Blatchara

Fortunately, it was on tightly, and the speed at impact was about 2 mph. Still cost them 1100 bucks, mostly for a new bumper cover. It's a nice image, though, of the startled driver staring at the prow of a canoe in the window...

Once I cut the muffler loose, I got a pretty good look at it--no hanger in the front. The guys at the shop that I talked to said that the hangers began appearing in the 2001 model. Someone must have noticed the omission. This happened on Long Hill Road in Leverett, MA. By coincidence, it was about 500 feet from the spot that someone pulling from their driveway failed to notice my car and pulled out in front of me. Oh yeah--he also failed to notice the 17 foot red canoe on top. At least the insurance company didn't say that was my fault.

About 6 weeks ago, I had an unsettling experience with my 2000 Legacy GT (130K miles). The exhaust system was making quite a lot of noise, so I knew I had to get it in for repair. Before I could, though, I hit a pothole on a dirt road, and the muffler dropped. No big deal, you say, if it's happened to you in other cars. However, in this model/year, the muffler is held by hangers only at the rear. The front of the muffler dropped, dug into the dirt, and the back end of the car "pole-vaulted" over it, causing a huge lift. Fortunately, I was going straight, and didn't slide off the road. Unfortunately, it bent the entire trunk/quarterpanel up a couple of inches, requiring several thousand bucks to fix. I now have a "major accident" listed on my insurance. Has this happened to others, or others you know of? I don't know of any service bulletins or recalls, but would be glad to hear of any that exist. Any suggestions? I am thinking of reporting this to NTSB, as it could cause a pretty major loss of control if it happened during a corner. Thanks in advance.