2011 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

I ACCEPTED A RECALL TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BY THE DEALER EVENSTON SUBARU, 3340 OAKTON STR, SKOKIE, ILL, 60076; AFTER THIS RECALL REPLACEMENT WAS PERFORMED, MY CAR HAD PROBLEMS LIKE THE PASSENGER WINDOW DID NOT OPPERATE FROM THE COMMEND BUTTON OF THE SAME DOOR AND THE POWER OUTLET FROM THE MIDDLE CONSOLE DID NOT HAVE POWER. THE DEALER THAT PRODUCED THESE TROUBLES REFUSE TO SUPPORT THE COST OF REPAIR.

HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT TOO QUICKLY. I AM REPLACING MY HEADLIGHTS APPROXIMATELY EVERY 12,000 MILES.

I WAS 40 MILES FROM HOME AFTER COMING DOWN A STEEP CURVY MOUNTAIN ROAD IN MANUAL WHEN SUBARU BEGAN SHIFTING WITH BIG JERKS AND SHUDDERS IN EARLY SEPT 2019, HAD TROUBLE SHIFTING FROM ONE GEAR TO NEXT. HANLEE'S SUBARU EVALUATED, REPLACED VALVE BODY AND SERPENTINE BELT. A FEW DAYS LATER IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AT A RR CROSSING IT SHUDDERED TO A STOP AND DIED DURING WHICH THERE WAS A LOUD CLANKING SOUND UNDER AND BEHIND ME. I STARTED IT UP AGAIN BUT WAS TERRIFIED OF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. RETURNED TO HANLEE'S WHERE THEY HAD IT FOR A WEEK AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE SYMPTOMS.SINCE I PICKED IT UP IT STILL HAS A "BUMP" WHEN I SLOW DOWN. THEN 0N 11/4/19 IT DID THE SAME SHUDDERING STOP WHEN I BRAKED IN TRAFFIC(GOING 35 MPH) FIVE MILES FROM MY HOUSE, DYING COMPLETELY. I RESTARTED IT AND TOOK IT TO SUBARU. THEY SAY IT MIGHT BE A TORQUE CONVERTER. I'M WORRIED FOR MY SAFETY. I ALSO SEE THAT BOTH THE CVT AND TORQUE CONVERTER HAD EXTENDED WARRANTIES ISSUED FOR THESE REASONS. WHEN THESE PROBLEMS BEGAN THE CAR HAD 110K MILES. THIS IS MY THIRD SUBARU AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH POOR , DANGEROUS PERFORMANCE ON A CAR THAT SHOULD RUN WELL FOR AT LEAST 200K MILES WITH GOOD SERVICE. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM HANLEE'S ON THE SECOND DAY THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR.

THE REAR BRAKE LINES ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED AT THE REAR BLOCK, NECESSITATING A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. IT APPEARS THAT OTHER MODELS OF THIS SAME YEAR HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT THE OUTBACK. SURELY THEY HAVE THE SAME BRAKE SYSTEMS.

COOLANT IS LEAKING ONTO TOP OF ENGINE BLOCK IN TWO PLACES. IT LOOKS TO BE LEAKING WHERE THE COOLANT CROSSOVER PIPE CONNECTS TO THE ENGINE BOTH SIDES.

MY 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS STALLED OUT SEVERAL TIMES THIS SUMMER, BUT THE EVENT THAT I CAN RECALL MOST OBJECTIVELY FOR REPORTING PURPOSES OCCURRED ON AUGUST 17, 2019 WHEN MY VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES SUDDENLY TO STOP DUE TO BEING FLAGGED BY AN ONCOMING DRIVER ON MY NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH. I HAD TO TURN OVER IGNITION SWITCH TO GET THE VEHICLE GOING AGAIN. WHEN I REACHED HOME, I RESEARCHED ONLINE FOR CAUSES OF STALLING IN 2011 SUBARU OUTBACKS, AND I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME ISSUE. ACCORDING TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR VEHICLES REPAIRED IT IS THE TORQUE CONVERTER. SUBARU ISSUED AN EXTENSION TO THE VEHICLE WARRANTY TO COVER THE COST OF REPAIR UP TO 100,000 MILES WHICH DOES ME NO GOOD BECAUSE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS WELL OVER THE 100,000 MILES. COST OF THE REPAIRS ON AVERAGE IS $2200.00. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH A VEHICLE WHERE DRIVER/OCCUPANT SAFETY IS AT RISK, THE CAR MANUFACTURER HAS TO RECALL THE PRODUCT. I WOULD THINK A CAR STALLING COMPLETELY WHILE IN OPERATION/MOTION IN TRAFFIC/ ROAD TRAVEL WOULD QUALIFY AS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD.

A SQUEAKING NOISE WHILE STARTING THE ENGINE MAY BE DUE TO A FAULTY RING GEAR ON THE TORQUE CONVERTER.

THE CAR ENGINE CUTS OFF WHEN SUDDENLY DECELERATING. MY WIFE AND CHILD STALLED TWICE ALREADY IN TRAFFIC, ONCE AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. ALSO WATER LEAKS INTO THE CENTER BRAKE LIGHT. PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT WORK.

MY 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK SOMETIMES SHUDDERS WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND HAS STARTED STALLING OUT AT STOPS. I FEEL THIS IS QUITE UNSAFE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT NEEDS A TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY QUOTED $1459.45 FOR THE REPAIR. THE MAN AT SUBARU TOLD ME IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AS IT MAY FAIL WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITH SUBARU AMERICA, BUT THEY DON'T RESPOND. 2011 PURCHASED NEW SUBARU OUTBACK. ALL REQUIRED SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE & SERVICES PERFORMED ON TIME AT AUTHORIZED PROVIDER. 2019 THE TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT REPLACED PER MFG STDS. DEALER ADDED COOLANT & BLED THE SYSTEM. 3 MONTHS LATER THE RADIATOR BLEW. A CHEMICAL BLOCK WAS DONE & ALL WAS FINE PER DEALER. 3 MONTHS LATER ENGINE OVERHEATED. ANOTHER DEALERSHIP DISCOVERED THE HEAD GASKET & CAT WERE CRACKED WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY THE PREVIOUS DEALER. SUBARUS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HEAD GASKET & COOLANT SYSTEM ISSUES FROM 100,000 ' 120,000 MILES. SUBARU SLIGHTLY REDESIGNED THE HEAD GASKETS, BUT THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS AWARE THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKET, CAT AND RADIATOR ARE WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET FOR 1990 TO 2011 MODELS. ISSUE STEMS FROM MANAGEMENT DECISION TO UTILIZE A COMPOSITE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAD GASKET TO SAVE MONEY; HOWEVER, THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF HEAT ON COMPOSITE METAL PRODUCTS WOULD SURMISE THIS WOULD LEAD TO WARPING, CRACKING OR OTHER RELATED PRODUCT FAILURES. THE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUBARU HEAD GASKET WAS INEPT AT BEST. THE DEVICE FEATURES A MULTI-LAYER STEEL SHIM COATED WITH A GRAPHITE LAYER. IT WAS NOT UP-TO-THE-MARK & ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE EXHAUST PRESSURE &/OR COMBUSTION CHAMBER. THERE WAS NO SUBARU HEAD GASKET RECALL BUT THE COMPANY REDESIGNED THE CYLINDER HEADS & CONFIGURATIONS OF THE CAMSHAFT. HOWEVER, IT ONLY LED TO THE COOLANT A&ND OIL LEAK AT THE EXTERNAL HEAD GASKET. THIS SYSTEM DEFECT ADDS TO THE COOLANT SYSTEM FAILURE NOTED. WE REQUEST SUBARU AMERICA REIMBURSE US FOR THE TOTAL COST OF THE RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT & HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT AT $4,013.80. PLUS OTHER COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE BREAKDOWNS AT $1,236.20 FOR A TOTAL OF $5,250.00