2011 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY SHUDDERS AND STALLS WHEN COMING TO FULL STOP, REQUIRING SHIFT TO PARK OR NEUTRAL TO RESTART. FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE IS RAPIDLY INCREASING. DEALER CITED SERVICE BULLETIN 16-90-13R AND REPLACEMENT OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS NECESSARY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG INDICATOR, WITH AN ADULT SITTING IN THE SEAT, RANDOMLY SHOWS THE AIRBAG ON/OFF. THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY TO WHETHER THE AIRBAG WILL SHOW AS FUNCTIONING, WHICH MAKES THE SYSTEM NON-FUNCTIONING BY ANY MEASURE. THIS IS A KEY SAFETY FEATURE THAT SUBARU ADVERTISES AND SELLS VEHICLES BY AND IT SIMPLY DOES NOT FUNCTION. SUBARU HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE AND THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMS THAT THEY CANNOT FIND AND ERROR CODE INDICATING THERE IS AN ISSUE. THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT I AM MAKING UP THE ISSUE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SIMILAR ISSUE TO WHAT WAS OUTLINED IN THE 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA AIRBAG SENSOR RECALL. BOTH CASES INVOLVE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR FAILING WITH AN ADULT SITTING IN THE SEAT. IF YOU NEVER KNOW IF THE AIRBAG IS GOING TO WORK, IT IS A FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM. THIS ISN'T A PROBLEM THAT IS GOING TO BE RECOGNIZED OR FIXED WITHOUT A MANDATORY RECALL OR A LAWSUIT.

I CAN NOT KEEP THE VEHICLE CENTERED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CARS WANDERS RIGHT OR LEFT AND REQUIRES CONSTANT ADJUSTMENT. THE CAR DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER AFTER A TURN, STEERING ADJUSTMENT IS REQUIRED. THIS IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM.

VEHICLE STALLED ON INCLINES WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED CREATING A VERY DANGERS SITUATION. DEALER SIGHTED SERVICE BULLETIN 16-90-13R FOR DESIGN CHANGE TO THE CVT TORQUE CONVERTER BUT WOULD NOT ABSORB TOTAL COST OF REPAIR SINCE CAR HAS 107102 MILES AND OUT OF WARRANTEE. THIS SITUATION SHOULD CREATE A PRODUCT RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED.

STARTED VEHICLE AND CENTER COUNSEL WOULD NOT LIGHT UP. HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS WORKED AND ELECTRIC WINDOWS WERE OK. SECOND INCIDENT: SAME AS FIRST - ALSO HEARD SOUND IN DASH THAT ACTED LIKE A LOOSE WIRE OR STRIPPED WIRE THAT HAD TOUCHED METAL AND SHORTED OUT. LATTER ON AFTER RESTING, THE ELECTRICAL CAME BACK TO THE COUNSEL.

WHILE DRIVING TO APPROACH A STOP THE CAR STUDDERS, BEGINS TO LOOSE ENGINE POWER AND STALLS. IT THEN REQUIRES THAT THE CAR MUST BE PLACED IN 'PARK', THE KEY TURNED TO THE 'OFF' POSITION AND THEN RESTARTED.

I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS (LOW-BEAMS) REPLACED A MINIMUM OF 4 TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE PASSENGERS SIDE WAS FIRST...THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS CONTINUES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. LAST NIGHT LEAVING WORK...THE PASSENGER SIDE IS OUT AGAIN. I CANNOT BELIEVE I AM THE ONLY SUBARU OWNER WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. REPLACING THEM IS NO EASY TASK AS AFTER INVESTIGATING, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL TO GET TO IT. AGAIN...BOTH SIDES WILL NOW HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES WITHING THE TWO YEARS. MINOR ISSUE COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, BUT NEVERTHELESS A SAFETY ISSUE.

WHILE COMING TO AT STOP VEHICLE WILL SHUTTER AND STALL! AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE IT WOULD SHUDDER AND THE IDLE WOULD GO VERY LOW, ALMOST STALLING. NOW WHEN WE COME TO A STOP IT WILL STALL! THIS HAS BECOME VERY DANGERIOUS. THERE IS A TSB FROM SUBARU TSB 16-90-13, TSB 16-90-13R CHANGE DESIGN OF TORQUE CONVERTER FROM SOLID BUSHING TYPE TO NEEDLE BEARING TYPE. THRUST WASHER WEAR INSIDE THE TORQUE CONVERTER CAUSES RESTRICTION OF OIL PASSAGE USED TO BLEED OFF LOCK-UP CLUTCH APPLICATION PRESSURE.

ASCENDED STEEP HILL AND STOPPED AT STOP SIGN. PROCESSED TO DRIVE THROUGH INTERSECTION UPHILL. ALL LIGHTS ON DASH BEGAN TO FLICKER ON AND OFF AND CAR STALLED OUT GOING DOWN THE ROAD. AFTER THIS OCCURRED, I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS OF CAR. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART CAR, PLACE CAR INTO PARK, APPLY EMERGENCY BRAKE, TURN ON HAZARD LIGHTS, AND THE POWER BRAKES AND STEERING WERE NOT PRESENT. I SPENT 5-7 MINUTES TRYING TO RESTART THE CAR AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO STABILIZE THE CAR SINCE I WAS CURRENTLY GOING DOWN A STEEP HILL WITHOUT ANYWAY OF STABILIZING IT. AFTER THIS TIME, SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I HAD TO COAST CAR DOWN HILL INTO BUSY INTERSECTION AND TURN IT ONTO NEXT ROAD IN ORDER TO FIND A FLAT AREA TO STABILIZE CAR SO I COULD GET OUT OF IT. WHEN I GOT OUT, I BEGAN SEEING FLAMES DROP DOWN FROM FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF ENGINE AREA. THE CAR QUICKLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MOST OF THE ENGINE BURNT OUT BEFORE FLAMES WERE EXTINGUISHED. THE FIRE APPEARED TO START IN COMPUTER AREA. THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW AND HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, EXCEPT WE HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULBS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE OWNING IT. AFTER I WITNESSED MY CAR CATCH ON FIRE AND AFTERWARDS DISCOVERED SUBARU HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER, I BELIEVE THE HEADLIGHT ISSUE AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUES ARE ALL CONNECTED. I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR IS THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED THAT DAY CAUSING AN OVER VOLTAGE/OVER DRAW OF POWER THAT WAS SO BAD IT TOOK OUT MY COMPUTER UNIT, I THEN BELIEVE THE BATTERY CONTINUED TO FEED THE COMPUTER UNIT, IN ITS UNRESPONSIVE STATE, UNTIL IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE INSPECTOR TOLD ME SOMETIMES BULBS WILL BURNT OUT DUE TO AN OVER VOLTAGE SITUATION. SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY OVERDRAWING POWER AND IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BECAUSE IT ENDANGERS EVERY DRIVER, PASSENGER, AND ANYONE AROUND THESE CARS.

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, BRAKES APPLIED, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. VEHICLE PULLED OFF ROAD INTO PARKING LOT. VEHICLE TOWED TO SUBARU DEALER. VEHICLE INSPECTED, DEALER STATES REAR BRAKE LINE SEPARATED FROM COUPLING, DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION. DEALER FURTHER STATES THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT BRAKE LINES AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA, NOR DO DEALERS HAVE ANY INVENTORY. D3ALER IS FORCED TO CRAFT BRAKE LINE TO RETURN VEHICLE TO SERVICE.