NHTSA complaint #11501506

Owner complaint summary

Driver-side Daytime Running Light (DRL) failed after only 3 years. DRL is made up of LED bulbs integrated in the headlight assembly, and not able to be repaired or replaced. Entire headlight unit required replacement; estimated at ~$500, plus additional labor at Subaru dealership service center. There was no warning lamp, message, or other symptoms to indicate a problem with the headlight. It was discovered only when viewing front end of car in a reflection. This poses a threat to occupants’ and others’ safety due to decreased visibility during operation. Exorbitant cost of parts and labor poses a significant hurdle to repair. This problem was inspected and verified by dealer service center. Dealer described the issue as “weird,” and stated “that should not happen; I’ve never seen that before.” By the time I retrieved the vehicle following headlight assembly replacement work, the dealer service center had reportedly taken in 4 additional customers’ vehicles in for the same complaint. Dealership waived all charges associated with parts and labor to repair, despite being out of warranty, due to fact that LED DRL failed well before its projected useful life. Faulty headlight assembly was retained by dealer service center and sent to Subaru corporate for further inspection.