2006 Subaru Outback

I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED I ATTEMPTED TO GIVE THE CAR GAS TO BEGIN MOVING AND THERE WAS NO POWER IN THE PEDAL. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE ON AND THE RADIO WAS PLAYING. I HAD SOME POWER AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE FLOW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I PARKED BUT DID NOT TURN THE CAR OFF. I TURNED ON MY HAZARDS AND TRIED THE PEDAL AGAIN. NOTHING! I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. AT THIS POINT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. I ATTEMPTED AND THIS TIME THERE WAS POWER IN THE PEDAL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT IS FLASHING. I HAVE DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT MY MECHANIC. THIS WAS SCARY WITH TRAFFIC BEARING DOWN ON ME AT RUSH HOUR AND NO WHERE TO GO INITIALLY. I AM JUST VERY THANKFUL I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *TR

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

P2138 CODE - THROTTLE ISSUE --- TODAY AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, LUCKILY ON A SIDE STREET,WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK. THEN I LOST POWER TO THE ENGINE WHILE IT WAS STILL RUNNING. I NORMALLY TAKE THE HIGHWAY TO WORK BUT THIS DAY THERE WAS SNOW AND ICE SO I DECIDED TO TAKE THE SIDE STREETS INSTEAD. I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL WITH NO RESPONSE. I COASTED TO A SIDE STREET AND TURNED IN WITH NO INCIDENT, THANK GOD. I WAS NEAR A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND I ASKED FOR THEIR HELP BUT THEY SAID THEY DID NOT WORK ON SUBARU. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO CALL AAA WHEN I THOUGHT TO RESTART THE CAR TO SEE IF IT WOULD GO SO I COULD TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE. I GAVE IT GAS AND IT WENT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL WAS STILL ON. I DROVE SLOWLY TO ANOTHER SERVICE PLACE AND THEY FOUND THE CODE P2138 AND SAID I COULD DRIVE IT BUT TO GET IT TO A DEALERSHIP AS SOON AS I COULD. THE SUBARU DEALERSHIPS ARE NOT LOCATED IN MY TOWN AND TAKES 20-30 BY HIGHWAY TO GET TO ONE OF THEM. I AM VERY UNSURE OF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY NOW AND HAVE THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. I DRIVE THE HIGHWAYS A LOT IN ORDER TO FIT MY DAILY SCHEDULE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR ME TO SEE ELDERLY MOTHER WHO LIVES 30 MINUTES AWAY BY HIGHWAY. I LOVE MY SUBARU EVEN AFTER HAVING HAD THE TYPICAL 2006 PROBLEMS LIKE HEAD GASKET LEAK AND SUCH WHICH I CONSIDER ACCEPTABLE FOR THE MILEAGE I HAVE ON HER. I HAD PLANNED ON GETTING ANOTHER SUBARU IN THE FUTURE BUT NOT HAVING POWER IS EXTREMELY SCARY AND WILL MAKE ME SHOP ELSEWHERE IF THIS IS TYPICAL. *TR UPDATED 4/21/16 *JS

MY FIANCEE WAS DRIVING MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK ON THE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE THROTTLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE, BUT THE ENGINE REMAINED IDLING. MY PARTNER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TRIED RESTARTING RIGHT AWAY BUT THE ENGINE WOULDN'T START. AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND DRIVE NORMALLY. THE CEL WAS ON WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL BLINKING. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN TO GET THE CODE READ IT GAVE THE P2138 ERROR CODE. IN THE LAST MONTH THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES, INCLUDING WHEN ON THE WAY TO THE MECHANIC THIS MORNING. THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAS HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY WITH '06 SUBARUS AND RECOMMENDED I GET THE WVU31 RECALL UPDATE, WHICH I AM REALLY HOPING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND ESSENTIALLY MAKES MY CAR UNDRIVEABLE AS I AM NEVER CERTAIN WHEN A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WILL OCCUR. IF THIS HAPPENS WHERE THERE IS NO SHOULDER IT COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY CONCERN THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *TR

WHILE TRAVELING THRU THE ADIRONDACK REGION OF NY ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON RETURNING HOME FROM VT I PROCEEDED TO PASS A VEHICLE FROM THE CENTER LANE INTO THE LEFT LANE. SPEED WAS 65MPH ACCELERATING TO 69MPH TO PASS, NOT MORE THAN 250 FT LATER OUR VEHICLE STARTED TO FISHTAIL THEN HEAD RIGHT INTO NUMEROUS 360 SPINS TAKING OUT 35 FT OR SO OF GUARD RAIL AND CRUNCHING AND DAMAGING ALMOST EVERY SIDE AND CORNER OF OUR OUTBACK. BOTH HANDS WERE ON THE WHEEL, I DID NOT HIT ANY SNOW OR ICE THAT I AM AWARE OF AND I WAS NOT SPEEDING EXCESSIVELY. NOT ONE OF OUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EITHER!! I AM CONFIDENT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE STABILITY CONTROL OF THE 2006 OUTBACK WE WERE DRIVING AND AM THANKFUL WE WERE NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

VEHICLE IS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK SEDAN 'LL BEAN EDITION. UPON TRAVELING TO WORK AT 5:30AM, GOING UP HILL AT 40 MPG, THE GAS PEDAL STOPPED WORKING BUT THE ENGINE WAS AT HIGH RPM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON STEADY WITH CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT FLASHING. HAD TO SHUT THE CAR OFF, PUT ON HAZARD LIGHTS AS THIS WAS A DARK ROAD. TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TWICE TO GET THE CAR TO START. ON THE THIRD TRY IT STARTED AND PEDAL DID WORK BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON WITH THE CRUISE LIGHT FLASHING. DROVE SLOWLY TO WORK WHICH WAS A MILE AWAY AND THE SAFEST PLACE TO PARK THE CAR. UPON GETTING IT TO MY GARAGE LATER THAT DAY THEY SCANNED THE CODES FROM THE COMPUTER AND IT SHOWED A P2138-THROTTLE /PEDAL POSITIONING SENSOR. HAD TO GET THE COMPLETE GAS PEDAL WITH SENSOR FROM A AUTHORIZED SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND REPLACE IT. WAS FORTUNATE I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC OR A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *JS

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL ROAD, MY 2006 OUTBACK SEDAN LOST ACCELERATION CONTROL AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE IN WHICH IT WAS ONLY IDLING AND HAD NO CONTROL FROM ACCELERATOR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF FROM DRIVE, MOVED THE SHIFTER TO PARK AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AFTER A MINUTE OR SO. IT STARTED UP FINE BUT SEEMS TO BE IDLING LOW, SPUTTERING AND HESITATING A LITTLE. ESPECIALLY WHEN REVERSING SLOWLY OR PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR VERY LIGHTLY FROM IDLE. A MECHANIC NEARBY SAID THE PROBLEM CODE WAS READING "BAD THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR." I BELIEVE THE ERROR CODE WAS P2138. UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE AND AS OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED, THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY A COMMON PROBLEM YET NO REAL REASON FOR THE FAILURE CAN BE IDENTIFIED. SOME HAVE SAID THAT REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY WHICH INCLUDES THE AFOREMENTIONED SENSOR HELPED THE SITUATION. OTHER SAID THAT REPLACING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY WHICH INCLUDES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR HAS HELPED. IN A FEW CASES WITH BOTH REPAIRS, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. I AM BRINGING MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO READ THE HISTORY OF FAILURE CODES AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. A NOTE TO FELLOW COMPLAINANTS OUT THERE, PLEASE UPDATE YOUR POST IF YOU HAD A REPAIR DONE WHICH SOLVED THE PROBLEM AND HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN SINCE AN RECURRENCE IF ANY SINCE THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, IT REALLY WOULD HELP THE REST OF US OUT THERE WHO DON'T WANT TO LET THE DEALERSHIPS SCRATCH THEIR HEADS AND CHARGE US FOR UNNECESSARY REPAIRS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. THE CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO IDLE NORMALLY, BUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR HAD NO AFFECT ON THE ENGINE. SEARCHING FORUMS RETURNS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH THE DRIVE-BY-WIRE THROTTLE OF THESE VEHICLES. HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY AS OPPOSED TO A 30MPH RESIDENTIAL STREET, IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR