Owner Notification Materials and Owner Letter
OWNER NOTIFICATION MATERIALSSUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
IMPORTANT RECALL INFORMATION
Dear Subaru Owner:
Please present this form to your Subaru dealer when requesting the repair detailed in the accompanying letter. This will be his authorization to perform the repair and will permit him to receive reimbursement for this repair from Subaru of America, Inc.
OWNER LETTER
March, 1992
Subaru of America, Inc.
Recall Headquarters
Subaru Plaza
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
Dear Subaru Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Subaru of America, Inc. has determined that a defect exists in 1985 model year, 1986 model year and early 1987 model year "front wheel drive" 4 Door, 3 Door and XT vehicles manufactured between August 1984 and November 1986.
Safety Defect:
The inner arms of the rear suspension of the vehicle are subject to corrosion if operated in areas where a large amount of road salt is used to aid in snow and ice removal. The areas of heavy salt use are in the following states:
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Virginia.
Continuous exposure to road salt may cause corrosion of the inner arms of the rear suspension which could affect the operation and control of the vehicle.
If your vehicle was regularly operated in the above listed areas where a large amount of road salt is used to aid in snow and ice removal, the inner arms of the rear suspension of the vehicle which support the rear wheels may rust. Should the vehicle continue to be operated under such severe corrosion environmental conditions, the rusting will progress and, in an extreme case, the inner arm may fail, which could result in loss of vehicle control.
Our records indicate that you own one of the subject vehicles. If your vehicle is or has been operated in these states, of d you have recently moved from one of them, we request that you contact your Subaru Dealer to arrange for an inspection and, if needed, to have your vehicle repaired. Should you have any question about whether this applies to you, please contact your dealer for more information.
Repairs:
Your Subaru Dealer will inspect and rust-proof the inner arms of the rear suspension and, if necessary, replace corroded inner arms of the rear suspension at no charge to you. Normal maintenance Rems such as shock absorbers, brake shoes and wheel cylinders are not included in this recall. Your dealer may find d necessary to replace certain normal maintenance hems due to the age and mileage of your vehicle at the time he is performing this repair. Replacement of any normal maintenance Rems will be at your cost upon your approval.
Call your dealer:
Even if you are not experiencing any problems or if you have had repairs to the inner arms of the rear suspension you should call your Subaru Dealer and schedule a service date after March 16, 1992 which is the earliest date that the parts to repair your vehicle will be available.
How long will it take?
The actual time to perform the inspection and rust-proof treatment is approximately 30 minutes, although additional time may be needed if component replacement is required. However, please plan to leave your vehicle at your Subaru Dealer for the full day of your scheduled appointments to allow the dealer some flexibility in scheduling other customers.
Changed address or sold your Subaru?
If you have, please fill out the enclosed prepaid postcard and mail it to us.
If you need more information or forms:
You must present the enclosed two-part Recall Certification / Repair Order Form to your Subaru Dealer at the time this repair procedure is performed. If you lose the Recall Certification / Repair Order Form provided with this notification or if the dealer doesn't make the repair promptly and without charge, you may contact the Subaru Recall Headquarters at 1-800-782-2783 or by writing to the address listed.
If your complaint is not resolved, you may notify the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, Washington, D.C. 20590 or call the toll free Auto Safety Hotline at 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. area residents may call (366-0123).
If you paid for repair previously:
In the event that you have already paid an authorized Subaru Dealer for these repairs to the inner arms of the rear suspension, you may be entitled to reimbursement for the replacement cost of the inner arms.
Reimbursement by Subaru of America, Inc. will be based on Subaru of America, Inc.'s suggested retail parts prices and suggested labor time multiplied by the dealers hourly labor rate at the time of the repair. By law, Subaru of America, Inc. has no control over actual charges by your dealer for any product or service, so your actual repair cost may be higher or lower than the rate used by Subaru of America, Inc. to calculate reimbursements.
Please send the original service repair order, which has complete information including date of repair, name of repair facility, vehicle mileage, complete vehicle identification number (17 digits), and your name, with correct address and telephone number, to the address listed.
Subaru of America, Inc.
Recall Headquarters
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
Please send original receipts only and retain a photocopy for your records. Please be assured that we will attempt to process your reimbursement request as quickly as possible, but it may take up to 90 days for this process to be completed.
We regret any inconvenience this matter may cause you. However, we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and your continued satisfaction with our products.
WE URGE YOU TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THESE REPAIR PROCEDURES PERFORMED AS OUTLINED IN THIS LETTER.