AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND STAY ON FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN GO OFF. THIS CONDITION WOULD OCCUR AT RANDOM, WITH NO WARNING. FINALLY THE LIGHT STAYED ON LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET IT TO THE DEALER. SUBARU DEALER INDICATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT FOR THE AIRBAG SENSOR HAD OXIDIZED CONTACTS LEADING TO A FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY CONTACTS "INSIDE" CAR IN A PROTECTED AREA COULD "OXIDIZE", BUT INDICATED THAT THEY HAD LEARNED FROM SERVICE BULLETINS THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CARS IN THE NORTHEAST. WIRING HARNESS PART COST $17.13 BUT THE LABOR TO REPLACE WAS $207.13 FAILURE OF SUCH A CRITICAL PART DUE TO SIMPLE OXIDATION, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE PART IS PROTECTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE SUGGESTS THAT THE PART WAS NOT DESIGNED APPROPRIATELY TO RESIST OXIDATION/CORROSION. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN A FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WITH POSSIBLE INJURY. *TR
2011
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN BRAKING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE. ON ONE OCCASION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN OCCURRENCE OF ABNORMAL ACCELERATION AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FOUNDATION OF A BUILDING. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000.