2009 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

INDIVIDUAL WIRES IN THE HARNESS POWERING AND CONTROLLING THE BRAKE, TURN, BACKUP, AND LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS, AND THE REAR WIPER MOTOR AND WASHER PUMP, MAY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS FAILURE COULD RESULT IN AN REAR END COLLISION OR IMPAIRING VISION OUT THE REAR WINDOW IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE POINT OF FAILURE IS INSIDE THE FLEXIBLE RUBBER BOOT PROTECTING THE HARNESS WHERE IT PASSES FROM THE REAR FRAME OF THE MAIN BODY TO THE TOP OF THE REAR LIFT GATE. IT APPEARS THAT REPEATED FLEXING OF THE WIRES INSIDE THE PROTECTIVE BOOT, AS THE REAR LIFT GATE IS OPENED AND CLOSED, WORK HARDENS THE INSULATION AND COPPER WIRES CAUSING THEM TO EVENTUALLY BREAK. SYMPTOMS MAY APPEAR AS STATIC ON THE RADIO, FAILING REAR LIGHTS, AND/OR FAILING REAR WIPER/WASHER MOTORS. IN MY CASE, I EXPERIENCED RADIO STATIC AND A FAILURE OF THE REAR WIPER/WASHER MOTORS. TROUBLE SHOOTING LED ME TO CUT OPEN THE PROTECTIVE BOOT REVEALING THE BROKEN WIRES. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE WIRE INSULATION WAS BRITTLE IN THE AREA OF THE BREAKS. A SEARCH ONLINE REVEALED THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN TURNING ON AND OFF WITH NO APPARENT CONSISTENCY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY. SOMETIMES, ITS ON, SOMETIMES NOT, I MADE AN APPT TO TAKE IT TO A SUBARU DEALER, MONTHS AGO, THEN A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE, IT WENT OFF AND STAYED OFF FOR MANY WEEKS. (I HAD CANCELLED THE APPT.) THEN IT CAME ON AGAIN, SO I TOOK IT TO A SUBARU DEALER THAT DAY AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A PROBLEM WITH THE OVERHEAD MAP LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THEY SCANNED THE SYSTEM AND FOUND CODE 26. APPARENTLY THE AIRBAG SENSOR RUNS THROUGH THAT ASSEMBLY AND THERE IS A CONNECTION THAT WEARS OUT AND BECOMES DISCONNECTED, RESULTING IN THE AIRBAG NOT BEING ABLE TO DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED. THE SUBARU SERVICE REP SAID THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE MADE MANY OF THOSE REPAIRS. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM AND THAT SUBARU DEALERS CHARGE BETWEEN $200-$500 TO REPAIR THIS. THERE ARE ALSO VIDEOS AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIX THIS BY TAKING APART THE ASSEMBLY AND RE-SOLDERING THE CONNECTION. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO SUBARUS THAT HAVE LOW MILEAGE AS WELL AS SOME WITH HIGHER MILEAGE. MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS SEEM TO COME FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AREAS WHERE IT IS VERY COLD IN THE WINTER, WHICH IS MY CASE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WHEN ILLUMINATED THE AIRBAG WILL NOR DEPLOY. THIS NATURALLY SCARES PEOPLE SO THEY OPT FOR THE REPAIR ASAP. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FREQUENT PROBLEM AND IS A GRAVE SAFETY CONCERN THAT SUBARU SHOULD ADDRESS. I BELIEVE THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED!

THE HEAD GASKETS ON MY VEHICLE HAVE DEVELOPED LEAKS AT JUST OVER 80,000 MILES. THIS IS A FREQUENT (AND KNOWN) PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THIS VEHICLE. ALL SUBARU-SPECIFIC MECHANICS, MANY OWNERS OF THIS MODEL AND EVEN SUBARU DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES HAVE EXPRESSED KNOWLEDGE OF HIGH FAILURE RATES FOR THIS HEAD GASKET AT APPROXIMATELY 80-100K MILE INTERVALS. THIS IS WAY SHORTER LIFE THAN SHOULD OCCUR AND RESULTS IN A $2000 OR GREATER COST OF REPAIR (IN MY CASE, $3200!). SUBARU HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS DEFECT ON PREVIOUS MODELS AND EVEN HAD CLASS ACTION SUITS RESULTING IN RECALLS FOR PREVIOUS GENERATION OUTBACKS YET HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THE DEFECT.

POSITIVE WIRE TO THE FUEL PUMP BURNED THROUGH TO THE OPEN GAS TANK LEAVING THE CAR ABLE TO RUN INTERMITTENTLY. THE PLASTIC HOUSING WAS MELTED AND BURNED AND THE WIRING CONNECTOR WAS RUINED. MY CONCERN IS THE HOT WIRE CONNECTOR, HOT ENOUGH TO MELT AND LEAVE THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR BURNED, WAS HANGING INTO THE AREA OPEN TO FUEL. I HAVE PICS. THE CAR WAS RUNNING AND OCCUPIED .

I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, WHERE WE PURCHASED THIS CAR.THEY TOLD ME THEY DO HAVE THE PARTS BUT ARE NOT FIXING ALL CARS SO I AM ON A LIST AND CAN NOT GET MY CAR IN FOR MANY MONTHS. MEANWHILE MY HUSBAND AND CHILDREN STILL DRIVE THIS CAR. THEY SAID IN AUGUST APPROX. 6 MONTHS AFTER I TRIED TO GET THEM TO FIX IT WE ARE ON THE SCHEDULE.

TAKATA RECALL - THE LETTER FROM NHTSA VIA SUBARU RE. THE RECALL WAS MISLEADING. 1. IT SAID THE REPAIR WOULD TAKE APPROX. 1 HOUR 48 MINUTES. IT TOOK ALL DAY. I UNEXPECTEDLY HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR OVERNIGHT AT GREAT INCONVENIENCE TO ME. 2. THE DIRECTIVE NOT TO LET ANYONE RIDE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE AND ONLY ONE CAR! ALSO, THIS OBVIOUSLY MEANS I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A DANGEROUS CAR FOR 8 YEARS! 3. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO SUBARU OF AMERICA THEY SAID THE WORDING OF THE RECALL LETTER WAS ENTIRELY NHTSA'S. ASSUMING SUBARU'S ASSERTION IS TRUE, YOUR COMMUNICATION ABOUT THIS MATTER WAS HORRIBLE, MISLEADING AND FRIGHTENING.

THE RED LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD (WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER IS) FOR DRIVER'S AIR BAG COMES ON WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GOES BELOW ABOUT 44 DEGREES. IT STAYS ON 95% OF THE 8 WINTER MONTHS. I BOUGHT THIS USED (2014) FROM A DEALER, AND TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT IT. HE SAID UNLESS IT COMES ON 100% OF THE TIME, THEN DONT WORRY ABOUT IT. I CAME BACK 1 TIME AND COMPLAINED AGAIN, HOPING A "SENSOR CHECK" MIGHT BE COVERED SINCE I HAD BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON IT. HE AGAIN SAID "DONT WORRY ABOUT IT." -- THE PASSENGER RED LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD BOX ALSO STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. IT DOES NOT FLASH OR BEEP UNLESS I HAVE SOME HEAVY BOXES ON THE SEAT, SO I IGNORE IT. I AM JUST WORRIED THAT NEITHER AIR BAG WILL WORK IN AN EMERGENCY. I CANNOT GET AN ANSWER (OR SEARCH) THAT ANSWERS THAT. IT IS FRIGHTENING. WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, AND WHEN MOVING, THIS HAPPENS. ONLY SHUTTING THE CAR OFF SHUTS OFF THE LIGHT. SPEED, MOVEMENT OR STREET DOES NOT AFFECT IT. IT DOES NOT FLICKER; IT STAYS ON.

AFTER FUSES BLOWN REPEATEDLY AND REPLACED, REAR WIPER, WASHER PUMP AND LOCK CEASED TO OPERATE FOR PERHAPS A YEAR. RECENTLY THE HEADLIGHTS GOT REAL FUNKY - WOULD NOT OPERATE IN NORMAL "ON" POSITION. BUT THEN SOME STRANGE BEHAVIOR WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE (IGNITION ON WITHOUT STARTING TO ALLOW SHIFTING). HEADLIGHTS STILL NOT LIT IN EITHER OFF OR ON POSITION, BUT THEN CAME ON AS SWITCH MOVED BACK FROM HEADLIGHTS ON TO RUNNING LIGHTS POSITION! I HAPPENED UPON THE VIDEO MENTIONED IN AN EARLIER POST ABOUT REAR WIRING HARNESS ISSUE WHICH EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO WIPER/LOCK ISSUE, SO TOOK A LOOK. INSPECTION REVEALED 11 SEVERED WIRES WITH A CLUMP OF 5 OR SO MELTED TOGETHER AND ANOTHER 3 WIRES NEARLY SEVERED (SEE PHOTOS). DEALER SAYS HE'LL REPLACE WIRING HARNESS FOR $350 -500, AND HAD A SAME GENERATION OUTBACK IN THE SHOP FOR SAME WORK. SERVICE MGR SUGGESTED A CALL TO SUBARU CUSTOMER CARE LINE. IF YOU HAVE GOOFY ELECTRICAL ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IN REAR, CHECK THE WIRING INSIDE BOOT FROM BODY TO DOOR ON UPPER RIGHT SIDE. IT'S NOT EASY TO GET AT AS WIRES ARE SHORT, WHICH MAY HAVE LED TO QUITE A SERIOUS, UM, SHORT. CALL SUBARU BEFORE YOUR HEADLINER IGNITES...

"TAKATA RECALL" 9/7/2016 VOICE MAIL SVC.MGR @ LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP ([XXX]), NO REPLY 9/12/2016 CALLED SVC REP TOOK VIN, WILL HAVE SVC ADV CALL ME. 9/13/2016 SVC. ADV. [XXX] CALLED ME - BACK ORDERED AIRBAG, WILL CALL ME BACK. 10/28/2016 CALLED [XXX] DEALERSHIP FOR STATUS, THEY NEVER RETURNED MY CALL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE FUEL PIPE FILLER AND VALVE ASSEMBLY FAILED AND ALLOWED GASOLINE TO LEAK. THERE WAS ALSO A LEAK ON THE FUEL PUMP THAT THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE LOCATE ON THE FIRST TWO ATTEMPTS. THE LEAKS WERE MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND COULD HAVE POSSIBLY CAUSED A FIRE.