NHTSA complaint: 2015 SUBARU FORESTER — STEERING
7 MONTHS OLD, 20,000 MILES. DRIVING 65.6 MPH, IN LIGHT RAIN WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. 1ST TIME DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER, NOTICED WIND OR FLAT TIRES CAUSING SOMETIMES SIDE SHAKING. STOPPED TO CHECK TIRES. NOTICED NO WIND NOR LOW TIRES PRESSURE. CONTINUED ON. HAD USED CRUISE CONTROL ON AND OFF, AND TURNING ON AND OFF THE TRACTION SWITCH TO FIND A PATTERN FOR THE IRADIC DRIVING. COULD NOT ID A CAUSE. CONTINUED DRIVING. CAR TOOK A SUDDEN JERK TO THE LEFT, KNEW WE WERE GOING TO CRASH AND COULD NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL. 'CRASH' . WE SLID 40 FEET DOWN THE CENTER DIVIDE. THE FRONT WHEELS WERE STILL POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE WERE LUCKY. THE REAR WHEELS HAD 'EXCESSIVE WEAR' , FRONT WHEELS WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. WHEN THE CAR WAS TORN APART, THE MAIN PULLY HAD A 1" DING AND THE FAN BELT WAS KNOCKED OFF THE MAIN PULLY AND PARTICALLY OF THE 2ND PULLY. THE BELT WAS ON ALL THE OTHER PULLIES.. I BELIEVE THE TRACTION DEVICE MALFUNCTIONED WHEN I WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL HYDROPLANED. AND THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED SENDING ME INTO A OUT OF CONTROL CRASH, THAT I COULD NOT STEER OUT OF. SUBARU OF AMERICA SAID WET PAYMENT, HIGH SPEED AND EXCESSIVE WEAR ON REAR TIRES CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THEY DOCUMENTED THE SPEED AND WEAR OF REAR TIRES. RAIN WAS VERY LIGHT, A DRIZZLE. HIGHWAY WAS STRAIGHT AND LIGHT TRAFFIC. NO DEBRE ON THE HIGHWAY.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation