NHTSA Complaint #10994278 — 2007 SUBARU LEGACY

THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS CONNECTING THE BODY AND REAR LIFT GATE WHICH CONTAINS 14 WIRES WITHIN A RUBBER ACCORDIAN BOOT SUFFERED A BREAKAGE OF ALL 14 WIRES AT THE BODY SIDE OF THE BOOT. THIS AFFECTED THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, DEFROST WIRES, AND THE REAR WIPER MOTOR AS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND REAR BACKUP LIGHTS, LIFTGATE LOCK, AND SECURITY SYSTEM AS AN INCONVENIENCE. FIRST ITEM THAT WAS NOTICED WAS LIFT LATCH LOCK NOT WORKING, THEN OTHER ITEMS FAILED IN SUCCESSION. I LOOKED AT AFFECTED COMPONENTS BUT ONLY SOLVED PROBLEM BY ACCESSING A LEGACY OWNERS WEBSITE WHERE THIS WAS FOUND TO BE A FREQUENT ISSUE IN VARYING DEGREES. PROBLEM WAS FIXED, NOT REPAIRED, BY RUNNING 14 NEW HIGHER QUALITY WIRES THROUGH THE RUBBER BOOT AND MAKING CONNECTIONS AT EITHER SIDE. REPLACEMENT HARNESS FROM SUBARU HAD SAME TYPE OF WIRES WHICH IN MY OPINION WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY FAILED AGAIN.