2005 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

COMPONENT: SERVICE BRAKES, BRAKE PADS, DETAILS: THE BRAKE PADS ON MY 2005 SUBARU HAVE WARPED (ALL 4) AT 18,000 MILES PRODUCING AN UNEVEN SENSATION AS ONE IS BRAKING. IT ALSO INCREASES THE DISTANCE REQUIRED TO STOP. AFTER TAKING MY SUBARU IN FOR A BRAKE INSPECTION (AT 20,000 MILES) I WAS TOLD THAT ALL 4 WHEELS NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS, (EVEN THOUGH MY FRONT BRAKES HAVE 60% BRAKING EFFICIENCY & 70% ON THE REAR BRAKES). MY PARTNER, WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER, IS THE SOLE DRIVER OF OUR SUBARU AND IS VERY RARELY IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. ON THE FEW OCCASIONS WHEN SHE IS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC SHE MAINTAINS EXTRA DISTANCE BETWEEN HER VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER TO AVOID HAVING TO USE HER BRAKES MORE THEN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. NEITHER ONE OF US HAVE EVER HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS ON A VEHICLE WITH MILEAGE AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES AND BOTH OF US HAVE LIVED IN LARGE CITIES ALL OF OUR LIVES. I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON A 2000 SUBARU FORESTER. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. SUBARU, OVERALL, MAKES RELIABLE, RESPONSIVE AND SAFE VEHICLES BUT THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *JB

I OWN A 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I WAGON. AT 44000 MILES (26 MONTHS) THE REAR WHEELS WERE MAKING A LOT OF NOISE AT BOTH LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND BOTH WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED OR THEY WOULD HAVE SOON FAILED. *NM

MANUAL TRANSMISSION OUTBACK WAGON NON-TURBO CRUISE CONTROL TURNS OFF UNEXPECTEDLY ON HIGHWAYS. WAS FILED AT WILKINS SUBARU IN MD A WHILE BACK AND THEY MADE SOME CHANGE TO THE COMPUTER BY SOA AND IT WENT AWAY. WELL IT CAME BACK ON MY LATEST ROAD TRIP. IT WOULD KICK OUT AT VARY DURATIONS, ON VARYING TERRAIN, AT VARYING TEMPERATURES, AND VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE TRIP WENT FROM THE GULF COAST TO THE BALTIMORE OVER 2 DAYS. MY WIFE PUT 1500 MILES ON THE CAR IN 2 DAYS A WEEK EARLIER WITH NO TROUBLES AND THE NEXT 1200 IT WAS A CONSTANT PROBLEM. IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER IF I SET THE SPEED AND LEFT IT OR IF I SET THE SPEED AND USED THE "ACCEL" "DECCEL" BUTTONS. MAJOR NUISANCE AND UNSAFE. I COULDN'T ALWAYS TELL IT TURNED OFF UNTIL ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS MUCH TOO CLOSE. THEN THE CAR LUNGES AS I HIS "RESUME" *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH A 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK WHEN THE CAR UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS MOTHER WAS DOING ABOUT 5 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IS WAS A NICE DAY AND WEATHER WAS NOT AN ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CAR STOPPED WHEN IT STRUCK TREES AND THAT FRONT END DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE CAR. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CAR'S ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN UNTIL HIS MOTHER TURNED THE CAR OFF. *AK UPDATED 1/19/2007 - *NM

2005 SUBARU OUTBACK LEGACY STATION WAGON THE LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL (REAR) MALFUNCTIONS UNDER WET OR SNOWY CONDITIONS. IT BEGINS A RHYTHMIC TRANSFER OF POWER BACK AND FORTH UNTIL THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE LOSES TRACTION AND THEN SPINS OUT... THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIRS. THEY HAVE PERFORMED ALIGNMENTS BUT INDICATE THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE COMPLAINT... SO, THEY SAY THERE IS NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT ANY REPAIR MADE TO RESOLVE THIS DANGEROUS FAULT. THE REPAIR WOULD INVOLVE REPLACING THE ENTIRE UNIT (LSD)... BECAUSE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE SEPARATELY... WE HAVE HAD IT LOOKED AT BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE COMPLAINT... WE HAVE REPLACED THE ORIGINAL "POTENZA" TIRES WITH AN AGGRESSIVE ALL WEATHER TIRE HOPING TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM... SUBARU WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL ON THIS 2005 OUTBACK! WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED. THANKS! *NM

2005 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5XT WAS PARKED IN A PUBLIC / PRIVATE PARKING STRUCTURE AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM ON 10/13/2005. AT APPROXIMATELY 8PM THE FIRE ALARM WAS TRIGGERED BY VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE. FIRE DEPT FOUND NO SIGNS OF ARSON OR FOUL PLAY, LOOKED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE FRONT RIGHT HEADLIGHT CLUSTER. NO RESPONSE FROM SUBARU, INSURANCE DROPPED MY POLICY - LOSS NOT COVERED! *NM

ON AN EXTENDED ROAD TRIP (17000 MI), IN OUR NEW 2005 OUTBACK, WE WENT THROUGH TWO SETS OF TIRES. THE DEALERSHIP CORRECTED THE ALIGNMENT, WHICH WAS SEVERELY OFF THE FIRST TIME (AFTER 5000 MILES.) BUT THEN AT ABOUT 16000 MILES, THE SECOND SET WAS SEVERELY WORN OUT. WE HAD THE ALIGNMENT REDONE AT THE DEALERSHIP IN WHITEHORSE, CANADA BUT WE DID NOT REPLACE THE TIRES AS THE WARRANTY WAS NOT HONORED AT THAT DEALERSHIP. THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ABOUT 400 MILES FROM ANCHORAGE. WE PURCHASED A USED TIRE AT A GAS STATION AND LIMPED ON TO ANCHORAGE, WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT FOR THE SECOND TIME, THIS TIME WITH A LOADED BACK SEAT. WE HAVE SINCE PUT ABOUT 6000 MORE MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT HAS NOT SHOWN SEVERE WEAR SINCE THAT RE-ALIGNMENT. *JB

EXCESSIVE REAR TIRE WEAR, BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92, 225/55/17 INSTALLED ON 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK. NORMAL TIRE WEAR THROUGH 19K MILES. REAR TIRES COMPLETLY WORN OUT AFTER 2K ROAD TRIP WITH MODERATE VEHICLE LOADING. NO SIGNS OF MIS-ALIGNMENT OR OVER/UNDER INFLATION. FRONT TIRES REMAIN SERVICEABLE. *NM

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR FROM COASTING, SUCH AS WHEN A RED LIGHT HAS JUST TURNED GREEN. I BEGIN TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE JUST ABOUT DIES. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED ME TO GET "T-BONED" AT INTERSECTIONS NUMEROUS TIMES. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF TWO DIFFERENT SUBARU DEALERS AND THEY SAY THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE HEARD THAT OTHER SUBARU OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM BUT SUBARU WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS HIT IN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL AREA. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALTHOUGH THE SEAT BELT WAS WORN, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE HEAD, NECK, AND SPINE. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP.