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2016 Subaru steering column recall post-repair issues/problems

16K views 58 replies 26 participants last post by  2016OutbackNJ 
#1 ·
Hello,

I'm new to Subaru and just bought my first vehicle from the brand (2016 Outback Premium) and took delivery at the end of March.

Unfortunately, I was part of the steering column recall and my vehicle was finished and repaired in under a week, which is the good news.

When I picked up it, I noticed the issue that other people reported regarding the steering wheel not being aligned properly. After picking the vehicle up on Saturday and driving for about 15 minutes to confirm, I called the dealership about this and they informed me to bring the vehicle back and they'll fix this the same day. I drove it back and a half hour later they called my name to let me know the issue was fixed and they apologized. After driving the car that evening, the issue does appear to be resolved, but now I see some small scratches on the plastic piece right behind the steering wheel, which is a little annoying, but I can live with that. The scratches weren't there upon picking up my vehicle the first time. So it was on the re-do repair that it happened.

Now driving the vehicle Saturday evening with my girlfriend, I noticed that the instrument panel lights turned off for a brief second and then back on again, but it didn't seem to affect my satellite radio, as that seemed to play music with no interruption during this brief second. It was night so I had my headlights on as well, but I didn't see them turn off and back on again, it just seemed to be my instrument panel with the gauges. It all went entirely dark and then back on. It happened only once during my couple of hours of driving Saturday night. This never occurred before the recall work (over one month of driving and approximately 1400 miles).

At first I thought I was seeing things or imagined this happened so I immediately asked my girlfriend in the passenger seat if she just saw what I saw, and she confirmed that she did in fact, so I have a witness and I'm not just crazy and seeing things :).

In your opinion, what do you think could have happened? I plan on calling my dealer to at least report the incident and that I'll keep an eye on the situation, but this worries me, especially if it's an intermittent electrical issue that only pops up once in a while and it worries me that it'll be hard to pinpoint the issue and be fixed. But I strongly suspect this is related to the recall repair work that was completed.

Can anyone with more knowledge of the work involved share their opinion of what could have happened during the repair that could have caused this and what a fix might entail?

Thanks to this forum, I've really read and educated myself about Subaru quite a bit, but I just joined due to this recall fiasco.
 
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#2 ·
I would guess that a wiring harness may need to be reseated. I can't imagine that this is a serious issue. I would still call the dealership and let them know and see if they will change the oil and reseat the connectors.

But I am no service technician, so take that for what it is worth.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
#6 ·
The steering wheel was off enough that it was very easily noticeable.

The dealer was great and had me take it back the same day and they fixed it within 30 minutes. Just not happy about the scratches they made during this post-recall repair re-do!

Now, the electrical problem is another issue that must be related to the recall repairs, as it never occurred prior to the work that was done. Very frustrating to say the least.
 
#5 ·
Yes, I saw the original recall thread, but I thought it would make sense to dedicate a thread to post recall repair issues only.

The original thread is 70+ pages long now and most information is about the initial recall and now there are posts about post repair issues on that same thread. I thought it may be a good idea to differentiate from original recall information and post recall repair "side effects".

What is the consensus on this?

Thanks.
 
#7 ·
When I went to pick mine up, the panel wasn't even screwed in! It fell out on my feet and I almost crashed when my foot got caught between it and the brake pedal. Unacceptable And embarrassing after waiting over a week for a fix that I had nothing to do with.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
Yes, this is getting ridiculous with all of the issues popping up AFTER the repair work was completed. Seems like they are just rushing the work and not taking their time to do it properly.

Unfortunately, I suspect there will be a TON of complaints of issues popping up due to the replacement of the steering column. The "crooked/misaligned" steering wheel is probably just the tip of the iceberg. They at least fixed that for me the same day I picked up my Outback, but this electrical issue has me concerned, very concerned.

I will call the dealership tomorrow morning and let them know about my SECOND issue that is almost 100% likely due to the recall repair.
 
#11 ·
Intermittent Instrument Panel

My 2016 was picked up last October and has not been to the dealer for any recalls or maintenance yet (low miles). But several times my instrument panel has hick-upped. It happened so fast I couldn't tell if it was the lighting or gauges that flashed.

Let us know what you find out about the panel and maybe post it under the title I used.

Thanks
 
#19 ·
An obvious expert on safety with a steering with a chick full of controls, wide spokes and the such..... By your measure, it wouldn't matter if Subaru just attached the steering wheels and not bother with alignment..... Everyone should feel safer it doesn't matter.
 
#23 ·
Sorry that I sparked an argument. Whether it is safety or annoyance, it should have been aligned after it took them 8 days to get it done. I'm going back for the third time for a fix that should have been done the first time. Just saying.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
#24 ·
The thing that bothers me is the fact they 'are' able to align them correctly and have failed to do so the first time in so many cases. It's completely foolish on their part. Why cause a vehicle to come back and waste time working on it again, especially while in the middle of a touchy recall situation? It's counterproductive. Do the job right the first time!!!

Andy
 
#25 · (Edited)
After all is said and done, I will call Subaru headquarters customer service and let them know about my frustration with this situation. Dealerships always tout their FACTORY TRAINED TECHNICIANS so that you can feel confident in a job well done since all they work on is Subarus and are experts, but what happened with all the sloppy work being done with these issues arising out of the repair work that was not done RIGHT the FIRST time.

Makes me question the qualify of work they'll do in the future for brakes and other things that they may just do a half a** job on.

Also, this dealership that I am taking my car in for service has received big service awards!!
 
#27 ·
You can blame Subaru many of these lingering after-repair issues. Why? The allotted book time for the repair is well under 1 hour and the techs say it takes twice as long to fix than Subaru is willing to pay the tech for. The end result is techs rushing to get the job done.
 
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#28 ·
re factory training, I know a retired mechanic who worked at several new car dealer shops who tells me that "factory training" can be no more than a piece of paper on a bulletin board saying a couple times a year, if that often, that a 10 minute video in available for viewing in the break room.

I guess all the recalls and tsb's have been stressing out the authorized Subaru repair network. Check the interview with Tom Doll, about how the company needs the dealers to treat all the new conquest customers "like gold." It's in his answer to the very first question:

http://www.autonews.com/article/201...l:-now-is-the-time-to-get-your-house-in-order
 
#30 ·
My 2016 3.6R was also recalled and immediately after I got the car back from the dealer, i noticed that when shifting from P to R, there is a big clunk sound with vibration. It also happens when shifting from D to R too. I have used the parking brake almost every time. Even when not on a hill, this keeps happening. There are only around 1000 miles on the car. Anyone else having this issue post recall repair?
 
#31 ·
I had an issue with the steering wheel not being set center. Went back to the dealer today, they "fixed" it so I left and immediately noticed no real difference. Went back and the service manager went with me for a drive and noticed the issue still. Went back, they "fixed it" and now it's to the right when before it was to the left. Went back and the manager went on a drive again with me and said to bring it back on Saturday and they'll have to see about doing some kind of wheel setting/alignment to get it dead center. Surprising that it wasn't an easy fix but hopefully they get it resolved on Saturday. Not happy about having to go back but the service manager seemed to genuinely understand and wanted to get it done to my satisfaction.

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
 
#32 ·
my 2 cents:

IMO alignments involve art, they won't turn out correct just because a tech had a machine and some tools.

I'm disappointed but not really surprised at the issues people are bringing up re alignment and steering column r/r. It's a pretty big challenge and it got dumped on a service network that Subaru has improved a lot over the last few years, but it's still well challenged by these kinds of repairs. Look at how they are still catching up with the wind noise stuff, for example.

The double talk or let's say lack of understanding from service "managers" also not surprising, since they often have little or no hands-on repair experience, and are mainly concerned with telling you what they think you want to hear. Sorry, I'm spoiled by years of going to a small ind. shop where the owners do the work and you can always talk to them.

Also IIRC, the centering of the steering wheel has nothing to do with the actual front end alignment, it can be adjusted to the taste of the driver. That's how it was in the hydraulic days and I would think still today with electric systems. Maybe somebody knows for sure.

What bugs me is when the customers says line up the wheels and kink the steering wheel off to the left, or to the right, or centered, when the wheels are straight ahead, and the shop cannot figure out how to do that.
 
#33 ·
Steering wheel is off by 6 degrees toward the passenger side (right), I said it was off drove with a service manager, he said it was fine, took until I got home (needed some clear and straight roads to play on, to verify that it is actually off. It is only off by 6 degrees but that is enough to be very annoying. So headed back Tuesday as they were closing for the day today.

ERIC
 

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#34 ·
Same as mine Eric.
I brought it back, they said the fixed it.
It may be a tiny bit better but as a bonus they added some scratches here and there on the steering wheel.
I took it for a ride and discovered a noise when turning the wheel once around.
Two hours and three mechanics later, they fixed that and added another little scratch.
I'm not going back there.

-Harvey
 
#38 ·
Geez... 10-days to repair the lift gate and then this..... To be honest.... It sounds like the dealership and its service department are long on excuses and short on solutions and action....... You certainly have been more than understanding..... It sounds like it's time to find a better dealer with responsive service dept. is this a small dealership?
 
#39 ·
I picked my Outback on Wednesday, 13 days after dropping it off with them. I did a walk around of the car and found a door ding on the rear passenger door. When I showed it to the service rep, and he mentioned it to the service manager he presented it as another lot door ding, so mine sure wasn't the first of the day. The service manager had me bring it in yesterday morning so they could repair the dent. They were able to buff out the white paint left from the damager, and pop the dent out, but I still have a small crease in the door (about the length of a nickel) and it can be felt to the touch. I am very upset over the whole situation.The didn't sound like there was much else they could do, so now I have a vehicle that I have only had for 5 weeks with a dent that was caused by the dealership I bought it from. I do plan on explaining my situation with SOA but I don't know how much good it will do.
 
#42 ·
Should I worry about accepting a special order with a replaced steering column???

After a snafu early in April, when our special order 3.6R arrived with the wrong configuration, our re-ordered, freshly recalled 2016 3.6R Limited special order arrived at Heuberger Subaru in Colorado Springs on May 25. Its steering column turned out to be one of the ones that had been improperly manufactured, so it had to be replaced. The replacement was completed and the vehicle was cleared for sale yesterday, May 27.

I am a bit concerned about the steering column's having been replaced at the dealership level. It seems as if replacing the steering column is a big enough project that our brand spanking new Outback has essentially become somewhat less "new." In addition, based on what I've read here, I am not misguided in thinking that the replacement process could introduce additional problems.

This is particularly problematic since we are planning to have the vehicle shipped to us. We ordered it from Heuberger, and we live in Las Vegas. So if we find any problems, we can't just drive back over to the dealership. We would be at the mercy of the sole Las Vegas Subaru dealer (from whom we chose not to buy).

Two other considerations:

1) We are not desperate for the car. I had hoped to semi-retire our 2008 Honda CR-V, with its nearly 160,000 miles, before the heat of the summer, but the Honda is still running well.

2) Reverse automatic braking and high beam assist will be standard on the 2017 3.6R Limited, with no significant increase in price (IF Heuberger will give us a discount on the 2017 model similar to what it offered on the 2016 model when we ordered it back in early March). As a 50-something who seems increasingly inclined to back into obstacles, and who already has poor vision at night, I would benefit from both of these new safety features.

I am perhaps misguidedly torn between not wanting to create more headaches for the good folks on the Forum sales team and wanting to ensure that I don't have any misgivings about what I'm going to get for my tens of thousands of dollars. It just seems as if I should at least take pause over the fact that "our" Outback wasn't cleared for sale until the day after Subaru of America released the details of the 2017 model year.

I'm wondering what other members of the Forum would do in this situation? Any thoughts/input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 
#44 ·
I'm wondering what other members of the Forum would do in this situation? Any thoughts/input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
If you really aren't desperate for the car, then wait for the 2017's, especially for those added features you would want. But, given the circumstances, if you can get a really great deal on the 2016, I wouldn't hesitate taking it.

As for the recalled vehicle being slightly less "new", I really wouldn't give that much consideration. While replacing the steering column sounds like a major repair, in reality it's only a two hour job. It's not like they're rebuilding the engine or transmission. While there have been some alignment/scratch problems with the repair, I generally think that most Subaru dealers hire competent mechanics. My dealership alone has several master mechanics. I have every confidence that my repair was done correctly, and if it wasn't the dealer would correct any problem ASAP. And, who's to say - the next vehicle you own might have some recall down the line and may be out of service for a while.
 
#45 ·
so far with my 2016 Outback with less than 800 miles i've been dealing with the following:

- steering column recall (fixed)
- steering wheel not straight after recall, took it back, still not straight, have to take it back again (needs to be fixed)
- driver's footwell underside panel rattling after steering column repair, used felt strips per someone else's recommendation (fixed myself)
- front passenger footwell plastic panel warping away from the gasket (needs to be fixed)
- rear lift gate struts shoot upwards during the last 1/3 of the strut and the lift gate slams upwards shaking the entire car (needs to be fixed)
- driver's side passenger power window makes an extremely loud whining sound when raising (still needs to be fixed)
- roof rack gasket warping / peeling away from the metal body, 1 place on driver's side, 2 places on passenger side (needs to be fixed)
- glove box spring/loaded open jams in the middle of opening, about 50% of the time (still needs to be replaced)

i'm losing my cool with this vehicle, one thing after another and it's completely soured my experience with what i thought was finally the perfect vehicle after having to trade in a 1 year old 2015 Forester with 9,200 miles due to a slew of mounting quality issues that Subaru failed / refused to fix (bluetooth that never worked and Subaru doesn't know what to do, driver's door flexed away from the frame of the vehicle on turns, rear lift gate creaked no matter what i did or dealer did, the heat was inadequate, the a/c was inadequate, the vehicle wandered all over the road despite repeated alignments from the dealer and they refused to replace the tires, and the suspension was out of control...couldn't even go over a minor dip without the entire vehicle jolting)

this will be my last Subaru. i gave them a 2nd try with the Outback after i gave up on the 2015 Forester. enough is enough. going back to Honda
 
#52 ·
head Unit hung

got my car back Saturday drove a whole of 16 minutes since then (most of it back home), this afternoon when I started the car, (I had music playing from a USB stick), and displaying Maps, I noticed when I went to reverse the headunit did not switch to the reverse camera (odd, as it did this morning and when I picked up the car).
After 15 minutes and restarting the car a number of times (restarting the car has always fix headunit oddity in the past) it is no go the Headunit is stuck, will not accept any input to the touch screen the 6 buttons surrounding it, the 2 physical buttons or any controls from the steering wheel. Oddly it sounds as if the touch screen works for the "accept" when I turn on the car, but nothing after that. The map display works and follows me and the song from the USB stick continues to play over and over (no volume adjustment and afraid what will happen if I pull the stick, I do not want static).

I assume this all has to do with the repair and some loss wire(s), but wanted to see if anyone else has had similar issues, since I already have to go back to have an alignment as my steering wheel is out 8 degrees (see previous page), was just hoping not to have to rush that fix, until this happened.

Thanks,
ERIC
 
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