2012 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

THE 2012 OUTBACK WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO 1ST GEAR WITHOUT MOVING THE GEAR LEVER FROM DRIVE TO MANUAL. THIS HAS OCCURRED 10 TIMES IN 18 MONTHS, THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW. THE PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS OCCURRED AFTER COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN, THEN, AS I ACCELERATE FROM THE STOP, THE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO 1ST GEAR AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STOPS ACCELERATING BECAUSE IT IS STUCK IN 1ST GEAR. THE GEAR LEVER IS ALWAYS IN DRIVE WHEN THIS OCCURS, BUT THE DASH DISPLAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS IN 1ST GEAR. TO RESOLVE IT, I HAVE MOVED THE GEAR LEVER FROM DRIVE TO MANUAL AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE WHICH PUTS THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO DRIVE. ON ONE OCCASION, LEAVING A STOP SIGN TO ENTER A FREEWAY RAMP, THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO 2ND GEAR. AGAIN, THE GEAR LEVER WAS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BREAKS AND JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY ON-RAMP, I WITNESSED THE "2" ON THE DASH DISPLAY CHANGE TO "D" AND THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AGAIN - WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GEAR LEVER. SUBARU FIRST SAID THAT THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE, NOW THEY SAY THEY CANNOT VERIFY IT. THIS IS A VERY INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND SO FAR CANNOT BE MADE TO OCCUR. THIS IS ALSO A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM SHOULD ANOTHER DRIVER NOT SEE THAT MY CAR HAS SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND COLLIDE WITH MY VEHICLE. *TR

2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A HIGH PITCH SQUEAL IN VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE NOISE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED INTO THE 40'S AND LOWER. SUBARU OF AMERICA DECLARED THE NOISE AS NORMAL WITHOUT EVEN EXAMINING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER, HOWEVER, DID HEAR THE NOISE, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT THE LOCATION. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OR THE DRIVE MECHANISM.

WE OWNED THE CAR ONLY 2 DAYS AND WAS OUT FOR OUR FIRST DRIVE OWNING OUR FIRST BRAND NEW CAR. THINGS SEEMED ALL GOOD UNTIL WE STOPPED AT A BANK AND I PUT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE FOOT REST AND PRESSED MY BACK INTO THE SEAT TO RELEASE THE TENSION IN MY PANTS SO I COULD PULL OUT MY WALLET WHEN ALL THE SUDDEN CATCHING ME BY TOTAL SURPRISE THE SEAT GAVE WAY. A SHOCK WENT UP AND DOWN MY SPINE AS I GOT OUT OF THE CAR IN AWE OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED AN THE CONDITION I WAS IN I HAD TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TO SEE IF IT WAS JUST A FLUKE OR IS THIS A REAL PROBLEM AND I JUST GOT THE WORST OF IT. WITH A LITTLE PRESSURE LEANING BACK IN THE SEAT FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND SNAP ALL THESE SEATS CAN BE BROKEN. I WAS DOING GREAT AND NOW EVERYDAY I HAVE NERVE PROBLEMS AND BACK ISSUES I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE. I AM HEIGHT WEIGHT PROPORTIONAL AND ACTUALLY A LITTLE ON THE THIN SIDE. THE DEALERSHIP AND SUBARU OF AMERICA SWORE THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. GOOGLE AND YOUTUBE "SUBARU OUTBACK LUMBAR SUPPORT BROKE" I FOUND PROBLEMS GOING BACK TO 2008!! I ASKED THEM TO BUY THE CAR BACK BUT THEY "BENT THE CLIP A LITTLE EXTRA" AS A FIX AND INSISTED I TAKE IT HOME. IT BROKE AGAIN WHILE JUST DRIVING 40MPH DOWN THE ROAD NORMALLY SO I CONVINCED THEM BY TALKING TO THE OWNER TO GIVE ME A TRADE UP TO THE ELECTRIC SEAT. LITTLE TO KNOW THE PASSENGER SEAT IS THE SAME SEAT AS IN THE BASIC MODEL. I OWN THE PREMIUM NOW AND I WILL DO A REPORT ON IT AS WELL AS I HAVE OWNED MANY FOREIGN CARS AND NOT ONE SEAT HAS EVER BROKE ON ME. TOYOTA SEAT HOLDS UP TO ANYTHING I PUT IT THROUGH AND I HAVE 300K MILES ON IT!!! SAME WITH MY HONDA CIVIC. BOTH BOUGHT USED... PLEASE MAKE THEM FIX THIS PROBLEM! I BEG YOU. I HOPE NO ONE ELSE EVER HAS TO DEAL WITH THE PAINS I HAVE HAD FROM THIS ALONG WITH STRESS EXPLAINING THE SITUATION TO THE DEALER AND DUE TO SUCH A SIMPLE LITTLE CLIP AND STUPIDITY. *TR

UPDATE I TOOK THE 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK TO THE DEALER, ABOUT THE KEY FOB NOT WORKING IN A CERTAIN AREA. NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE KEY FOB UNTIL RECENTLY. THE KEY FOB WILL NOT WORK IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA WHERE IT DID WORK BEFORE WITH NO PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR EVALUATION AND THIS PERSON SAID HE WAS WITH SUBARU CORPORATE AND HE INFORMED ON APRIL 16 2013, THAT RFID INTERFERENCE DOES HAPPEN WITH THESE VEHICLES AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. HE INFORMED ME THAT THOUGH THE KEY FOB MAY NOT WORK IN ONE AREA. THIS IS CRAZY, NEVER HEARD THAT SUBARU CARS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RFID INTERFERENCE. THOUGH THIS DOES HAPPEN ACCORDING CORPORATE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP. SO NOW MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2012 IS NOW SUBJECTED TO RFID INTERFERENCE AND THE CORPORATE REP SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE IS AFFECTING THE SECURITY SYSTEM ON THE CAR. IMAGINE IF THE RFID INTERFERENCE COULD AFFECT STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROLS, THIS IS JUST THE START. THE KEY FAB DOES NOT WORK IN CERTAIN AREA, AND YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE CAR WHICH SETS OFF THE SECURITY SYSTEM. WE HAVE TRIED TWO DIFFERENT KEY FABS AND THEY WORK IN MANY AREAS BUT WHEN STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAR IN A CERTAIN AREA THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK, AND OR LOCK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THIS SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH SUBARU. WE ARE TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE KEYS REPROGRAMMED, BUT IT IS VERY WORRISOME TO KNOW THAT RFID INTERFERENCE IS AFFECTING THE SECURITY FEATURE ON THE CAR WHICH BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE, IF THE KEYS DO NOT WORK, AND YOU ARE STRANDED OUTSIDE THIS IS NOT SAFE. THE SECURITY FEATURE WAS BUILT IN DURING PRODUCTION FROM SUBARU. THIS COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER MASSIVE RECALL LIKE TOYOTA, SUBARU ENGINEERS NEED TO ENSURE MEASURES ARE IN PLACE AS NOT TO ALLOW RFID INTERFERENCE HAPPEN IN THEIR VEHICLES. THE DEALER HAS NOT ENCOUNTERED THIS ISSUE. WE WILL SEE IF THIS GETS FIXED. *TR

DROVE DOWN A SHORT HILL UNDER ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. VEHICLE ACCELERATED TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. APPLIED BRAKES BUT THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM DID NOT WORK TO STOP THE CAR. LUCKILY, DID NOT CRASH INTO THE APPROACHING BARRIER. HAD TWO (2) CHILDREN WITH ME. NO ONE WAS INJURED. TOLD DEALER ABOUT THIS AND THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN. WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT RECEIVE ONE FROM NHTSA. *TR

THIS 2012 VEHICLE PRESENTED ISSUES FROM THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP. AFTER 4 REPAIR ATTEMPTS I WORKED OUT A REPLACEMENT WITH SUBARU OF NORTH AMERICA BY SHARING THE DEPRECIATION LOSS OUT OF DESPERATION. WE REPLACE IT WITH A 2013 OUTBACK IDENTICAL TO THE 2012 EXCEPT FOR COLOR.. THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING IN THE 2012 AND THE 2013 IS THAT BOTH THE VEHICLE WANDER ALL OVER THE ROAD. YOU NEED TO KEEP ALL YOUR ATTENTION ON KEEPING IT FOLLOWING THE ROAD CAUSING EXTREME FATIGUE. IT IS DESCRIBED BY ME AS HEAVY, DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER AND IN EVEN SLIGHT TURNS THE CAR SUDDENLY PULLS IN THE DIRECTION YOU ARE TRAVELING WHICH IS STARTLING LIKE HITTING BLACK ICE. TAKING YOUR EYES TO EVEN THE SIDE MIRRORS FOR LANE CHANGES OFFERS THE VEHICLE TO INVITE ITSELF INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS REPLACEMENT 2013 I NOW HAVE STARTED PRESENTING THESE SYMPTOMS AFTER ABOUT THE FIRST 500 MILES. THERE IS A THREAD ON THE MATTER ON THE SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG FORUM WITH OVER 450 REPLIES ON THE MATTER. HTTP://WWW.SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG/FORUMS/104-GEN-4-2010-PRESENT/31638-OB-LANE-WANDERING.HTML THE RESPONSES ON PAGE 45 DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM PRETTY WELL. MY RESPONSES ARE UNDER JOEM. ONE RESPONSE #442 WAS "AND NOW, AT 17 MONTHS & 25K MIS, WE STILL HAVE A 'NEW' CAR THAT STEERS LIKE A DRUNK PUSHING A SHOPPING CART WITH A BAD WHEEL..." HOW SAD IS THAT? PLEASE, LOOK INTO THE MATTER BECAUSE IF SOMEONE DIDN'T GET HURT ALREADY SOMEONE WILL. THE LAST 60 MILE DRIVE WAS UNBELIEVABLY EXHAUSTING. THIS IS NOW MY THIRD SUBARU SO I AM NOT NEW TO SUBARU AND/OR AWD. OR FIRST WAS A 2006 FORESTER AND AFTER 5.5 YEARS AND 60,000 IT WAS FLAWLESS BUT WE OUT GREW ITS SIZE. I OFFER YOUR ORGANIZATION THE OPPORTUNITY TO INSPECT AND DRIVE MY VEHICLE TO PERSONALLY EXPERIENCE WHAT I AM DESCRIBING. I CAN AFFORD TO TRADE THIS CAR AT ANYTIME BUT I DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANYONE TO GET HURT OF LOSE THEIR LIFE. THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT PROJECTOR BULB WAS NOT SHIELDED. WHEN THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE BEAM APPEARED TO BE VERTICAL WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER'S VISION TO BE OBSCURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THEY WERE UNABLE TO SO AND THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AROUND WITH DUCT TAPE OVER THE LIGHT TO PREVENT GLARE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON A INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE REAR OF THE CAR STARTED TO WANDER FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS FLOATING ON THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT TO CHECK FOR A TIRE LOSING AIR PRESSURE OR LOOSE LUG NUTS. THEY WERE FINE. I SLOWED DOWN TO 50 -55 MPH FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. EVERY BRIDGE AND OVERPASS I SLOWED DOWN TO 50 MPH AND YET THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WOULD JUMP SIDE WAYS. THE HIGHWAY WAS WET FROM A RECENT SNOWFALL, APPARENTLY THERE WAS SOME ICE ON THE ROAD. OTHER CARS/TRUCKS WERE GOING AT 65 MPH+. . I HAVE NEVER FELT THAT "FLOATING" IN MY 45 YEARS OF DRIVING THRU SNOW AND ICE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, CAUSING INJURIES TO THE CONTACT'S CHEST. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE AIR BAG FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.