2008 Subaru Forester: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Nov 8, 2024 · Suspension · 116,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a clanking and knocking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who discovered severe subframe rust and corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while backing out of the driveway, the front driver’s side control arm was fractured, rendering the vehicle undrivable. The contact stated that the failure was caused by corrosion of the front lower control arm. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension); to prevent the failure from occurring; however, the vehicle experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 116,000.

Filed Jul 18, 2022 · Suspension · 136,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, there was an abnormal clanking noise coming from the steering wheel. Additionally, the steering wheel became loose without warning. The contact pulled over and upon inspection, the front lower control arm had severed due to severe corrosion. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension) which he linked to the failure. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where they inspected the vehicle and confirmed the front control arm failure. The dealer informed him that the recall was already serviced on the vehicle prior and provided him with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided him with the same information as the dealer. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

Filed Feb 28, 2022 · Suspension · 140,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the lower control arm detached. The contact became aware that there was rust on the control arm. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.

Filed Dec 2, 2021 · Suspension · WI

Right front lower control arm failed due to rust (safety recall WVX34 and the federal safety agency campaign 11v464000). Part of arm completely detached from connection to frame. Dealer states the recall is closed and there is nothing they will do. I notified Subaru by Email last night on the day it occurred -1 Dec 2021. Have not had reply as yet. This caused uncontrollable steering as it was not controllable by the steering wheel. Fortunately this failed as I was backing out of a parking spot and not at speed on the highway. Car was not drivable. I inspected the left front control arm and it too seems to be also affected by rust.

Filed Oct 13, 2021 · Suspension · 97,000 miles · CT

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal grinding noise would emit from the vehicle without warning. The contact then stated that upon turning into a driveway, the front lower control arm detached from the vehicle without warning. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to his home where he began to repair the vehicle himself. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency campaign number: 11V464000 (Suspension) which he linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 97,000

Filed Oct 4, 2021 · Suspension · 180,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle was shaking. Additionally, the passenger’s side front wheel was shaking, and the vehicle was drifting to the right. The contact who is an independent mechanic noticed that the front lower control arm was fractured. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension). The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

Filed Jun 24, 2021 · Steering · MN

I was getting on the highway in Minnesota doing 55-60 mph when the car started violently shaking and I lost steering with cars whizzing by me at 65-70+ mph. I was finally able to get the car just off the road and called for roadside assist. Once the car was left at my house I examined the right front wheel which was cockeyed to discover the lower control arm steel body had disintegrated (see photos). Looking online I discovered there had been a recall on these arms 9 years ago. I sent a message to Subaru Customer Care and received no reply. I sent a tweet on twitter to Subaru of America and received no reply. I finally called their 800 number and was told the recall had been completed on this vehicle in 2012 by putting some "rust-proofing" on the arms. They did not go through the effort to replace with the upgraded replacement part. SOA said they would not cover any repair or replacement of the lower control arms. There have to be 10s of thousands of these vehicles on the roads with arms rotting from the inside out because SOA did the recall on the cheap. The bushings and balljoint was still intact and no clunking or judder prior to the catastrophic failure. Is it going to take a death(s) to get this corrected. SOA know they should have replaced these arms and will sell you the upgraded one for around $300. No aftermarket companies are making these arms as far as I can find. Subaru admits on their own parts site the arms "do not often fail" i.e the body and instead the bushings wear out. The body of the car has very minimal rust and no signs the arm(s) would have deteriorated. I have asked SOA to replace the arms with ones that are structurally sound but think a second recall on cars that didn't get new arms may be required.

Filed Oct 6, 2020 · Steering, Transmission · 150,000 miles · WV

September 19, 2020, I was driving on the interstate, at 10:30 pm, going 75mph and al of a sudden I heard a loud pop. I had lost all control of my car and my front passenger side felt like it completely gave out on me. I slammed on the breaks and tried to get it on the right side of the road but I couldn't. It sent me on the left hand side, the fast lane, right up against the interstate divider wall, my came to a stop ina couple seconds. I was sitting flush with the wall, I couldn't open my door, and I didn't want my passenger in the car to open his door onto oncoming traffic, I turned my emergency blinkers on and processed to climb out of my window onto the concrete wall. I starting looking at the front end of my car to see what had happened. I saw both of my front tires had popped, the passenger side had blew out and had holes in the side wall of the tire. It was driving on the wheel of the car because the wheel was all curbed and scraped. I noticed it was leaning lower on the ground on the front passenger side than driver side. I wasn't sure what it was because I couldn't see all that great with the wheels turned the way they was. I started looking further at the car, got on the ground to look under it and noticed an extreme amount of grease that was covering the majority of my steering column and my exhaust. So once cops came, filed a report and had a flat bed truck bring it to my house I was able to look more in depth to it in the day light. It had: snapped my control arm into 2 pieces ,bent my outer tie rod, snapped my cv axle, which caused all the grease to get out, the ball joint boot was leaking lubricant, possibly messed up the front strut tower, and so on what I couldn't see or tell was broken. The front driver side seems and looks intact. I've been having to replace the whole passenger side. I am the third owner of this car, I bought it feb, 12, 2019

Filed Feb 27, 2019 · Suspension · 140,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 subaru forester. While attempting to exit the driveway, the driver's side lower control arm fractured and the wheels separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the control arm fractured and the passenger side showed evidence of severe rust. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension). Volkswagen subaru fort walton beach (located at 130 hollywood blvd sw, fort walton beach, fl 32548, (850) 243-3171) was contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Filed Aug 17, 2018 · Suspension · 88,900 miles · IL

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 subaru forester. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the lower control arm fractured on the front passenger side of the vehicle. The dealer (gary lang subaru, 1121 state rte 31 building 3, mchenry, il 60050, (815) 788-6506) indicated that the vehicle was already repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension). The manufacturer refused to authorize the dealer to repair the vehicle; therefore, the contact had to pay out of pocket for the diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for further diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency action number: pe11011 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,900.

Filed Apr 27, 2015 · Suspension · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 subaru forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension) and the technician only applied a rustproof coating on the front lower control arms since they did not need to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who found that the control arms were completed rusted through. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.