2004 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

WHEN BRAKING FOR A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO RACE AND STOPPING FORWARD MOVEMENT REQUIRES APPLYING HAND BRAKE AND SOMETIMES TURNING OFF ENGINE. FIRST REPORTED IN 2006 THERE HAVE BEEN TWO INCIDENTS IN THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS (JUNE 20 TO JULY 2, 2014) EACH INVOLVING A DIFFERENT DRIVER. FLOOR MATS HAD BEEN REMOVED FOLLOWING THE EARLIER INCIDENTS IN 2006. IN EACH OF THE PRIOR INCIDENTS REARING ENDING OF THE AUTO IN FRONT WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IS 82,800. UPDATED 2/18/15*JS

THERE IS A FUEL SMELL UNDER THE HOOD. A REPAIRMAN SAID THAT THE FUEL CLAMPS WERE LOOSE, HOWEVER, TO GET TO THEM HE HAD TO TAKE THE FUEL RAIL OFF THE MOTOR TO E TO THE CLAMPS. THEY COULD NOT BE SERVICED WITHOUT DIS ASSEMBLY. WE WERE QUOTED $500 TO MAKE THE REPAIR. THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT ON WEB CHAT ROOMS FOR THESE CARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AS THE CRUISE CONTROL WARNING LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED SIX TIMES. THE THROTTLE WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE THROTTLE CEASED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE, WOULD THEN SLOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND WOULD ONLY MOVE AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. THE CONSUMER STATED HE LEARNED IF HE CAME TO A FULL STOP AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE THREE OR FOUR TIMES, THE THROTTLE WOULD RE-ENGAGE AND HE WOULD BE ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL SPEED, SOMETIMES FOR SOME DISTANCE , AND OTHER TIMES FOR ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE IT FAILED AGAIN. WHEN THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WAS CHECKED BY A MECHANIC, IT SHOWED A CODE P2138. IT APPEARED THAT THE ENGINE COMPUTER UNIT WAS INVOLVED BECAUSE WHEN IT REST THE THROTTLE WORKED AGAIN, BRIEFLY. THE MECHANIC RESET AND IT RAN NORMALLY FOR THREE DAYS BEFORE FAILING. UPDATED 05/16/13

SUDDEN DECELERATION. OCCURRED AT COMPLETE STANDSTILL, 25MPH AND 65MPH, SPEED APPEARS NOT TO BE A FACTOR. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND CRUISE CONTROL QUITS AND CRUISE LIGHT BLINKS AND ENGINE DEFAULTS TO 1500RPM, ALL HAPPENS SIMULTANEOUSLY, ERGO NO WARNING. COMPLETE LOSS OF GAS PEDAL CONTROL. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. CAN HAPPEN A FEW TIMES A DAY OR NOTHING FOR A WEEK. TENDS TO HAPPEN MORE FROM A COLD ENGINE START AND WITHIN 3 MILES OF THEE START. VERY DANGEROUS IF ON FREEWAY, ESPECIALLY IN FAST LANE AND PULLING OUT ONTO STREET, ETC. *TR

WHILE OPERATING THE 2004 SUBARU LEGACY LT AT A SPEED OF 30 MPH A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST, CAUSING SEVER LACK OF CONTROL, THE BATTERY TROUBLE LIGHT AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY OCCURRED. UPON INSPECTION (UNDER THE HOOD), IT WAS NOTED THAT ONE OF THE TWO DRIVE BELTS HAD BEEN RIPPED APART AND THE SECOND BELT HAD BEEN DISLODGED FROM IT'S PULLEYS , LEAVING THE POWER STEERING, ALTERNATOR, AIR CONDITIONER ETC WITHOUT DRIVE BELTS. IT WAS FURTHER FOUND AND NOTED THAT THE PULLEY MOUNTED ON THE END OF THE CRANKSHAFT HAD IN FACT SEPARATED FROM ITS MOUNTING HUB AND WAS EASILY REMOVED BY HAND WITHOUT EFFORT. THE SLIPPING LOOSE AND WANDERING PULLEY RESULTED IN THROWING AND DAMAGING THE POWER DRIVE BELTS AND COULD HAVE COME OFF COMPLETELY AND BE PROPELLED INTO THE RADIATOR AND OTHER COMPONENTS. BEING ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AND SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE PREVENTED FURTHER DANGER AND DAMAGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING AT 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND WENT THROUGH THE GARAGE WALL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP BUT IT HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 9,800.

I WAS STEERING THE CAR, JUST LEAVING THE LOT OF A HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE. I MADE A RIGHT TURN, DROVE THE DISTANCE OF, PERHAPS, A CITY BLOCK AND MOVED INTO THE LEFT LANE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. I HAD TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT SO I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO STOP. THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING! THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK! FEELING TERRIFIED, CONFUSED, NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO, I SHOVED THE GEAR INTO PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO OFF. LATER, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS GIVEN THE "FLOOR MAT EXCUSE" THAT THE GAS PEDAL HAD STUCK FOR THAT REASON; I WAS NOT TOLD TO BRING IT IN FOR A CHECKUP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH DURING A SNOW STORM, THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A PATCH OF BLACK ICE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN SLIDING, ROLLED OVER, AND CRASHED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 42,000.

THE TREAD OF THIS TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE WHILE DRIVING. THE TIRE HAD APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES OF USE. THE TREAD WARRANTY WAS FOR 60,000 MILES. THE RETAILER WOULD NOT TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. I WAS TOLD THAT CONTINENTAL WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE TREAD WAS WORN, DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAD 15,000 MILES LEFT ON THE TREAD WARRANTY. THE RETAILER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THEY NO LONGER CARRIED THIS TIRE. *TR

DT: 04/30/05 PROBLEM BEGAN. AT LOW SPEEDS, THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING AND CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE STEERING FELT OUT OF CONTROL. AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON 05/07/05. AT 35 MPH COMING AROUND A CURVE ON A RAINY DAY, THE CONSUMER TRIED TO SLOW DOWN, BUT BRAKES LOCKED, AND THE CONSUMER SLID WITH NO STEERING ABILITY. THE CONSUMER COULDN'T KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD. SHE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A TREE OCCURRED. TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE. SLIGHT INJURIES TO DRIVER, NO OTHER CARS INVOLVED. *JB