Steering Problems of Subaru Baja

At the beginning of April, I purchased a 2003 Subaru Baja from roseville auto center for $10,500 and was reassured by the salesman that it passed a safety inspection and that there were no leaks in the head gasket. I did my own inspection under the hood and underneath the vehicle. I found there to be undercoat sealant which made sense as the vehicle was from pennsylvania. I asked about the rust condition of the car to which I was once again reassured that it was okay. I took the car home and the following week I took it to my mechanic to see where I should start on modifications and upgrades. However, upon doing a multipoint inspection with the car on a lift he discovered that the undercoat sealant had been sprayed over duct tape to conceal rust holes in the running boards. Further, the undercoat had been sprayed after the frame had gotten significantly damaged by rust, not as a preventative measure as it’s intended to be used. The frame has severe rust damage as does the steering, suspension, and worst of all, the brakes. The backing plates for the brakes are almost entirely disintegrated. Additionally, my mechanic discovered that there was oil and coolant which had leaked from the engine, indicating that there was in fact a head gasket leak. So, this vehicle is in an unusably unsafe condition with a head gasket leak which makes it unreliable. The vehicle was purchased under false pretenses due to intentional misrepresentation by the salesman regarding the reliability and safety of the vehicle. Furthermore, I’ve spoken to multiple mechanics and a dealership and none of them want to attach their name to this vehicle because of the liability attached to it due to these safety issues. Beyond this I have done extensive research to find out how much it would cost to repair these issues and replace these parts myself and it would cost me more than the cost of the vehicle let alone the actual value of the car. Finally, I am going to be unable to sell the vehicle for anyt.

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"ghost walking" I purchased the car 6 months ago from my father who is a professional driver for the largest shipping company in the us and has been driving for them for over 30 years. When I purchased the car he cautioned me that the back of the vehicle wanders when the road surface doesn't provide consistent traction to both rear tires. This occurs on any surface at varying degrees while moving straight on a level road, up hill, down hill, on corners, while accelerating/braking or coasting. Examples which cause this are small to large potholes, cracks in the road surface, driving with one tire on the painted line in the road (very noticeable surging and can be scary when the road is wet), sand or gravel on the shoulder of a paved road effecting one side of the car only, puddles, slight snow/slush cover, etc. Having had the car for 6 months it is something I experience daily, and the car is downright scary, unsafe in some conditions. I consider myself a very good driver, I'm 35 and have never been in an accident despite driving about 35k miles a year. These cars are dangerous, I have no doubt many accidents have occurred and people have been injured by this mechanical defect, I am a mechanical engineer. I cannot sell this car with a clear conscience unless I convey this safety hazard to a potential buyer so the value has also been destroyed by this problem as well. I will continue to search for a solution to this problem and cross my fingers that Subaru owns up to it before any more people (or myself) suffer the loss of property or life. I will also add that it goes through rear tires quicker than I ever thought possible despite being in proper alignment. As others have mentioned, it seems to be exaggerated if there is any amount of added cargo weight or additional passengers. Step up Subaru, previous loyal owners are dropping like flies in my area.

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Tl-the contact owns a 2003 Subaru Baja. The contact stated that while making a turn, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14v399000 (air bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,500. Djr.

We bought a 2006 Baja in early October for cash. This car had 157 miles when we left the bill mcbride dealer ship in plattsburgh, NY. We have had a problem with the car pulling to the right since the beginning. We have brought the car back 4 times to have it fixed. They have done 3 alignments, rotated the tires 2 times and replaced 1 tire. This vehicle still pulls to the right. On 3rd alignment the dealership refused to produce a receipt for the alignment and stated the reason was there was no charge for the alignment. All receipts state vehicle pulls to right. Dealership can't seem to find the problem and we are not sure what our next step should be to correct this problem.

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Starting Dec 2004 problems keeping alignments/tires (mileage 28,176), ending in may 2013 with complete rear wheel cradle & drive train replacement (mileage 182,837) after the drive line dropped out on to a brace at approx 35 mph after repeated repairs and complaints about drive-feel of vehicle. Had just exited 70 mph freeway and was on a secondary road. Was never notified of the 'voluntary' recall by Subaru for the rear cradle issued Apr 2003, before vehicle was purchased.