NHTSA Complaint #11241078 — 2014 SUBARU FORESTER

MY CAR HAS 43K MILES ON IT AND DURING A BRAKES SERVICE AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THEY FOUND THE LEFT REAR COIL SPRING SEVERELY CRACKED AND ABOUT TO BREAK. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE BOTH COIL SPRINGS REPLACED IMMEDIATELY, THAT THE CRACKED ONE COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME CAUSING THE CAR TO SINK AND POTENTIALLY PUNCTURE THE TIRE. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I NOT DRIVE THE CAR HOME WHILE AWAITING THIS PART TO COME IN - IT WAS THAT SERIOUS A RISK. THEY QUOTED ALMOST $900 TO REPLACE BOTH COIL SPRINGS PLUS THE COST OF AN ALIGNMENT. WHEN I LOOKED UP MORE ABOUT THIS, I FOUND DISCUSSION BOARDS WHERE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS AND SAID IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH SO FEW MILES ON THE CAR, AND THAT PEOPLE HAD FOUND THESE SPRINGS TO BE RUSTED AND FAULTY, CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. SOME DEALERSHIPS WERE COVERING THIS REPAIR AS "GOODWILL." I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP BACK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT AS GOODWILL, BUT I COULD ASK SUBARU HEAD OFFICE IF THEY WOULD. I CALLED 1-800-SUBARU-3 AND STARTED A CLAIM. THEY CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AND THEN CALLED ME BACK WITHIN 20 MINUTES AND SAID THEY WOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR IN FULL, AND GIVE ME A LOANER CAR WHILE AWAITING THE PART. I WONDER IF THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I ALSO WONDER WHY SUBARU IS NOT BEING UP FRONT ABOUT COVERING THIS REPAIR IF IT IS INDEED A FAULTY PART ON THEIR PART. I WAS QUOTED $900+ FOR THE REPAIR, AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF LOOKING UP THE HISTORY OF OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND ESCALATING THE ISSUE TO THE HEAD OFFICE WAS THIS REPAIR COVERED. MY DEALERSHIP WAS NOT FORTHCOMING THAT THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT 43K MILES AND SEEMED UNUSUAL.