2004 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING ABNORMALLY REVERTS TO THE RIGHT AS IF THE STEERING COLUMN IS LOCKED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,500.

BLOWN HEADGASKET AT ONLY 40K. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE WITH EXTRA CARE CAR WHEN NEEDED. TOOK TO DEALER AND COMPLAINED OF SMELL OF COOLANT IN THE INTERIOR OF CAR WHEN DRIVING AND AFTER SHUTTING VEHICLE DOWN OR AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT STOP. TOOK TO DEALER COMPLAINING OF A NOISE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF ENGINE. AFTER THE DEALER EXAMINED VEHICLE NOTHING WAS FOUND AS PER REPORT. I TOOK THE CAR FOR BRAKE REPAIR AND THE MECHANIC NOTED A COOLANT LEAK FROM THE LEFT BANK OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. HE STATED THAT HE CAR HAS A BLOWN HEADGASKET ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE CYLINDER BLOCK. THE WARRANTY ON THE POWERTRAIN IS ABOUT TO RUN OUT AND HE ADVISED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR. HE DID STATE THAT THE DEALER WILL ONLY REPAIR THE BANK THAT IS LEAKING AND THE OTHER WOULD NOT BE COVERED AND SHOULD BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME TO PREVENT THE OTHER BANK FROM BLOWING OUT DUE TO A CHANGE IN THE BALANCE OF PRESSURE ON THE BLOCK RESULTING FROM THE REPLACEMENT OF ONLY ONE HEADGASKET. *TR

GAS (FUEL) SMELL (FUMES) IN CABIN WHEN STARTING CAR IN COLD WEATHER. KNOWN PROBLEM: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F117C3E HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=131755&PAGE=47. *TR

WITH YOUR APPROVAL, I HAD AN AOI ELECTRICAL AIR BAG SWITCH INSTALLED ON MY 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE AIR BAG ERROR LIGHT WILL NOT RESET AND SUBARU HAS INFORMED THEM THAT ALL AIR BAGS MAY BE IMMOBILIZED AS WELL AS THE SEAT BELT TENSIONERS. I CANNOT SEEM TO GET AOIELECTRICAL TO ATTEND TO THE PROBLEM. *TR

STARTED CAR TO DEFROST WINDOWS AND WARM UP BEFORE LEAVING HOME. CAR WARMED UP FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES,WHEN I WENT OUTSIDE TO LEAVE THE INSIDE DOOR OF THE CAR WAS ON FIRE WHICH WAS SPREADING,I THREW MY COFFEE ON THE FLAMES SHUT OFF THE CAR OBTAINED WATER AND DOUSED OUT THE FIRE WHICH CONTINUED TO BURN AROUND THE WINDOW/DOOR SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED BY FLATBED TO THE ONEONTA,N.Y. SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REPAIR. I BELIEVE THAT USED PARTS ARE BEING OBTAINED FOR THE REPAIR WHERE POSSIBLE. THE COST CONTINUES TO MOUNT INCLUDING MILEAGE FOR A RENTAL/NOW LOANER CAR AND MY DEDUCTIBLE. MY CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR IS POOR AND MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN IS HIGH. THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE SAFE. THE CAR IS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING UPHILL AT 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE RPM'S INCREASED TO 6,000. THE RPM'S THEN DECREASED AND THE TIRES CHURPED. THE CONTACT HEARD A BUMPING SOUND, WHICH WAS THE SOUND OF THE FRONT AXLES FAILING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK WILL DISCONNECT ON ITS OWN AT RANDOM AFTER BEING SET. IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT IT NEW, AND I HAVE REPORTED THIS NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD TO SUBARU DEALERSHIPS, WHO HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REPLICATE AND/OR REPAIR IT, ALL TO NO AVAIL. IT USED TO BE THAT IT WOULD USUALLY DISCONNECT AFTER I HAD DRIVEN FOR APPROX. 1 1/2 HOUR. NOW, IT DISCONNECTS IN UNDER 1/2 HOUR ON DRIVES. IT WILL NOT RESET AND STAY SET, AND WILL CONTINUALLY REFUSE TO ACCEPT TO "RESUME" OR "SET" AFTER IT INITIALLY DISCONNECTS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN SITUATIONS WHERE SPEED HAS ABRUPTLY DROPPED, NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS FROM FOLLOWING VEHICLES OVERRUNNING ME. LOOKING AROUND ONLINE, THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR SUBARU'S, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO FIX OR RECALL MADE, AND SUBARU HAS SEEMINGLY MADE NO EFFORT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. INCIDENT DATE IS MOST RECENT DATE IT HAS DISCONNECTED, AND THE NUMBER OF FAILURES IS PROBABLY UNDERESTIMATED. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK USED FROM OUR LOCAL DEALER. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE VEHICLE HAD 28,545 MILES ON IT. SINCE PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE BACK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE WE SMELL BURNING OIL AND ENGINE COOLANT- WE CURRENTLY HAVE 36,119 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WENT IN FOR REPAIR, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET BECAUSE THERE WAS A "PIN SIZED HOLE" IN IT. AFTER ABOUT THREE MONTHS THE SMELL RETURNED AND WE BROUGHT TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP PUT AN ADDITIVE IN THE VEHICLE THAT THEY SAID WAS RECOMMENDED BY SUBARU TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. WE ARE WAITING TO TAKE THE GAR BACK YET AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND ARE NOW BEING TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO SMELL THIS WAY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. ONE OF THE MECHANICS EVEN TOLD US THAT THE SMELL WOULD BE ESPECIALLY BAD DURING THE WINTER WHEN GOING UP HILLS. THIS EXPLANATION SEEMS LIKE A BUNCH OF NONSENSE AND AN ATTEMPT TO GET US TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT SUBARU VEHICLES ARE. ALL WE WANT IS A CAR THAT WORKS AND DOESN'T SMELL LIKE COOLANT OR BURNING OIL. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) IN MAY 2004. I HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH THE VEHICLE, HAVE MAINTAINED IT PER MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH IT. ON JUNE 30, 2006 I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALER IN RESPONSE TO A NOTICE STATING THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2004 OUTBACKS FOR AN "ENGINE CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMING (REFLASH). SINCE THAT REPROGRAMMING THE RPMS ARE SLUGGISH IN RETURNING TO NORMAL IN BETWEEN SHIFTS AND AT IDLE. IN-BETWEEN SHIFTS, THE RE-ENGAGEMENT OF THE CLUTCH IS WHAT FORCES THE ENGINE RPMS DOWN TO MATCH THE TRANSMISSION REVOLUTIONS (I DO HAVE CONCERNS THIS WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE ABNORMAL WEAR ON THE CLUTCH PLATE. IT CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 1.5-5 SECONDS FOR THE RPMS TO DROP FROM 3-4,000 RPMS TO 1,000 RPMS; AND LONGER AT HIGHER RPMS. THIS IS DANGEROUS WHEN A SUDDEN DECREASE IN SPEED IS ESSENTIAL FOR SAFETY (THE BRAKES ARE FIGHTING THE ENGINE REVVING EVEN THOUGHT THE ACCELERATOR HAS BEEN RELEASED). MY GAS MILEAGE HAS DECREASED DUE TO OVER-REVVING (I HAVE KEPT A MILEAGE LOG SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR). ON ONE ROAD TRIP LAST AUGUST, THE RPMS NEVER DROPPED BELOW 1000 AND, IN FACT, FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 1,000 AND 2,000 RPMS AT IDLE! I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE LOCAL DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE LAST 5 MONTHS (AND 7,000+ MILES) TO TRY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. A CASE # WAS OPENED WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA AND I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING THE ISSUE. A "FIELD REP" HAS COLLECTED DATA ON THE VEHICLE AND SENT IT OFF TO THE CORPORATE TECHS. THE LOCAL DEALER HAS DONE EVERYTHING THEY KNOW TO DO AT THIS POINT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING "WRONG" WITH THE CAR. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME; IT WAS A GREAT CAR UNTIL THE ECM RE-PROGRAMMING. I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR FOR THE REST OF IT'S LIFE IN THIS CONDITION; NOR WOULD I WANT TO SELL IT TO ANOTHER PERSON DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. IT IS NOT SAFE. *NM

2002 L.L. BEAN OUTBACK ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY, MAKING THE VEHICLE VIBRATE. VEHICLE WENT UP OVER PARKING BARRIERS AND SHRUBBERY AND ROLLED OVER. *KB THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF BODY PAIN, BUT REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE POLICE OFFICER STATED IN HIS REPORT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FOUND IN THE REVERSE POSITION. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE NEVER TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER AND HER HUSBAND HAD EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A HESITATION IN SHIFTING AND VARIATION IN ENGINE SPEED. *JB