2005 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

VEHICLE STUDDERS ON ACCELERATION, NOT A CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH TURBO LAG, BUT AN OCCASSIONAL, INFREQUENT PROBLEM, NOT A LAG, BUT A STUDDER OR FLUTTER IN ACCELERATION FROM A DEAD STOP OR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

2005 LEGACY 2.5I WAGON WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAS ALWAYS HAD THROTTLE SURGE UNDER VERY LIGHT LOAD WITH CRUSE CONTROL ON. IS MOST NOTICABLE ON HIGHWAY GOING DOWN SLIGHT GRADE. WITH CRUSE CONTROL OFF, I ALSO CAN'T MAINTAIN DESIRED SPEED IN THIS SITUATION; MINIMUM AMOUNT OF GAS IS TOO MUCH, ANY LESS CAUSES ENGINE TO GO BACK TO IDLE AND THE CAR SLOWS TOO MUCH. DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL. NOTE THAT THE CRUSE CONTROL HAS SUFFERED A SEPARATE PROBLEM (FAILED TO WORK, ALWAYS DROPPED OUT); THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND HAS HAD NO EFFECT OF THE SUGING PROBLEM.

DT: CONSUMER DRIVING WITH CHILD IN REAR SEAT. CONSUMER SLOWED DOWN TO EXIT FREEWAY, AND THE MIDDLE SEAT BACK CAME DOWN AND UNBUCKLED THE SEAT BELT. SEAT BACK PUSHED THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT INTO THE RELEASE OF THE SIDE SEAT BELT AND UNLOCKING THE BOOSTER SEAT. CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER TOLD CONSUMER THAT HER SEAT BELT CAME UNDONE. CONSUMER STOPPED AND REBUCLED THE SEAT BELT. THIS WAS A RENTAL VEHICLE FROM DOLLAR RENTAL. CONTENTS OF TRUNKS WAS WHAT CONSUMER BELIEVED PUSHED THE SEAT BACK DOWN, AND UNBUCKLED THE SEAT BELT.*AK

PURCHASED 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SEVERAL WKS AGO WITH ABOUT 5,000 MILES ON ODO, SOLD TO ME AS "NEW" WAS SALES MGRS CAR. WHEN ACCELERATING HARD ON THE HIGHWAY, CABIN FILLS WITH ACRID SULPHER SMELL. CAN BE DUPLICATED. IF THIS IS RESIDUE IT SHOULD HAVE BURNED OFF BY NOW, SINCE THE CAR WAS PLACED IN SERVICE AUGUST 2004.

THE CLUTCH ON THIS VEHICLE SEEMS TO SLIP DURING NORMAL DRIVING, CAUSING THE WORST SMELL. IT SMELLS LIKE A SEWAGE TEREATMENT PLANT IN THE SUMMERTIME, AND NORMALLY DISSIPATES AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THE CLUTCH SLIPS DURING NORMAL DRIVING, SUCH AS STARTING ON A MILD GRADE, OR EVEN DURING BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC. THIS LAST ONE IS PARTICULARY ANNOYING AS THIS IS AN EVERYDAY OCCURENCE FOR MANY OF US. NORMAL DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC CAUSES A PROLONGED OVERWHELMING SMELL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, CAUSING OCCUPANTS TO BECOME SICK TO THEIR STOMACHS.

THE TIRES DO NOT FUNCTION, AND HOLD TRACTION DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. OWNER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND BRAND NEW. THE CAUSE IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK *NM

NO FAILURE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT BUT VEHICLE DESIGN PROMOTES OPERATION AT NIGHT WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS. WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED OFF, THE HEADLIGHTS (DRL) AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS REMAIN ON. THIS MAKES THE OPERATOR THINK ALL EXTERIOR ILLUMINATION IS FUNCTIONING, WHEN ONLY THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED. *AK

THE WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED A TOTAL OF SIX DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD COULD BREAK IN THE DRIVER'S FACE. TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR TWICE. *NM

THE CLUTCH OR SOME PART OF THE CAR SMELLS BAD (LIKE SULPHUR) WHEN THE CLUTCH SLIPS AS THE CAR STARTS ROLLING AND GAS IS APPLIED. IT IS AWFUL AND I HAVE READ THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO AWAY B/C ITS A NEW CAR..... WELL I HAVE ALMOST 4K MILES ON IT NOW AND IT IS STILL THERE. SUBARU NEEDS TO RECALL THE CAR AND REPLACE THE PART. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE ISSUE AND SUBARU IS NOT RESPONDING.*AK

VEHICLE: 05 SUBARU GT LIMITED SEDAN (PURCHASED) 11/30/04) TIRE: BRIDGESTONE, POTENZA RE92 (215/45 ZR17. MY WIFE AND I SKIDDED AS WE APPROACHED A STOP SIGN ON A LEVEL, SNOW COVERED ROAD. I BROKE GRADUALLY AND MY SPEED WAS LOW, ABOUT 10 MPH AS I STARTED BRAKING). INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR JUST KEPT GOING EVEN THOUGH I APPLIED MORE BRAKE PRESSURE. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR AHEAD OF US, I WOULD HAVE REARENDED IT. I DISCOVERED VERY NEGATIVE REVIEWS OF THIS TIRE ON THE FOLLLOWING 2 CUSTOMER SURVEY BASES: TIRERACK.COM AND 1010TIRES.COM. THE MAJORITY OF CUSTOMERS RATED THIS TIRE AS POOR FOR WET TRACTION AND VERY POOR (DANGEROUS WAS USED IN SOME REVIEWS) FOR SNOW TRACTION. I HAVE CASE #S W/SOA & BRIDGESTONE. THEY AND THE DEALER HAVE REFUSED MY REQUEST TO CREDIT MY OE TIRES FOR NEW ONES. MANY CUSTOMERS (AVE OF 2.6 OUT OF 10) ANSWERED NO WHEN ASKED WOULD YOU BUY THIS TIRE AGAIN. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE RE92 FOR WET TRACTION, ESPECIALLY SNOW TRACTION. CONSIDERING THAT SUBARU AWD VEHICLES BUILT A REPUTATION AS A CAR THAT WILL BE SURE-FOOTED IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, WHY WOULD SOA EQUIP THIS CAR W/TIRES HAVING A 160 TREAD RATING? TIRE DEALERS I'VE SPOKEN TO ABOUT THIS ISSUE SAY THAT THIS TIRE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A SUMMER TIRE. SOA SHOULD REPHRASE THEIR SLOGAN FOR CARS W/RE92S TO: FROM THE WHEEL THAT SLIPS TO THE TIRE THAT SLIPS.*AK