2008 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE SNOW BECAME PACKED INTO THE WHEEL WELL AND MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE WHEEL TO TURN NORMALLY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,300.

GHOSTWALKING SUBARU OUTBACK, 2008. DRIVING MY FAMILY (2 ADULTS, 2 TEENS) TO A FAMILY EVENT, ALONG WITH LUGGAGE, EXPERIENCED REAR END SWAY BACK AND FORTH UNCONTROLLABLY WHILE DRIVING ON SLIGHTLY SLICK ROADS (SLUSHY CONDITIONS). IT FELT LIKE REAR END WAS SWAYING INTO TRAFFIC IN ADJACENT LANE. IT WAS EXTREMELY UNNERVING. OCCURS IN SPEEDS ABOVE 50 KM/H. PROBLEM CONTINUED WHILE DRIVING ABOVE 50 KM/H WITH SLICK ROAD. HAD TO SLOW DOWN BELOW 50 KM/H ON HIGHWAY (WHICH IS ILLEGAL). *TR

I HAVE A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK EQUIPPED WITH GOOD WINTER TIRES. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON WINTER ROADS MY CAR IS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE. FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE REAR END OF THE CAR STARTS TO SWAY AND I AM ONLY ABLE TO BRING IT UNDER CONTROL BY BRINGING DOWN MY SPEED, AND I END UP TRAVELING MUCH SLOWER THEN THE TRAFFIC FLOW. MY BROTHER IN LAW HAS THE SAME CAR AND EXPERIENCES THIS PROBLEM AS WELL WITH HIS VEHICLE. THERE IS A DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FLAW WITH THIS CAR AND SUBARU NEEDS TO COMES TO GRIPS WITH IT AND COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE ON SLICK WINTER ROADS. *TR

2008 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON SWAYS DANGEROUSLY ON ROUGH ROADS. THE SENSATION IS THAT WHEN ONE HITS A BUMP THE REAR END BOUNCES/KICKS/WALKS OUT TO THE RIGHT. WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE, IT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY, HAS NEWER TIRES, AND HAS BEEN ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS THE CAR SUDDENLY LOOSING POWER AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HAS OCCURRED OVER 6 TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH, 4 TIMES IN THIS LAST WEEK. THE MOST RECENT ON 4/30/10 THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 20 MPH. NO WARNING INDICATORS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. FIRST TIME WAS WHEN ACCELERATING UP AN ON RAMP AND SEVERAL MORE TIMES ON OTHER INCLINED RAMPS, THEN LEAVING A STREET TO ENTER A HWY 4/28/10, ANOTHER AT A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR SHUDDERED 4/29/10, SAME DAY TRAVELING AT 60 MPH LOST POWER FOR A BRIEF MOMENT THEN RESUMED, THESE TWO INCIDENTS WERE WITHIN 5 MINUTES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER WHERE PURCHASED AND SERVICED TO HAVE THEM LOCATE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. HAVE NOT RECEIVED INFORMATION AS YET. *TR

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING-LETTER REGARDING SUBURU PROBLEMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AND SUBSEQUENTLY HE SCRAPED A GUARDRAIL, WHICH RESULTED IN OVER $5,000 IN BODY DAMAGE TO HIS VEHICLE. HE STATED EVERY TIME HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. *JB

EXPERIENCED SEVERE FISHTAILING ON SLIGHTLY SLIPPERY ROADS WITH A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. THIS WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE CAR AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY WIFE'S HONDA CR-V THAT I DROVE ON THE SAME DAY ON THE SAME ROADS.

SUBARU OUTBACK 2008 2.5I SIDE-TO-SIDE MOTION: RECURRING ISSUE IS CONSIDERABLY DANGEROUS AND PRESENTS ITSELF WHEN DRIVING ON WET AND OR SLIPPERY ROADS. YES, ALTHOUGH THE CONDITIONS ARE LESS THAN IDEAL THEY ARE NORMAL DRIVING SITUATIONS. TESTING HAS BEEN CONDUCTED WITH IDENTICAL CONDITIONS AND OTHER VEHICLES AND SIMILAR BEHAVIOR WAS NOT EXPERIENCED. THIS TESTING HAS BEEN REPEATED WITH IDENTICAL RESULTS. ISSUE: WHEN TRAVELING ON SLIPPERY ROADS - RAIN, SNOW, ICE THE SUBARU ALL WHEEL DIRVE/SUSPENSION CONFIGURATION CREATES SIDE TO SIDE "FISH-TAIL" LIKE BEHAVIOR. THIS MOTION CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SPIN-OUT. OTHER DIRVERS HAVE EXPERICED OVER CORRECTION ISSUES WHEN DEALING WITH THIS UNEXPECTED BACK-END MOTION. THE SIDE TO SIDE MOTION DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A RESULT OF APPLICATION OF POWER. WTH POWER APPLIED OR COASTING THE MOTION IS STILL EVIDENT. *TR

MY WIFE HAD AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION EVENT IN HER 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO PARK BEHIND ANOTHER CAR. SHE DIDN'T THINK THE FLOOR MAT WAS INVOLVED. SHE HAD WINTER BOOTS ON AND THOUGHT SHE WAS ONLY PRESSING ON THE BRAKE. HER FRONT LICENSE PLATE WAS TORN AND SHE DID ABOUT $700 OF DAMAGE TO THE OTHER CAR'S REAR BUMPER. *TR

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN INTERSECTION ACCIDENT WHERE MY VEHICLE HIT THE OTHER CAR. THE IMPACT WAS QUITE SEVER AND THE DAMAGE WAS ABOUT $11,000. HOWEVER, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND I HIT MY HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD. I REPORTED THIS TO THE MANUFACTURER SO THAT ANY DEFECT THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE MIGHT BE DISCOVERED AND THEIR ACTION MIGHT PREVENT WORSE INJURY TO THE NEXT PERSON. HOWEVER, THEY SEEM TO BE TOTALLY UNINTERESTED AND TOLD ME TO CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR