NHTSA Complaint #11186212 — 2012 SUBARU LEGACY

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. I WAS IN THE PARKING LOT AT WORK TRYING TO LEAVE AT THE END OF THE DAY. IT DROVE FINE OVER LUNCH AND THEN WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AT 5PM THE STEERING MADE A WHINING NOISE (TYPICAL, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, OF A POWER STEERING FAILURE) AND WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO DID A HARSH VIBRATING THING A LITTLE AS I WAS TRYING TO TURN AS IF IT WAS STRUGGLING. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP, SO I PUT IT RIGHT BACK IN THE PARKING SPACE SO THAT IT COULD BE TOWED. THERE WAS ZERO INDICATION THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. IT DROVE FINE OVER LUNCH, SO IT WAS VERY SURPRISING THAT THIS JUST HAPPENED. HAD CAR TOWED TO LOCAL SUBARU DEALER TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED REPLACING. AFTER IT WAS REPLACED, THEY TEST DROVE IT AND SAID THE STEERING STILL WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY AND WAS STILL DOING THE HARSH VIBRATING THING INDICATING THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED REPLACING BECAUSE IT HAD FAILED. POWER STEERING FLUID WAS COMPLETELY INTACT. NO BELTS APPEARED DAMAGED IN ANY WAY. I SEE WHERE THE 2013 LEGACY MODELS HAD A RECALL REGARDING STEERING AS WELL AS THE 2016 MODELS. AFTER READING THAT INFORMATION, THIS SITUATION SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE RECALLS.