2010 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY OR HAS A FAULTY DESIGN. THE WEIGHT SENSOR IS SUPPOSED TO TURN ON THE AIR BAG WHEN ANYONE OVER 100 POUNDS SITS IN THE SEAT. MY WIFE WEIGHS 130 POUNDS. THE AIR BAG DOES NOT BECOME ACTIVE MORE THAN 50% OF THE TIME WHEN SHE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. SUBARU TELLS US THAT THE SENSOR IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND IS CALIBRATED CORRECTLY, YET MY WIFE CONTINUES TO BE UNPROTECTED MORE THAN HALF OF THE TIME. THEY OFFER NO RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OTHER THAN RECOMMENDING THAT SHE SIT UPRIGHT IN THE SEAT. THE 2010 OUTBACK IS ALL NEW THIS YEAR AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS AIR BAG DESIGN IS A FLAW WITH CATASTROPHIC POTENTIAL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK FOR PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THIS WEIGHT RANGE. THE AIR BAG IS SUPPOSED TO COME ON FOR ANYONE OVER 100 POUNDS, BUT IN REALITY ISN'T RELIABLY ENGAGING UNLESS YOU ARE ABOUT 150 POUNDS OR MORE. OUR LOCAL DEALER HAS ADMITTED TO SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THE INTERNET ALSO REVEALS OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SUBARU NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM AND PROBABLY INITIATE A RECALL IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE SENSOR THRESHOLD WITH A LOWER WEIGHT LIMIT SO AVERAGE SIZE PEOPLE WILL BE PROTECTED. THIS TOP SAFETY PICK VEHICLE HAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I PURCHASED A SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I PREMIUM (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) ON 03/15/2010 AND NOTICED MODERATE TO SEVERE STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL VIBRATION ABOVE 40MPH ON THE SECOND DAY. I SUBSEQUENTLY CHECKED TIRE PRESSURE ON ALL FOUR TIRES, GAVE THE CAR SOME TIME TO "BREAK IN", AND TESTED VARIOUS ROAD CONDITIONS AND SPEEDS TO DETERMINE IF THE PROBLEM IS MORE PRONOUNCED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. THE VIBRATION CAN BE FELT AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50MPH ON THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FLOORS, SEATS, AND IN THE STEERING WHEEL, WITH THE INTENSITY INCREASING WITH SPEED, REGARDLESS OF ROAD SMOOTHNESS. AFTER THE CAR DIDN'T SELF-CORRECT, I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 04/26/2010 TO DO AN INITIAL/ROUTINE CHECK OF THE CAR. THEY REBALANCED ALL FOUR TIRES AND SAID THAT SHOULD FIX IT, BUT ASKED THAT I ADVISE ANY FUTURE ISSUES. THE VIBRATION REMAINS, BUT AT SPEEDS ABOVE 60MPH (A MERE 10MPH INCREASE) FROM BOTH THE STEERING WHEEL AND TIRES, AND - AS BEFORE - IS INCREASINGLY NOTICEABLE AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND DURING RAIN/WET WEATHER. I CALLED THE DEALER AND HAVE SCHEDULED ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO ADDRESS THIS VIBRATION ISSUE. I WILL POST A FOLLOW-UP ONCE THIS SERVICE IS COMPLETE. *TR

STARTING FROM 1,700 MILES, THIS CAR STARTED DEVELOPING THE VIBRATION ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS VIBRATION/SHIMMY IS MORE PRONOUNCED ON HIGHWAY (>70MPH) BUT NOTICEABLE IN OTHER SPEEDS. I HAVE OWNED A COUPLE OF VEHICLES AND THIS KIND OF SHIMMY/VIBRATION HAS NEVER HAPPENED ON ANY CARS THAT I OWNED/DROVE. I AM 100% SURE IT IS NOT NORMAL ROAD FEEL AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN DURING THE FIRST 1,700 MILES. ALSO, THE CAR DOESN'T TRACK STRAIGHT AND DRIFTS ON HIGHWAY. TWO ALIGNMENTS, TIRE BALANCING AND ROTATION HAVE BEEN DONE BUT THE VIBRATION AND DRIFTING PERSIST. I DEFINITELY CONSIDER THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION AND DRIFTING A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE IT TOTALLY ISOLATED THE ROAD FEEL ON HIGHWAY. ALSO, I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO HAVE A CONFIDENT CONTROL ON THE CAR DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. RECENTLY I CAME ACROSS THE FOLLOWING FORUM FOR SUBARU OUTBACK OWNERS AND FOUND THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE FOR QUITE A FEW 2010 OUTBACKS. PLEASE REFER TO THE FOLLOWING THREAD. HTTP://WWW.SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=20843&PERPAGE=20&PAGENUMBER=1. *TR

PURCHASED BRAND-NEW SUBARU OUTBACK-3.6 LIMITED IN LATE MARCH 2010. AT TIME OF DELIVERY (PRIOR TO SIGNING PAPERS), I NOTIFIED THE DEALER OF STEERING VIBRATION. THE DEALER ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE NEED FOR THE TIRES TO BREAK-IN AND TO CALL SERVICE IF IT CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 3 MILES ON DELIVERY. THE STEERING VIBRATION CONTINUED AND I RETURNED TO SERVICE FOR A "POTENTIAL SOLUTION" TO THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SOA THAT IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE SINCE THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE VIBRATION CAN ACTUALLY BE FELT IN THE FLOOR AS A DRIVER OR PASSENGER. THE INTENSITY OF THE VIBRATION INCREASES IF YOU DRIVE OVER BUMPY ROADS. (ALMOST AS IF SOMETHING WAS LOOSE IN THE FRONT END) THE FREQUENCY OF THE VIBRATION INCREASES AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND IS NOT PREDICTABLE. WHAT CONCERNS ME MORE THAN THE VIBRATION IS THE OCCASIONAL PULL TO THE RIGHT. ALMOST FEELS LIKE I HIT A PATCH OF ICE AND NEED TO HOLD TIGHT TO THE STEERING TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. WITH CONCERN FOR SAFETY, I NOW DRIVE WITH 2 HAND ON THE WHEEL AT ALL TIMES IN FEAR OF THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT. AT PRESENT, I AM AWAITING NOTICE FROM THE DEALER ON A "PART" TO ARRIVE FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *TR

NO INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS BUT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DOES NOT STAY ACTIVATED CONSISTENTLY IN MY 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK WHEN A FEMALE ADULXT PASSENGER WEIGHING APPROX 125 LBS SITS IN IT. I WAS TOLD BY SUBARU MECHANIC THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THIS SENSOR BUT THERE ARE NO RESET SPECS OR RECALL FOR THE SEAT FROM CORPORATE YET.

STEERING WHEEL HAS CONSIDERABLE VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OVER 60MPH. DURING PROLONGED DRIVING MY HANDS BECOME STRESSED DUE TO THE VIBRATION AND IT INHIBITS THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY. THE CAR HAS ONLY 1200 MILES ON IT. SUBMITTED COMPLAINT TO SUBARU AND BBB.

STEERING WHEEL SHAKE THAT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRABLE. THE SLIGHT VIBRATION CAN ALSO BE FELT IN THE CAR.

MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN LOYAL SUBARU OWNERS FOR OVER TEN YEARS, BUT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED TWO TROUBLING PROBLEMS WITHIN THE SAME YEAR. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN CARE OF BY SUBARU OF AMERICA AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF GOING TO DIFFERENT DEALERS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE HAD A BAD TRANSMISSION WHICH FINALLY WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE PROBLEM AND IT NEEDED REPLACING BUT SUBARU OF AMERICA DECIDED IT WOULD BUY BACK THE 2009 SUBARU FORRESTER WHICH HAD THIS PROBLEM FROM THE DAY MY WIFE PURCHASED IT. WE WERE TOLD WE HAD TO BUY ANOTHER SUBARU BUT THIS WE THOUGHT WAS NO PROBLEM. MY WIFE CHOSE A 2010 OUTBACK AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE NIGHTMARE STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. WE THOUGHT HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN'WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF TWO CARS FROM SUBARU HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE FIRST TIME WAS ONE THING BUT A SECOND TIME? THE TRANSMISSION IS ELECTRONIC BUT IT DOES NOT PERFORM PROPERLY. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP A NUMBER OF TIMES HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS OPERATING NORMALLY. WE KNOW THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SUPPOSED TO SLAM INTO FIRST GEAR WHEN THE CAR COMES TO A STOP AFTER BEING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PROBLEM IS WAY PAST ANNOYING AND WE NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN MORE THAN PATIENT BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WE HAVE TEST DRIVEN OTHER MODELS OF THIS MAKE AND DO NOT EXPERIENCE THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE. MY WIFE DRIVES THE CAR MORE THAN ME SEEING AS IT IS HER CAR BUT SHE IS AT WITS END. WE ARE WAY PAST BEING PISSED OFF OR EXTREMELY ANGRY AND WANT SOMEONE FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA TO CHECK OUT THIS CAR. *TR

I PURCHASED SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I PREMIUM ON 09/23/2009 AND NOTICED A STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION ABOVE 50 MPH SPEED 1ST DAY. CALLED DEALER AND SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT FOR 09/25/2009. THEY REBALANCED TIRES, AND IT DID NOT HAVE A VIBRATION UNDER 80MPH. ABOUT MONTH LATTER, I NOTICED VIBRATION AROUND 70 MPH, AND I CALLED A DEALER, SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THEY CAN NOT ROAD TEST VEHICLE ABOVE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT. AFTER I INSTALLED WINTER TIRES, PROBLEM WAS GONE FOR ABOUT A MONTH (UNDER 80MPH), THEN IT STARTED COMING BACK. I JUST SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER (BURLINGTON SUBARU, VT) FOR 03/25/2010, AS VIBRATION IS NOTICEABLE AT SPEED ABOVE 50 MPH. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BASED ON NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. *TR

BRAND NEW 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS A SHIMMY PROBLEM . THE STEERING WHEEL SHIMMIES AND WHEN MAKING A WIDE TURN, OFTEN THE STEERING FEELS LIKE YOU HIT AN ICE PATCH, EVEN THO THE ROAD IS DRY. SUBARU IS AND WAS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE PRODUCTION, AND SOLD THEM ANYWAY. *TR