NHTSA Complaint #10502015 — 2009 SUBARU FORESTER

THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS. I AM OF AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT. UPON ENTERING MY VEHICLE AT A PARKING LOT ONE NIGHT, THE SEAT BOTTOM COLLAPSED AND FELL TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME, BUT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TRYING TO REMAIN POSITIONED PROPERLY IN THE SEAT. CLOSER EXAMINATION OF THE SITUATION PERFORMED THE NEXT MORNING REVEALED A PORTION OF THE SEAT FRAME WAS BROKEN. LOU FUSZ SUBARU IN CREVE COEUR, MO CONFIRMED THE BROKEN FRAME AND TRACED TO FAILURE OF A SPOT WELD. THEY WANTED $1,000. TO REPLACE THE SEAT BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SEAT. ALL THE CONTROLS ARE STILL FUNCTIONAL, ALBEIT NOT FLAWLESSLY DUE TO MISALIGNMENT OF THE STRUCTURE. WHEN ASKED IF THE FRAME COULD BE WELDED THE SERVICE ADVISER SAID THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ASSESS UNLESS WE AGREED TO PAY FOR SEVERAL HOURS LABOR TO DISSEMBLE THE SEAT SO THE WELDER COULD INSPECT THE FRAME DESPITE THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN BEING ABLE TO SEE AND DIAGNOSE THE DAMAGE WITHOUT DIS-ASSEMBLY. WE HAVE ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISER TO CONTACT THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TO RESOLVE WHAT WE BELIEVE IS A SAFETY SITUATION. WE BELIEVE THE SEAT FAILURE DIRECTLY AFFECTS OUR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED LEVEL OF COMFORTABLE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE - ESPECIALLY IF ANOTHER PORTION OF THE SEAT STRUCTURE FAILS. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON THE SUBARU OWNERS WEBSITE HAS REVEALED THAT OURS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. SIMILAR FAILURES, AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE POINT, LEAD US TO QUESTION IF THERE WAS A FAULT IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE STEEL SEAT FRAME. *TR