NHTSA Complaint #11267770 — 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK

WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITH SUBARU AMERICA, BUT THEY DON'T RESPOND. 2011 PURCHASED NEW SUBARU OUTBACK. ALL REQUIRED SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE & SERVICES PERFORMED ON TIME AT AUTHORIZED PROVIDER. 2019 THE TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT REPLACED PER MFG STDS. DEALER ADDED COOLANT & BLED THE SYSTEM. 3 MONTHS LATER THE RADIATOR BLEW. A CHEMICAL BLOCK WAS DONE & ALL WAS FINE PER DEALER. 3 MONTHS LATER ENGINE OVERHEATED. ANOTHER DEALERSHIP DISCOVERED THE HEAD GASKET & CAT WERE CRACKED WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY THE PREVIOUS DEALER. SUBARUS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HEAD GASKET & COOLANT SYSTEM ISSUES FROM 100,000 ' 120,000 MILES. SUBARU SLIGHTLY REDESIGNED THE HEAD GASKETS, BUT THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS AWARE THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKET, CAT AND RADIATOR ARE WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET FOR 1990 TO 2011 MODELS. ISSUE STEMS FROM MANAGEMENT DECISION TO UTILIZE A COMPOSITE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAD GASKET TO SAVE MONEY; HOWEVER, THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF HEAT ON COMPOSITE METAL PRODUCTS WOULD SURMISE THIS WOULD LEAD TO WARPING, CRACKING OR OTHER RELATED PRODUCT FAILURES. THE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUBARU HEAD GASKET WAS INEPT AT BEST. THE DEVICE FEATURES A MULTI-LAYER STEEL SHIM COATED WITH A GRAPHITE LAYER. IT WAS NOT UP-TO-THE-MARK & ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE EXHAUST PRESSURE &/OR COMBUSTION CHAMBER. THERE WAS NO SUBARU HEAD GASKET RECALL BUT THE COMPANY REDESIGNED THE CYLINDER HEADS & CONFIGURATIONS OF THE CAMSHAFT. HOWEVER, IT ONLY LED TO THE COOLANT A&ND OIL LEAK AT THE EXTERNAL HEAD GASKET. THIS SYSTEM DEFECT ADDS TO THE COOLANT SYSTEM FAILURE NOTED. WE REQUEST SUBARU AMERICA REIMBURSE US FOR THE TOTAL COST OF THE RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT & HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT AT $4,013.80. PLUS OTHER COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE BREAKDOWNS AT $1,236.20 FOR A TOTAL OF $5,250.00