2011 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

ON JUNE 9TH, 2017: WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN CHURCH PARKING LOT AT 11 AM IN THE MORNING. IT WAS A CLEAR DAY. AS I EASED INTO THE SPACE, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, AND INSTEAD OF COASTING INTO THE PARKING SPACE, THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD (MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AT ALL). THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO!! CAR LUNGED FORWARD, JUMPED THE PARKING CURB AND HIT THE TREE THAT WAS IN THE MEDIAN. THERE WAS MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END ($7500). AFTER REPAIR, THE DEALER AND SUBARU CORPORATE TESTED OUT THE CAR AND COULD FIND NO ERRORS IN THE CODE RESULTS BUT DID NOTE THAT THERE WERE DOUBLE FLOOR MATS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE (ONE CARPET AND ONE RUBBER). THEY THINK THIS MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM AND THEY RECOMMEND THAT ONLY ONE FLOOR MAT BE IN PLACE. OF NOTE IS THE FACT THAT THE CAR CAME WITH THE TWO FLOOR MATS INSTALLED. WE DID NOT ADD AN EXTRA ONE.

PRETTY MUCH SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE ANTI-SKID LIGHTS, CRUISE CONTROL, PARKING BRAKE & CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WILL FLASH AND WILL NOT GO OFF. I WAS TOLD TO MAKE SURE THE GAS CAP WAS TIGHT AND WAS ALSO TOLD TO CHECK THE BATTERY. ONCE WHEN IT WAS ON I TRIED TO PRESS THE PARKING BRAKE TO RELEASE AND COULD NOT GET IT OFF AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED. IT WILL RANDOMLY COME ON AND SOMETIMES STAY ON FOR WEEKS THEN GO OFF AND STAY OFF FOR A FEW DAYS. IT COMES ON WHEN CAR IS STARTED AND DOES NOT USUALLY GO OFF.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GREGORIS NISSAN (555 W MERRICK RD, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580 (516) 825-8700), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.

I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT MY CAR'S SYMPTOMS TO DEALERS AND SERVICE MECHANICS SINCE AUGUST 2014 (90,000+MILES) WITH NO DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR. SYMPTOMS COULD NOT BE REPLICATED OR WHEN LOW RPMS WERE NOTED, IT WAS JUST THAT - NOTED. MY VEHICLE SHUDDERS, HEADLIGHTS DIM, AND DIPS TO LOW RPMS WHEN APPROACHING A STOP OR WHEN IN REVERSE AT LOW SPEEDS. IT HAS STALLED 4 TIMES SINCE I HAVE BROUGHT IT UP. THE FIRST FEW WERE IN A PARKING LOT AND AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THIS MORNING WAS SCARY (143,000MILES)- I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK, REMOVE MY KEY OR RESTART MY CAR. I HAD TO RUN OUT OF MY CAR AND LEAVE IT THERE MOMENTARILY TO GET HELP. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, SUBARU HAS AN EXTENDED CVT WARRANTY TSB 16-107-17. IN IT, TSB 16-90-13R - DESIGN CHANGE TO LOCK-UP TYPE TORQUE CONVERTER IS REFERRED TO. I BELIEVE THIS IS MY PROBLEM. BUT I'M GETTING THE RUNAROUND FROM DIFFERENT SUBARU DEALERS AND SUBARU OF AMERICAS HOTLINE ON HOW THIS IS ADDRESSED SINCE I HAVE OVER 100K MILES AND WHETHER OR NOT THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS COVERED IN THIS WARRANTY. SINCE IT IS "NOT A RECALL, AS IT DOES NOT IMPACT THE SAFETY OF YOUR VEHICLE", I CANNOT GET IT LOOKED AT RIGHT AWAY NOR AM I OFFERED A RENTAL WHILE WAITING TO DO SO. PLEASE - STALLING IN TRAFFIC RANDOMLY IS A SAFETY HAZARD! I HAVE TO WAIT A WEEK BEFORE I CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT TO JUST CHECK THIS AND HOPE THIS TIME THEY DISCOVER THE SAME THINGS I HAVE - MEANWHILE I'M NOT OFFERED A RENTAL AND HAVE TO DRIVE THIS ONE THAT MAY STALL AT ANY TIME. PLEASE CONSIDER HAVING THE FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER ASSEMBLY RECALLED. THOSE WHO HAVE SYMPTOMS OF RANDOMLY STALLING IN TRAFFIC - OUR LIVES ARE IN DANGER AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE TRAGEDY OCCURS.PERHAPS UNRELATED - MY VEHICLE HAS ALSO STALLED ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65MPH... LOST ACCELERATION AND I HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER.

TAKATA RECALL : MULTIPLE DEALERS HAVE REPORTED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THIS AIRBAG RECALL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MORE THAN ONE DEALER IN MORE THAN ONE CITY WHO HAS GIVEN ME THE SAME RESPONSE. I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING AROUND WITH THESE FAULTY AIRBAGS WHICH POTENTIALLY COULD HARM ME IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE THEM REPLACED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

CAR ABRUPTLY SHIFTS, LOSES POWER, AND INTERMITTENTLY STALLS IN LOWER GEARS DURING OPERATION. THIS MAY OCCUR DURING BRAKING, IDLING, OR ACCELERATION. THREE TIMES THE ENGINE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS. ALL CHECK ENGINE DASH LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE TO BE PLACED BACK INTO PARK AND THE IGNITION TURNED OFF AND BACK ON TO RESTART. IT SOMETIMES TOOK SEVERAL TRIES. THIS CREATES A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD FOR BEING STRUCK IN INTERSECTIONS, OR FROM BEHIND IN MOVING TRAFFIC. CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR 2 WEEKS. SUBARU MECHANICS CONFIRMED A DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER AND RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT. MY MILEAGE WAS 114K AT ONSET. CAR IS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5 I. I HAD CAR MAINTAINED PROPERLY AT ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE INTERVALS. THESE PROBLEMS STARTED AFTER 100K AND OCCURRED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ESSENTIALLY, THE AUTOMOBILE WENT FROM FULLY FUNCTIONAL TO THIS SITUATION (SUDDEN STALLING DURING OPERATION) WITHIN A WEEK. THIS SITUATION IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THE TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. THERE IS A SAFETY BULLETIN RELATED TO THIS ISSUE (TSB NO. 16-101-16) AND A WARRANTY EXTENSION IS NOT ENOUGH. CARS BEYOND 100K MILES MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE OF THE REPAIRS, WHICH MAY INCUR COSTS OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. MANUFACTURERS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.

THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT COVER ENOUGH VISIBILITY WHILE MOVING FORWARD DOWN ROAD. THERE IS A NOTICEABLE LINE WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS SHINE. THEY BEAM VERY LOW TO THE ROAD SURFACE. WE BROUGHT TO DEALER BECAUSE OF CONCERN THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THAT IS THE WAY THEY ARE. NO RESOLVE. DIFFICULT TO SEE DRIVING IN DARK UNLESS HIGH BEAMS ARE ON. HIGH BEAMS ARE VERY NICE. THE LINE OF DARKNESS TO LIGHTED ROAD IS NOT PREVALENT. OTHER DRIVERS OFTEN SHINE BRIGHTS ON ME WHEN I HAVE MY LIGHTS ON REGULAR LOW BEAM.

OUR SUBARU OUTBACK (2011) HAS BEEN SHUDDERING AND DYING WHEN COMING TO STOPS. IT BEGAN DOING THIS APPROXIMATELY MARCH/APRIL OF 2016, AND THE ISSUE IS STILL NOT RESOLVED. WE TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE CENTER IN MADISON, WISCONSIN, VERY CONCERNED, IN MAY OF 2016, BUT THEY TOLD US THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. (HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE, SINCE IT DOES IT SO OFTEN?) WE TOOK IT IN AGAIN IN WINTER/SPRING 2016, AND THEY FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED WE HAD AN ISSUE AND TOLD US THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1500-$1800! WE WERE CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY, BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE, AND, FURTHER, BECAUSE OF THE COST TO US TO FIX IT. IF SUBARU HAD IDENTIFIED AND DEALT WITH THE ISSUE WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN UNDER SOME KIND OF WARRANTY. WE TOOK THE CAR HOME, DID SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT LOTS AND LOTS OF OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WE DESCRIBED TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP OVER A YEAR AGO. HOW COULD SUBARU NOT KNOW THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE? THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OUT THERE! WE HAVE SINCE BEEN BORROWING MY PARENTS' CAR FOR LONGER DRIVES AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. TODAY WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SUBARU INDICATING THEY WERE GIVING US A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE CAR'S CVT. GUESS WHAT? IT COVERS THE OUTBACK 2010-2015, THEY WROTE. HOW LONG HAS SUBARU KNOWN THIS WAS AN ISSUE WHILE FAMILIES LIKE MINE WERE DRIVING A CAR WITH A MAJOR SAFETY FLAW? I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DESK IMMEDIATELY AND TALKED WITH A REP WHO WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS ISN'T A RECALL, (REALLY?) AND THAT I'D HAVE TO CALL BACK TO FIND OUT IF IT'LL BE COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY EXTENSION SINCE, APPARENTLY, THE TORQUE CONVERTER, THOUGH RELATED, ISN'T "TECHNICALLY" THE CVT. HE SAID THEY HAD DONE A SIMILAR REPAIR, THOUGH, AND THE WARRANTY HAD COVERED IT.

WHEN PUT INTO GEAR, AND YOU TURN ON HEADLIGHTS LOW BEAM, THEY ARE NOT WORKING. CAR CAN BE STATIONARY OR MOVING. THE HIGH BEAMS WORK. FOG LIGHT WORK. LOW BEAMS ARE THE PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING, IN MOTION THE SENSOR LIGHT WILL BLINK ON & OFF, THEN HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN PAST YEAR. WAS ALREADY IN FOR SERVICE, BUT NOW PROBLEM IS BACK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE RPMS DECREASED TO LESS THAN 500. THE CONTACT PLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO PARK AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC (CHIPP AUTO IN FAIRMONT, WV) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.