2007 Subaru Outback

THIS IS A 2007 OUTBACK 2.5I PZEV WITH 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE ENGINE WILL BOG DOWN UNLESS THE ENGINE IS REVVED HIGH PRIOR TO RELEASING THE CLUTCH. WHEN IT BOGS DOWN, THE RESULT IS VERY SLOW ACCELERATION. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING LEFT IN TRAFFIC. TO GET THE CAR OUT OF THIS MODE, THE CLUTCH NEED TO BE PUSHED IN AGAIN AND THE ENGINE REVVED TO A HIGHER RPM. ONCE THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED, THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD AND ACCELERATES QUICKLY. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY TO ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY AND QUICKLY. THIS PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS WHEN USING GASOLINE WITH 10% ETHANOL AND IS MUCH WORSE WITH MOBIL REGULAR GAS. *JB

THE LATEST INCIDENT DATE IS SHOWN BELOW, THE FIRST TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS IN FEB 07. THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR OCCURRENCES. IN EACH EVENT THE AUTOMOBILE WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND HAD BEEN DECELERATING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME PRIOR TO AN IMMEDIATE NEED TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID A RAPIDLY APPROACHING VEHICLE WHILE EITHER MAKING AN EVASIVE MANEUVER DUE TO ROAD OBSTACLES OR WHILE MERGING IN CONGESTED HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. UPON DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE SPEEDS UP TO NEAR "RED LINE" WITH NO ACCOMPANYING ACCELERATION OR ENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME IN EXCESS OF ONE FULL SECOND TO AN ESTIMATED THREE SECONDS THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES AND THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO ACCELERATE. IN EACH INSTANCE, THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN ON THE PART OF THE DRIVERS (THREE DIFFERENT ONES) THAT A "NEAR ACCIDENT" OCCURRED. WHEN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS FIRST NOTIFIED AT THE DEALERSHIP, AN EXPLANATION OF THE LATEST "DRIVE BY WIRE" TRANSMISSIONS WITH "FUZZY LOGIC", ANTICIPATING COMPUTER PROGRAMMING WAS OFFERED. THOUGH PLAUSIBLE, IT DID NOT SEEM A VERY LIKELY "NORMAL" EXPECTATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DECLARED THAT ONLY THE LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE TROUBLE SHOOTING THE SYSTEMS. I WAS ASSURED THAT THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO WORK THROUGH THE MANUFACTURING TECHNICAL DEPARTMENTS, AND I HAD NO NEED TO CONTACT THEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THOROUGHLY TESTED THE SYSTEMS, DROVE IT AT LENGTH, AND AGAIN ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN CONDITION AND WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO AVOID ANY SITUATION WHERE ANY UNANTICIPATED RAPID CHANGES FROM DECELERATION TO ACCELERATION WOULD BE NEEDED. *TR

I PURCHASED THE CAR IN FEBRUARY. UP UNTIL LATE MAY, THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WAS WORKING FLAWLESSLY. IT THEN STARTED BLOWING COLD FOR ABOUT TEN SECONDS AND THEN WARM FOR FIVE. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES THE CRUISE CONTROL TO BEHAVE ERRATIC, THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT ERRATICALLY AND THE ENGINE TO SURGE BECAUSE THE COMPRESSOR IS ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE FOR THIS ISSUE FOUR TIMES. THE FIRST THREE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS OVERCHARGING OF THE AC SYSTEM. THE LAST ONE I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION (BUT WHY JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN START AT 4000 MILES?) *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE GAINED SPEED DOWN HILL AND ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. THE CONTACT DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL BY APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE DEALER FOUND NO FAILURES AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL COMPONENTS DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE FAILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,751 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,841. UPDATED 01/02/08. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE KEY FOB AND THE INNER BUTTONS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY SIX TIMES AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5. UPDATED 09/12/07 *TR

WE PURCHASED A SUBARU OUTBACK ON 2/3/07 AND THE ACCIDENT WAS ON 2/7/07, AT 10:05 AM. I WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL AT 60 MPH AND I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE, ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED TO GO TO THE LEFT, AGAINST THE GUARD RAIL, I THOUGHT I WAS ON BLACK ICE, BUT THE ROAD WAS DRY, BUT BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS ICE, I DID NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE, AND THEREFORE I WAS STILL GOING 60 MPH IN CRUISE CONTROL. I TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND BACK TO THE LEFT AND THEN TO THE RIGHT AGAIN, STILL ON CRUISE CONTROL, I HIT THE GUARD RAIL ON MY RIGHT...HEAD ON...THEN THE CAR BACKED AROUND AND STOPPED WITH THE REAR BUMPER ON THE SAME GUARD RAIL THAT I HAD HIT HEAD ON. *JB

THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR FAILURE. HOWEVER, MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK AND NEITHER OF OUR CAR SEATS FIT SAFELY IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE THE PEG PEREGO INFANT SEAT AND THE BRITAX MARATHON CONVERTIBLE SEAT. THE SALES MANAGER, MYSELF, MY HUSBAND, AND THE MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE COULD NOT GET EITHER SEAT TO FIT IN PROPERLY. WE HAD TO RETURN THE CAR AND PURCHASE THE MORE EXPENSIVE TRIBECA. THE CAR SEAT NOW FITS SECURELY IN THE BACK SEAT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE JERKED ON VARIOUS ROAD CONDITIONS. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE COMPUTER SOFTWARE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT RESET THE COMPUTER AND COULD NOT EXCHANGE IT EITHER. ALSO, THE DEALER EXPRESSED THAT THIS WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. THIS WAS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5 I WAGON. UPDATED 12/05/06. *JB