NHTSA Complaint #10525499 — 2011 SUBARU LEGACY

WHEN PARKED ON A STEEP DOWN SLOPE, I ATTEMPTED TO BACK UP IN ORDER THAT I COULD LEAVE AN OUTDOOR CONCERT WHERE I HAD PARKED OFF ROAD.. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE EVEN AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS FROM PARK, NEUTRAL OR REVERSE AND KEPT DRIFTING FORWARD. I TRIED TO ENGAGE REVERSE WITH THE FOOT BRAKE AND EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND IT STILL WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE TRANSMISSION STAYED IN DRIVE AND WOULD ONLY GO FORWARD NO MATTER WHAT I DID. THE CAR MOVED 1 FOOT FORWARD WHEN IT WAS IN PARK, EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON AND THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN IT DID THAT, IT LEFT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE LEXUS IN FRONT OF ME ONLY AROUND 6 INCHES. I HAD NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO WAIT FOR THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR TO ARRIVE AND DRIVE AWAY BEFORE I COULD LEAVE. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND I WAS PARKED IN A FIELD IN A COUNTY PARK, IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON AN UPHILL. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I ATTEMPTED TO GO FORWARD BUT THE CAR DRIFTED BACKWARDS AND NEARLY CRASHED INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE LIGHT WAS RED, BUT TOOK IT OFF THE BRAKE TO ACCELERATE THE GAS. THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARD AND NEARLY HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY ENGAGED AFTER REVVING THE ENGINE STRONG AND BUCKED FORWARD. THIS CAR HAS THE CVT TRANSMISSION AND OTHER SYMPTOMS OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM ARE LURCHING, BUCKING FROM A ROLLING STOP AND ROUGH IDLING. THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER INSPECTED MY CAR AND SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND THAT THE HILL ASSIST BUTTON WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE DEALER'S STORY BASED UPON THE HUNDREDS OF POSTS OF SUBARU TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND ARE PURSUING A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AS DRIFTING BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS WITHOUT ANY CONTROL OF THE CAR WILL JUST RESULT IN A CRASH SOONER OR LATER. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR! *TR