NHTSA Complaint #10649644 — 2014 SUBARU LEGACY

VEHICLE HAD A 2-5 SECONDS ACCELERATION HESITATION. TAKING OFF FROM A YIELD SIGN AND GOING ACROSS A HWY, THE CAR HAD ENOUGH POWER TO ROLL FORWARD. TRIED FLOORING THE ACCELERATOR, BUT ALSO DID NOT RESPOND TO FULL THROTTLE UNTIL AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE CAR STARTED TO SLOWLY MOVE. THE ENGINE IS ON LOW RPMS AND DOES NOT LAUNCH FORWARD AS TO INDICATE A TRANSMISSION ISSUE..... IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A FUEL DELIVERY OR THROTTLE SENSOR ISSUE. I ALSO HAD THIS SAME ISSUE WITH A 2013 SUBARU IMPREZA (TRADED IN THE IMPREZA THINKING IT WAS A QUIRK WITH THE CAR). SUBARU DEALER WAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE ISSUE ON THE IMPREZA OR THE ON THE LEGACY. NO ERROR CODES PRESENT. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THE CAR (LEGACY) TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS NOT ASKED TO ATTACH ANY KIND OF DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT TO POSSIBLY CAPTURE VALUABLE DATA IN THE EVENT THAT THE ISSUE WAS REPRODUCED. WHEN THE PROBLEM HAS MANIFESTED, I HAVE ACCELERATED FROM A COMPLETE STOP OR FROM A SLOW ROLLING YIELD, THEN 2 - 5 SECOND DELAY IN ACCELERATION - VERY SLOW ROLL FORWARD. I SHARED THIS INFORMATION WITH THE DEALER. MY FAMILY AND I ALMOST GOT HIT A FEW WEEKS AGO BY A CAR GOING AROUND 60 MPH AND I WAS ALMOST HIT WHEN DRIVING THE IMPREZA (LET THE CAR ROLL BACK TO AVOID BEING HIT - I WAS ON SMALL INCLINE LEAVING MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A HWY). MANY SUBARU OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE (OLD / NEW VEHICLES). THERE ARE SOME BLOGS WHERE CUSTOMERS MENTION HAVING BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE AND PLENTY OF BLOGS WHERE CUSTOMERS REPORT THE PROBLEM AND FRUSTRATION WHEN THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE REPRODUCED AND ARE SENT HOME WITHOUT A FIX. HOW CAN SAFERCAR.GOV HELP COMMUNICATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE TO SUBARU BEFORE A FATALITY? *TR