NHTSA Complaint #10761389 — 2015 SUBARU WRX

PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW WITH LESS THAN TEN MILES ON ODOMETER. FROM NEW, THE VEHICLE PRODUCED A STRONG ODOR OF BURNING OR MELTING PLASTIC EVERY TIME IT WAS DRIVEN. CLUTCH BEGAN SLIPPING AND THEN CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED AT 5100 MILES. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, CLUTCH REPLACED. AT 7,200 MILES, CLUTCH THROW-OUT BEARING FAILED, DEALER REPLACED. AT 11,709 MILES, THROW OUT BEARING FAILED AGAIN, DEALER DISCOVERED CLUTCH WAS ON THE VERGE OF SECOND FAILURE DURING SERVICE. A SECOND REPLACEMENT CLUTCH HAS BEEN ORDERED. ADVISED BY SERVICE MANAGER THAT CAUSE OF ALL FAILURES WAS THAT A "PLUG" OF SOME SORT HAD WORKED LOOSE, CAUSING CLUTCH TO REMAIN ENGAGED AT ALL TIMES, LEADING TO CLUTCH FAILURE. IF CLUTCH FAILURE OCCURRED AT INTERSECTION OR RAIL CROSSING, THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT COULD LEAD TO THE SEVERE INJURY OR EVEN THE DEATH OF OCCUPANTS IN THE DISABLED VEHICLE, AS THIS FAILURE RENDERS THE VEHICLE IMMOBILE.