Power Steering Failed problems of the 2014 Subaru Forester

Power steering failed. Car was parked in the wa state ferry line in anacortes, wa. When car was started, a computer message appeared that the power steering needed to be serviced and a warning light appeared on the dashboard. My husband was driving and he could barely steer the car onto the ferry. He told me that it took everything that he had to get it onto the boat. We parked the car. When we reached Friday harbor, my husband started the car, and was able to drive it normally - the warning light and message was no longer displayed. I took it to the Subaru dealership in burlington, wa on 2/20/18. A diagnostic was done and the code was found for the power steering system. I was told that the power steering gear needs to be replaced - $1,000 for part and at least $600 for labor plus taxes. First of all, my car only had 30,000 miles warranty or 3 years (past that) and it seems like if a gear was having issues, why would it work and then not work and then work. Safety concerns, and wondering why it would fail so soon. I have approximately 24, 500 miles on the car.

Power steering failed on warm start. Car was drive-able but steering took considerable effort and may have not been possible for person without sufficient strength.