NHTSA Complaint #10537085 — 2006 SUBARU B9 TRIBECA

HOOD FLEW UP WHILE DRIVING ON RT9 SOUTH IN OLDBRIDGE, NJ @ 45 MPH. REPAIRS BILL WAS AROUND $5000. IT HAPPENED TO ME BACK IN 2009, AND JUST TODAY IN 2013 I WAS ABOUT TO ADD SOME WINDSHIELD WASHER, SO I OPENED MY HOOD, AND IT POPPED UP COMPLETELY, AND THAT SECONDARY LOCK DID NOT HOLD IT AGAIN! IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER ACCIDENT IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE RUNNING CAR. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T GO AWAY WITH REPAIRS - I HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED EVEN LOCK MECHANISM AND CABLE TO THE HANDLE UNDER YOUR DASH. AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY. I LEARNED TODAY THAT SECONDARY LATCH GETS DIRTY, STICKY, AND STOPS MOVING AT ALL OVER TIME AND ENTIRE MECHANISM REMAINS UNLOCKED AFTER YOU CLOSE THE HOOD. THERE IS A SPRING THERE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO RETURN THE LATCH INTO LOCKED POSITION AFTER YOU CLOSE THE HOOD - THIS SPRING HAS NO POWER TO MOVE THIS STICKY MECHANISM, AND THAT HOOK REMAINS NOT ENGAGED AFTER YOU CLOSE THE HOOD. YOU CAN NOT SEE WHETHER OR NOT SECONDARY LOCK DID LOCK YOUR HOOD ONCE YOU CLOSE THE HOOD, BUT TRUST ME - IT DOESN`T LOCK THE HOOD - OTHERWISE THERE WOULD NOT BE SO MANY COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE LIKE ME. THEN, WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR HOOD FROM THE INSIDE - IT OPENS UP ENTIRELY AND SECONDARY LOCK IS NOT ENGAGED AT ALL - IT REMAINS OPEN AT ALL THE TIMES. IF YOU OPEN YOUR HOOD WHILE YOU DRIVE - IT WILL CRASH YOUR CAR - SECONDARY LOCK IS NOT WORKING. IF YOU HIT A POTHOLE OR A BUMP - YOU HOOD MAY FLY UP AS WELL - PRIMARY LOCK GETS RELEASED BY STRONG SHOCK, AND SECONDARY LOCK IS NOT THERE AS YOU ALREADY KNOW - THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BACK IN 2009, I DROVE ABOUT 50 MILES AND HIT A BUMP ON THE ROAD - HOOD FLEW UP CRASHING MY CAR. THE DESIGN OF THE SECONDARY LOCK IS THE PROBLEM - IT JUST DOESN`T DO WHAT IT IS THERE FOR. BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LOCKS ON THIS MODEL ARE DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN AND CAN NOT BE FIXED BY REPLACEMENT - I AM STILL LIVING PROOF OF THIS STATEMENT. *TR