2003 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

AFTER SMELLING LEAKING OIL FOR MANY MONTHS, MY MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING. OIL IS LEAKING DOWN ONTO THE EXHAUST CREATING A CONSTANT BURNING SMELL. I CONTACTED SUBARU AND THEY ARE UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THIS IN ANY WAY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AND SERVICED. *TR

SUBARU HAS BEEN SELLING CARS KNOWING OF PREMATURE HEAD GASKET FAILURES. 1998 TO 2002 HEAD GASKETS FAILED WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COOLANT LEAKS. SUBARU HAS ISSUED THE WWP99 CAMPAIGN (UPTO 8 YR 100,000 MILE). THIS CAMPAIGN INTRODUCES AN ADDITIVE INTO THE COOLANT TO "PLUG" THE LEAK. THEY ALSO WILL REPAIR THE GASKETS IN RARE CASES. THE 2003 HEAD GASKETS ARE ALSO FAILING PREMATURELY EVEN WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE. THESE FAIL WITH AN EXTERNAL OIL LEAK THAT DIRECTLY HITS THE EXHAUST CAUSING FIRE HAZARD AND NOXIOUS FUMES IN AND AROUND THE CAR. THE REPAIR IS $2000 AT DEALER. SUBARU IS NOT ADDRESSING THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER FOR A REGULAR MAINTENANCE WHEN THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION WAS CORRODED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE STATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V153000 (SUSPENSION:REAR) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V232000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

THE CAR WOULD DIE USUALLY WHILE COMING TO STOPS. AND ON MOST OCCASIONS WILL START BACK UP. AT FIRST IT SEEMED TO ONLY DIE IN VERY HOT WEATHER AND ON ONE OCCASION IT DIDN'T START BACK UP FOR 15 MIN. BUT IT HAS SINCE DIED ON DAYS WITHOUT EXTREME TEMPERATURES. MOST OF THE TIMES IT DIES WHILE STOPPING, TWICE IT DIED WHEN BRAKING ON HIGHWAYS WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT 15 TIMES IN 4 YEARS. I HAVE BROUGHT IT IN TO TWO DIFFERENT SUBARU DEALERS MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY USELESS. THEY HAVE RESET THE COMPUTER A FEW TIMES. ONE MECHANIC REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, THE BATTERY HAS BEEN CHANGED AND THIS STILL OCCURS. THE OIL AND FILTER ARE CHANGED REGULARLY, I EVEN USE 93 INSTEAD OF THE 91 RECOMMENDED FUEL AND IT HAS STILL OCCURRED. *TR

CAR IS A 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH AROUND 60,000 MILES ON IT. IT IS REGISTERED AND DRIVEN IN VERMONT YEAR-ROUND. THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR STRUT RUSTED SEVERELY WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOWER SPRING MOUNT TO SEPARATE FROM THE STRUT. THIS CAUSED THE SPRING TO FALL AND COME TO A REST ON THE LOWER STRUT MOUNT BOLT. FORTUNATELY, THIS DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN IT OCCURRED HOWEVER THIS IS A CONCERNING FAILURE ON A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE. I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED WHICH WILL ENTAIL REPLACING THE STRUT WHICH FAILED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, A FIRE IGNITED ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR NEAR THE CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED OFF THE ROADWAY AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE DEALER YET THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE AND THE BODY DAMAGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 152,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE HEAD GASKET FAILED. HE NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WASN'T COOLING AND THE RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY, BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE A LEAK. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST LOCATED THE FAILURE AS THE HEAD GASKET. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE VIN INFORMATION WASN'T AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 76,600.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. SHE HAD TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL GEAR IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALERS DIAGNOSIS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG SINCE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FLOOR MAT HAD TO BE THE CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87000. 11/9/10 *CN THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. THE ACCELERATOR BECAME STUCK WHILE TRAVELING UP A 9% GRADE. THE CONSUMER STATED HER FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, HITTING THE BRAKE DISENGAGED THE ACCELERATOR. UPDATED 11/16/10

ACCELERATING FROM COMPLETE STOP, I HEARD A LOUD SNAP FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL. UPON INSPECTION BY AN ASE MECHANIC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT REAR STRUT AND ASSEMBLY HAD RUSTED OUT AND BROKEN ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 81,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS LOCATED IN A VERY HIGH SALT USE STATE, MAINE, AND THIS SEEMS TO BE THE EXACT TYPE OF RUSTING AND BREAKAGE PROBLEM OTHER SUBARU'S HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN RECALLED FOR IN HIGH SALT USE AREAS. *TR

SUBARU OUTBACK, 2003, 4-CYLINDER WITH 90,000 MILES S/N: [XXX] SIGNIFICANT ACCELERATION FROM VERY SLOW SPEED; TURNING OFF THE ENGINE WAS THE ONLY METHOD OF STOPPING THE CAR. DROVE THROUGH GARAGE WALL; OCCURENCE OVER SIX MONTHS; ABOUT ONE-TIME PER MONTH. PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE UNTIL THE CAR WENT THROUGH THE GARAGE WALL. PER DEALER: "SIGNIFICANT CARBON BUILD-UP IN THROTTLE HOUSING & IDLE CONTROL VALVE. CARBON BUILD-UP CAUSED BY REFORMULATED GASOLINE." REPIAR ACTION: CLEAN THROTTLE HOUSING & REPLACE IDLE CONTROL VALVE = $ 750.00 AT MAY 11, 2010. NO SERVICE BULLETINS OR HISTORY, PER DEALER. MY COMMENT: "POTENTIAL DISTEROUS SAFETY ISSUES: NOT ONLY PROPERTY DAMAGE, BUT SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL INJURY COULD BE CAUSED IF THIS HAPPENS IN PARKING LOTS, CROSSWALKS, DRIVEWAYS, ETC." [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR