NHTSA Complaint #10672263 — 2009 SUBARU LEGACY

CAR HAS BEEN OWNED FOR 2.5 YEARS AND HAS BEEN DRIVING WELL. THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY CEL OR OTHER WARNING LIGHT PROBLEM INDICATIONS. CAR HAS HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, RECALLS AND LAST SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE WAS DONE AT VAN BORTEL SUBARU, VICTOR, NY ON 11/28/14 (67,433 MILES). ON 12/23/14 IN THE EVENING, FOLLOWING A 7 HOUR HIGHWAY TRIP, CAR ABRUPTLY DEVELOPED A LOUD ENGINE KNOCK WITH VIBRATIONS AND WAS CHOKING FOR GAS. ON 12/24/14, CAR WAS BROUGHT INTO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A MAJOR INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE AND THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE. VANBORTEL SUBARU SERVICE DEPT. WAS CONTACTED AND GAVE ME A QUOTE FOR A REBUILT SUBARU SHORT ENGINE BLOCK FOR $6,600. WITH ONLY A TWO YEAR WARRANTY. THEY ALSO SAID THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE IT HAD 68,000 MILES ON IT. NO " GOODWILL ASSISTANCE" FROM THE DEALERSHIP OR SOA WAS OFFERED EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SERVICED 7 OF MY FAMILY'S SUBARUS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. AND, THE '09 LEGACY HAS A HISTORY OF ENGINE PROBLEMS AS DOCUMENTED IN VARIOUS ONLINE OWNER FORUMS (EG. NASIOC) AND BY CONSUMER REPORTS WHO RATED THE '09 LEGACY AS BEING "WORSE THAN AVERAGE FOR MAJOR AND MINOR ENGINE PROBLEMS" I HAD THE SHORT BLOCK ENGINE SWAP PERFORMED BY MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND ASKED HIM TO TEAR DOWN THE OLD ENGINE. HE REPORTED THAT: "THE # 1 CONNECTING ROD BEARING COMPLETELY FAILED AND WAS GRINDING INTO THE CRANKSHAFT. RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE." HE FURTHER NOTED THAT THE ENGINE OIL WAS FULL. I HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS TO VANBORTEL SUBARU AND SOA FOR THE DECLINE IN THEIR QUALITY, INTEGRITY, CUSTOMER SERVICES AND INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, INJURY OR BEING STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY PRIOR SYMPTOMS OR WARNINGS. *TR