NHTSA Complaint #11194462 — 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA

SUMMARY: OUR 'VALVE SPRINGS' RECALL ('SUBARU RECALL WTY-84. NHTSA ID 18V-722. DEC. 2018') TOOK FIVE WEEKS TO COMPLETE ARE DAMAGED OUR VEHICLE. A MANDATORY RECALL REPAIR SHOULD 'FIRST DO NO HARM', BUT OUR CAR WAS RETURNED TO US IN SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE CONDITION THAN WHEN WE LEFT IT WITH THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED THE WORK. THIS DEALER IS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, AND WE ARE NOW IN A POSITION WHERE WE MUST SELL THE VEHICLE, SEVERAL YEARS SOONER THAN PLANNED. TIME LINE: 4 FEB. 2019: DROPPED THE VEHICLE AT STEVENS CREEK SUBARU IN SANTA CLARA, CA. AT THIS TIME, OUR VEHICLE HAD NO NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS ' NO OIL LEAKS ON OUR GARAGE FLOOR, NO BURNING SMELLS, AND NO FUNNY NOISES. 7 MARCH 2019: CALLED BY DEALER AND ASKED IF I WISHED TO SPEND 'SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS' TO REPAIR ENGINE LEAKS THEY CLAIM TO HAVE HAD FOUND. I POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKS WHEN I BROUGHT IN THE CAR, AND THAT I EXPECTED OUR CAR BACK IN AT LEAST AS GOOD CONDITION AS WHEN I DROPPED IT, BUT WITH THE RECALL ADDRESSED. CONCERNED THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE, I EMAILED TO THE DEALER A PHOTO OF MY GARAGE FLOOR SHOWING NO EVIDENCE OF OIL DRIPPINGS (ATTACHED). 9 MARCH 2019: PICKED UP MY VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY NOTICED STRONG BURNING SMELLS, AND OIL DRIPPINGS BEGAN TO APPEAR ON THE FLOOR. 16 MARCH 2019: CONTACTED DEALER AND ARRANGED FOR THEM TO INSPECT VEHICLE. OPENED CASE NUMBER 1-41918146136 WITH SUBURU. E-MAILED PHOTOS OF GARAGE FLOOR, NOW WITH OIL DRIPPINGS (ATTACHED.) 20-22 MARCH 2019: DEALER PERFORMED A COMPLEMENTARY REPAIR TO 'RESEAL THE PASSENGER SIDE VALVE COVER'. 22 MARCH 2019: SYMPTOMS NOT IMPROVED. WIFE REPORTED HEARING NEW SOUNDS. SINCE THEN: DEALER CLAIMS THE PROBLEMS WERE PREEXISTING, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE WERE NO SYMPTOMS BEFORE THE RECALL WORK, AND ARE REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.