2010 Subaru Forester 2.5x Premium on 2040-cars

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Subaru recalling almost 634,000* CUVs, sedans for possible puddle light short

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a massive recall campaign today for some of the more popular Subaru models due to defective puddle lights that could short out and possibly lead to smoke and/or fire.
(*)While the recall notice lists a total of 633,842 Forester, Legacy, Outback and Tribeca models from various model years, Automotive News is reporting that there are only 53,999 units actually equipped with the defective lights, but Subaru is having to make the massive recall since it is unable identify which vehicles have the lights.
The problem with the 2009 through 2012 Forester, 2006 through 2012 Tribeca and the 2010 through 2011 Legacy and Outback is that the puddle lights mounted under the door mirrors can collect water or moisture, which can lead to the short. To fix the problem, Subaru is adding an extra fuse to the wiring harness as a part of the recall that will go into effect next month. For Forester owners, this is the second major recall in less than a year following the 275,000 units that were afflicted with faulty rear seatbelts.

Ford tumbles to second worst in Consumer Reports reliability survey, list dominated by Japanese [w/video]

It's no secret that MyFord Touch has had its share of problems since being introduced, but the most recent reliability survey from Consumer Reports shows just how much this infotainment system has affected Ford. Just two years ago, the automaker was in the top 10 for the institute's reliability rankings, but since then, it has tumbled to the second-lowest rung just above dead-last Jaguar. In addition to MyFord Touch, CR also attributes a handful of new products that have had issues right out of the gate.
Compiled from 1.2 million subscriber surveys, this year's auto reliability survey heavily favors Japanese automakers, with eight of the 10 spots hailing from Japan. Toyota brands grabbed the top three spots (Scion, Toyota and Lexus - in that order) with Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura filling the next four spots. The only non-Asian automaker cracking the top 10 was Audi at number eight.
Audi climbed a total of 18 spots from last year, and Cadillac and GMC round out this year's top gainers breaking into the top 15. Helping Cadillac's upward movement, the CTS Coupe was named the most reliable domestic car. Lincoln, Volvo and Chrysler join Ford on this year's biggest loser list.

Subaru brings sportier XV, Legacy and Levorg concepts to Tokyo Auto Salon

'Tis the season of the auto shows, boys and girls. We just came down from the techno-fest that was CES, we're set for the start of the Detroit Auto Show, in the UK they're holding the Autosport International racecar show, and in Japan they just opened the Tokyo Auto Salon. And true to form, Subaru was on hand with a wide assortment of tuned machinery. Aside from the competition-spec WRX and BRZ we brought you a few days ago, Subaru also spruced up some of its production models for the street. One of the most intriguing was the Levorg S that gives us an idea of what the conceptual Legacy wagon would look like in STI spec, complete with the requisite blue paint, red trim and STI badges, but also a full aero kit, 19-inch BBS wheels and carbon-fiber trim, plus an interior with bucket seats, flat-bottom rim and all the fixins. The Japanese automaker also showcased a version of the Legacy sedan dubbed Blitzen, decked out in bright red with a similarly upgraded aero kit, 19-inch alloys and a two-tone interior. The XV Crosstrek that was recently launched on this side of the Pacific as a special edition in bright yellow rolled in to the Tokyo salon in the same shade, but with upgrades similar to those on the aforementioned Levorg and Legacy show cars. The XV Sport concept wears upgraded aero, 17-inch wheels and a complementing yellow-trimmed back interior. Also on display was an even less subtle WRX S4 customized by Prova, done up in white but with an outlandish body kit, 20-inch Enkei alloys and a dropped suspension, as well as the new Forester tS.