AS I PASSED UNDER A RAILROAD OVERPASS I HIT A LARGE POTHOLE PROBABLY CAUSED BY A RECENT 2-4" RAINFALL. THE IMPACT CAUSED MY HOOD TO RELEASE AND SLAM BACK INTO MY WINDSHIELD, OBLITERATING MY FORWARD VIEW. I SLOWED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT SWERVING AND ACTIVATED MY WARNING FLASHERS. LUCKILY, THERE WAS ONLY ONE CAR BEHIND ME AND NONE APPROACHING WHEN THIS OCCURRED. UPON STOPPING I FOUND THAT MY WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN BADLY CRACKED AND THE HOOD STRUTS HAD BROKEN, ALLOWING THE HOOD TO FOLD BACK FULLY. THE SAFETY CATCH ON THE RELEASE MECHANISM APPARENTLY FAILED TO KEEP THE HOOD FROM FLYING UP. THE HOOD LATCHED WHEN BROUGHT BACK DOWN, BUT I NO LONGER TRUST IT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FAR WORSE SITUATION IN TRAFFIC. *TR
2006
ENGINE
FAULTY AND OR DEFICIENT PART: 'PIPE OIL COOLER' PART # 21328AA121 (PART IS A 11" X 3/4" (THIN) METAL TUBE THAT CONNECTS FROM LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE, TRAVERSES THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ENGINE AND CONNECTS TO THE BASE OF THE OIL FILTER MOUNT THROUGH THE USE OF RUBBER HOSES THAT TRANSPORTS ENGINE COOLANT.) VEHICLE WAS OBSERVED TO BE OVERHEATING. UPON PERSONAL INSPECTION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND ONLY UPON REMOVING THE LARGE PLASTIC SPLASH GUARD FROM UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE ABOVE LISTED PART HAD DEVELOPED EXTENSIVE CORROSION, PRINCIPALLY WHERE TWO BRACKETS ARE WELDED TO THE SUBJECT COOLANT TUBE. THE TUBE ADJACENT ONE OF THESE WELDS HAD CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT ENGINE COOLANT WAS ALLOWED TO LEAK OUT AND CAUSE THE OVERHEATING SITUATION. HAD THIS OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY (AND NOT IN MY DRIVEWAY) THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND STOP IN TRAFFIC CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE COULD ALSO OCCUR. NOTE, THE PIPE IS MADE OF THIN AND APPARENTLY EASILY CORROSIVE MATERIAL. THE LOCATION OF THE COOLANT PIPE IS UNDERNEATH THE SPLASH SHIELD WHERE IT CAN NOT BE VIEWED UNLESS THE SHIELD IS REMOVED, ALLOWING FOR THE DETERIORATION TO CONTINUE UNNOTICED. WRITER BELIEVES THE SUBJECT PART WAS INADEQUATELY MADE TO STAND UP TO CORROSIVE CONDITIONS FOUND ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH A MORE RESISTANT MATERIAL TO CORROSION. P.S. TO NHTSA; I HAVE AND WILL PROVIDE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FAULTY PART, INVOICE FOR THE OEM REPLACEMENT PART PURCHASED FROM SUBARU, AND THE FAILED PART ITSELF SHOULD YOU DECIDE YOU WANT THEM. *TR