This car was "inspected" on July 25, 2011 at affordable auto glass, 806 elm street, West springfield, MA (Massachusetts inspection station pb 024377). Upon purchasing this car in October, 2011, I attempted to get a ri inspection sticker for it when registering it in ri. It failed on several counts (bald tires, bad rear brakes, 2 bad front axles). I would like this station investigated to find out how this car could have passed a mass inspection only 3 months before I bought it. In addition to the failed items, one front brake caliper was frozen and the bracket holding the other front brake caliper was broken.

- Warwick, RI, USA

On a cold start, with the ambient temperature at or below freezing (32F), the 3rd time I press the brake pedal, it will not go down. There is a hard stop and the brakes do not engage. The vehicle, if in motion, will not stop. Repeated pumping of the brake pedal eventually frees up the brake pedal and braking function is restored. Notice a distinct revving of the engine when the problem is remedied. This is a repeatable problem.

- Kensington, MD, USA

Driving on secondary road - well know to me - at dusk @ 45 mph approaching an intersection with a major road. Began to tap gently on brake to ease to my "yield" or stop in case driver on other road did not do so. Each time I hit brakes, the engine would rev up & pull forward @ increased speed. After several attempts to brake, I attemted to downshift, put in park and pull up parking brake -- all to no avail, except engine and front end made loud grinding noises. The car would still not stop and when I was about 25' from the intersection, I had no choice but to drive into a "snow bank" which turned out to be several inches of snow over a pile of gravel. There was damage to the front of the car & it was towed. The tow truck driver had a difficult time starting the car so he could winch it onto his flatbed truck. The car was towed to the Subaru dealer from whom I purchased the car. The service manager maintains that the problem was caused by "birdseed in the filter" in the air box going to the throttle. (he also said the seed indicated that there may have been a mouse nest, but he found no evidence of a nest at that time.) I told him that I found that hard to believe since my car is in a heated area of the garage and any mice have much warmer places to stay. My own mechanic said the birdseed explanation was implausible and, if anything, the birdseed would have led the car to stall out - not increase acceleration. I checked your web site and found other 2001 legacies with "fuel: Throttle linkages & control problems. I printed these out and took them to the dealer. He said he checked the throttle linkages and controls electronically and found them to be fine but would not put this in writing. He stands fast on his birdseed explanation. Am an experienced & safe driver - have "platinum" level of safe driver discount. This car is my 6th new Subaru in under 20 years. Have always found them reliable in the past. Am afraid to drive this car.

- Elizaville, NY, USA