2010 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

2010 SUBARU OUTBACK. THIS VEHICLE HAS A STEERING WHEEL SHAKE SINCE 250 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. MOST EVIDENT ABOVE 60 MPH BUT PRESENT BELOW. DESPITE MULTIPLE TIRE BALANCES, ROAD FORCE BALANCES, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. IT CAUSES ME FATIGUE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE TIRES ARE NOT DEFECTIVE. APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TO 30% OF THE OWNERS OF THIS YEAR/MODEL VEHICLE BASED ON SURVEY DONE BY THE FORUM OF SUBARU OWNERS. *TR

STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION/GRABBING AT SPEEDS STARTING AT 50MPH AND ABOVE. VIBRATION/GRABBING AND RELEASING IN TURNS FROM A STOPPED STARTING POSITION TO SUDDEN RELEASING. AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH AND ABOVE CAR CAN AND WILL SUDDENLY DEVIATE LEFT OR RIGHT WITHOUT ANY STEERING INPUT TO 10-15* DEVIATION. *TR

MY 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I LIMITED DEVELOPS UNSAFE STEERING AND HANDLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND VIBRATES AND ALL STEERING FEEL IS LOST. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THIS CAR WANDERS AND, WITH THE ABSENCE OF STEERING FEEL AND THE SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR'S DIRECTION STABLE. THIS IS A DEFINITE HAZARD IN HIGH SPEED DRIVING. AT LOWER SPEEDS THE STEERING AND HANDLING ARE FINE. REPEATED REBALANCING OF THE WHEELS HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. SWITCHING TO WINTER TIRES DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO VARY TO SOME EXTENT WITH SMALL CHANGES IN TIRE INFLATION ABOVE OR BELOW THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION, BUT IT CANNOT BE CURED BY PLAYING WITH TIRE PRESSURE. MY CAR WAS PURCHASED IN JULY 2009 AND THE STEERING AND HIGHWAY WANDERING PROBLEM HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE BEGINNING. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK PREMIUM 2.5I STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION ISSUES, AND ALSO VEHICLE FLOATS TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT. YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO COUNTERSTEER. TODAY WAS TRAVELING IN STRAIGHT LINE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT MOVED TO THE RIGHT SUDDENLY. ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. ALOT OF SUBARU PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS. [XXX] *TR

THERE IS AN CONTINUOUS VIBRATION AND SHIMMY IN THE FRONT-END AND STEERING WHEEL OF MY 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK THAT SINCE NEW (OCT 2009) HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE RECTIFIED BY SUBARU MECHANICS, EVEN WITH COOPERATION BY SUBARU OF AMERICA. THIS VIBRATION CAN SOMETIMES BE DRAMATIC THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND CAUSES ERRATIC DRIVABILITY, ESPECIALLY IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS. THIS VIBRATION MAY ALSO CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR ON FRONT TIRES, STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS THAT COULD LEAD TO FAILURE AND INJURY, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN FACT, SUBARU INITIALLY BLAMED THE TIRE MANUFACTURER - CONTINENTAL - FOR THE ISSUE, STATING THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE, AND HAD CONTINENTAL ISSUE REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR MY OUTBACK. THIS DID SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IF THIS PROBLEM IS RESEARCHED ON POPULAR AND RESPECTABLE AUTOMOTIVE WEB SITES, ONE CAN FIND THAT IT HAS BEEN AFFECTING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF 2010 SUBARU OUTBACKS AND TO DATE, NO OWNERS HAVE HAD THEIR ISSUE RESOLVED BY SUBARU OF AMERICA. MANY OTHER OWNERS REPORTED SUBARU OF AMERICA REPLACING WHAT WERE CONSIDERED "DEFECTIVE" CONTINENTAL TIRES, WITH ANOTHER SET OF EXACT TIRES FROM CONTINENTAL. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT GETTING ENOUGH EXPOSURE AND MAY TAKE AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT FOR ANYONE TO SERIOUSLY TAKE NOTICE. I HAVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE CASE OPEN WITH SUBARU, BUT IT IS EVIDENT FROM MY REPEATED CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM THAT THEY ARE BEING EVASIVE WITH WHERE THEY ARE IN FIXING THIS ISSUE, AND I HAVE NOW BECOME DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. THEY WANT TO TRY ANOTHER 'FIX', BUT THAT WILL NOT BE UNTIL MID-MARCH, WITH NO GUARANTEE OF RESOLUTION. THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR WITH ONLY 6,000 MILES ON IT, AND I HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE ISSUES IT HAS HAD. THIS VEHICLE WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY TOYOTA, WHO OWNS A CONSIDERABLE PERCENTAGE OF SUBARU...IF THIS SAYS ANYTHING. *TR

THE 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK EXHIBITS EXTREMELY POOR HANDLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN TRAVELING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES, AND THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT'S AT ITS LIMIT. THE CAR ALSO TRACKS VERY POORLY WANTING TO WANDER TOWARDS THE SHOULDER, AND IS SEVERELY JOSTLED AROUND IN CROSSWINDS. WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS A STIFF CROSS WIND THE CAR MAKES A SUDDEN MOVE, AND THERE IS A LOSS OF ROAD FEEL WHEN THE WIND SUBSIDES AND THE CAR RETURNS TO NORMAL. THIS SENSATION CAUSES A POSSIBLE OVER CORRECTION BY THE DRIVER. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS FOR REPAIR HAVE FAILED TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS. *TR

SERIOUS VIBRATION PROBLEMS IN 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK. UPON DELIVERY, WOULD SAY IT WAS DANGEROUS AT ANYTHING OVER 45MPH. AFTER MULTIPLE FIXES, IS NOW DOWN TO A MUCH MORE MODERATE VIBRATION, MOST NOTABLE AT 65-70MPH IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATES OVER APPROX A 1/8" RANGE, WITH A PERIOD OF AROUND 3 PULSES PER SECOND. IT IS UNNERVING WHEN DRIVING, AND CERTAINLY CAN NOT BE GOOD OVER A LONGER PERIOD FOR THE INTEGRITY OF AFFECTED PARTS. *TR

MY 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS A SHAKING/VIBRATION ISSUE, THIS ISSUE ONLY HAPPENS AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. IT SEEMS EARLY BUILD MODELS OF THE OUTBACK HAS THIS ISSUE. CHECK OUT THIS FORUM, AND YOU CAN SEE.. HTTP://WWW.SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=20843 SUBARU HAS PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS ON MY CAR, THEY HAVE ROAD FORCED BALANCED THE TIRES, AND THEY HAVE INSTALLED A HEAVIER SPRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL. DESPITE THIS BEING DONE, THE ISSUE REMAINS WITH MY OUTBACK. A SIMPLE TEST DRIVE IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED TO SEE THE ISSUE. WHEN YOU HIT CERTAIN SPEEDS THE CAR WILL START TO VIBRATE, AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTS TO SHAKE, IF YOU LET GO OF THE WHEEL, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY PULLS TO THE LEFT, NOT GOOD. SUBARU OF AMERICA AGREED TO BUY BACK MY CAR, IF THE SPRING FIX DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, IT DID NOT. BELOW IS THE EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM SOA. FROM: SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. [MAILTO:[email protected]] SENT: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2010 2:39 PM [XXX] AS A FOLLOW UP TO OUR CONVERSATION THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD THE SPRING SET THAT RAMSEY SUBARU IS INSTALLING ON YOUR 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK FAIL TO ADDRESS THE VIBRATION COMPLAINT SUBARU OF AMERICA WILL OFFER TO REPURCHASE YOUR VEHICLE AS A GESTURE OF GOODWILL. AFTER THE SPRING SET IS INSTALLED THE DEALERSHIP WILL TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF THE ISSUE HAS OR HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. SINCERELY, SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. *TR

I HAVE A NEW 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK THAT SEEMS TO BE A FINE AUTOMOBILE EXCEPT FOR ONE SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT. WE NOTICED SOON AFTER STARTING TO DRIVE THE OUTBACK THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG STAYS OFF WHEN MY 140-POUND WIFE OR 135-POUND DAUGHTER RIDE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE TOOK IT TO A DEALER WHO SAID THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT THAT CAN BE MADE, BUT THEY RE-CALIBRATED THE AIRBAG ELECTRONICS TO SEE IF THAT HELPED. IT DID NOT. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SAME DEALER A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER AND WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO MAKE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WORK PROPERLY AND THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL OF THE NEW OUTBACKS IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT. JUST AS A TEST I TOOK MY WIFE OUT TO THE LOT AND HAD HER SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF ANOTHER OUTBACK TO SEE IF THAT ONE WORKED. IT DID NOT . I CONCLUDE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE AIRBAG SENSORS IN THE NEW OUTBACKS THAT KEEP THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS FROM TURNING ON WHEN 135 TO 140-POUND ADULTS SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE HE HEADLIGHTS ARE OPERATIVE, THEY POORLY PROJECT LIGHT ONTO THE ROAD-WAY. AS A CONSEQUENCE SHE CANNOT SEE SIGNS, PARKED VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE LOW BEAMS WERE HITTING THE BULBS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AT THE DEALERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 396.