NHTSA Complaint #10345791 — 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI

THE SUBARU STI SERIES KNOWN AS THE GR IS PRONE TO BREAKING PISTON RINGLANDS IF DETONATION EVER OCCURS, WHICH HAPPENS EASILY ON THIS ENGINE, WHICH IS NOW TUNED FOR MORE POWER YET FEWER EMISSIONS. THE RINGLAND BREAKAGE RESULTS IN POWER LOSS AND EXTREME OIL CONSUMPTION DUE TO BLOWBY AND IF NOT NOTICED IN TIME WILL LEAD TO ENGINE SEIZING. IF DRIVEN AGGRESSIVELY ENOUGH, THIS SEIZING DUE TO OIL LOSS CAN HAPPEN IN AS FEW AS 10 MINUTES. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR THE RINGLAND BREAKAGE TO BE SO SEVERE THAT THE ENGINE SPRAY-COATS A LARGE SECTION OF ROADWAY, MAKING FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF A BLACK ICE CONDITION FOR OTHER TRAFFIC. A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD I'M NOT AWARE OF HAPPENING WITH THIS VEHICLE YET BUT STILL POSSIBLE IS NOT ONLY THE LOSS OF CONTROL SHOULD THE ENGINE SEIZE AND THE DRIVER NOT BE MECHANICALLY SAVVY ENOUGH TO KNOW DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH WILL GIVE HIM BACK SOME CONTROL AND REDUCE THE CHANCES OF BEING REAR-ENDED WHEN THE CAR TRIES TO STOP VERY RAPIDLY WITHOUT THE BRAKES AND THEREFORE THE BRAKELIGHTS BEING USED. DESPITE THE LARGE NUMBERS OF THESE FAILURES BEING REPORTED, SUBARU DENIES A PROBLEM EXISTS. I HAVE ALL OF THE PARTS FROM MY ORIGINAL FAILED ENGINE WHICH ALSO SHOWED OTHER ASSEMBLY PROBLEMS. I WILL HAVE THE PIECES OF MY 2ND ENGINE WHEN I PICK THE CAR UP SOON. MANY MECHANICS ARE OF THE OPINION MANY OF THESE ENGINES HAVE BROKEN RINGLANDS AND THE OWNERS DON'T KNOW IT. WE ALSO FEEL THE PROBLEM IS AGGRESSIVE OEM TUNING WHILE USING WEAK CAST PISTONS AS IT'S DETONATION, EVEN A SINGLE EVENT, THAT BREAKS THEM. AND IT'S INCONCEIVABLE AN ENGINE WITH THIS DAMAGE WOULD PASS AN EPA EMISSIONS TEST. *TR