Front Suspension Control Arm problems of the 2003 Subaru Forester

Tl the contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact noticed extensive rust, corrosion, and holes around the front frame of the vehicle. An independent mechanic replaced the front frame, and the passenger and driver side control arms. In addition, the rear frame and driver and passenger side control arms were also inspected with the expectation that those parts had also deteriorated and may need to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. The contact was uncertain if the vehicle was included or excluded from NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension) and was not included in NHTSA action number: pe11011 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.

The passenger side front lower control arm separated at the weld seam while my daughter was driving the car. The passenger side front tire swung rearward and outward because the front portion of the lower control arm separated from the rest of the control arm. This pulled the car off the road but luckily she was traveling at a slow speed on a side road on her way to get on the interstate and was able to get the car stopped before crashing. Had this happened at any normal road speed she would likely have died from a complete loss of control of the car at a high rate of speed. There was a recall in 2011 on these cars for this very condition. My car shows "complete" in their system for this recall but it was either not actually completed or the replacement parts are equally as dangerous and need to be recalled again. I notified Subaru of America and took the car to a Subaru dealership for them to review but Subaru of America was not concerned saying it showed complete so there was nothing they could do. Since this has happened to me I have found others online who had Subaru dealers complete the recall without changing severely corroded lower control arms just like mine. I am afraid that other people or their children are in danger of losing their lives due to Subaru's negligence. Manufacturer: Subaru of America, inc. Mfr's report date: Sep 06, 2011 NHTSA campaign id number: 11v464000 NHTSA action number: pe11011 component: suspension:front:control arm:lower arm potential number of units affected: 295,123 this is Subaru's safety recall number wvx-34.

Vehicle was originally recalled in 2011/2012 for NHTSA campaign id number: 11v464000 NHTSA action number: pe11011. At time, dealer conducted punch test and determined lower control arm to "pass" and used some type of anti-corrosion spray. Fast forward to 2017 and lower control arms have "failed" punch test with significant corrosion. I only detected this failed, and potentially life threatening condition of vehicle, by personally inspecting under carriage prior to giving vehicle to 16 year-old son as first car. I can only imagine how many of these Subaru Foresters that were previously, and quite conveniently determined to pass by punch test, are out there on the streets and highways with potential serious consequences to the unknowing owners of these vehicles. I respectfully submit that Subaru should never have been given the option to "punch" test these lower control arms and should have been made to replace these critical parts. I would like to see Subaru address the issue. To date, I have contacted Subaru of America and have been denied any remedy, nor allowed to talk to a supervisor.

The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. While attempting to reverse at 5 mph, the vehicle failed to move. The contact discovered that the front lower control arm was fractured. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the contact was notified that the front suspension had severe corrosion and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the lower control arms was corroded. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension) however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Today I was at my mechanics to replace a muffler. After raising the car up on the rack he noticed destructive rust that was covering and inundating the k frame and front lower control arms (transverse links). In September of 2012 I was at gary lang Subaru (illinois) for an unrelated issue. The safety recall for my vehicle , wvx-34, required an inspection and repairs, and if necessary, replacement or corrosion treatment of the lower control arms (transverse link). According to Subaru of America, that recall was "completed". The Subaru operator (kayla) could not elaborate on the term "complete". No mention of any specific action was reported. Today, during the inspection of said area, my mechanic indicated that no proof existed of either corrective action, either undercoating or mechanical repair or replacement. This is a safety concern, and at some point it is possible that loss of control will follow if the lower control arm breaks. I will pursue the Subaru dealer for repairs but have no idea if they will assume responsibility.

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while reversing at approximately 5 mph, the front driver side wheel fractured without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front driver side lower control arm fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,000. Ss.

I was driving at 55 mph when my right front control arm snapped. I looked to ensure no vehicles were coming, and made the decision to turn left to get back on the road with all 4 tires as I could only turn left. I could not control the vehicle, and the vehicle turned side ways and then rolled 3 consecutive times landing on its wheels facing south. I was transported to the hospital . On the way to the hospital in the ambulance the driver had to stop, because I was throwing up convulsively while being strapped to a backboard and I thought I was going to die of not being able to breath due to my airway being filled with vomit. I sustained the following injuries: 2 forms of vertigo which I still have, a shoulder injury which I was in a sling for 6 weeks, severe muscle injuries in my back and neck, I now have severe muscle spasms and cramps throughout my whole body, loss of memory, and severe contusions throughout my whole body, and also a right leg injury which affects my walking capability, ptsd and severe flashbacks of my accident with me rolling over and over again, because I was conscious through the whole accident. There was an open recall on the lower control arms on my vehicle which was never repaired. The suburu recall campaign # is wvx-34, and the NHTSA campaign number is 11v-464. The necessary repairs were never performed. The airbag NHTSA complaint number I filed for the airbags not deploying is 10598597. There were 22 other reports to the NHTSA regarding the airbags not deploying dut to the wiring harness attached to the drivers seat being not long enough, there are several complaints to the NHTSA. The federal trade commission is in the process of investigating my accident also. The federal trade commission reference number is 54237615.

The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for unrelated repairs when they noticed that the front lower control arm was fractured. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign id number 11v464000 (suspension), however the remedy did not correct the failure. The vehicle was currently being repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension). The contact stated that the dealer coated the control arms, but the control arms were rusted through. The dealer stated that the control arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.