2003 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

THIS CAR IS ON THE LIST FOR RECALL, BUT WHEN I PUT IN THE VIN IT SAYS THAT THERE IS NO OPEN RECALLS. WHAT GIVES? I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND THEY CONFIRM THAT MY CAR HAS A TAKATA AIRBAG INFLATOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHY AM I NOT GETTING A RECALL NOTICE?

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PARKING MECHANISM WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 194,000.

WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE CAR JUST "SHUT DOWN" ON THE HIGHWAY,AND WE HAD TO GLIDE OFF TO THE SIDE. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. OUR MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. HE DID NOT KNOW WHY IT FAILED. NOW, AFTER RESEARCHING THIS SITE, I SEE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL DUE TO FAULTY WATER PUMP IN 2003. I AM WONDERING IF THIS COSTLY INCIDENT WAS A RESULT OF THIS NOT BEING REPAIRED? HOW CAN I FIND THIS OUT PLEASE? I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE CERTIFIED USED FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THE UNUSUALLY LARGE AMOUNT OF RUSTING UNDERNEATH THE CAR, AS WELL AS IN THE WHEEL AREAS. THANK YOU. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED FROM A DEALER. A FEW MONTHS LATER I STARTED NOTICING A BURNING SMELL AFTER DRIVING EVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. TOOK IT BACK TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE TO HAVE THEIR SERVICE CHECK IT. THEY SAID HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING AND QUOTED A REPAIR PRICE OF $1800 ! I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA AFTER I DID A RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS BUT THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALLS! SOME CUSTOMERS WERE LUCKY AND DID GET SOME KIND OF COMPENSATION. I TOOK IT TO MY PERSONAL MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF THESE SAME CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM DUE TO THE WAY THEY WERE MANUFACTURED! I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA AGAIN BUT THEY ONLY OFFERED A $500 DISCOUNT ON A NEW VEHICLE! THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HONOR THIS COMPLAINT AND PAY FOR THE GASKETS REPLACEMENT AS IT IS HAPPENING IN TOO MANY OF THESE MODELS! *TR

2003 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE BRAKE FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR, WHICH RESULTED IN HER REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED A RECALL. HOWEVER, HER YEAR VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED.*JB

A METAL CAP INSIDE THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY HAS SHEARED AT THE PLACE WHERE ITS SCREWS ONTO THE FUEL PUMP BODY. THIS CAUSED A DROP IN FUEL PRESSURE, WHICH STOPPED THE ENGINE COMPLETELY. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER 2003- CURRENT/2013. ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT IN TRAFFIC, I HEARD A VERY LOUD SNAP AND THE RIGHT REAR SIDE OF MY CAR FELL TO WITHIN AN INCH OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR, SLOWLY, TO A SUBARU SPECIALIST. I WAS TOLD THE RIGHT REAR STRUT RUSTED AND BROKE AFTER ONLY 7 YEARS AND LESS THAN 87K MILES. I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE THE STRUT ASSEMBLY SINCE THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN DRIVEN YEAR ROUND IN MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THIS TYPE OF RUST AND BREAKDOWN OF ANY MAJOR COMPONENT WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILES. SUBARU IS VERY, VERY WELL KNOWN FOR RUST PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT IN THE REAR TIRE AREAS ABOVE THE TIRE, AND SHOULD BE FORCED TO COMPENSATE OWNERS FOR WHAT IS CLEARLY A MASSIVE AND IRRESPONSIBLE FAILURE IN THE QUALITY CONTROL AT SUBARU. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK NOTICED CAR WAS NOT HANDLING CORRECTLY. HAD CERTIFIED MECHANIC CHECK AND HE FOUND THE DRIVE SIDE REAR SPRING LOWER MOUNT HAD FAILED DUE TO RUST. ALSO NOTED THAT PASSENGER SIDE LOWER SPRING MOUNT WAS STARTING TO FAIL. THE CAR IS DRIVEN IN THE NY , NJ, CT, MASS, NH AND MAINE STATES YEAR ROUND. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBARU SPECIFICATIONS. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAVE BEEN AT THE SAME ADDRESS AND DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RECALLS FOR THE REAR, NOR FOR THE FRONT COMPONENTS. WILL BE CONTACTING SUBARU CORPORATE ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY. *TR

HEAD GASKET FAILURE***** 2003 OUTBACK **** THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM AS FOUR OF THE SUBARU'S WE'VE OWNED HAD HG ISSUES. ALTHOUGH IN THE PAST SUBARU ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAILURES AND REPAIRED THEM UNDER THE WWP99 CAMPAIGN (1998-2002 MODEL YEARS). WHILE THIS FAILURE CONTINUES TO BE WIDESPREAD (JUST GOOGLE SUBARU HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS AND YOU'LL GET PAGES OF COMPLAINTS OF HG FAILURES) SUBARU HAS STOPPED REPAIRING THEM OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS A PROBLEM. THIS APPEARS TO BE SOLELY A COST SAVING STRATEGY. WHEN THE GASKETS FAIL, OIL LEAKS OUTSIDE THE ENGINE WHICH CONTACTS THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE BURNING OIL PUTS SMOKE AND FUMES INSIDE THE CAR. I WOULD THINK THIS IS ALSO A FIRE CONCERN. INSIDE THE ENGINE, OIL AND COOLANT MIX AND CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE/FAILURE. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO GET THIS REPAIRED BY SUBARU? THEY SEEM TO BE GETTING AWAY WITH A HUGE CONSUMER INJUSTICE JUST BY ACTING LIKE IT DOESN'T EXIST. CAN THEY BE REQUIRED EXTENT THE CHAMPAGNE (WWP99) WITH THE 03 AND LATER MODELS? SUBARU CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGES A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM IN PREVIOUS YEARS AND LATER MODEL YEARS HAVE THE SAME FAILURE. *TR

CPSC#I11C0409A. 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *LN THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP AND HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR GARAGE. THE MECHANIC FOUND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. *JB