NHTSA Complaint #10936355 — 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK

THE HEADLIGHT BULBS ON MY 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK "BURNOUT" EVERY 4-5 MONTHS. I ADDRESSED THE ISSUE WITH THE ORIGINAL DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, TO NO SATISFACTORY END. THEY BASICALLY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO OTHER THAN REPLACE THE BULBS. SINCE THE FIRST INSTANCE I HAVE PERSONALLY REPLACED THE BULBS A MINIMUM OF A DOZEN TIMES. THE LATEST BURNOUT OCCURRED THIS WEEKEND WHILE DRIVING IN A SNOWSTORM.THE ORIGINAL DEALER IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS SO I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THERE IS NOW A "WARRANTY EXTENSION" IN PLACE TO REPLACE THE BULBS FOR A TEN YEAR PERIOD FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE. WHEN I QUESTIONED WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO TO CORRECT THE OBVIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THE SERVICE WRITER STATED "THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE OTHER THAN REPLACING THE BULB". A SUBSEQUENT CALL TO SUBARU OF AMERICA PRODUCED NOTHING MORE THAN A "SIR, WE HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR UP TO TEN YEARS TO REPLACE THE BULBS" WHEN I REPEATEDLY QUESTIONED WHAT WAS BEING DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT SUBARU IS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO RECTIFY. THEY ARE BAND AIDING THE PROBLEM WITH THE "EXTENDED WARRANTY". THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHEN HEADLIGHT BULBS JUST "BURNOUT", ALMOST ALWAYS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME. IS IT GOING TO TAKE MY VEHICLE BURNING TO THE GROUND DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, VOLTAGE SURGE OR WHATEVER ELSE IS CAUSING THE BURNOUTS, OR WORSE YET A SUBARU OWNER BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, BEFORE SUBARU INITIATES A RECALL TO FIX THE ISSUE THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF. *TR