NHTSA Complaint #10307493 — 2005 SUBARU LEGACY

TO NHSTA THREE TURBOS HAVE FAILED WITHIN A 2 MONTH SPAN ON A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT SEDAN. LEADING UP TO EACH FAILURE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN CONSISTENTLY AT ~60 MPH FOR 15 TO 20 MILES. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THESE FAILURES HAS BEEN LOSS OF POWER ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A WRECK (BUT LUCKILY DID NOT). TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE THE TURBO WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. IT FAILED AGAIN THE SAME DAY DUE TO THE NUT HOLDING THE TURBO TOGETHER FALLING OFF. SUBARU REPLACED THAT TURBO BUT IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER 2 WEEKS. I TOOK IT TO A SUBARU DEALERSHIP THIS TIME WHERE THEY SAID IT FAILED BECAUSE A SMALL MESH SCREEN BECOME BLOCKED BY SLUDGE AND WOULD NOT HONOR THEIR MECHANICAL FAULT WARRANTY. I PAID TO HAVE IT REPLACED BUT I HAVE NOT YET PICKED UP THE VEHICLE SINCE I CANNOT TRUST IT NOT TO BREAK (NOR WILL SUBARU WARRANTY THE PART IF THE SCREEN BECOMES BLOCKED AGAIN, THIS SLUDGE COULD BE CAUSED BY THE INITIAL TURBO FAILURE, SINCE THE BROKEN TURBOS THROW METAL THROUGH THE OIL SYSTEM.) THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE INSTEAD OF A MAINTENANCE ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE CONSISTENT FAILURES UNDER THE SAME CONDITION WHICH IS NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE FAILURE RATE FOR THIS SPECIFIC SUBARU VEHICLE IS MUCH GREATER THAN NORMAL WITH AN EPA REPORT (REF #GR08-054C EPA # 3595) SHOWING "UNSCREENED WARRANTY CLAIMS" (MINIMAL FAILURE RATE?) OF 4.55% AS OF SEP 12, 2008. THIS RATE IS ON AVERAGE 3 TIMES HIGHER THAN OTHER TURBO VEHICLES PRODUCED BY SUBARU AT THE TIME. (INCIDENTLY MAZDA HAS JUST RECALLED THEIR NEW 2010 TURBO MAZDA3'S DUE TO TURBO FAILURE FROM PERIODS OF IDLE OR LIMITED ACCELERATION DUE TO OIL POOLING IN THE TURBO, THESE ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE SUBARU TURBO'S HAVE FAILED)