NHTSA Complaint #11102645 — 2015 SUBARU FORESTER

2015 SUBARU FORESTER MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO PARKING SPACE BETWEEN 2 CARS IN A PARKING GARAGE. GOING UPHILL INTO THE SPACE WHEN VEHICLE SURGED AT GREAT SPEED IN A 10 FT DISTANCE HITTING THE WALL AT GREAT SPEED, CAUSING EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE, DEPLOYING AIRBAGS, AND DISLODGING THE FRONT DASHBOARD. THE 2 CARS ON EITHER SIDE WERE NOT HIT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED LACERATIONS TO LEGS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT LOU FUSZ SUBARU. THE SECOND EVENT HAPPED ON 7/6/16 (25463 MILES) IN THE SAME PARKING GARAGE, NEAR THE SAME PARKING SPACE. WHILE TURNING INTO THE PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD STRIKING THE WALL AT GREAT SPEED. THOUGH THE FRONT END WAS AGAIN DAMAGED, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THERE WERE A DOZEN SIMILAR REPORTS FOR 2015 THE SUBARU FORESTER WHILE PARKING. ANEIGHBOR WITH A 2015 SUBARU LEGACY HAD THREE INSTANCES OF UNEXPECTED ACCELERATIONS. NO CAUSE WAS IDENTIFIED BUT REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE CAR AT WEBSTER GROVES SUBARU. IT APPEARS TO HAVE RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE SUBARU FORESTER WAS REPAIRED AT AN INDEPENDENT BODY SHOP AND THEN CHECKED AT WEBSTER GROVES SUBARU. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD THE CAR TO THE DRIVER (LOU FUSZ), THE SUBARU CORPORATION SENT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC (FROM BOSCH EEA) TO EVALUATE THE CAR. THE DRIVER WAS TOLD IN AN EMAIL THAT THE REPORT WAS PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND NO DETAILS OF THE EVALUATION WERE MADE AVAILABLE. THE EMAIL ONLY REPORTED THE LACK OF ANY PROBLEMS FOUND THAT COULD EXPLAIN THE UNEXPECTED SURGING WHILE PARKING. THE DRIVER SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT WEBSTER GROVES SUBARU. SHE WAS UNABLE TO HELP SINCE NO ONE HAD REPRODUCED THE PROBLEM. AS FAR AS SUBARU WAS CONCERNED, THE CAR WAS NORMAL AND OFFERED NO FURTHER HELP. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THE SECOND REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED.