2008 Subaru Impreza Visibility & Wipers Problems

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR INTERNAL CAM BROKE WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN SUCH THAT THE SUN VISOR HANGS AT THE LOWEST POINT, AND IS NO LONGER ADJUSTABLE. THIS OBSCURES THE DRIVER'S FIELD OF VISION WHEN DRIVING THE CAR AND THUS PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON DEFECT IN THE SUNVISOR DESIGN/MANUFACTURE BASED UPON IDENTICAL USER FORUM REPORTING. SUBARU AMERICA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT IN DESIGN OR MATERIALS WORKMANSHIP. *TR

THE VISORS JUST DROP DOWN WHILE I DRIVE. I TRIED TO GET IT FIXED BUT THEY TOLD ME KNOW RECALL AND OUT OF WARRANTY. WHAT A HAZARD. I WOULD BE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEED LIMIT AND THANK GOSH WHEN IT DROPPED DOWN I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. *TR

SINCE I HAVE OWNER THIS CAR, EVERY TIME IT RAINS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER STOP WORKING AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN OPERATING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF IT IS A BRIEF SHOWER OR A DOWN POUR. *BF THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, IT MAY BE A SHORT CIRCUIT. *JB

AT 32,000 MILES MY DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR SPRING MECHANISM BROKE DURING A COLD MORNING(10-15F). IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW AT ABOUT 85,000 MILES IT BROKE AGAIN AND I NEED TO REPLACE IT MYSELF. THE DEALERSHIP SURPRISINGLY HAD SEVERAL IN STOCK WHICH WAS ODD BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING A DEALER WOULD NORMALLY STOCK UNLESS THERE IS A TRENDING PROBLEM WITH IT. IT'S NOT ME ABUSING IT AS I AM DON'T TREAT MY THINGS IN A FAST FORCEFUL MANNER, I'VE ALSO NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE IN HUNDRED OF THOUSANDS OF MILES. YET, I HAVE 2 OF THE EXACT SAME ITEM FAILURES IN LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. THE SAFETY ISSUE HERE IS THAT WHEN THE SUN VISOR BREAKS, IT HANGS DOWN PERFECTLY VERTICAL BLOCKING THE DRIVERS VIEW OF THE ROAD. I PRETTY MUCH HAD TO DRIVE TO WORK HOLDING THE VISOR WITH MY LEFT HAND. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK I GRABBED A SCREW DRIVER AND REMOVED THE VISOR UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FAILED TO REMAIN IN POSITION. AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP THE VISOR FLIPPED DOWN FROM IT'S POSITION AGAINST THE ROOF TO A COMPLETELY VERTICAL POSITION BLOCKING MY VIEW OF THE ROAD. I AM ONLY 5 FOOT 7 INCHES, BUT WHEN THE VISOR IS COMPLETELY DOWN MY VISION IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED. THE VISOR WOULD NO LONGER REMAIN UP AGAINST THE ROOF, NOR FULLY FORWARD AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND REMOVE THE SCREWS HOLDING THE VISOR MOUNT TO THE ROOF. WHEN I DID THIS THE SHAFT THAT CONNECTS THE VISOR TO THE ROOF MOUNT CAME OUT OF THE VISOR. THE PLASTIC PORTION HAD BROKEN COMPLETELY INSIDE THE VISOR. THE FORCE HOLDING THE VISOR IN THE UP POSITION HAD BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WEAKER FOR MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE IT FAILED COMPLETELY. SEARCHING THE WEB IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT. WITHOUT A VISOR IT IS NOW DEFINITELY MORE HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE INTO THE SUN, I KEEP A BASEBALL CAP IN THE CAR FOR THESE SITUATIONS WHILE I ATTEMPT TO FIND AN INEXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT. MY DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $140 FOR A REPLACEMENT VISOR.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA. UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THERE WAS FROST ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED A WHITE FILM DEVELOPED ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WHEN USING THE HEATER. THE FROST SHOWED UP INTERMITTENTLY DURING COLD WEATHER AND THE WHITE FILM WAS NOTICED WHENEVER THE HEATER WAS OPERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 36,000.

I AM GETTING FROST ON THE INSIDE OF MY FRONT WINDSHIELD SOMETIMES IN COLD WEATHER. BEGINNING ABOUT NOVEMBER, IT IS ALSO COVERED DAILY IN A FILM I CAN'T SEEM TO GET RID OF WITH MY HAND. IT KEEPS RETURNING. *TR

THE VISORS KEEP BREAKING. WHEN THEY BREAK, THEY DROP DOWN, IMPEDING VISION. THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN IT MAY HAPPEN. THE PASSENGER SIDE VISOR WAS REPLACED IN 2010. IT IS NOW BROKEN AGAIN AND SO IS THE DRIVERS SIDE. RECENTLY, MY DRIVERS SIDE VISOR BROKE AND DROPPED DOWN WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS LUCKY I DIDN'T WRECK. THE VISORS ARE OVER $100.00 EACH. THEY ARE MADE WITH A PLASTIC PIECE THAT IS NOT ABLE TO DO THE JOB. A SERIOUS DRIVING HAZARD! *TR

DRIVERS SUN VISOR ROTATES DOWN UNPREDICTABLY, BLOCKING VISION FOR AVERAGE OR TALL DRIVERS. A SMALL BUMP CAN TRIGGER THIS.

DRIVING IN RAIN WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON. WIPERS CROSSED AND MADE A "X" THEN TWISTED AND MALFUNCTIONED. *TR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS SOMETIMES STOP WORKING AND GET CAUGHT UP IN EACH OTHER, THE BOLT NEED TO BE TIGHTENED MANY TIMES, HAS ALMOST CAUSED MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS. *TR

SERIOUS WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE OF ENTIRE LINKAGE SYSTEM CAUSED BY A HOLD DOWN NUT COMING LOOSE FROM MAIN LINKAGE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A RAIN STORM WHEN BOTH WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. SHE NARROWLY ESCAPED AN ACCIDENT AS THERE WAS NO PLACE TO SAFELY PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND SHE LOST TOTAL VISIBILITY. THE 2008 IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT WAS TAKEN TO A NEARBY SUBARU DEALER WHERE THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM BY SIMPLY TIGHTENING THE HOLD DOWN NUT WHICH CAME LOOSE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED BY THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FROM A NEW CAR THAT WAS RATED THIS TOP SAFETY PICK. THE CAR HAD 9800 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED.*TR

EVER SINCE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE (NEW), THERE HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE FILM ON THE WINDSHIELD AND INTERIOR WINDOWS. SOMETIMES IT IS SO BAD, IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDOWS (ESPECIALLY WITH LIGHT REFLECTIONS AND SUNSETS, ETC.). MY DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT IT HAS HAD MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I HAVE TRIED CLEANING THE WINDOWS WITH CLEANERS AND NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP. THE PROBLEM IS EVEN WORSE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN THE DEFROSTER IS BEING USED MORE OFTEN. TO DATE, MY DEALER (AS WELL AS A DIFFERENT ONE) HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT LIMITS VISIBILITY FROM THE VEHICLE. *TR

MY 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA HAS DEVELOPED A FILM ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHICH CAUSES A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION. I AM UNABLE TO SEE AT NIGHT OR WITH ON COMING CARS WITH LIGHTS ON. IT HAS BEEN TO A DEALER TWICE AND THEY HAVE CLEANED IT BUT THE PROBLEM COMES BACK AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS. IT IS DANGEROUS! *TR

A FOG KEEPS DEVELOPING ON THE INTERIOR FRONT WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS WHICH IMPAIRS THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THE WINDSHIELD CLEAR OF THIS FOG WHILE THE DEFROST IS RUNNING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK THAT LIMITS THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL PERIODICALLY STOP WORKING AND FAIL TO MOVE ALTOGETHER, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. HE MUST PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND MANUALLY PULL THE WIPERS DOWN WITH HIS HANDS. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED OVER TEN TIMES WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. MOST OF THE TIME THE WIPERS WORK NORMALLY, BUT DURING RAINY AND SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE FAILURE CAN CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY. THE SUBARU DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT IF THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A FAILURE, THERE WAS NOTHING TO REPAIR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 10,000.

2008 SUBARU IMPREZA THE WINDSHIELD GETS COVERED BY A FILM DURING COOL/COLD WEATHER AND IMPAIRS YOUR VISION WHILE DRIVING AND YOU NEED TO STOP AND REMOVE THE FILM ON THE WINDSHIELD . YES A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. SUBARU DENIES ANY PROBLEMS. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS. *TR

FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE IS A GREASY FILM THAT FORMS ON THE WINDOWS APPROXIMATELY EVERY 1-3 DAYS. THE FAILURE WAS NOTICED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURS ON ALL OF THE WINDOWS, BUT IS THE WORST ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO CONTINUE CLEANING THE WINDOWS AND THE FAILURE SHOULD EVENTUALLY CEASE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 2,900. UPDATED 02-12-08 *BF

A HAZY FILM CONTINUALLY BUILDS UP ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CAUSING REDUCED VISIBILITY. *TR