESSURE WE FOUND IT TO BE ZERO SO THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE, AND IF I DID I WOULD BLOW THE MOTOR". I EXPLAINED TO THE REP AGAIN BUT WHAT ABOUT ME BEING TOLD TO DRIVE IT IN HERE. AGAIN WAS TOLD "DON'T WORRY YOUR CAR CAN GO SOMETIME WITHOUT OIL BECAUSE OF THE NEW OILS TODAY & THE WAY ENGINES ARE BUILT". WITHOUT AN OIL PICKUP TUBE YOUR ENGINE HAS NO OIL PRESSURE, IN SOME SEVERE CASES THE ONLY INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM IS YOUR OIL LIGHT WILL FLASH THEN BOOM YOU BLEW YOUR ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP INSISTS "MY ENGINE IS FINE AND IT CAN RUN WITHOUT OIL PRESSURE FOR SOMETIME WITHOUT CAUSING ANY DAMAGE". EVERY MECHANIC I TALK TO STATES YOUR ENGINE CAN NOT LAST WITH OUT OIL, AND IT HAS CAUSED HARM TO THE ENGINE OR COMPONENTS OF MY ENGINE. SUBARU DID REPLACE THE PART UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOW I AM LEFT WITH A DAMAGE MOTOR NO EXTRA ADDED INSURANCE. SUBARU REFUSING TO EITHER REBUILD MY CURRENT MOTOR OR PUT A NEW ONE IN. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP MY CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD WITH 37000 MILES ON IT. SINCERELY, DESPERATE *TR