NHTSA Complaint #10621925 — 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK

I WAS DRIVING ON I-84 IN CT WHEN MY PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW. THE CAR FISHTAILED BUT I GOT IT SLOWED DOWN AND OVER TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THE GARAGE PUT THE CAR UP ON A LIFT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME HAD BROKEN RIGHT WHERE THE UPPER CONTROL ARM CONNECTED TO IT WHICH ALLOWED THE TIRE TO LEAN IN TOWARDS THE BODY OF THE CAR WHERE IT RUBBED AGAINST THE BODY, HEATED UP AND THEN RUPTURED. THESE TIRES HAD JUST BEEN INSTALLED 3 DAYS EARLIER. LOOKING AT THE SUBFRAME IT WAS BADLY RUSTED, THE VARIOUS CONTROL ARMS ATTACHED TO IT HAD SOME SURFACE RUST BUT NOTHING LIKE THE SUBFRAME. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR WAS NOT RUSTED. THE SUBARU DEALER GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $2000 TO REPLACE THE SUBFRAME, SINCE THE CAR WAS WORTHLESS OTHERWISE I TOLD HIM TO PROCEED. I FOUND OUT THAT MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR "CERTAIN REAR SUSPENSION SUBFRAME COMPONENTS WERE PRODUCED WITH POOR PAINT QUALITY " ..."WHICH, AFTER CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO CORROSIVE ROAD SALTS FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, COULD RESULT IN RUST-OUT OF THE COMPONENT AND POSSIBLE BREAKAGE OF THE SUBFRAME. IF SUCH BREAKAGE OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH." MY VEHICLE GOT "TREATED" FOR THE RECALL WHICH INCLUDED CLEANING THE SUBFRAME AND PAINTING IT. I CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE IN THE COSTS SINCE IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE RECALL "TREATMENT" DID NOT WORK AND THERE WAS NO REASON, EXCEPT A DEFECTIVE PAINT JOB, FOR A SUBFRAME TO FAIL ON A 13 YEAR OLD CAR. THE DECLINED TO HELP ME CITING THE AGE OF THE CAR AND THE FACT THAT THE RECALL "WORK" HAD BEEN PERFORMED. THEY ALSO OFFERED A $500 COUPON IF I WANTED TO BUY A NEW SUBARU. I BELIEVE THAT THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND THE REAR SUBFRAME REPLACED ON SUBARU DIME. *TR