2006 Subaru Outback

PURCHASED THIS CAR USED LAST JAN. NO INCIDENTS YET, BUT CAN NOT DRIVE (WITH PASSENGERS IN THE BACK OR WEIGHT IN THE CARGO AREA) OVER 35 MPH IN CERTAIN ROAD CONDITIONS, MAINLY WHEN THERE IS ICE AND DRY PAVEMENT TOGETHER. HAS DANGEROUS REAR STEER PROBLEM IN THOSE CONDITIONS. I HAVE DRIVEN EVERY TYPE OF VEHICLE FROM SEMI'S TO OLDER SUBARU OUTBACKS AND WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MICHIGAN. THIS CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH MY FAMILY OR OTHER PASSENGERS IN THE CAR! HAVE TRIED TIRES, STIFFER SPRINGS AND STRUTS AND ALIGNMENT. THE CAR IS 90% BETTER WHEN I AM THE ONLY ONE IN THE CAR. NOTE** I AM NOT AN AGGRESSIVE DRIVER AND NOT EXPECTING TOO MUCH BECAUSE IT'S AWD. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. SHE WAS DRIVING IN WINTER CONDITIONS. SHE WAS DRIVING THE 2 MILE BRIDGE TO OUR HOME WHEN THE ACCELERATION SUDDENLY FAILED AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SLOWED FROM 55 MPH TO 35 MPH. THE ROADS HAD SNOW AND ICE ON THEM. THE VEHICLE BEHIND HER CLOSED IN ON THE REAR OF OUR SUBARU AND BEGAN HONKING AND FLASHING ITS LIGHTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IN OUR CAR CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FLASHED. SHE WAS SCARED BY THE MISFUNCTION. THE CAR REVVED UP ABOVE 4000 RPMS WHEN SHE PUT IT INTO PARK. SHE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND I CHECKED AND FOUND AN ERROR CODE. P2138. THE ACCELERATOR HAS 2 CIRCUITS THAT RELAY THE DESIRED SPEED TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER. WHEN THE CIRCUITS DON'T MATCH THE COMPUTER CUTS THE SPEED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I THINK THAT THE ENGINEERING BEHIND THIS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE RE THOUGHT SO THAT THIS DOESN'T OCCUR. I READ OTHER REPORTS ONLINE OF PEOPLE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHO HAD NEAR ACCIDENTS. *TR

DRIVING ALONG - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT FLASHES. I IMMEDIATELY LOSE ACCELERATION - NEED TO PULL OVER (THANK GOD I WAS NOT ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN THIS ACCURS). HAVE TO TURN CAR OFF - WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND THEN RESTART. LIGHTS STILL STAY ON BUT ACCELERATION IS NORMAL. I HAVE SEEN MANY DIFFERENT REASON CODES FOR THIS PROBLEM - I AM NOW TAKING TO MY PERSONAL MECHANIC TO HAVE HIM GO OVER IT AND HOPEFULLY FIX THIS. VERY, VERY SCARY SITUATION WHEN IT HAPPENS. DO NOT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO TAKE MY LIFE IN MY HANDS WHEN I DRIVE THIS VEHICLE!!! ONE WOULD THINK THAT A REPUTABLE COMPANY LIKE SUBARU WOULD STAND BEHIND THIS DANGEROUS FLAW WITH THEIR PRODUCT AND CORRECT THE ISSUE!!! *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN SNOW COVERED, SLUSH COVERED ROADS CONDITIONS VARIED DURING DAY. THE VEHICLE KEPT FEELING LIKE IT WAS WASHING OUT SIDE TO SIDE. I HAD 5 PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE AND THEY ALL COULD FEEL IT AND IT SCARED THEM AND I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO A DANGEROUSLY SLOW SPEED ON INTERSTATE, THAT WAS CAUSING DISRUPTION TO TRAFFIC FLOW. ON WAY HOME TOOK SECONDARY ROADS SO AS TO NOT DISRUPT TRAFFIC. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN TAKING THIS VEHICLE FOR DRIVE IN SNOW CONDITIONS SINCE IT IS NEW TO ME. WE PURPOSELY TOOK SUBARU FOR LEGENDARY HANDLING IN SNOW, IT DOWNRIGHT SHOOK ME UP AND WISHED WE HAD OUR FRONT WHEEL DRIVE PONTIAC VIBE. I INSPECTED VEHICLE, MADE SOME CHANGES TO FRONT SUSPENSION, BALL JOINTS, SWAY BAR LINKS, CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, ONLY TWO CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WERE NOTABLY BAD ALL OTHER PARTS CHANGED BECAUSE I WAS THERE. BOTH TIE RODS WERE GOOD. I HAVE SINCE EXPERIENCED SAME ISSUE WHEN ENCOUNTERING PATCHES OF BLACK ICE, SNOW COVERED ROADS AS WELL AS DRIVING ON GRAVEL ROADS. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A CAR HANDLING LIKE THIS IN MY 35 YEARS OF DRIVING! THIS VEHICLE IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS!!! AND TOO THINK I BOUGHT THIS TO BE MY WINTER VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH A FLASHING CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT. WHEN I STARTED UP THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE GAS PEDAL. MY CAR STARTED TO ROLL AND GOT UP TO 10 MPH ( THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 45 MPH). THE RPM GAUGE STAYED AT 2000 RPMS. I PULLED ON TO A SIDE STREET WITH MY FLASHERS ON AND PARKED. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND STARTED IT. STILL NO RESPONSE FROM THE GAS PEDAL. I TURNED THE CAR OFF A SECOND TIME. THIS TIME THE ENGINE DIDN'T START. I TRIED AGAIN AND IT TAKE A LONG TIME (10 SECONDS) BUT IT FINALLY STARTED. NOW THE GAS PEDAL RESPONDED. I DRIVE MY CAR HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON AND THE CRUISE STILL FLASHED. I WENT TO AUTO ZONE WHERE THEY SAID THE CODE WAS P2138. THANK GOODNESS THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND I WAS ABLE TO FIND A SIDE STREET. *TR UPDATED 12/21/15 *JS

SLOWING AT INTERSECTION TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN WHEN CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT CAME ON. CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING (VEHICLE WAS NOT IN CRUISE CONTROL AT THE TIME) ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE (COULD GET NO ACCELERATION OUT OF THE CAR WHEN PRESSING THE PEDAL) AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THROUGH INTERSECTION TO TURN. AFTER A MINUTE OR SO WAS ABLE TO GET ENOUGH POWER TO RUN AT ABOUT 10MPH TOPS WITH HAZARDS ON TO GET A LOCATION WHERE I COULD PULL OVER OUT OF TRAFFIC. CAR WOULD NOT START IMMEDIATELY AFTER (THREE CRANKS WITH NO RESPONSE) AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THOUGH, IT RESTARTED AND SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY, NO PROBLEMS WITH SPEED. DIAGNOSTIC CODE WAS P2138 (THROTTLE/PEDAL POSITION SENSOR/SWITCH "A"/"B" VOLTAGE CORRELATION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I IMMEDIATELY HAD NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. THANKFULLY IT WAS 10:30PM AND THERE WAS A LOWER VOLUME OF TRAFFIC. I COASTED OFF TO THE SHOULDER. TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, RESTARTED, AND STILL NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. TURNED OFF AGAIN FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THIS TIME THERE WAS THROTTLE RESPONSE, BUT CEL WAS STILL ON. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CEL LIGHT WAS OFF AND VEHICLE RUNNING FINE. NOW, A WEEK LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE NO POWER WHILE DRIVING. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS TRAFFIC AROUND. THE FEAR IS BEING RUN INTO FROM BEHIND, OR BEING STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND BECOME PREY FOR THE UNSAVORY. THIS SITUATION NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *TR

VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. WHEN CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND IGNITION TURNED, THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A HIGH RPM. WHEN PLACED INTO DRIVE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE FORWARD AT 15 MPH, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON, AS DID THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT. DEPRESSING THE CRUISE CONTROL ON/OFF BUTTON DID NOT CHANGE CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR. TOOK INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLEARED THE CODE AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO ME. THE SAME THING OCCURRED SEVERAL DAYS LATER. WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND THEY CHARGED ME $403.88 AS A REPLACEMENT. I SEE NOW ON THE WEB THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAIL AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS INCIDENT. IT IS ALSO VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT ALL OCCURRED WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF HAVING $2400 OF SERVICE ALREADY ON THE VEHICLE (ENGINE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED, TIMING BELT, TRANS FLUID FLUSH, TIRE ROTATE), AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES IN ORDER TO GET ISSUES DEALT WITH (TWICE WITH THE ACCELERATOR ISSUE, ONCE BECAUSE THEY HAD FAILED TO PROPERLY TIGHTEN THE POWER STEERING BELT). *TR