2011 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

I HAVE TOLD THE SUBARU DEALER(S) THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT SAYS "OFF" UNLESS THE PASSENGER WEIGHS OVER 150 LBS OR SO. THE DEALER(S) DENY KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, IT IS ON A SUBARU BLOG AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT. THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO TELL ME IF THE AIRBAG IS WORKING OR NOT. MY BRAKE PEDAL MAKES A CLICKING NOISE WHEN I RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE SUBARU DEALER TOLD ME HE KNEW THIS HAPPENED TO ALL OF THE 2010 MODELS BUT DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS HAPPENING TO THE 2011 MODELS AND HE SAID THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO ABOUT IT UNTIL SUBARU COMES OUT WITH A RECALL. SO FAR I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM SUBARU, IT'S BEEN 5 MONTHS. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY, GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY AND POWER STEERING FLUID WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,710. UPDATED 10/27/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WAS STIFF ALL THE TIME. HE STATED THE FASTER HE DROVE, THE HARDER THE STEERING BECAME, AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING. UPDATED 11/07/11

ON MANUAL AIR CONDITIONING MODELS WITH FULL MAXIMUM SETTINGS THE SYSTEM OPERATES TO FULL CAPACITY, 39-41 DEGREES F.; HOWEVER, AFTER 10 MINUTES OF OPERATION WITHOUT MAXIMUM SETTING CHANGED THE OUTPUT TEMPERATURE IS REDUCED TO 50-53 DEGREES F. DEALER SERVICED, INDICATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL. THE INTERNAL CABIN TEMPERATURE AFTER ONE HOUR OF OPERATION WILL ONLY ACHIEVE 82 F. WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS 92-94 DEGREE F. WITH MAXIMUM SETTING; AS WELL AS, INTERNAL AIR CIRCULATION. *TR

THE SENSOR TURNS OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHEN MY WIFE SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT (5 FT, 4 INCHES, 110 LBS). IT WILL ALSO TURN OFF WHEN SHE SHIFTS HER SITTING POSITION. THE SENSOR WILL REMAIN OFF, REGARDLESS OF HOW SHE IS SITTING, FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME (80+ MILES) OR UNTIL I RESTART THE CAR. I SPOKE WITH TWO SUBARU DEALERS AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE WITH LIGHTER PASSENGERS AND DON'T THING A RECALIBRATION WILL HELP DUE TO THE SENSOR'S SENSITIVITY. *TR

THIS IS PART 2 OF ORIGINAL COMPLAINT # 10422477. SINCE I HAVE A 2ND DEFECTIVE TIRE. *TR

I HAVE A SUBARU OUTBACK 2011 WITH 16,000 MILES ON IT. THE NON DRIVER-SIDE TIRES HAVE BUBBLES ON THEM. I DETECTED THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT OR MISHAP, YET. HOWEVER, SINCE I HAD TO ORDER 2 IDENTICAL TIRES TO USE WITH THE 2 GOOD TIRES, I NOTICED THAT THESE PARTICULAR TIRES ARE ON BACK ORDER FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND WONDERED IF THERE IS ANY RECORD OF ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIRE FAILURES WITH THIS TIRE? THE TIRES ARE CONTINENTAL 225/60R17 CONTIPRO CONTACT TIRES. *TR

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. WE BOUGHT IT DUE TO HIGH SAFETY RATINGS AND OTHER FEATURES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHILE MY WIFE (WHO IS 115 LBS) SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE FRONT AIRBAG SENSOR SWITCHES THE AIRBAG ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND HAD IT INSPECTED. THEIR FINDINGS WERE THAT THE CAR IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. THE AIRBAG IS TURNING OFF WHEN HER WEIGHT IS NOT IN AN EXACT SPOT. I LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND HAD MULTIPLE HITS FOR COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR (AND THE 2010 MODEL). WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAKE SURE MY WIFE SITS UP STRAIGHT WITH HER LEGS EXTENDED AND THE SEAT FULLY UPRIGHT AND BACK TO HELP THE AIRBAG SENSOR GET A MORE ACCURATE READING. OBVIOUSLY IT IS NOT REASONABLE TO EXPECT A PERSON TO SIT UNMOVING FOR AN EXTENDED LENGTH IN A CAR. ALSO, IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, HER WEIGHT WOULD NATURALLY SHIFT AND THUS THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY. TO ME, THIS NEGATES THE SAFETY RATING FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DISCRIMINATES AGAINST SMALLER ADULTS WHO RIDE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS I READ HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ADULTS UP TO 140 LBS, AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLICATED THE PROBLEM WITH A MAN WEIGHING 125 LBS. *TT

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DOES NOT TURN ON WHEN ADULT FEMALE ~120LBS IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MINIMUM WEIGHT TO CONSISTENTLY ACTIVATE AIRBAG SEEMS TO BE ABOUT 140LBS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY RE-CALIBRATED THE PASSENGER SEAT WEIGHT SENSOR BUT THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF OTHER CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING OF THIS ISSUE BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A SOLUTION (AND DID NOT THINK THE RE-CALIBRATION WOULD HELP). THEY ALSO STATED THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM FOR OTHER CUSTOMERS. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF RANDOMLY WHEN I AM SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I AM 5'3 110LBS. THE SENSORS WERE RECALIBRATED WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE FIRST TIME. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. EVEN IF YOU SIT IN ONE SPOT AND NOT MOVE THE SENSOR WILL TURN ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. THE DEALERSHIP STILL DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THE SENSORS HAVE TROUBLE SENSING 70-90LBS OF WEIGHT. I AM OVER THAT THEREFORE THERE SHOULD BE NO ISSUE. I NOW OWN A CAR THAT THE AIRBAG MIGHT BE ON OR OFF IF I WAS EVER IN A COLLISION. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN! *TR

2011 SUBURA OUTBACK AT 3500 MILES WOULD NOT START,JUMP STARTED WITH ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE,THEN 3 DAYS LATER DID SAME THING,TOOK TO SUBURA AND THEY SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONDEALER SAID THEY CHECK IT OUT ON COMPUTER,AGAIN NOTHING SHOWED,RECOMMEND WHE DOES IT AGAIN,TO CALL DEALER,BEFORE JUMP STARTING TO SEE WHAT COMPUTER WILL SAY,VERY,VERY UNHAPPY CUSTOMER,THINKING ABOUT TRADING IN. *TT