2010 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

WHEN TRYING TO SPEED UP FROM A ROLLING STOP/YIELD THE CAR HESITATED TO SHIFT AND WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRANSMISSION MADE A LOUD "CLUNK" AND QUICKLY SHOT FORWARD. THE PROBLEM AFFECTED MY ABILITY TO SAFELY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM AND THE DEALER WILL NOT ADMIT THIS IS A DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE GEARS WOULD SHIFT INDEPENDENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD ABNORMALLY WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

THE FRONT END OF THE CAR SHAKES ON SMOOTH ROADS (RECENTLY REPAVED ROAD) AND IT TENDS TO PERSIST WHETHER YOU ARE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING. PREVIOUSLY TOOK CAR IN FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AND THEY STATED IT WAS A WHEEL BALANCE ISSUE. THEY ROTATED MY WHEELS, STATED THEY BALANCED THE WHEELS AND ALSO STATED THAT I NEEDED NEW TIRES EVEN THOUGH THERE IS PLENTY OF WEAR LEFT ON THE TIRES. THE ISSUE NEVER WENT AWAY ON THE SHAKING FRONT END OF MY CAR AND CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE TODAY. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK IN DECEMBER 2009. BY SPRING OF 2010 I HAVE NOTICED THAT AT RANDOM TIMES I WILL TURN THE CAR ON AND MY INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT WORK, MY HEATING/AC WILL BE BLASTING HOT AIR AT ME FROM THE DASH VENTS WHEN IT IS IN THE OFF POSITION, RADIO WILL NOT TURN ON AND CAN NOT SEE MY MILEAGE DISPLAY. ALSO AT RANDOM TIMES MY GAUGES WILL NOT REGISTER. I HAVE TAKEN IT SEVERAL TIMES TO THE DEALERSHIP. EACH TIME THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT, THEY CAN NOT RECREATE IT AND TO NEXT TIME DRIVE IT THERE WHEN IT DOES IT SO THEY CAN SEE IT IN ACTION. EACH TIME IF I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON IT GOES BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVE ALSO HAD INSTANCES WHERE I HAVE FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO STALL. I MUST SAY I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR. I WAS FINALLY IN A POSITION WHERE I COULD AFFORD ONE AND IT ENDS UP BEING WORSE THAT THE CRAPPY CAR I HAD IN COLLEGE. WE PURCHASED A SUBARU BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION FOR SERVICE AND SAFETY. I FELT MORE SAFE IN MY SATURN THAT I DO THIS CAR. IT DOES NOT HELP THAT THE DEALER SHIP LOOKS AT ME LIKE I'M NUTS WHEN I TAKE IT IN. I FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T WANT TO HONOR MY WARRANTY. NOW IT SUMMER 2012 AND IT IS DOING THIS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK AND STILL I AM GETTING NO WHERE WITH THE COMPANY. WILL NEVER OWN ONE AGAIN. I SHOULD NOT BE LOOKING AT TRADING IN A 2 1/2 YEAR OLD $30000 CAR THIS SHOULD BE LASTING ME YEARS AND I AM AFRAID TO KEEP IT PAST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD. *JS

THE ENGINE STALLS WHILE AT A STOP OR COMING TO A STOP. THE RPMS SUDDENLY DROP AND THE ENGINE STOPS. CAR WILL RESTART AND OPERATE NORMALLY FOR A WHILE BUT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN PERSISTENT AND IS OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY. THE DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO US. THE NEXT DAY, IT DID THE SAME THING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING A TURN AND EXPERIENCING A STALL, LOSS OF POWER STEERING, AND ACCELERATION. *TR

VEHICLE PLACED IN PARK AND IGNITION TURNED OFF. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. TOWED TO MECHANIC. MECHANIC RESTARTED AFTER SENSING LOOSE IGNITION CONNECTION AND NOTED NO OTHER PROBLEMS. RETURNED VEHICLE TO OWNER, PARKED IN GARAGE IN PARK AND IGNITION TURNED OFF. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. MECHANIC CAME TO HOME AND RESTARTED AS BEFORE. DRIVING TO REPAIR SHOP, STOPPED AND PLACED IN PARK, BUT LEFT RUNNING AND EXITED VEHICLE. APPARENTLY TRANSMISSION NOT ACTUALLY IN PARK BUT IN REVERSE AND TRAVELED A DISTANCE BEFORE HITTING A TREE CAUSING AN ESTIMATED $9,000 DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. APPARENTLY SHIFTER IN PARK BUT TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE AND LOOSE CONNECTION IN TRANSMISSION/IGNITION COMMUNICATION. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE AND DELIVERY OF VEHICLE IN 2010, EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT RECURRENT PROBLEM BELIEVED TO BE TRANSMISSION RELATED THOUGHT TO BE FIXED.

THE 'FRONT PASSENGER'S FRONTAL AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR' REMAINS ILLUMINATED WHILE MY WIFE (WHO WEIGHS MORE THAN 100 POUNDS) RIDES IN THIS SEAT. (I.E., THE AIRBAG IS NOT ARMED.) AT BEST, THE INDICATOR (AND THE AIR BAG) IS INTERMITTENT, GOING ON AND OFF WHILE WE DRIVE. DEALER HAS REPEATEDLY TESTED THE AIR BAG SENSOR SYSTEM AND STATES IT'S WORKING WITHIN SPECIFICATION. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN, NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

ENGINE ALMOST STALLS WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR (NOT AS OFTEN) ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SUBARU TECHNICIANS AT TWO DEALERS AND BOTH ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A NONE ISSUE WITH NO KNOWN FIX. THE FREQUENCY OF THE PROBLEM IS INCREASING ON MY CAR AND MAY BECOME DANGEROUS IF A SUDDEN ACCELERATION IS REQUIRED. *TR

I BOUGHT MY OUTBACK IN MARCH 2010. I NOTICED MY DASH LIGHTS FLICKERING EARLY IN MY OWNERSHIP, BUT I THOUGHT THEY FLICKERED BECAUSE MAYBE I WENT INTO A SHADOW AND A SENSOR CAUSED THEM TO GO OFF AND ON. THE FEELING THE CAR IS GOING TO STALL HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, BUT IT WAS AND WOULD ONLY HAPPEN EVERY NOW AND AGAIN. ON A RECENT TRIP, JANUARY 8, 2012, IT DID IT EVERY TIME I SLOWED DOWN FOR 4 OR 5 TRAFFIC LIGHTS . THAT REALLY GOT MY ATTENTION. I THOUGHT MAYBE MY BRAKES WERE CATCHING SO I TOOK IT INTO MY DEALER ON JANUARY 12, 2010. THEY TOLD ME THE BRAKES WERE FINE. AFTER I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I DECIDED THE "CATCHING FEELING" ACTUALLY FELT MORE LIKE L HAD NOT DEPRESSED A CLUTCH WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND THE CAR WAS GOING TO STALL. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT THEORY IS THAT I HAVE AN AUTOMATIC I SPOKE TO MY-SON IN-LAW ABOUT THE FEELING THAT THE ENGINE IS GOING TO STALL WHEN I SLOW DOWN AT A LIGHT. HE MENTIONED THAT HE HAD NOTICED THE FLICKERING LIGHTS LAST WINTER WHEN HE DROVE MY CAR. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS NOT NORMAL FOR THE LIGHTS TO DO THAT. HE TOLD ME TO HAVE THE ALTERNATOR CHECKED OUT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON JANUARY 27, 2012. THEY RAN THREE DIFFERENT DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT FINE. I AM SO AFRAID THE CAR WILL CUT OUT ON ME AND I WILL LOSE CONTROL ON THE ROAD. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, BUT AFTER MY SON DID AN INTERNET SEARCH HE FOUND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. FROM THE COMPLAINTS I READ MOST PEOPLE HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. *TR

ALMOST EVERY TIME I SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR DOES NOT COME ON AT FIRST. I AM A 5'2", 120LB WOMAN. I HAVE TO WIGGLE AND SET ON ONE CHEEK JUST RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEAT, SOMETIMES LIFT MYSELF UP AND THEN SIT BACK DOWN AGAIN TO GET THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR TO SHOW ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THERE IS NOTHING UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT AS THE DEALERSHIP HAS BLAMED IT ON THAT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS RE-CALIBRATED THE SENSOR BUT I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. HEAVIER PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *KB