Front Suspension Control Arm Problems of Subaru Forester - part 1

The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after starting from a stop signal and driving at approximately 25 mph, a loud noise was heard coming from underneath the front passenger area and then the front passenger tire detached from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact managed to pull over and noticed that the front passenger's lower control arm was broken. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer where it remained awaiting diagnosis and repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000.

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While driving my car the passenger control arm failed, snapping in half and I lost control of my vehicle. Upon lookin under my car I could see the snapped control arm, which was completely rusted out. I also observe the driver side control arm is also very rusty. Both control arms are the only isolated rusted parts under my car, the rest of my car does not have any rust. It was alarming to me that both control arms are the only completely rusted parts under my car, so I called the dealership I purchased the care from to inquire about recalled parts. They informed me that the control arm had been recalled, and my car had been "serviced" for this recall in 2012 through rust-proof spaying. The control arms were not replaced at the time of service for the recall. Upon calling Subaru of american to have these recalled parts replaced now because they failed in a known location. I was alarmed that rust-proof spray was used to treat a recalled part that has been identified to rust at accelerated rates and the parts were not automatically replaced. The rust proof spray seems like a temporary fix that will eventually where away and then the part will fail in the future (which is what happened to me while driving). Subaru refused to replace the recalled control arms in my car because the parts has been sprayed in 2012. The attempt at servicing the recall did not work, and these parts have still rusted at an accelerated rate, ultimately failing. The control arms are the only rusted parts of my car, and the passenger arm failed causing me to lose control of my car.

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Tl the contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that he took the vehicle to an independnent mechanic and was informed that the lower control arm was damaged. The air conditioner unit produced condensation that caused the lower control arm to rust through along with road salt during the winter months. The damage was on the driver's side control arm. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension) in 2012 as a one-time free repair. The contact requested to speak with an upper level manager which was still pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 66,709.

Front wheels would shimmy at highway speed. Dealer identified the problem as failing front left lower control arm. The vehicle has 50,000 miles on it.

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Control arms rotten out with front crash bars. . . Should be a recall on them as the control arms are about 200 each plus labor. . . And to find someone who has the front crash bars cause they rot out do to the ac leaking on them and rotten them out. . . .

See all problems of the 2004 Subaru Forester 🔎.

After purchasing the vehicle we drove it on a 3 hour road trip on the highway to visit our daughter at college. After parking I attempted to drive the car out of the parking lot. I mistakenly passed the exit and as I attempted to reverse back to the exit the vehicle would not travel in reverse even though it was securely in gear. I was able to slowly drive it around a corner of the parking lot and park it where it then would not move in reverse or forward. I exited the vehicle and noticed that the left front passenger side tire was slightly bent in towards the vehicle. I then called a tow truck and had the vehicle towed to a mechanic. The next day the mechanic was not yet able to move the car into the garage to lift it but was able to see that the front passenger side control arm needed to be replaced. He had to order the parts which would not arrive for three days. We were prepared to pay for the cost of repairs when the mechanic called back and after having another technician look at the vehicle they noticed a �hand sized hole� in the sub frame caused by severe rust damage that they could not fix and would not allow them to fix the control arm problem. The mechanic stated that �we were lucky to make it as far as we did�, and �we were lucky to be alive� and after I asked �even if the control arm was brand new would we have had this problem?� he immediately answered �yes�. We then had the vehicle towed to a frame specialist who told me that the opposite side of the sub frame has the same problem and is not confident that bolt will not simple fall off if anything is attached to it. The frame specialist stated he most likely will have to cut into the main frame to fix the problems. Upon speaking to the gm of the dealership he stated that �you bought an as-is vehicle�, and their dealership �would not be putting any more money into that car�.

Tl- the contact owns a 2007 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds a rattling noise was heard coming from the front end of the vehicle. While driving in reverse the driver side front control arm and axle suddenly broke off due to severe corrosion and rusting. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer lester glenn Subaru(1501 NJ-37 w, toms river NJ) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 129,000. Jft.

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Tl the contact owns a 2006 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the lower control arm was rusted again. The contact called thomas Subaru at 814-623-813 (located at 4003 business 220, bedford, PA 15522) and was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension); therefore, the repair would need to be done at the contact's expense. The contact was unsure if the manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

I was pulling out of a parking spot yesterday when I heard a loud bang. I had difficulty driving home on the street with brakes & steering even at a very slow speed. Car had to be towed to Subaru today. The control arm was totally rusted through & broke apart.

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I started getting severe vibration and wobbling of front suspension on sweeping curves on freeway at speeds over 65 mph at about 33,000 miles on odometer. I replaced the tires, yet it continued. Now the mechanics say both front lower control arms need to be removed and replaced. The car has never been used off road or even in snow. Should not be a problem like this. It is like a new car.

The steering wheel "leather" coating has been disintegrating for over a year now. The Subaru service said it is a common issue with 2014 Subaru forest. & should be recalled. Eventually, the undercoat foam material will also disintegrate, he said. Also, both front lower control arms, bushings,band drive, (something like a drive shaft), strut & axel joint had to be replaced at only 69k miles. My car has never been in any accident or hit anything. Subaru paid for failed control arm replacement. This is an extremely unsafe car!.

While the vehicle was in motion on a highway, I drove over a pothole on the passenger side and my lower control arm broke due to a known problem with corrosion in this model year. There was a noticeable problem with wheel alignment which was able to be felt in the steering wheel. Subaru recall wvx-34 was supposed to fix this safety issue. The 'repair' was completed on my vehicle in January of 2012. As you can see from the photos, the rust proofing did not help.

Purchased vehical 3-4 months ago w/ 86k miles. Oil leaks in head gasket ( quart every 6 weeks. . Researched this and turns out this is a very common problem from 1999- 2013. On all Foresters. Manufacturer used more sealant and less gasket on that engine. Why wasn't this recalled?? easily verified via tube or internet. The other issue is lower control arm bushings worn out at 86k miles. Steering is very un stable.

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Drivers side lower control arm have worn out twice with in 24 months. On any street or highhway was getting a knocking noise. First time my private mechanic stated it was bad. Took it to dealer their mechanic said there was no problem. Few weeks later went back to dealer for same reason. Then they admitted it was bad and repaired. Now on 2/18/19 I have the same problem. Went to the dealer their mechanic said everything was fine . Everything nice and tight. Took the vehicle which was still making the noise for state inspection he stated the lower control arm was bad . Now I must go back to the dealer for them to get warranty approval to repair. This is constantly making me do everything twice because the dealer mechanic fails ti be honest.

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempted to drive out of a driveway, the driver's side lower control arm fractured and the wheel separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the control arm fractured and that the passenger's side showed evidence of severe rust. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension). Volkswagen Subaru fort walton beach located at 130 hollywood blvd sw, fort walton beach, FL 32548, (850) 243-3171, was contacted and informed of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000. Ah.

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The vehicle is vibrating violently and loudly when the vehicles reaches 50-60 mph. A mechanic diagnosed the issue as the failure of the front bushing on the lower control arm assembly on the right side of the vehicle. This issue is addressed in Subaru service bulletin number 05-63-18r dated 06/20/18 and revised on 07/10/18. It effects 2014 to 2018 model year Foresters and the 2015 model year for the crosstrek hybrid model. New bushings were recently incorporated into production. Subaru will not make the repair because I have over 36000 miles on my vehicle (actually mileage is just over 56k). My vehicle is not safe to drive in this condition. I need two hands on the wheel to control it. The issue started one week ago and is getting worse each day, but Subaru is not taking any responsibility. I am afraid that if it continues to worsen it could result in an accident with the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester 🔎.

My daughter (driver) and a passenger pulled slowly out of our driveway in reverse, heading off to college (100 miles away) but just after pulling out in the street, the right front lower control arm of her 2004 Subaru Forester broke in half due to rust/corrosion. I was able to inch the car back into my garage and on jacks only to find the right lower control arm broke in half. I checked the other lower left control arm and it was very rusted. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest Subaru dealer. The Subaru dealer notified me that Subaru recall wvx- front lower control arm/transverse link, issued 09/11 had been completed for this 2004 Forester in 12/11. I was told that the lower control arms were not replaced in 2011, but that the lower control arms were treated with the recall-prescribed rust/corrosion prevention. This "fixed" recall lasted only 7 years! initially, the Subaru dealership would not cover the cost to replace the lower control arms; however, as I placed a call with Subaru of America (soa), I received another phone call from the dealership stating that they contacted their "rep" and agreed to pay 50/50 towards the cost of replacing both front lower control arms. I discussed this very unsafe issue with two different soa representatives, one of which was a supervisor. Soa let me know that I would be responsible for the cost of this repair because it was a 2004. Are you kidding me? my daughter was getting ready to make a deadly 100 mile trip in this vehicle claimed to have been "fixed" by Subaru just seven years previous. How negligent is this, coming from a company claiming to have more cars on the road than anyone else and safer than others? I have four Subarus (04' Forester, 05' Forester xt, 08 tribeca ltd. , and 2010 impreza) and I've lost my faith in this organization. This is a deadly recall that soa is ignoring.

Tl the contact owns a 2006 Subaru Forester. The contact took the vehicle to a tire shop to purchase a set of new tires. The contact was informed by the technician that there was no point of replacing the tires because both frontal control arms were severely rusted and the vehicle should not be driven. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was too old to be included in a recall for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.

Tl the contact owns a 2004 Subaru Forester. While driving 35 mph, the front passenger side lower control arm fractured and became jammed in the wheel bed. As a result, the wheel seized and the vehicle slid to a stop on the shoulder after crossing lanes. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the lower control arm was shredded and the cv axle and rotor were also damaged. The mechanic stated that the lower arm failed due to corrosion and rust. The contact called the dealer (autonation Subaru west, 16351 w colfax Ave, golden, CO 80401, (303) 578-6120) and a search was performed for the results of an unknown recall repair that was performed when the vehicle was previously owned. The dealer considered the repair successful; however, the failure recurred. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the recall repair was previously addressed and the failures were unrelated. The vehicle remained at the independent mechanic and the repairs were completed. The failure mileage was 161,728.

The control arm fell off. The body of the vehicle fell to the ground. The other one is almost completely rusted through. The recall on this part allowed the dealer to use their discretion to either replace the control arms, or spray rust proofing over corrosion, which they did. This obviously does not stop the rusting, and it eventually rusted through. I luckily was not injured. I am questioning the adequacy of the existing safety recall. To allow the dealer to decide if the corrosion is light enough to simply spray rust proofing over it seems ludicrous. Rust proofing does not stop corrosion from continuing when it has already begun. I called Subaru USA to see if they would replace the control arms. They would not, and would provide no compensation, as they feel their rustproofing satisfied the recall. The safety recall is for the life of a vehicle. If their rustproofing did not fix the problem, which it obviously did not, why shouldn't they be required to fix it correctly? control arms should not be permitted to rust away and fall off a car! how dangerous! I'm sure I'm not the only vehicle owner whose control arms eventually rotted away after the corrosion was 'rustproofed' over by Subaru. So dangerous! I am asking that Subaru be required to cover the costs of these control arms! and also, I am requesting the NHTSA to agree and advise Subaru that a safety recall action that does not ultimately fix the safety issue should not be considered closed/completed.

Tl the contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. While driving approximately 50 mph, the lower control arm fractured on the front passenger side of the vehicle. The dealer (gary lang Subaru, 1121 state rte 31 building 3, mchenry, IL 60050, (815) 788-6506) indicated that the vehicle was already repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension). The manufacturer refused to authorize the dealer to repair the vehicle; therefore, the contact had to pay out of pocket for the diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for further diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA action number: pe11011 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,900.

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.

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While driving down a state highway(rte. 195), I experienced a severe vibration at normal highway speed limit in the left front drivers side wheel. I pulled over to a breakdown lane and got out to visually inspect the wheel and surrounding area for any sign of trouble and did not notice any. The following day while driving the same highway the vibration again occurred but on a more frequent basis. I arrived at my destination and did my business. While reversing and turning the vibration happened again but more intensely at this time. I proceeded to drive down a smaller state highway(rte. 6) where I could go a slower speed and found that the vibration had gotten extreme to a point of when applying the brake the wheel locked up and I experienced a loss of control of the vehicle. I proceeded to a family members house, parked and jacked the vehicle up and removed the wheel. Upon inspection I discovered that the lower control arm had in fact rotted to a point of it snapping at the midpoint and thus discovered the mechanical issue with the vehicle. A safety recall was issued by Subaru dealers of America and as per the VIN my vehicle is covered under the recall. The control arm neither appears rustproofed nor replaced as per the recall.

I was driving on the highway 1 mile from my home when the control arm suddenly failed sending my car veering across the road almost hitting oncoming traffic.

See all problems of the 2002 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I purchased this car used from NJ, and recently relocated to wa. Approx. 126k miles, the lower front control arm on the driver side rusted through, dropping the car onto the wheel, and pulling the driveaxle from the transmission. It appears that the control arm rusted from the top side, which would likely be difficult to identify during a routine inspection if you didn't know to look for it. This happened when first backing up from the driveway in the morning, less than 1 foot of travel before I stopped to see what was going on. I spoke with Subaru of America, who told me that the recall on the control arm was "closed" and that the repair costs would be my responsibility. I am a mechanical engineer, and would never accept that catastrophic corrosion in a fundamental part of the suspension could be an acceptable defect for which the end user should assume responsibility. If the car was indeed "treated" for this condition by the owner at the time of the recall, then clearly the treatment is unsatisfactory and should not be taken as an acceptable response to a very significant safety hazard. My only blessing in this situation is that it did not fail the previous evening when I was driving home, or later that morning had I been able to get out of my driveway.

My control arm broke from corrosion while backing out of a parking space.

Failed recall on 2004 Subaru Forester xt front lower control arms. The front lower control arm on the passenger side of my Forester rusted in half. When backing out of a flat concrete driveway onto a city street, as I began to turn the wheel I heard/felt a pop in the front end. As I began to straighten the wheel it started making a grinding noise and I noticed the steering felt funny/loose. Before foing any further I pulled the car strait back into the driveway to inspect the problem. While I was jacking the car up I noticed immediately the front passenger wheel appear to go limp and sloppy. After crawling underneath to check I found that the control arm had completely broke/rusted in half. A few weeks earlier I noticed the front control arms on both sides were quite rusted. After a little research I found that Subaru had a recall on the control arms and would either replace then or re coat them. I then contacted a local dealer about the recall. After running my VIN the told me that my vehicle had already been serviced for that recall in 2012 and that my control arms were under coated and therefore were not covered for replacement. So now after my control arm is completely broken I contacted the same dealer again and was told to try contacting Subaru of America but that they could do nothing. I then contacted Subaru of America and after giving them all my information was told again that my vehicle had already been serviced for the recall and was not covered, but if I took it to a dealer they would "look at it". I then contacted another local dealer and I was able to trailer it there myself. I am waiting for a response. This is a dangerous problem that needs to be addressed immediately before someone is hurt. Had the control arm broke while driving doen the road at any rate of speed the results could be catastrophic or even fatal.

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.

12-2017; driving , straight at 40mph, state highway, right control arm snapped , almost lost control, right tire was bouncing but was able to stop. Towed car to Subaru dealer , carbone, utica, NY. Contacted Subaru of America case # 1-28524133057. Was directed to have dealer inspect damage. Dealer inspected damage rt. Control arm broken, seperated, front axle assembly damaged, stabilizer link damaged and left control arm extremely rusted. Soa will provide all parts but I will have to pay labor. Ok had work done, all parts were new except axle (referb. ) . Note; rust coat fix was done 2012. Per recall. (spray rust proof on an already suspect part noted in a NHTSA directive). Present day: called soa and inquired as to why I had to pay labor? I recently noticed the recall verbage , states; repairs will be handled by dealer rustproof or replace them will be free of charge. Soa said my car is too old and has too many miles ( 130, 214) and we gave you good will. No further good will provided. And Subaru claims , �98 percent of Subaru vehicles sold in the last 10 years are still on the road today. � ???? is this an admission the vehicle has longevity? I plan on discussing this further with the Subaru dealer (carbone) and if no satisfaction will file in small claims court to get my money back for this free service.

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.

Put vehicle in reverse after being at bank and heard a huge clunk. Gentleman ran up to me and said not to move it. Got out and left front tire was about laying flat on ground. Had brother bring tow dolly and then took it apart. Ended up spending 600 just on parts as the control arms were rotted horribly. Left one as stated, was rotted in half, right was in such bad shape my brother said it would not be safe if not replaced also. So 600. 00 later and now I have it at kocur krew and will have another 750. 00 bill as the subframe and cradel assembly are rotted bad. Like wow all in 2. 5 months. I think I am lucky to be alive as I have driven this vehicle to ohio numerous times in last 1. 5 years.

Driving appr. 35mph on state highway 6 in eastham, MA when steering wheel was jerked out of my hands, car abruptly moved to the right and into granite curb before coming to a stop. Upon exiting car I found right front tire turned to the right while other tires were facing forward. Right lower control arm was broken causing cv axle to break at inner joint. This was a crowded highway on a summer weekend in a resort area. I am extremely fortunate to not have been injured or caused injury to others. Repairs totaled $929. 95.

The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Forester. The vehicle was taken to galley west side imports to get the NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension) completed and the technician put anti-corrosive adhesive on the vehicle. The contact stated five years later while the vehicle was operated at 60 mph, they felt an abnormal vibration. The vehicle was taken to the white wheel independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm on the front passenger side of the vehicle had experienced severe rust. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

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 2005 Subaru Forester. While the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for general inspection, the contact was informed that the front driver and passenger lower control arms showed corrosion. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified, but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.