Failed recall on 2004 Subaru Forester xt front lower control arms. The front lower control arm on the passenger side of my Forester rusted in half. When backing out of a flat concrete driveway onto a city street, as I began to turn the wheel I heard/felt a pop in the front end. As I began to straighten the wheel it started making a grinding noise and I noticed the steering felt funny/loose. Before foing any further I pulled the car strait back into the driveway to inspect the problem. While I was jacking the car up I noticed immediately the front passenger wheel appear to go limp and sloppy. After crawling underneath to check I found that the control arm had completely broke/rusted in half. A few weeks earlier I noticed the front control arms on both sides were quite rusted. After a little research I found that Subaru had a recall on the control arms and would either replace then or re coat them. I then contacted a local dealer about the recall. After running my VIN the told me that my vehicle had already been serviced for that recall in 2012 and that my control arms were under coated and therefore were not covered for replacement. So now after my control arm is completely broken I contacted the same dealer again and was told to try contacting Subaru of America but that they could do nothing. I then contacted Subaru of America and after giving them all my information was told again that my vehicle had already been serviced for the recall and was not covered, but if I took it to a dealer they would "look at it". I then contacted another local dealer and I was able to trailer it there myself. I am waiting for a response. This is a dangerous problem that needs to be addressed immediately before someone is hurt. Had the control arm broke while driving doen the road at any rate of speed the results could be catastrophic or even fatal.

- Sidney, NY, USA

Driver was pulling onto route 66 when her right rear wheel almost came off. Turns out the wheel bearing failed, which apparently caused the brakes to go out. The car went off the right shoulder of the on ramp, then skidded to the left completely across route 66, and ended up almost at the jersey wall in the median, facing the oncoming traffic. Fortunately, the oncoming traffic was able to stop. By this time the right rear wheel was actually tilting out at the top, but she was able to drive back across route 66 and park on the shoulder. A young man who saw the mishap stopped and helped her jack the car up and take the wheel off. Car was towed away. Next day she found a car part about five feet away from where her car had been parked. Showed Subaru service people the part -- it was the end of the right rear axle, which had sheared off, and apparently flew off the car. It looks like the wheel bearing had failed, and the weight of the car had snapped off the end of the axle, before she drove off. The wheel eventually started to come off, and fortunately it happened without fatal consequences.

- Arlington, VA, USA

Noise from left rear wheel grew louder for weeks on a 2004 Subaru Forester xt turbo with 87,800 miles. Tires plus in cooper city, fl, replaced the left rear wheel bearing. It seemed unusually soon for normal wear, and I found similar online complaints about Subaru wheel bearings.

- Davie, FL, USA