2012 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

TRAFFIC STOPPED ABRUPTLY AND MY CAR (SUBARU OUTBACK) CAME TO A STOP. I WAS REAR-ENDED BY A SEMI (SPEED UNKNOWN BUT DID SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE) THAT PUSHED ME INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WAS THEN PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME (FORD FREE STAR)HAD ITS AIR BAG DEPLOY. MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY HEAD ENDED UP HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CONCUSSION. I AM WONDERING IF MY AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION? *TR

RECALL WVY-35 APPLIES TO SOME 2012 SUBARU OUTBACKS. MY 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS THIS DIFFICULTY YET IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS BEEN SOFT AND MUSHY. I NEED TO PRESS THE PEDAL VERY HARD FOR A LONG DISTANCE ALMOST TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE STOPPING DISTANCE AS A RESULT IS OFTEN MUCH LONGER THAN EXPECTED. THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN THE RECALL BELOW. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS INTO MY SUBARU DEALER SERVICE CENTER AND I AM TOLD THE BRAKES ARE OPERATING NORMALLY, BUT THEY ARE NOT. SUBARU CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TELLS ME THAT MY 2012 OUTBACK IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. RECALL WVY-35 SEEMS NOT TO APPLY TO VERY MAY CARS AND FOR OUTBACKS IS NARROWLY FOCUSED ON DATES OF MANUFACTURE SPANNING ONLY 36 DAYS, WHEN IT CLEARLY RELATES TO A FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER USED IN THOSE CARS AND MY CAR IS AFFECTED BUT IS NOT RECALLED. WHY ISN'T THIS RECALL MORE BROAD AND RELATE TO ALL CARS WITH THESE MASTER CYLINDERS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRAKES HERE. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE BAD BRAKE SYSTEMS ARE REPAIRED? RECALL WVY-35 IS CUT AND PASTED BELOW: SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 IMPREZA SEDANS AND WAGONS (EXCEPT WRX/STI MODELS), MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 21, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2011, AND LEGACY AND OUTBACK VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 17, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 23, 2011. THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER THAT COULD MALFUNCTION AND CAUSE AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL DISTANCE REQUIRED TO SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSEQUENCE: THE DRIVER MIGHT MISJUDGE THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS COULD OCCUR UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. *TR

REAR BRAKE PADS NEEDED REPLACED AT 21000 MILES( HIGHLY UNUSUAL WEAR). FRONT PADS AT 50%--REAR PADS LESS THAN 10%. REQUESTED DEALER TO REPLACE PADS AND ROTORS. THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE ROTORS AND INFORMED ME THAT ALL THEY WOULD DO WOULD BE RESURFACE ROTORS AND REPLACE PADS. WORK ORDER STATES THAT ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. INSPECTION OF ROTORS AFTER, DETERMINED THAT THE ROTORS HAD NOT BEEN RESURFACED. I SUGGESTED TO DEALER TO CHECK ABS AND EBD SYSTEM TO DETERMINE IF THEY BIAS OF THE BRAKES WAS CORRECT DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY LOW MILEAGE ON REAR PADS AND NORMAL WEAR ON FRONT PADS .THEY REFUSED TO CHECK THIS AND NOW THE REAR BRAKES ARE MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE SUNROOF SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR BRAKES WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE OTHER MECHANICS WHO DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED REPLACING. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT SOMEONE UNPLUGGED AND MISPLACED THE WIRING UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CLIP WAS FRACTURED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CLIP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE WIRES RE-ADJUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000. UPDATED 9/18/14*CN UPDATED 02/12/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,000. UPDATED 10/7/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS SET AND THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING FASTER THAN THE SET POINT, UPON SELECTING RESUME THE VEHICLE WILL RESET TO THE CURRENT SPEED. THE DRIVER EXPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE TO THE ORIGINALLY SET SPEED. UPDATED 3/25/2015 *JS

COOLANT LIGHT THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. AFTER DRIVING 2 1/2 HOURS COOLANT APPEARED TO BE LEAKING SO FILLED COOLANT TO TOP WITH WATER.. 12 MINUTES LATER, WHILE DRIVING, LIGHTS BACK ON/ENGINE REV/ENGINE DIES/ SMOKE. LIFTED HOOD/MANY FLAMES FROM CENTER /SLAMMED HOOD SHUT AND RAN FAR AWAY. SEVERAL SMALL EXPLOSIONS AS CAR BURNED. VOLUNTARY FIRE DEPT. FINALLY ARRIVED BUT CAR ALMOST TOTALLY GONE. ONLY BACK TIRES LEFT USABLE. *JS

MY SUBARU WAS HIT HEAD ON DRIVER'S SIDE BY ANOTHER CAR GOING 35-40 MPH. MY SUBARU'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN 13K RANGE TO FRAME AND LEFT FRONT OF CAR. I HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO RIGHT HAND AND SHOULDER IN ATTEMPT TO BRACE MYSELF. OTHER CAR'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. OTHER DRIVER FLED SCENE. OTHER CAR'S INSURED, CALLED CAR IN, AS STOLEN TO POLICE. OTHER PARTY'S INSURANCE IS DENYING COVERAGE FOR ACCIDENT TO ME, AS DRIVER/INSURED LIED TO POLICE. BODILY INJURY OF 50K REQUIRING SURGERY AND ON-GOING PT..... UPDATED 08/05/14 *BF UPDATED 08/19/2014 *JS ..UPDATED 02-10-15 *BF UPDATED 10/2/2015*JS

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED-UP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT IN AN INTERSECTION. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND MY WIFE PULLED FORWARD ABOUT 10 TO 15 FEET AND BEGAN TURNING THE WHEEL FOR A LEFT TURN. HOWEVER, THE WHEEL WOULD NOT BUDGE TO THE LEFT. SHE SCREAMED OUT (TO ME) THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN LEFT AND WE FOUND OURSELVES PERILOUSLY IN THE CENTER OF THE INTERSECTION WITH CARS BLOWING THEIR HORNS. SHE DID MOVE THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND WE SORT OF CIRCLED IN THE INTERSECTION. FOLLOWING THIS THE CAR DID RESUME NORMAL STEERING AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT REPEAT SINCE. THE NEXT DAY (MONDAY) THE CAR WENT TO THE GARAGE WHERE SUBARU SAID THEY LOOKED IT OVER COMPLETELY BUT COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE OR THE PROBLEM. DESPITE MY CONCERNS THEY INSISTED ALL IS WELL AND TO RETURN IF THIS OCCURS AGAIN. *JS

ON MAY 2, 2014, ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE SUBJECT VEHICLE FROM THE GARAGE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR REVERSE, AS THE BRAKES WHERE TOTALLY LOCKED. THE CAR WAS MOVED TO LEE SUBARU, FORT WALTON BEACH, FL BY CAR TRANSPORT, WHERE I WAS TOLD THE PARKING BRAKE MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE DUE TO DAMAGE AND WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. IN MAY 2012, I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE OVER A TIRE TREAD IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AT 70 MPH. THE TREAD BOUNCED OFF THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE CAR. THE BRAKES WORKED FOR 24 MONTHS AFTER THIS INCIDENT WITHOUT PROBLEM UNTIL MAY 2, 2014. THERE HAD BEEN HEAVY RAIN IN THE AREA AT THIS TIME (APRIL 29-30, 2014) AND POSSIBLY WATER HAD ENTERED THE MODULE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I CONSIDER THIS A PROBLEM DUE TO SUBARU LOCATING A DELICATE ELECTRONIC COMPONENT CONTROLLING BRAKE FUNCTION IN A LOCATION SUBJECT TO ALL NORMAL ROAD HAZARDS, ROCKS, ICE, SNOW, RAIN, DEBRIS, ETC., ESPECIALLY SO DESPITE MARKETING IMAGES OF A "RUGGED OUTDOORS OFF ROAD AUTO" CROSS COUNTRY IN AUSTRALIA, DRIVING OVER RIVERBED ROCKS AND GRAVEL, SNOW, ICE, ETC. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD BE LOCATED WITHIN THE AUTO ENVELOPE, UNDER THE SEAT NOT EXPOSED UNDER THE AUTO, PROTECTED BY A PIECE OF "DOLLAR STORE" PLASTIC. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE LEE SUBARU SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS MODULE AFFECTS ONLY THE PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE. I CANNOT VERIFY THIS CLAIM WITHOUT A DETAILED SCHEMATIC. NEVER THE LESS, I HAVE RESERVATIONS CONCERNING THE BRAKES BEING APPLIED WITH NO DRIVER INPUT WITH A POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS EFFECT.