chipster

Submit a complaint to NHTSA and to SOA. Subaru is a business, and doing the honorable thing is irrelevant. They probably wouldn't do anything unless there was a lawsuit. I don't think this happened to many people while under the initial warranty, so they aren't obligated to do anything and people that keep a car for more than 7 years aren't thier target market anyway. I complained to SOA and they said this was a very isolated problem that was most likely caused by over using the tailgate or opening it in extreme cold conditions.

Heat worked to free the HBA from the shield! Thanks a bunch to SBT, I was skeptical, but I'm also cheap. I took the weekend off from working on it out of frustration. This morning I found a small pipe soldering propane torch in my garage, and thought what the heck. I applied heat from the back for about 30 seconds and then realized I should have removed the rubber plug for cog access so I stopped, gave about a dozen whacks with the slide hammer and it came apart to my surprise. Shield still looks nasty, but a little paint might improve things. Like I said, I'm cheap.

I'm about ready to throw in the towel, I think the shield is due to be replaced anyway: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1hDgKEHmuI9WDFySnhRYzJVMmc/view?usp=sharing I plan to let it sit one more night, then go to town with the slide hammer tomorrow. At least it should feel good to destroy something, as long as the hammer doesn't come off and hit me! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1hDgKEHmuI9cE1UejRlTXZTRUk/view?usp=sharing

I'm having trouble with the right rear, thanks for the offer though. I called around and this is a part that can be ordered, but no one has locally. Cost more than the HBA unfortunately. I will try the hub puller, I also have a slide hammer, though the shield/HBA is off the car so I have been trying to find a way to secure what's left of the shield without destroying it. Maybe something like this might work, I'm going to remove the e-brake shoes and see if I can get something wedged in between: http://s99.photobucket.com/user/HAMMERDOWNGT/media/Subaru/0421002035.jpg.html

I'm in the middle of doing a rear HBA right now, unfortunately the hub is rusted to the splash shield, and the splash shield isn't holding up very well to my pounding. Has anyone been successful in getting the hub unstuck from a rusty shield? Any tips would be appreciated. I plan to let it soak overnight in pb blaster, then resume the pounding. If the shield doesn't survive, then I guess I will be looking for a replacement.

I agree, these should all be sent to NHTSA. Also note which items that you know had failed (brake light, defogger, etc) and if you believe that this had an impact on safety. I also contacted Subaru directly and was informed there had not been any reports from customers or dealers about this defect. They essentially said that my failure was unique and must have been a result of rough service. I had my dealer replace the passenger side, but plan to get rid of the car before the other side fails. I also try to limit opening the hatch when possible, especially in cold weather. This is my third and last Subaru.

Thanks, but I already ordered a replacement. I also scheduled to have the dealer do the repair. Not cheap, but it's freaking cold right now in MN, and I don't have a heated garage to work in. I think those 13 connectors would be awful to work with in the cold. It took me several minutes just to get the wiper connector off when it was much warmer. I filed a complaint with SOA, and also with NHTSA. SOA replied that the problem is not widespread, or at least people are not reporting it. Maybe it is only a problem on a small batch of cars that were sold/operated in cold weather markets.

Thanks for posting all the helpful info here. I lost the rear wiper almost a year ago, then lost the license plate light more recently. I just filed a NHTSA safety complaint. Does anyone happen to have the part number for the 2005 Outback harness in the lift gate? Did anyone try contacting SOA?

I had my windshield replaced by ABRA in Inver Grove. They did the work inside as it was in March, but the installer and parts were dispatched from some other location. The part was OEM with the wiper heaters. They did a decent job with one minor imperfection and less than ideal cleanup. I had requested that the work be done with the OEM part and there was no out of pocket expense for this. -Chip