NHTSA Complaint #758903 — 2002 SUBARU FORESTER

THE OPEN WHEEL DESIGN ALLOWS SNOW, SILT, MUD TO EASILY PACK IN GROOVES INSIDE THE WHEELS. THIS CAUSES ALL WHEELS TO BECOME IMMEDIATELY OUT OF BALANCE CAUSING, OF COURSE, EXTREME SHIMMYING. THE COMPANY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DOES NOT CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT. I CONSIDER DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH OUT OF BALANCE WHEELS AND IMPORTANT IF NOT DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALSO, TO CLEAN THE WHEELS ENTAILS GETTING DOWN ON HANDS AND KNEES WITH A SCREWDRIVER AND SCRAPING THE DEPOSITS FROM THE OUTSIDE GROOVE, BEHIND THE WHEEL "SPOKES" AND AROUND THE INSIDE GROOVE. THE ONLY ACCESS TO THIS IS THRU THE SMALL OPENINGS IN THE "SPOKES". IT ALWAYS TAKES AT LEAST THREE SUCH CLEANING OF ALL EFFECTED WHEELS BEFORE ONE CAN GET ALL THE DEPOSITS REMOVED AND THE WHEELS BACK IN BALANCE. WHEN YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO CHURCH DURING THE MIDDLE OF WINTER THIS SITUATION BECOMES UNTOLERABLE AND RESULTS IN HAVING TO DRIVE WITH UNBALANCED WHEELS TO DESTINATION OR AT LEAST A LOCATION WHERE REMOVAL OF DEPOSITS CAN BE DONE SAFELY. EXPLAINING THIS PROBLEM IS DIFFICULT AND I DO NOT KNOW THE TECHNICAL TERMS OF WHEEL PARTS/CONSTRUCTION. IN ALL VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED THE OUTSIDE OF THE WHEEL IS SOLID, NO OPENINGS, OTHER THAN FOR LUG BOLTS THEREFORE THERE IS NO PLACE FOR DEPOSITS TO STICK AND OF COURSE HUBCAPS FURTHER PROTECT FOR THIS. ON THE SUBARU THE WHEEL IS NOT SOLID BUT OF AN OPEN SPOKED DESIGN ALLOWING SAND, MUD, SNOW TO EASILY SETTLE INSIDE THE WHEEL. THERE ARE NO HUBCAPS AVAILABLE TO AT LEAST PROTECT THE OUTSIDE OF THE WHEEL. EVEN IF THERE WAS THAT WOULDN'T STOP STUFF FROM GETTING IN FROM THE INSIDE. I'M NO EXPERT BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SUBARU JUST NEEDS TO PROVIDE A SOLID WHEEL REPLACEMENT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THANKS. *AK