1996 Subaru Outback

WHILE DRIVING VERY BUSY HIGHWAY, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT ALL THE WAY TO "H". I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED SOME STEAM UNDER HOOD. ADDED SOME WATER. A LITTLE LATER, STILL ON "H". MECHANIC WHO HAS SERVICED MY 1996 SUBARU OUTBACK SINCE I GOT IT IN 1998 SAID IT HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, COMMON WITH SUBARUS. IN 2009 I HAD THE 90K MILE MAINTENANCE DONE, VERY EXPENSIVE. ALSO HAD ALL NEW BRAKES, VERY EXPENSIVE. ALSO FOUR NEW TIRES AND LAST MONTH, A NEW BATTERY. ALSO, LAST MONTH, HAD OIL CHANGE. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED EVEN ONE RECALL NOTICE FROM SUBARU, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW ALL ALONG THAT THEIR HEAD GASKETS ARE FAILING IN THEIR CARS. I WANTED MY OUTBACK TO LAST MANY MORE YEARS BUT NOW MUST JUNK IT BECAUSE OF A FAULTY HEAD GASKET. MECHANIC SAID IT'S USELESS TO FIX HEAD GASKET OR REPLACE IT, AND TOLD ME TO GET A NEW CAR, WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD. MECHANIC PUT CHEMICAL IN LINE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SEAL ANY LEAKS (NO GUARANTEES). I OFTEN VISIT MY DAUGHTER, WHO IS RECUPERATING FROM BREAST CANCER, IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF CT, IN A VERY SECLUDED AREA OF FEW HOMES, NO BUSINESSES. TO HAVE CAR FAILURE IN THE WOODS WOULD PROBABLY GIVE THIS 70 YEAR OLD A HEART ATTACK. *TR

CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE BUT RADIATOR TEMP WAS HIGH. TOOK CAR INTO REPAIR SHOP, CRACKED HEAD GASKET. CALLED SUBARU, THEY OFFERED NO HELP OR ADVICE. COST TO REPAIR IS AT A TOTAL LOSS TO ME, A COLLEGE STUDENT. SUBARU DEALER SAID CRACKED HEAD GASKET IS A PROBLEM IN SUBARUS. I WOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT THIS CAR IF I KNEW IT WOULD HAVE THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS. PART TO BE REPLACED IS HEAD GASKET. *JB

CAR STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES ALONG A COUNTRY ROAD AT ABOUT 45 MPH, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE. POKED ACCELERATOR PEDAL A FEW TIMES WITH NO RESULT, AND PEDAL DID NOT APPEAR TO BE STUCK DOWN. HELD SPEED OF VEHICLE DOWN WITH BOTH FEET HARD ON BRAKE PEDAL. VEHICLE RETURNED TO NEAR NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION ON ITS OWN AFTER ABOUT 30 SEC TO 1 MIN, ALTHOUGH VEHICLE COULD MAINTAIN 30-40 MPH WHEN NOT TOUCHING EITHER ACCELERATOR OR BRAKE. RETURNED TO FULLY NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THIS WAS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. IN THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, THEN WHEN DID START RACED TO EXTREMELY HIGH IDLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. POKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION AFTER BEING TURNED OFF AND RE-STARTED. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER, BUT TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, AND ALL DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS WERE NEGATIVE. PROBLEM IS STILL UNRESOLVED.*AK