1998 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

DRIVING ALONG BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH SLOWED THE CAR DOWN BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE MILD PANIC SET IN. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND INSTEAD ACCIDENTLY PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE. THIS DID STOP THE CAR, BUT AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. I HAVE INCURRED AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. ALTHOUGH I DON'T EXPECT ANY SYMPATHY BECAUSE OF MY AWKWARD HANDELING OF THE SHIFTER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IF ANYTHING SUBARU INTENDS TO ABOUT THIS VERY DANGEROUS UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION PROBLEM. YOUR COMPLAINT SITE HAS SIMILAR SUCH COMPLAINTS ON RECORD. MINE WILL BE THE NINTH. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED. THE SAME PROBLEM BUT HAVE NOT BOTHERED TO FORMALLY COMPLAIN, IT WOULD SEEM THAT A REAL PROBLEM DOES EXIST. THANK YOU. DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE AIR BAG COULD BE INOPERATIVE IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

SAFETY ISSUE: SEAL FAILURE CAUSES OIL TO LEAK ONTO HOT EXHAUST (FIRE HAZARD). MR

BOTH FUSES ON THE COOLING SYSTEM FANS FAILED WITHIN THE SAME DRIVE. I CHECKED THE ONE MARKED IN THE 1998 LEGACY OWNERS MANUAL FOR THE COOLING FAN AND IT WAS NUMBER 13 IN PAGE 11-7. I CHECKED FOR THE OTHER ONE AND IT WAS UNDER THE HOOD AND IT WAS NIGHT TIME AND I DIDN'T HAVE A FLASHLIGHT OR LIGHT. I COULD COUNT WHERE THE FUSE WAS AND IN THE BOOK IT STATED IT WAS # 25. I PULLED THE FUSE 25 AND IT CHECKED OUT GOOD AND I PUT IT BACK IN THE SLOT. HOWEVER, I CHECKED IN THE DAY TIME UNDER THE FUSE COVER UNDER THE HOOD AND IT INDICATES THAT FUSE #22 IS THE CORRECT ONE. I CHECKED THAT AND IT WAS BLOWN. I NOTIFIED SUBARU A MONTH AGO AND HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IT SEEMS THOUGH THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CHANGE IN THE MANUAL AS IT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS SITUATION. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT WITH BOTH FAN FUSES BLOWN THE VEHICLE CAN STOP DUE TO AN OVERHEAT AT AN UNEXPECTED TIME AND CAUSE AND ENGINE FAILURE THAT CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. THE NUMBER 25 IS ACTUALLY A SPARE FUSE AREA AND DOES NOT HAVE AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BUT THE NUMBER 22 IS A DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION WITH A VEHICLE THAT HAS AN ACCESSORY POWER SOCKET IN SOME VEHICLE. I AM NOT SURE YOU WOULD CLASSIFY THIS AS A SAFETY PROBLEM BUT I AM INFORMING YOU IF YOU DO. *NLM **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*768183

THE HEAD GASKET BLEW, WHICH RESULTED IN COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE CYLINDER WALLS. WHILE PARKED AND TURNED OFF. THE ENGINE, WHICH IS A 2.5 LITER, MUST BE REPLACED. THE 2.5 LITER ENGINE HAS A HISTORY OF ENIGINE FAILURE. HAS ANYONE MADE A CLAIM? HAS THERE BEEN RESEARCH OR A RECALL OF ANY KIND?*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 20MPH TOOK FEET OFF GAS PEDAL AND VEHICLE ACCLERATED TO 40MPH WITHOUT GAS BEING APPLIED. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK

CAR ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO COME TO A STOP. ENGINE ROARS AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO STOP CAR. PROBLEM HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND USUALLY WHEN THE CAR IS GOING 5 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS. BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP CAR. THE SAME PROBLEM IS HAPPENING WITH OUR 2001 SUBURU OUTBACK (SEE ODI#764455).*AK

IN HOT WEATHER, ESPECIALLY IN SLOW-MOVING TRAFFIC, THE CLUTCH PEDAL WILL NOT RETURN AFTER BEING DEPRESSED. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED IN MAY 2001, BUT THE DEALER COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT A MONTH LATER, THEY REPLACED THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER. THE CLUTCH RECENTLY STARTED TO FEEL "STICKY" AGAIN, AND FAILED ON JUNE 30 WHILE IN A TRAFFIC JAM. AFTER LETTING IT COOL FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THE CAR WAS DRIVEABLE AGAIN. THE CLUTCH FLUID WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER I LEFT THE DEALER. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE LATEST THEORY FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA IS THAT THERE IS A POCKET IN THE CASTING OF THE MASTER CYLINDER THAT TRAPS AIR WHICH CAN'T BE RELEASED BY PRESSURE BLEEDING THE SYSTEM AND IT MUST BE "GRAVITY BLED". THEY DID THIS AND THE PROBLEM HAS GONE AWAY (AT LEAST FOR NOW). NO REASON WAS GIVEN FOR THE RETURN OF THE FAILURE AFTER A YEAR.*AK

WHEN MAKING A TURN ON ROAD THERE IS SLIGHT VIBRATION. TRANSFER CASE HAD FAILED, CAUSING LOUD NOISE WHILE TURNING.DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE HIT AN EMBANKMENT AT 15 MPH, AND AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. CONSUMER SUFFERED NECK AND KNEE INJURIES.*AK