Table 1 shows one common steering related problems of the 2005 Subaru Forester.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Steering problems |
Front right lower control arm and axle broke with no warning while in motion. My significant other bought this car brand new from the showroom floor and returned it in 2011 for a recall "wvx34" NHTSA campaign 11v464000 for 03-08 Forester front lower control arm recall-for this same issue. However, the bowser Subaru garage failed to fulfill their obligation cause they failed to replace the rusted out parts and they argued it was fine after they did a spring tension test by hitting only one area- the thickest part of the metal and they refused to check any other spot. My significant other, who has experience in auto mechanics after having been a mechanic in the service, knew this bowser Subaru was wrong so he went across the street to firestone, obtained evidence/proof with documentation from firestone after they checked the front lower control arms and they noted "both" lower front control arms needed replaced but "again" even with this proof, this bowser Subaru garage ignored this "safety" recall issue and they said they wanted $2,000 to fix it when it was still under this recall in 2011. Subaru headquarters customer service said the recall was completed on this vehicle in 2011 and they refuse to fix this recall. However, this car still has the original parts that Subaru never corrected and fortunately it lasted this long however, they finally broke from the rust. Fortunately, we got off the interstate highway safely-only 2 miles away and also made it to the bottom of a steep hill safely before having it towed. Subaru never fulfilled their obligation and denied this recall by covering it up that they completed the work when they never did anything. I will submit any documentation that you request.
Left front control arm broke in 2 exactly as predicted by the recall notice. Subaru said the recall had been completed, meaning they spread some rust inhibitor on it at some point in the past. Their final response was that the car was too 'old' to offer any further assistance. The car has only 80k miles and nothing else on the vehicle has broke in half.
After a scratchy, metallic noise that appeared suddenly in the lower front, while vehicle was in motion,steering was ceased. The steering wheel was locked and the vehicle could not be controlled. This resulted in a crash. The vehicle hit a tree. Substantial damage was done to the vehicle and it was declared as a total loss.