NHTSA Complaint #10714975 — 2006 SUBARU B9 TRIBECA

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF AND WHEN WE GOT NEAR IT WE COULD SMELL AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE REAR PUDDLE LIGHT. WE IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE HOOD AND STARTED DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY. BY THE TIME THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED THERE WERE VISIBLE FLAMES COMING FROM THE PUDDLE LIGHT, AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE DOOR THRESHOLD INSIDE THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT BY THE POINT THAT THEY ARRIVED. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 5 MONTHS AGO, AND WHILE RESEARCHING IT BEFORE PURCHASE WE READ ABOUT A RECALL FOR THE PUDDLE LIGHTS. BEFORE WE EVEN TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE WE CALLED THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND GIVE THEM THE VIN AND ASKED IF THE RECALL NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED, AND THEY STATED THAT IT DID NOT. AFTER THE FIRE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO THEN INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ORDER NEW BULBS FOR THE PUDDLE LIGHTS, BUT MADE NO MENTION OF A RECALL. WE ARE WORRIED THAT SINCE THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE THE CAR THAT OTHER THINGS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AS WELL, BUT THEY INSIST THAT ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS TO REPLACE THE BULBS. *TR