NHTSA Complaint #10321921 — 2005 SUBARU LEGACY

LTR FWD FM (VA) OWNER OF A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT CONCERNED THAT SERVICE BULLETIN RELEASED BY SUBARU ONLY ALERTED DEALERSHIPS NOT THE VEHICLE OWNERS RE TURBOCHARGER DEFECT, REPLY TO ROANOKE, VA OFC. *TGW WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKE A WHINING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE WHINING QUICKLY TURNED TO A RATTLE AND THEN RAPIDLY TO A CLANGING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE TURBOCHARGER WAS BLOWN. APPARENTLY, SUBARU ENGINEERS DECIDED TO ROUTE LUBRICATING ENGINE OIL TO THE TURBOCHARGER THROUGH A BANJO BOLT. THE BANJO BOLT HAS AN INTERNAL MESH SCREEN THAT FILTERS THE OIL AND ENSURES THAT THE OIL FLOWING TO THE TURBO IS CLEAN. IF THE SCREEN IS CLOGGED OR BLOCKED IN ANY WAY, THIS WILL RESULT IN DECREASED FLOW OF OIL TO THE TURBO. A TURBO WITH INADEQUATE OIL FLOW WILL BASICALLY SELF-DESTRUCT AND SEND TINY SHARDS OF METAL INTO THE ENGINE'S COMPRESSIONS CHAMBER.*JB