NHTSA Complaint #10330833 — 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA

I WAS DRIVING ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD AT ABOUT 50-55MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON IN 5TH GEAR. WHEN I CAME TO A STEEP HILL THE CRUISE CONTROL OPENED THE THROTTLE WIDE OPEN TO MAINTAIN THE SET SPEED, WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO BOG DOWN I DECIDED TO SHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR. WHEN I PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN, THE CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF BUT THE ENGINE REVVED TO 7000RPM AND STAYED THERE. I LET THE CLUTCH OUT TO PREVENT THE ENGINE FROM BEING DAMAGED AND USED MY BRAKED TO KEEP THE CAR AT ABOUT 55MPH UNTIL I CAME TO A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD THEN I PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN AND SHUT OFF THE IGNITION UNTIL THE ENGINE STOPPED. THIS WAS AT NIGHT SO WHEN THE IGNITION WAS SHUT OFF THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF TOO. FORTUNATELY THE ROAD WAS LIT UP ENOUGH TO SEE AND LITTLE TRAFFIC. A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED OUT AND UPON INSPECTION THE DRIVER NOTICED A SILVER CLIP STUCK IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE ASSEMBLY. HE REMOVED THE CLIP AND THE CAR WAS BACK TO NORMAL. THE CLIP THAT WAS STUCK IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE WAS PART OF A SERVICE BULLETIN/RECALL THAT SUBARU HAD PERFORMED ON MY 2004 IMPREZA WRX. IT WAS SUPPOSE TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK AND POSSIBLE BECOMING WEDGED IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO BE STUCK SOMEWHERE IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE CLIP THAT WAS TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION ACTUALLY BECAME THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO ME THE ONE TIME ON 5/15/2010. WHEN I GOT BACK HOME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THEY DIDN'T SEEM TOO CONCERNED. THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE CLIP SINCE THEY HAD DONE IT UNDER WARRANTY BACK IN 2005. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PARTS. NOT A REAL BIG DEAL TO ME SINCE THE CLIP WAS ONLY $1.67. THE REAL PROBLEM I HAD WAS THEY DIDN'T SEEM TOO CONCERNED THAT THE RECALL FIX BECAME THE PROBLEM THAT IT WAS SUPPOSE TO PREVENT. I STILL HAVE THE OLD CLIP THAT POPPED OFF AND BECAME WEDGED IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE. THIS IS THE RECALL INFO I FOUND. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V128000. *TR