NHTSA Complaint #11110092 — 2004 SUBARU FORESTER

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A STATE HIGHWAY(RTE. 195), I EXPERIENCED A SEVERE VIBRATION AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED LIMIT IN THE LEFT FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL. I PULLED OVER TO A BREAKDOWN LANE AND GOT OUT TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE WHEEL AND SURROUNDING AREA FOR ANY SIGN OF TROUBLE AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY. THE FOLLOWING DAY WHILE DRIVING THE SAME HIGHWAY THE VIBRATION AGAIN OCCURRED BUT ON A MORE FREQUENT BASIS. I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND DID MY BUSINESS. WHILE REVERSING AND TURNING THE VIBRATION HAPPENED AGAIN BUT MORE INTENSELY AT THIS TIME. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE DOWN A SMALLER STATE HIGHWAY(RTE. 6) WHERE I COULD GO A SLOWER SPEED AND FOUND THAT THE VIBRATION HAD GOTTEN EXTREME TO A POINT OF WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE THE WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I PROCEEDED TO A FAMILY MEMBERS HOUSE, PARKED AND JACKED THE VEHICLE UP AND REMOVED THE WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD IN FACT ROTTED TO A POINT OF IT SNAPPING AT THE MIDPOINT AND THUS DISCOVERED THE MECHANICAL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. A SAFETY RECALL WAS ISSUED BY SUBARU DEALERS OF AMERICA AND AS PER THE VIN MY VEHICLE IS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THE CONTROL ARM NEITHER APPEARS RUSTPROOFED NOR REPLACED AS PER THE RECALL.