NHTSA Complaint #10679384 — 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK

RECALL WVY-35 APPLIES TO SOME 2012 SUBARU OUTBACKS. MY 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS THIS DIFFICULTY YET IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS BEEN SOFT AND MUSHY. I NEED TO PRESS THE PEDAL VERY HARD FOR A LONG DISTANCE ALMOST TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE STOPPING DISTANCE AS A RESULT IS OFTEN MUCH LONGER THAN EXPECTED. THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN THE RECALL BELOW. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS INTO MY SUBARU DEALER SERVICE CENTER AND I AM TOLD THE BRAKES ARE OPERATING NORMALLY, BUT THEY ARE NOT. SUBARU CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TELLS ME THAT MY 2012 OUTBACK IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. RECALL WVY-35 SEEMS NOT TO APPLY TO VERY MAY CARS AND FOR OUTBACKS IS NARROWLY FOCUSED ON DATES OF MANUFACTURE SPANNING ONLY 36 DAYS, WHEN IT CLEARLY RELATES TO A FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER USED IN THOSE CARS AND MY CAR IS AFFECTED BUT IS NOT RECALLED. WHY ISN'T THIS RECALL MORE BROAD AND RELATE TO ALL CARS WITH THESE MASTER CYLINDERS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRAKES HERE. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE BAD BRAKE SYSTEMS ARE REPAIRED? RECALL WVY-35 IS CUT AND PASTED BELOW: SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 IMPREZA SEDANS AND WAGONS (EXCEPT WRX/STI MODELS), MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 21, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2011, AND LEGACY AND OUTBACK VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 17, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 23, 2011. THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER THAT COULD MALFUNCTION AND CAUSE AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL DISTANCE REQUIRED TO SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSEQUENCE: THE DRIVER MIGHT MISJUDGE THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS COULD OCCUR UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. *TR