NHTSA Complaint #10704017 — 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR USED AND NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL RADIO CONTROLS DID NOT WORK. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THERE WAS ALREADY A RECALL ON THIS CAR AND THIS CAR HAS ALREADY HAD THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED ON IT IN DECEMBER OF 2010. THE AFFECTED PART IS THE STEERING WHEEL ROLL CONNECTOR. THIS PART ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE CONTACT OF OTHER ELECTRICAL SIGNALS FROM THE AIRBAG, CRUISE CONTROL AND PADDLE SHIFTERS TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER. I CALLED SUBARU AND THEY SAID THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE. I PURCHASED THE PART FROM THE SUBARU DEALER AND INSTALLED IT PER THE SERVICE MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS. UPON INSTALLATION OF THE ROLL CONNECTOR AND COMPLETION OF THE TOTAL REPAIR THE STEERING WHEEL RADIO CONTROLS FUNCTIONED AS THEY WERE INTENDED. I THINK THIS IS A CONCERN BECAUSE SUBARU HAS REPLACED A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART WITH ONE THAT AFTER A LITTLE OVER 4.5 YEARS HAS FAILED AGAIN. ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION ON THE INITIAL RECALL THE STEERING WHEEL RADIO CONTROLS WERE ONLY THE FIRST SYMPTOM OF THE EVENTUAL TOTAL FAILURE OF ALL THE CONNECTIONS OF THE STEERING WHEEL ROLL CONNECTOR. WHICH COULD ALSO LEAD TO THE AIRBAG NOT PERFORMING AS IT SHOULD DURING A CRASH. *TR