NHTSA Complaint #11586320 — 2015 SUBARU FORESTER

The vehicle is a 2015 Subaru Forester. At that time, the car had 47800 miles on it. I started to sense a shaking or vibration on the steering wheel, especially at highway speeds. I took it to a local Subaru dealer and the dealer technician found the lower control arm bushings to be work/torn. I have been driving for over 40 years and have never had to have the bushings replaced in any of my (Toyota) cars, especially at 47800 miles. I bought the car new. I live in the city and do not do any off road driving. I bought the car because of the Eyesight safety system. I didn't realize Subaru's quality was not at the same level as Toyota. According to J.D. Power, "The bushings prevent metal-to-metal contact (friction) hence safeguarding the metal joints." and "Driving around with worn-out bushings can pose a threat to the driver and other road users. Worn-out bushings may also cause damage to the vehicle when its components snap." (website: [XXX] ) I believe it may be a "lemon". I have had to take it to the dealership regarding the transmission problem of hesitation on acceleration. The technician tested it and (of course) found nothing wrong. The service advisor did inform me, over the phone, that the technician experienced the issue during testing. Subaru denied my request for reimbursement of the defective battery. They indicated that I was not eligible for reimbursement because I did not pay the dealership to replace the battery. I had bought an Interstate battery at Costco and replaced it myself. Replacing a car battery is not rocket science. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)