NHTSA Complaint #10370456 — 2010 SUBARU FORESTER

ON ICY DOWNHILL GRADES WHEN BRAKING OR SLOWING ABS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE A "ROCK HARD" PEDAL AND COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. ALL FOUR WHEELS WILL LOCKUP. THIS CAUSES LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND LOSS OF BRAKING. THIS FAILURE OCCURS WHEN ABS FAILS TO PREVENT WHEELS FROM LOCKING UP ON SLICK SURFACES. CONSEQUENCES INCLUDE REAR END COLLISION, LOSS OF CONTROL, UNEXPECTED EXIT FROM THE ROADWAY AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE ATTITUDE. VEHICLE WAS TAKE TO DEALER AND BRAKES WERE INSPECTED. NOTHING WAS FOUND TO BE WRONG. BRAKES WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM IN THAT THE SYSTEM CAUSES UNEXPECTED DRASTIC CHANGES IN THE FEEL OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, ALLOWS THE WHEELS TO LOCK AND DOES NOT GIVE THE DRIVER CLEAR EXPECTATION OF HOW TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ON LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION SURFACES THE ABS SYSTEM CANNOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE VEHICLE MOVING WITH WHEELS LOCKED AND VEHICLE STATIONARY WITH BRAKES ENGAGED. VEHICLE MUST BE ACCELERATED TO START WHEELS TURNING IN ORDER FOR THE ABS TO RELEASE THE PEDAL. *TR