2005 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (~75 MPH) DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY, EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL AND RESULTING DECELERATION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GLOWED STEADY AND THE CRUISE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. AFTER PULLING OFF TO THE SHOULDER (ACROSS THREE LANES) AND SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THROTTLE CONTROL RESUMED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL GLOWS STEADY AND THE CRUISE LIGHT IS FLASHING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING.

THE WIRING OF THE REAR HATCH DOOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IS FAULTY AND THE WIRES BETWEEN THE CAR ROOF AND THE HATCH BREAK OVER TIME, DUE TO NORMAL HATCH FUNCTIONS (E.G. OPENING/CLOSING). DEPENDING ON WHICH WIRES BREAK, REAR-WINDSHIELD WIPERS, LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS, BACK-UP LIGHTS FAIL, CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN.

WHILE DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES LIKE ICE AND SNOW, THE VEHICLE WILL BEGIN SWAYING LEFT AND RIGHT UNCONTROLLABLY. THE SENSATION, ALSO KNOWN AS "GHOST WALKING" COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER CAN NOT CONTROL THE SWAYING, AND SPINNING OUT. CONDITIONS OF PROBLEM: DRIVING DURING WINTER CONDITIONS, ON SNOWY ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. THE VEHICLE IS FINE UNDER DRY/NORMAL CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE STEMS FROM THE AWD SYSTEM.

BOUGHT CAR IN 2013, HAVE REPLACED THE TURBO 3 TIMES! FIRST WITHIN LESS THAN A MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. AGAIN IN 2016 & AGAIN 3 MONTHS LATER. JANUARY 2018, AGAIN THE CAR LEFT ME STRANDED FOR THE 4TH TIME! THE OUTBACK HAS BEEN IN THE GARAGE FOR ALMOST 4 WEEKS, ONLY TO FIND OUT THE TURBO HAD A STRIPPED SUPPORT, WHICH COST ME A 'NEW, USED MOTOR!!! I BOUGHT MY 1ST OUTBACK IN 2000 OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR, NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR REPAIRS, JUST ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. DROVE HER UNTIL SEPT 2013 DUE TO A CRASH, WHICH WAS TOTALED.

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE DUE TO BRAKE LINE CORROSION ; DRIVING VEHICLE AND BRAKES FAILED, LEAVING ME WITHOUT ABILITY TO STOP. LUCKILY I WAS ON A HARDLY-TRAVELED ROAD AND GETTING HOME WAS UPHILL.

I AM HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY CAR GOING LIMP AFTER START. THE ENGINE DOES NOT REGISTER THE GAS PEDAL/THROTTLE. CODE READER SAID ITS THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. BROUGHT TO MID HUDSON SUBARU IN WAPPINGERS NY, THEY SAID GAS PEDAL SENSOR. THAT DID NOT FIX VEHICLE. SUBARU DOES NOT SEEM TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE... THE PROBLEM IS SPORADIC AND THERE IS NO WARNING, JUST DRIVING ALONG AND GAS PEDAL NO LONGER HAS ANY EFFECT ON PROPULSION OF VEHICLE.

AS I WAS DRIVING, I ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST ALL POWER AND CONTROL FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR DECELERATED AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO IDLE FORWARD. THE GAS PEDAL BECAME COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BLINKS BUT THE CAR DRIVES FINE UNTIL THE THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN. THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT IT. I'M GLAD IT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION OR A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE DECELERATING THAT QUICKLY WAS MORE DANGEROUS. THE CAR IS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I BELIEVE THE CHECK ENGINE CODE READING IS P2138.

1) RECURRING PHANTOM REVVING (IN NEUTRAL AND/OR CLUTCH DEPRESSED, BOTH WHILE COMPLETELY STOPPED AND WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM ANY AND ALL SPEEDS) UPWARDS OF 4-5K RPM WITH DIFFICULTY GETTING THE RPMS BACK TO NORMAL. HAPPENS SOMETIMES DAILY, SOMETIMES CONSTANTLY, SOMETIMES IT GOES A FEW DAYS WITHOUT HAPPENING. 2) COMPLETE LOSS OF PEDAL CONTROL/RESPONSE (A "LIMP" PEDAL) WHILE GOING 60MPH ON A FREEWAY, MANAGED TO COAST TO SAFETY AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR 10+ MINUTES, WHEN IT RESTARTED AND THE THROTTLE WORKED AGAIN. STORED CODE P2138, CEL ON AND CRUISE CONTROL DISABLED. HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THE CAR A FEW TIMES SINCE, OUT OF FEAR OF LOSING PEDAL CONTROL AGAIN. -- ONLINE RESEARCH HAS LED ME TO A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, MOST COMMON BEING DEFECTIVE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR CONNECTIONS (WHICH FREQUENTLY GET EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND CORRODE, APPARENTLY), BAD ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR, AND MANY PEOPLE REPLACED THE ENTIRE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WHEN THE PREVIOUS "FIXES" DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

RECALL WAS ISSUED A FEW YEARS AGO FOR DEFECT IN THE BRAKE LINE ALLOWING SALT WATER TO GET IN AND CAUSE CORROSION TO BRAKE LINES. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AND BRAKE LINES WERE SPRAYED WITH AN ANTI CORROSIVE. ON 7/29/18, BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING AND LOST ALL BRAKE PRSSSURE WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A CORRODED BRAKE LINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE, IT ROLLED AWAY. THE CONTACT JUMPED BACK INTO THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT FROM ROLLING. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.