← NHTSA complaints

2016 SUBARU FORESTER — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · 1922183 · 2023-08-25

Vehicle

Make
SUBARU
Model
FORESTER
Year
2016
Manufacturer
Subaru of America, Inc.
Component
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

On 8/13/23 one of the lift gate struts on my 2016 Forester sheared off at the bolt while I was loading groceries into the back. It crashed onto my shoulder with no warning, no sound, and very quickly. I was unable to reach up to stop it in time and was standing under the gate. While I did not require medical attention it did cause a bruise and muscle soreness for a few days. I should still have the lift gate strut that broke unless the dealer took it from my car. I have photos either way. This situation could be extremely dangerous for a couple reasons, one because it sheared off at all, and also because the other lift gate strut does not support the weight of the gate by itself, and it was 11 days before I could get the broken one replaced. It could have hit me in the head, broken a bone, landed on a child or pet, etc, either when it sheared off initially, or when the gate crashed down onto me or another person during the time I was waiting to get the repair. You also cannot close the gate without removing the broken lift gate strut which is dangerous by itself. I am aware that there is an extended warranty, but Subaru told me it only applies if the lift gate strut breaks or doesn't work, so I could not get them replaced prior to this under the warranty. I feel this should be a recall, not a warranty extension, because if consumers have to wait until the lift gate strut fails, then it's more likely to cause serious injury. On a Forester owner's forum online I looked for simi

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
11540684
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown