NHTSA Complaint #10423372 — 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE (NEW), THE HOOD LATCH BEGAN TO OCCASIONALLY OPEN BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING. THE SAFETY LATCH DOES CATCH THE HOOD BEFORE IT OPENS ALL THE WAY, BUT IT IS NEVERTHELESS DISCONCERTING, AND CERTAINLY A SAFETY ISSUE. I CURRENTLY HAVE APPROXIMATELY 82000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, AND WOULD ESTIMATE THAT THE HOOD HAS SELF-OPENED WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST 20 TIMES. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT I WAS NOT CLOSING THE HOOD SUFFICIENTLY WHEN CHANGING THE OIL, OR WHEN ADDING WASHER FLUID. I DO NOT CHANGE MY OWN OIL, AND RARELY NEED TO OPEN THE HOOD, AS THE DEALER OR A QUICK-LUBE SERVICE HAVE BEEN PERFORMING THE MAINTENANCE. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPEED OR ROAD CONDITION, AS I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CAUSE THE HOOD TO OPEN ON DEMAND, AND NEITHER HAS THE DEALER. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE NUMBER OF MILES SINCE THE LAST OCCURRENCE. SOMETIMES THE TIME BETWEEN OCCURRENCES IS VERY SHORT (LESS THAN A WEEK, AND LESS THAN 150 MILES), AND OTHER TIMES I CAN GO SEVERAL MONTHS BETWEEN OCCURRENCES. THE DEALER HAS SEEN THE VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM AT LEAST 8 TIMES, I BELIEVE, AND HAS DONE VIRTUALLY NOTHING BUT "ADJUST" THE LATCH. I HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS PROBLEM TO THE MANUFACTURER, WHO REFERRED IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ASKED IF I KNEW WHEN IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN (I DID NOT), AND THEY ASKED ME TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED SO THAT THEY COULD SEE THAT THE HOOD LATCH WAS OPEN (I DID).