NHTSA Complaint #10248404 — 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK

I TOOK A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP THIS SUMMER FROM LA TO KANSAS CITY, MO. I HAD THE CAR SERVICED AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT BEFORE I LEFT BOTH GOING AND COMING BACK. I LEFT KC TO HEAD BACK TO LA. 3 HOURS OUTSIDE OF KC I SAW MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE UP TO RED. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. SMOKE POURED OUT OF MY CAR. I PUT COOLANT AND WATER IN IT 3 TIMES. IT SEEMED FINE WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, THEN THE NEEDLE WOULD GO UP TO RED. I DIDN'T DARE DRIVE IT, SO I CALLED AAA. THEY TOWED ME TO A SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN KS. I WAS TOLD MY HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. THEY FIXED THEM. I HAD TO STAY THERE OVERNIGHT. THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT MORNING AND TOLD ME BEFORE I WAS TO PICK UP THE CAR THAT THEY HAD TAKEN IT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND IT BROKE DOWN ON THEM. THIS TIME IT WAS THE TENSIONER TO THE TIMING BELT HAD SLIPPED TIME AND THE BELT HAD SHATTERED INTO. OKAY, THAT WAS ANOTHER WEEK AND A HALF STRANDED TO GET THAT FIXED. I FINALLY LEFT TO DRIVE BACK TO LA. THE CAR OVERHEATED ALL THE WAY BACK TO LA. IT WAS THE WORSE TRIP IN MY LIFE. I STOPPED IN CO. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MY RADIATOR CAP NOT HOLDING PRESSURE AS LONG AS I KEPT THE RPM'S UP THE CAR WOULD STAY COOL. I HAVE TO SAY WITH ALL THAT GOING ON, THE CAR GOT ME HOME. WHEW! IT WAS A NAIL BITER. WHEN I GOT BACK TO LA THE DEALER THERE TOLD ME I HAD TO HAVE NEW HEAD GASKETS. WHAT?! I SAID, I JUST HAD NEW ONES DONE. THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE HEADS WERE WARPED. NO ONE CHECKED. NOW, HERE IS THE CRAZIEST THING. MY CAR HAD ONLY 19,000 MILES ON THE CAR WHEN IT BROKE DOWN. 19,000! IT WAS PRACTICALLY STILL A NEW CAR! IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY FOR THE POWER TRAIN. I HAD THE HEADS PLANED AND NEW GASKETS PUT IN. THE DEALERSHIP IN KS AND LA STARTED POINTING FINGERS AT WHOSE FAULT IT WAS AND MEANWHILE MY CAR IS SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP, WITH THEM DOING NOTHING TO IT. I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE AT SUBARU CORPORATE WHO HELPED ME OUT. THEN A COUPLE MONTHS GO BY AND MY CAR STARTS STALLING INTERMITTENTLY. LEMON! *TR