NHTSA Complaint #10683094 — 2014 SUBARU FORESTER

WE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND CAR INSPECTED AT THE VISTA AUTOMOTIVE GROUP SUBARU OF SILVERTHONE, COLORADO ON DECEMBER 29, 2014. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CAR WAS REPORTED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. UPON DEPARTING FOR CALIFORNIA ON JANUARY 2, WE WERE ON INTERSTATE 70 WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO YAW (PULL TO LEFT AND THEN PULL TO RIGHT) IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THERE WAS SOME RESIDUAL SNOW IN THE CENTER OF AND ON THE SIDES OF THE LANE BUT THE PAVEMENT UNDER THE TIRES WAS DRY. AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR OF THIS PHENOMENON, AND AFTER THE PAVEMENT WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR, THE YAWING CEASED. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MCCRAE SUBARU IN EUREKA, CALIFORNIA UPON OUR RETURN AND WERE TOLD THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT THE SPEED DIFFERENCE IN THE DRIVETRAIN WAS APPARENTLY CAUSED BY THE REAR TIRES HAVING LESS TREAD THAN THE FRONT TIRES. AFTER CONTACTING SUBARU NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, WE WERE TOLD THE REAR TIRE WEAR RESULTED FROM THE FAILURE TO ROTATE THE TIRES. SUBARU REFERRED US TO YOKOHAMA TIRES FOR REPLACEMENTS. WE PURCHASED TWO NEW YOKOHAMA TIRES AND WHEN MOUNTED BY TP TIRES IN ARCATA, CALIFORNIA, WERE ADVISED THAT THE REAR WHEELS WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. WE THEN HAD THE CAR ALIGNED BY SIMPLY PERFORMANCE AUTOMOTIVE OF ARCATA, CA AND THEY CONFIRMED THE REAR TWO WHEELS WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT, CAUSING THE TIRES TO WEAR UNEVENLY. WE STILL ARE CONCERNED THAT THE YAWING COULD BE THE RESULT OF THE CAR'S COMPUTER SYSTEM, BUT HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT SUBARU WILL DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM HONESTLY, AS THEY CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN IT'S A TIRE ROTATION ISSUE. *TR