NHTSA Complaint #11376570 — 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA

SEVERAL HOURS AFTER HAVING WORK PERFORMED ON MY CAR, I WAS TURNING LEFT FROM ONE ROAD TO ANOTHER, BOTH WITH SPEED LIMITS AROUND 40 MPH. WHILE TURNING LEFT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SHIFTING FROM 4TH TO 2ND GEAR. WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 15 MPH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I BECAME AWARE THAT THE CAR HAD STALLED. I HAD TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR AND SKIDDED OFF THE ROAD, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR BEHIND ME TO BRAKE SUDDENLY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR IMMEDIATELY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT, I HAD THE CAR THOROUGHLY INSPECTED AND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WERE FOUND. THE REASON SUSPECTED FOR THIS WAS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, WHICH IN CERTAIN SUBARUS CAN RESET AFTER THE CAR'S BATTERY HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED (TO PERFORM SERVICE ON THE CAR, IN THIS CASE). WHEN THE SENSOR IS RESET, THE CAR WILL TEND TO STALL WHEN THE RPMS DROP, EITHER WHEN COMING TO A STOP LIGHT OR DOWNSHIFTING IN MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE REPORTED BY MANY OWNERS AND MECHANICS. I WAS ADVISED BY A SUBARU DEALER THAT THE SUBARU RELEARN IDLE PROCEDURE NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED TO RESTORE PROPER IDLE PERFORMANCE AFTER THE BATTERY HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED. I HAVE EXPERIENCED MY CAR STALLING SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS DUE TO THIS ISSUE, BUT NEVER BEFORE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED MULTIPLE TIMES AND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES RELATED TO THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN FOUND. I BELIEVE THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, IN PARTICULAR IN CASES WHERE THE CAR CAN STALL WHILE IN MOTION AND ESPECIALLY WHILE TURNING, AS IT CAN EASILY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. FURTHER, THIS IS NOT A HIGHLY PREDICTABLE ISSUE AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR TO ME AS THE OWNER OF THE CAR WHEN THE RELEARN IDLE PROCEDURE NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED.