2012 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

View complaints related to 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 290 complaints submitted for the 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - SPRINGFIELD, VA

    2012 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH APPROX. 122,000 MILES. THE CVT TRANSMISSION BEGAN RASPING WHILE UNDER ACCELERATION. RANDOMLY, AND OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL DAYS, THE VEHICLE STALLED, PARTICULARLY WHEN RAPIDLY DECELERATING UNDER BRAKING CONDITIONS. THIS REQUIRED THE VEHICLE TO BE SHIFTED INTO PARK OR NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED. ONLINE, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A RATHER LENGTHY HISTORY OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS SUBARU TRANSMISSION, AND THAT SUBARU, APPARENTLY TO AVOID A RECALL, EXTENDED ITS WARRANTY ON THE 2012 OUTBACK TO JULY 31, 2018 OR 100,000 MILES, WHICHEVER CAME FIRST. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION, A FACT THAT SUBARU USA ON JULY 29, 2019 TACITLY ACKNOWLEDGE (THEY SAID THEY HAD NO RECORD THAT I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED), BUT SUBARU USA SAID, DESPITE THIS, THAT THE WARRANTY DATE AND MILEAGE HAD NOW EXPIRED AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. SUBARU USA ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST OF $9500 WAS "QUITE HIGH" AND TOLD ME THAT AS A "GOOD WILL" GESTURE THEY WERE PREPARED TO OFFER ME $1500 CREDIT TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW SUBARU.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - ROBBINSDALE, MN

    MY 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN EXITING A FREEWAY, COMING TO A STOP ON A SIDE STREET. SPEED DOES NOT PLAY A FACTOR IN THIS. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND CLEARLY, IS A SAFETY ISSUE! I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION ON THIS MATTER FROM SUBARU THAT THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND STILL SHOULD BE A RECALL. FATALITIES COULD BE A RESULT OF THIS! SUBARU NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND NOT JUST BY EXTENDING THE WARRANTY. AGAIN THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISUUE!

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - MT. JULIET, TN

    THE CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH NO WARNING. AFTER DOING FURTHER RESEARCH SUBARU IS VERY AWARE OF THIS CVT ISSUES AND HAS TAKEN A VERY POOR AND LIMITED APPROACH TO STAND BEHIND AND FIX THIS ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WAS ON MY OWN TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND IT WAS A 10K FIX.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - ANTIOCH, IL

    MY OUTBACK STALLS WHEN COMING TO A STOP. IT WOULD DO IT RANDOMLY BUT NOW IT DOES IT ALL THE TIME. SUBARU WON'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME EXCEPT TELL ME HOW MUCH IT WILL COST TO FIX THE TORCH CONVERTER WITHOUT EVEN CHECKING IT ON THEIR COMPUTER. I HAVE HEARD OF SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE CVT AND I WANT TO KNOW FOR SURE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - FRANKLIN, TN

    CVT TRANSMISSION / TORQUE CONVERTER. MY VEHICLE IS JUST OVER 100K AND SUBARU WON'T COVER THE FULL REPAIR. MY CAR HAS STALLED IN VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON THE HIGHWAY AND INTERSECTIONS. LOCAL DEALER HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER / CVT NEEDS REPAIRED. IT'S TERRIBLE TO KNOW THAT NHTSA WON'T ISSUE A FORMAL RECALL WAITING FOR FATALITIES TO FORCE THE DECISION.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - OWOSSO, MI

    MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AND THE CAR STARTED SHAKING AND STALLED. THANK GOD THE CARS AROUND HER AVOIDED HITTING HER. SHE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED. WE TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 117 THOUSAND MILES ON IT. I HAVE LOOKED AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF TRANSMISSION FAILURES WITH THIS VEHICLE. BECAUSE OF THIS THEY OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY UP TO 100000 MILES BUT NOTHING OVER THIS.AND NO RECALL.THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL. THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY. IT IS ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX WE ARE BEING TOLD IT WILL COST 10000 DOLLARS WHICH WE CAN NOT DO. WE ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS OVER 100000 MILES.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - LAWRENCVILLE, NJ

    WHILE IN MOTION,THE CVT TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP FORWARD MOTION. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC, IT COULD CAUSE A ACCIDENT. THIS IS A SERIES SAFETY ISSUE. CVT TRANSMISSION IS A SEALED UNIT, NO SERVICEABLE PARTS. CAR IS 11K OUTSIDE WARRANTY. ONLY REPAIR IS 8K REPLACEMENT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - ABINGDON, VA

    I HAVE JUST BEEN TOLD TODAY THAT WILL NEED A NEW CVT TRANSMISSION FOR MY 2012 OUTBACK. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR SUBARU DURING THIS MODEL YEAR. INSTEAD OF ISSUING A RECALL, THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO GIVE A LIMITED EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE. THEY HAVE NOT OWNED UP TO THE PROBLEM AND ARE NOT HELPING CUSTOMERS OUT WITH THIS ISSUE. WHAT ASSURANCE DO I HAVE THAT A NEW SUBARU WON'T HAVE THE SAME ISSUE? I ENJOYED BY OUTBACK AND AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS OUTCOME. I HAVE TAKEN IT FOR REGULAR SERVICING AND DON'T ABUSE A VEHICLE AND IT HAS BEEN RELIABLE TO THIS POINT. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO WHY WON'T OWN UP TO THIS ISSUE AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS COMMON PROBLEM. THEY CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 100,000 FOR THIS ISSUE. I DARE SAY VERY FEW SUBARUS ARE ON THE ROAD AFTER NINE YEARS WITH LESS THAN 100,000.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - PARKVILLE, MD

    MY KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION PROPERLY. TAKES 30 MINUTES SOMETIMES. I CANNOT LEAVE MY CAR WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. MAINTENANCE REP SAYS THERE IS A TSB ADDRESSING THIS KNOWN ISSUE, BUT WILL NOT BE FIXED UNLESS I PAY $700+ TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SHIFT ASSEMBLY. SOMETHING ABOUT THE PARK INDICATOR IS KNOWN TO NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY. HOW CAN THEY CHARGE CUSTOMERS THIS OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT, WHEN THEY KNOW THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE SHIFT ASSEMBLY AND HAS BEEN SINCE 2010. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR OVER SIX MONTHS IN MY VEHICLE AND IS GETTING WORSE EACH TIME. THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH SUBARU OWNERS OF ALL MAKES, MODELS, AND YEARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK
    - RALEIGH, NC

    OUR VEHICLE HAS 162,000 MILES. THE VALVE BODY TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO KNOWN DEFECT OF THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR VEHICLE. THIS HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM FOR THESE VEHICLES WITH NO RECALL MADE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE