Subaru Outback Manuals 2012 Outback Owner's Manual | Page 461

Consumer information and Reporting safety defects cified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction perfor- mance. WARNING The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight- ahead braking traction tests, and does not include accel- eration, cornering, hydroplan- ing, or peak traction charac- teristics. & Temperature A, B, C The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled con- ditions on a specified indoor labora- tory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan- dards No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of perfor- mance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law. WARNING The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or ex- cessive loading, either sepa- rately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possi- ble tire failure. 13-15 Reporting safety defects (USA) If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately in- form the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Subaru of America, Inc. If NHTSA receives similar com- plaints, it may open an investiga- tion, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehi- cles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your dealer, or Subaru of America, Inc. To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Administrator, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, West – CONTINUED –