general problems of the 2007 Subaru Legacy

Brake line failed unexpectedly and catastrophically while driving 2007 Subaru Legacy. Vehicle would have been covered per recall 14v-311; however, it was registered in virginia so was not 'included' in the recall despite being exposed to comparable levels of snow and road salt in a rural southwestern part of virginia less than 50 miles from the original recall region. Car was purchased new from a dealership in west virginia (part of the recall region) and frequently operated in that region. Failing to include parts of virginia that receive just as much, if not more, snow and corrosive road treatment in recall 14v-311 was an error that resulted in a major safety hazard. The brake line failed at the exact location described in recall 14v-311, at the 4-way connector block under the fuel-tank protector. The location of the failure is not visible during normal brake service, leading to corrosion in that location going unnoticed and unrepaired. Other substantial portions of the brake line system are polymer-coated to prevent corrosion; however, the small section at the 4-way connector block is not, permitting hazardous corrosion to the point of failure in this case. The recall notice 14v-311 should be extended to include additional regions where roads are treated with corrosive salt anti-ice products so owners of these vehicles can have them inspected and/or repaired prior to an unexpected catastrophic failure as I experienced. The design of the braking system with substantial portions of polymer coated lines leads owners and repair staff to believe there is no problem with corrosion of the brake lines and no need for additional inspection or repair, and removal of the fuel-tank protector to expose the portion of the non-coated and corrosion-prone brake line system in the recall is not included as part of the standard maintenance program per the manufacturer.

The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Legacy. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 15v323000 (air bags) and 14v311000 (service brakes and hydraulic) but the parts were not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The manufacturer was contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the contacts vehicle would receive the recall repair. The contact was not experiencing a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.