2006 Subaru Outback

UNEXPECTEDLY, WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON, THE CAR WILL IDLE HIGH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WILL NOT RESPOND, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WILL ALSO COME ON. THE CAR WON'T MOVE EVEN WHILE PRESSING DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I HAVE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, TURN THE CAR OFF, AND WAIT UNTIL THE CAR STARTS, THE IDLE RETURNS TO NORMAL, AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RESPONDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONCE LAST YEAR AND TWICE THIS YEAR; THE LAST TIME BEING 2/17/17. I WAS LUCKY. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS ON A COUNTRY ROAD. THE SECOND TIME WAS MORE DIFFICULT AS I WAS ON A BUSY CITY STREET IN WINTER, AND THE LAST TIME I HAD A GREEN LIGHT AND HAD JUST GONE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION IN A SUBURB AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I DID BRING IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO RAN THE CODE, WHICH WAS P2138, THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. I WILL BE GETTING THIS REPAIRED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE WHERE THE CAR JUST STOPS RESPONDING WHILE DRIVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS BEING DEPRESSED. THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE CONTACT HAD TO OPEN THE FUEL COVER, OPEN AND CLOSE THE FUEL CAP, CLOSE THE FUEL COVER, AND START THE ENGINE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING ABOUT 70 MILES PER HOUR IN THE MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO WHEN MY CAR'S ACCELERATOR STOPPED WORKING. I WAS ON A SHARP DOWNHILL CURVE WHEN I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO ACCELERATE MY CAR TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS I WAS ALMOST HIT BY THE CARS BEHIND ME. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. *TR

MY VEHICLE LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD TO COAST INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, WHICH WAS A WALL OF SNOW IN COLORADO AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. BLOCKING TRAFFIC IN THE SLOW LANE, I WAITED FOR A TOW TO MY SUBARU DEALER. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY PEDAL ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED. AFTER REPAIRS, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM 2 WEEKS LATER. THIS TIME THEY ARE STATING THAT MY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY HAS FAILED. I HAVE RESEARCHED CARCOMPLAINTS.COM AND SEE THAT I AM ONE OF OVER 50 CONSUMERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM.

THREE TIMES I HAVE LOST ALL ACCELERATION WHILE IN MOTION, WITH THE CAR AND ENGINE SLOWING TO IDLE SPEED EVEN THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. THIS OCCURRED TWICE ON TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS AND ONCE IN MY DRIVEWAY. IN ALL CASES, THE CAR RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER BEING TURNED OFF FOR A SHORT TIME AND RESTARTED. MY MECHANIC IS LOOKING INTO A POSSIBLE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE ISSUE. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FIND THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH 2006 OUTBACKS AND OTHER SUBARUS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT COULD PROVE DEADLY IF IT HAPPENS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND SUBARU SHOULD ADDRESS IT.

I RECENTLY HAD P2138.. ONE TIME. NO THROTTLE RESPONSE, STOPPED ON A HILL ON A 2 LANE ROAD, ON A CURVE, IN BIG SUR.. NOT GOOD. ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN HILL AFTER THE ONES BEHIND HAD ALL PASSED ME. TURNED OFF CAR, WAITED FOR 10 MINUTES, THEN IT FIXED ITSELF AFTER A RESTART. JIGGLED THE PEDAL CONNECTOR AND IT HAS BEEN GONE FOR THE LAST 2 WEEKS WHILE WAITING FOR MY MECHANIC TO HAVE ROOM IN HIS SCHEDULE TO REPLACE MY THROTTLE PEDAL (WHICH HAS A PEDAL POSITION SENSOR), TWO DAYS FROM NOW.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND WHEN I GOT ONTO THE EXIT RAMP, THE VEHICLE GAS PEDAL STOPPED WORKING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH FLASHING CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT. I COASTED INTO A DEALERSHIP WITH HAZARD LIGHTS ON AT ABOUT 10MPH. DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IF I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR STILL ON THE INTERSTATE. CAR ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT.

I WAS TRAVELING ON A 3-LANE HIGHWAY AT THE POSTED MILEAGE (60 MPH). SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE GAS PEDAL LOST ALL POWER. THE CRUISE LIGHT WAS ALSO FLASHING. I TRIED FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND THE SPEED RAPIDLY DECREASED TO LESS THAN 20 MPH. THIS HAPPENED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING AND NO TIME TO GET OFF A BUSY THOROUGHFARE. THIS OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 3:00 PM, SO FORTUNATELY THE TRAFFIC WAS NOT EXTREMELY HEAVY. I WAS ABLE TO CUT ACROSS 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC THAT WAS GOING 60 MPH +, EXIT ON AN OFF-RAMP, AND GET TO A SAFE LOCATION TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE OUTCOME WAS CODE P2138 (ACCELERATOR SENSOR). THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $340. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2006, AND HAVE KEPT IT WELL MAINTAINED AT THE DEALERSHIP PER THEIR SERVICE SCHEDULE. HOWEVER, UNTIL THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, THERE?S NO DOUBT IT WOULD HAVE EVER BEEN CAUGHT BY THE DEALER TO REPAIR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS INJURY TO ME AND OTHER DRIVERS. IF IT HAD BEEN AT ANOTHER TIME, I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED BY DRIVERS GOING THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT. *TR

VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CONTROL ABRUPTLY WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS HAPPENED TWICE OVER A TWO WEEK PERIOD. LUCKY TO HAVE AVOIDED REAR END COLLISIONS BOTH TIMES AS I WAS TRAVELING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. IF I HAD BEEN IN MIDDLE OR LEFT LANE THERE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN SERIOUS MULTIPLE VEHICLE COLLISIONS ON A DENSELY CROWDED I5 WHERE PEOPLE DON'T LEAVE SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCES. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT SUBARU SHOP AND FOUND ERROR CODE P2138= ACCEL. PEDAL SENSOR CIRCUIT. REPLACED ACCEL PEDAL SENSOR FOR $269. *TR