NHTSA Complaint #10734995 — 2011 SUBARU FORESTER

ON JUNE 8 2015 I ATTENDED A MEETING. WHEN THE MEETING ENDED AT 8 PM, IT WAS RAINING HARD. I HURRIED TO THE CAR, OPENED THE DRIVER?S DOOR WITH MY LEFT HAND AND SMACKED THE CORNER OF THE DOOR INTO MY LEFT EYEBROW. THE BLEEDING WAS SUBSTANTIAL, DRIPPING LARGE DROPS ONTO THE GROUND AND ONTO MY DRESS. A STRANGER STOPPED, ADVISING ME TO KEEP CONTINUAL PRESSURE ON THE WOUND UNTIL IT STOPPED BLEEDING. EVENTUALLY IT DID SO AND I DROVE HOME ONE-HANDED WITH THE OTHER KEEPING PRESSURE ON MY FOREHEAD. SINCE THE BLEEDING HAD ENDED, A PRESSURE BANDAGE KEPT IT STOPPED FOR THE NIGHT. THE BLACK EYE HAS FADED. THERE IS NO PERMANENT DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR A 5/8" SCAR ACROSS MY EYEBROW AND A RUINED DRESS. INSPECTING THE DOOR THE NEXT MORNING, I REALIZED THE CORNER OF THE DOOR COMES TO AN ACUTE ANGLE. THE DOOR ITSELF IS WEATHERSTRIPPED AND HAS A RUBBER GASKET. BUT THE EXPOSED METAL CORNER OF THE DOOR HAS NO PROTECTION. IT IS TOTALLY EXPOSED! I HAVE THE MISFORTUNE OF BEING A 5?8? FEMALE WHOSE EYE HEIGHT MEETS THE CORNER OF THE DOOR. I ALSO HAVE THE MISFORTUNE OF BEING LEFT-HANDED SO I OPEN THE DOOR WITH MY PRIMARY HAND. (OPENING A DRIVER?S DOOR WITH THE RIGHT HAND OFFERS SOME PROTECTION BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE ARM.) SUBSEQUENT TO THIS EVENT, I WROTE SUBARU CORPORATE AS WELL AS THE LOCAL DEALER. THEIR REPLY THANKED ME FOR SUGGESTING A DESIGN CONCEPT (I THINK THAT WAS THE PHRASE). A 'GOODY BOX' FROM SUBARU ARRIVED SHORTLY THEREAFTER.