2008 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WITHOUT ANY CRASH OR FRONT END IMPACT. THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE INDICATES THAT IT IS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULE. IT IS A HARD FAULT SINCE IT IS UNABLE TO BE CLEARED. ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY SUBARU. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S CAR. ACCORDING TO TECHNICIAN, THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION IN WHICH THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OVER EAD CONSOLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

AIR BAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON WHILE DRIVING AND STAYS ON. I NOTICE THIS MORE IN THE EARLY MORNING WHEN IT'S COLD BUT IT'S BEEN HAPPENING ON A MORE FREQUENT BASIS NOW. I'VE BEEN TOLD THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT IF THE LIGHT IS ON. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SUBARU IS FULLY AWARE OF.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE AUDIO AND THE WHOLE PANEL RELATED TO THE HEAT/AIR AND DEFROSTER FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUDIO AND H-BACK CONTROL PANEL LIGHTS WERE BLINKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

(VEHICLE HAS 112K MILES) BEGINNING APPROXIMATELY IN THE MARCH 2015 TIMEFRAME, THE RADIO CONTROLS/DISPLAY BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. AT FIRST, THE RADIO DISPLAY WOULD BLINK OFF/ON, AND THEN PRESET STATION BUTTONS STOPPED/STARTED WORKING, THEN THE CD/RADIO/AUX CONTROL KNOB STOPPED/STARTED WORKING, ETC. CONTROLS FROM THE STEERING WHEEL APPEAR UNAFFECTED. THERE WOULD BE ONE PROBLEM ON ONE DAY, WHICH WOULD SEEMINGLY "GO AWAY." THEN, AT RANDOM (SOMETIMES DAYS OR WEEKS LATER), ANOTHER PROBLEM WOULD PRESENT ITSELF. IT, TOO, WOULD "GO AWAY" IN SHORT ORDER AND THE PROCESS WOULD REPEAT ITSELF. THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR ON START-UP AS WELL AS SUDDENLY WHILE IN MOTION (IN MAY 2015, I HAD THE RADIO GO OFF ABOUT MIDWAY ON A 150-MILE TRIP.) ON SEPT 16, THE RADIO CONTROLS BECAME COMPLETELY INACTIVE, BUT THE UNIT FUNCTIONED AND THE DISPLAY WAS ON. THEN, ON SEPT 24, I WAS TRAVELLING AT NIGHT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS AND RADIO/AC DISPLAYS SUDDENLY WENT DARK. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY CONCERN. THE HIGH BEAMS AND RUNNING LIGHTS REMAINED FUNCTIONAL, BUT THE REGULAR LIGHTS NO LONGER FUNCTION. I DID NOT TEST THE FOG LIGHTS AND I AM NO LONGER DRIVING THE CAR. I AM USING MY WIFE'S CAR. UNTIL I CAN TAKE THE CAR FOR SERVICE, ITS USE IS LIMITED TO DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE ISSUE HAS REMAINED AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE "GOING AWAY". WHEN YOU TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS, THE RADIO/AC DISPLAYS GO BLANK AND THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT.

HVAC FAILS TO OPERATE. DEFROSTER WILL NOT OPERATE. SYMPTOMS ACCOMPANIED BY FLASHING CONTROL PANEL FOR HVAC AND RADIO. WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM SHARED ON CAR OWNER INTERNET FORUMS.

AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT PERIODICALLY TURNS ON WHEN A PASSENGER SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SOMETIMES IT TURNS ON, SOMETIMES NOT. YOU CAN RESET THE SENSOR AND IT GOES AWAY, FOR DAYS OR WEEKS. NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOUND ONLINE. MECHANIC CAN NOT FIND PROBLEM.

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS FREQUENTLY ON FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME (DAYS, WEEKS,MONTHS). THE ISSUE AND SUBARU'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ADDRESS IT ARE WELL DOCUMENTED IN COMPLAINTS FILED WITH NHTSA BY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS AND ON VARIOUS SUBARU OWNER WEBSITES. FOR EXAMPLE, SEE HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2008/SUBARU/OUTBACK/AIR_BAGS/PROBLEM.ASPX THERE IS CONFLICTING ADVICE ON WHETHER ILLUMINATION OF THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT MEANS THE AIRBAGS ARE DISABLED OR NOT. EITHER WAY, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.

A YEAR AGO, MY VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT EVERY STOP (VEHICLE SHOULD BE NOTED IS STICK SHIFT). AFTER THAT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE RAN FINE. I DROVE IT WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON ACCORDINGLY. I JUST RECEIVED VEHICLE BACK FROM SUBARU FOR RECALLS WQD40 (CATALYST CONVERTOR) AND WQK47 (BRAKE LINES). WHEN I STARTED CAR, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS OFF AND NOW STALLS AT EVERY STOP, WHICH SHUTS DOWN CAR INCLUDING POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. I CALLED SUBARU AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO OTHER COMPLAINTS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IS TRUE. I THINK THERE IS AN ISSUE AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO LOSE BRAKES AND STEERING. SUBARU WANTS TO CHARGE ME TO LOOK AT IT AND I DON'T WANT TO PAY THEM. MY PERSONAL MECHANIC CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE REVERSING AT MORE THAN 25 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.