NHTSA Complaint #10924424 — 2014 SUBARU OUTBACK

SUBARU OUTBACK MOON ROOF IS THE PROBLEM. AND APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SUBARU VEHICLES, AND YET,THEY CHOOSE TO NOT SHARE THIS INFORMATION, EVEN WHEN SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED PRIOR TO PURCHASE. EVEN IF YOU DO NOT OPEN THE ROOF, THERE ARE DRAINS THAT CAN CLOG, AND WHEN THEY CLOG, THE CAR STARTS FILLING WITH WATER. THE CLOG, IN MY CASE, WAS FROM FIR NEEDLES, SINCE I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS. BUT THEY ALSO SAY THAT SIMPLY A SPIDERWEB OR ROAD DIRT CAN CAUSE A CLOG OF THESE VERY SENSITIVE DRAINS. IN MY CASE, WATER WAS RUNNING DOWN THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT SHAFT, AND ON TO THE BACK SEAT FLOOR. SINCE IT RAINS A LOT, THEN LOTS OF WATER CAN COME IN. MANY, MANY GALLONS OF WATER. IT HAPPENS BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND WHEN IT IS MOVING. WE HAD TWO OCTOBER STORMS THAT DROPPED A GREAT DEAL OF RAIN, WHICH CAUSED SO MUCH WATER TO ENTER THE CAR THAT IT SLOSHED WHEN DRIVEN; LITERALLY, LIKE DRIVING A SWIMMING POOL! AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, SUBARU AGREED TO CLEAN THE DISASTER ONCE ONLY UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEN THEY WERE DONE. THERE IS NOTHING IN THEIR MANUALS ABOUT KEEPING THESE MYSTERY DRAINS CLEAR. THEY JUST HOPE THAT IT WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THEY WILL LIE TO YOUR FACE ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE WATER TIGHT NATURE OF THAT ROOF WINDOW. REPEATEDLY. AND ONCE THOSE HIDDEN DRAINS START TO CLOG, THE WINDOWS INITIALLY START FOGGING UP, FOLLOWED BY LARGE AMOUNTS OF MOLD AND OTHER NASTINESS. THEN THE CARPETING, UPHOLSTERY AND ALL OTHER "SOFT" COMPONENTS OF THE CAR NEED TO BE REPLACED. BUT THERE IS NO WAY TO CLEAN THE AIR VENT SYSTEM, SO MOLD IS THERE TO STAY.