NHTSA Complaint #10342478 — 2008 SUBARU LEGACY

ON 3/31/09 @ 13,454 MILES IS WHEN THE DRIVER'S FRONT LEFT TIRE STARTED MAKING A ROTATIONAL METAL CLICKING/SQUEALING SOUND. IT CAN BE HEARD UNDER 25MPH AND THE SOUND WAS INTERMITTENT. I TOLD DEALER I THOUGHT IT WAS THE WHEEL BEARING. SEVERAL TIMES, I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT BECAUSE IT WASN'T MAKING A NOISE THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX. THEY CHECKED ALL COMPONENTS, BALL JOINTS, STEERING ETC. AND CHECKED THE BEARINGS SAID CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. I NOTICED THERE WERE OTHER OWNERS W/2005-06 SUBARU ISSUED A RECALL FOR WHEEL BEARING. IF YOU LOOK AT 08 LEGACY A FEW OTHERS HAVE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. ON 6/21/10 @26,351 A TECH RODE W/ ME TO CONFIRM THE NOISE I HAVE DEALT W/ FOR OVER A YEAR. MY SERVICE INVOICE STATES TECHNICIAN FOUND INTERNAL FAILURE OF LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY. REPLACED HUB UNIT. IT'S DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON A FAILED BEARING, TIRE CAN SEIZE AND LOSE CONTROL OF CAR AND DAMAGE OTHER PARTS OF CAR SUCH AS AXLE. I DROVE FOR A YEAR LIKE THIS AND WAS LUCKY NOTHING HAPPENED. THOUGH, I DON'T KNOW THE LONG TERM DAMAGE DONE TO MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED SUBARU TO TELL THEM OF MY ISSUE AND EXPLAIN THAT PERHAPS THEY NEED TO LOOK INTO THE MFG. WHO MAKES THE BEARINGS AND STUDY WHY THEIR BEARINGS ARE FAILING PREMATURELY. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND RECALL. I HOPE THAT THIS IS THE LAST TIME I HAVE TO HAVE IT REPLACED, SINCE IT COULD GET QUITE EXPENSIVE TO FIX EACH TIME. I TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF MY VEHICLE AND WANT IT TO LAST. I DIDN'T PAY $24,000 TO HAVE IT FALL APART. *TR