Complaint 2206948

Complaint Summary

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Owner Narrative

My Subaru Forester has a significant safety defect. If my web searches are representative this software problem affects multiple models and years of Subaru. I have addressed this problem with the local dealer, Subaru America, and Subaru Japan and have been told "that is the way it was designed and it is supposed to do that." As you may imagine that is not a satisfactory answer to a significant safety issue; I can only imagine Ford saying the Pinto was designed with a gas tank that explodes in a collision or a more recent Takata claiming that their seatbelts were designed that way. So here is the problem in a nutshell (and I have a host of Emails from various levels of Subaru if you want the details of how I have attempted to get them to address the issue.) There is a sensor on the gas cap that detects if it is not fully closed since that is a pollution control issue. (More on that later) When that sensor is activated, it disables the Subaru Eyesight system and when the Eyesight system is disabled it disables every safety feature except the seatbelt and it lights up the dash with a dozen alarms none of which have anything to do with the gas cap. That takes down collision avoidance, lane changing, and autodim headlights among others. It also wants you to check the engine and consult the users manual. None of that has anything to do with the actual situation. Now I have taken the car to the dealer who assures me it is operating as designed and there is no fault in the sensor. When you close the gas cap there are audible clicks and as a 190 pound man I can assure you that the cap is fully closed when I close it. But on a random basis the dashboard lights up despite the fact that the gas cap is fully engaged and the safety systems become disabled. Usually it stays lit up until I refill the tank, but its behavior is not predictable - occasionally it just resets as I drive. Besides the obvious hazard of having safety systems which do not work, havi

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.