NHTSA Complaint #768872 — 2000 SUBARU IMPREZA

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AS A NEW VEHICLE. THE ORIGINAL RIGHT REAR BEARING FAILED IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR AND WAS REPLACED. IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL STARTED MAKING A NOISE AGAIN. I HAD AN INDEPENDENT SUBARU DEALER CONFIRM THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING HAD FAILED AGAIN. WHEN THIS IS REPLACED THIS WILL BE THE THIRD RIGHT WHEEL BEARING. CAR HISTORY: AFTER OWNING THE NEW CAR FOR 4 MONTHS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK. THE DEALER TRIED TO TELL ME THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED BECAUSE OF A STONE. I SHOWED HIM THAT THE CRACK STARTED BY THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD PILLAR. IT WAS REPAIRED FOR FREE. I WENT IN FOR ROUTINE BRAKE SERVICE AND ONE OF THE MECHANICS ASKED ME IF THE CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE CALIPER WAS A MITSUBISHI CALIPER AND NOT A SUBARU CALIPER. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS TO THE SERVICE MANAGERS ATTENTION HE STATED THE JAPANESE MANUFACTURERS SOMETIME CROSS-USE COMPATIBLE PARTS IN DIFFERENT MAKES OF CARS. I AM NOT SURE THIS IS A VAILD EXPLAINATION. I'M WONDERING IF I BOUGHT A NEW CAR THAT HAD SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE RIGHT SIDE(WINDSHIELD PROBLEM, RIGHT FRONT CALIPER FROM ANOTHER MANUFACTURER AND PROBLEMS WITH THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING). ALSO WHEN I GOT THE WHEEL BEARING REPLACED, THERE WAS ANOTHER SUBARU CUSTOMER GETTING THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING REPLACED ON A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK, SHE ONLY HAD 24,000 MILES WHEN THE PART FAILED. DT