2002 SUBARU IMPREZA Structurebody Problems

AT OIL CHANGE, I WAS CALLED TO LOOK AT HOLE RUSTED INTO FRONT SUBFRAME--SHOCKING AND FRIGHTENING!!!

2002 SUBARU WITH ROTTED SUB FRAME WITH ONLY 129,000 MILES. UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

MY CAR HAS A SUB FRAME UNDER THE FRONT END. I HAVE READ THEORIES ABOUT WHY IT IS THERE BUT IT STILL SEEMS TO BE A QUESTION. I BELIEVE THE INFO ABOUT IT BEING AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURE FOR THE US MARKET. IT CAN BE REMOVED WITHOUT CHANGING ANYTHING ELSE. THEY RUST AND MINE IS A GROUP OF RUSTED FRAME LIKE MATERIAL READY TO FALL AND DAMAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF MY CAR AND ANY ONE BEHIND ME. IF THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED, IF IS NOT THEN THERE SHOULD BE AN ANSWER ABOUT WHY IT IS THERE AND IS IT NEEDED.

2002 IMPREZA WAS TAKEN TO TWO SUBARU DEALERSHIPS, BOTH OF WHICH FOUND THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS SERIOUSLY ROTTED, AS WAS THE LOWER SUPPORT FOR THE RADIATOR. BOTH CONDITIONS WERE DEEMED BY THE DEALERSHIPS TO MAKE THE CAR'S SAFETY TO DRIVE QUESTIONABLE. SUBARU OF AMERICA WAS CONTACTED BY THIS WRITER ABOUT THIS, AND ABOUT A FAILING HEAD GASKET WHICH WAS ALSO DISCOVERED BY THE TWO DEALERSHIPS AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, AND A SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE REPLIED THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THE SITUATION DUE TO THE CAR'S AGE. *TR

THE 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA IS SUBJECT TO A RECALL ON ITS CONTROL ARMS (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V464000). OUR CAR'S PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM CORRODED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE ABOUT 1.5 YEARS AGO. NOW WE HAVE DISCOVERED THE SAME LEVEL OF CORROSION ON A NEARBY PART, ALSO ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. WE DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE (AKA K-FRAME, AKA FRONT CROSSMEMBER) IS SHOWING SEVERE CORROSION, SIMILAR TO THAT SHOWN BY THE CONTROL ARM THAT PREVIOUSLY CORRODED THROUGH AND BROKE ON OUR CAR. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT IS HARD TO PREDICT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN SHOULD THIS PART FAIL, BUT WOULD POSE A SIGNIFICANT DANGER PARTICULARLY IF IT HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED. THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE CORROSION OF OUR CONTROL ARMS AND NOW OUR ENGINE CRADLE EXCEEDS THAT OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THIS WAS THE REASON THAT THE CONTROL ARMS WERE PREVIOUSLY RECALLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THEY WERE ADVISED THAT THE SUB FRAME EXHIBITED SEVERE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHO STATED THAT THE SUB FRAME WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,541.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL WHEN THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM THAT THE MOUNTING FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE FAILURE, THE CROSS MEMBERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HIM AT A LATER DATE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

EXTREME CORROSION OF FRONT SUB-FRAME. FAST ONSET. NO SIGN OF ISSUE AND THEN APPROX. LESS THAN 1 YEAR LATER TOTAL PENETRATING CORROSION WAS VISIBLE IN AN AREA OF IT. WAS NOTICED DURING COMPLETION OF AN EXISTING SAFETY RECALL DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND FAILURE OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. CAN PROVIDE DIGITAL PHOTOS OF THE ISSUE UPON REQUEST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL TURNED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE RIGHT SUB FRAME AND CONTROL ARMS WERE CORRODED AND DETACHED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE CABLE HAD SEIZED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.