1998 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

THE HEADGASKET BURNED THROUGH. REPLACED HEADGASKET, HAD HEADS MILLED. NOW EXACTLY 1 1/2 YEARS LATER IN APRIL 2003 THE CAR IS OVERHEATING, EVERYONE SAYS THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT, BUT IT IS. IT IS ALOT OF MONEY FOR A CAR THAT IS ONLY 5 YRS. OLD AND HAVING MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ACCELERATING AT A LOW SPEED ENGINE REVVED TO 4 RMPS AND JERKED INTO SECOND GEAR. DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO NO REMEDY WAS FOUND.*AK

APPEARS I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET ON MY 1998 2.5L OUTBACK. COOLANT CONTAINS OIL , COOLANT RESERVOIR FILLS UP RAPIDLY WITH COOLANT WHEN DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. COOLANT NEVER RETURNS TO THE RADIATOR AFTER COOLING DOWN. *LA

WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER FAILED. *NM

VEHICLE'S TIRES LEAKED DUE TO CORROSION/OXIDATION ON THE RIM WHERE THE TIRE MET THE ALUMINUM WHEEL. *MR THE CORROSION IS EXTENSIVE ENOUGH TO AFFECT THE SEAL BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE RIM. THE TIRES LOSE ABOUT TWO POUNDS OF AIR PER WEEK. *NLM

CAR OVERHEATED. TOWED TO GARAGE. THEY REPLACED THERMOSTAT AND TESTED. RAN OK FOR ABOUT 20 MILES. OVERHEATED AGAIN. TOWED TO GARAGE. NOW THE DIAGNOSIS IS THAT I NEED A NEW HEAD GASKET. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 90,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FLAWLESSLY. *LA

INTERMITTENTLY, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR. IT GOES INTO NEUTRAL AND WILL CONTINUE TO REV UP TO ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5500 RPM AND REDLINE BEFORE IT SHIFTS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST YEAR. IT USUALLY HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE EACH TIME IT IS DRIVEN. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO SUBARU OF SANTA CRUZ IN THE PAST AND THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY A PROBLEM. WHEN THE 'CHECK ENGINE' AND 'AT OIL TEMP' LIGHTS CAME ON, WE TOOK IT TO SUBARU OF SANTA CRUZ. THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER INDICATED THAT THE SPEED SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ONCE REPLACED, THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS, BUT THEN BEGAN OCCURRING AGAIN. *JB

THE CAR ACCELERATED WHEN BACKING FROM A PARKING SPACE, HIT A POLE, I THEN PUT IT ON DRIVE AND IT ACCELERATED AT A VERY HIGH SPEED, I WENT TO BRAKE, IT HAD ALREADY HIT A PARKED DODGE CARAVAN IN THE PARKING SPOT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS ON BRAKE, CAR STILL CONTINUED TO MOVE. I MANAGED TO PUT IT ON NEUTRAL AND IT STOPPED. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. MY CAR HAD PUSHED THE PARKED DODGE 1.5 CAR LENGTHS. VAN TIRE SKID MARKS MEASURED BY HIGHWAY PATROL. NO INJURIES EXCEPT TO MYSELF, HIT MY KNEE AND MY HEAD. INDICENT REPORTED TO CA HWY PATROL, GEICO INSURANCE COMPANY, AND 49R SUBARU DEALERSHIP. CURRENTLY CAR IS AT THE DEARLERSHIP BEING EVALUATED FOR A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AT 60K MILES FOR POSSIBLE TRANSMISISION PROBLEM, IT SEEMED TO DOWNSHIFT AT LOWSPEEDS INAPPROPIATELY. NO PROBLEM FOUND. I TOOK IT IN 90K BECAUSE OF BURNING OIL SMELL AND ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. OIL WAS LEAKING FROM SEVERAL SEALS, ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED, INCLUDING THE TIMING BELT. I DISCOVERED THE TIMING BELT AND OIL SEALS WERE REPLACED BY PREVIOUS OWNER PRIOR TO 50K MILES. I'VE HAD THE TIRES BALANCED AND ALIGNED TWICE BECAUSE OF SEVERE TIRE WEAR AND SHAKING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH. CAR CURRENTLY HAS 101K MILES.

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, AND WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL. OWNER HAD CONTACTED DEALERSHIP ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. *AK

BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 105,000 MILES. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE FOR THIS ENGINE/MODEL YEAR. IT COST ME $3400 FOR A NEW SHORT BLOCK/LABOR TO EFFECT REPAIRS.*AK