2013 Subaru Outback

THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT TURNED ON. STOPPED TO CHECK OIL--WAS VERY LOW. BOUGHT A QUART TO ADD TO THE CAR. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IT HAS OCCURRED TWO TIMES ALREADY--SAME ORDEAL WHERE I HAVE TO ADD OIL TO THE ENGINE. WHEN WILL NHTSA START INVESTIGATING THIS? I HAVE READ AND TALKED TO OTHER OUTBACK OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. RIGHT NOW THE DEALERSHIP HAS PUT THE CAR ON A 1200 MILE INSPECTION TEST..... UPDATED 09/30/15*BF

THE PASSENGER OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (ODS) MALFUNCTIONED OR SHORTED OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. AS A RESULT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT ENABLE EVEN WHEN OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT PASSENGER. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS CONSTANTLY IN OFF MODE. IN ADDITION THE ODS APPARENTLY CONTROLS THE SEATBELT WARNING FEATURE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT AN ADULT PASSENGER IS OCCUPYING THE SEAT THE ODS IS CONSTANTLY DETECTING A PASSENGER AND THE PASSENGER SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT AND CHIME CONTINUOUSLY ARE ON. WHEN THE PASSENGER SEATBELT IS BUCKLED THE WARNING LIGHT AND CHIME REMAIN CONTINUOUSLY ON. THE VEHICLE HAS 40,000 MILES AND THIS SYSTEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURES EXTENDED WARRANTY OR THE EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT SOLD BY SUBARU THROUGH CNA. THE DEALERSHIP IS RECOMMENDING A NEW ODS BE INSTALLED AND CALIBRATED AT A COST OF $1,200 PLUS APPLICABLE TAX AND FEES.

STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE IS SO HEAVY THAT IT CAUSES ORTHOPEDIC PROBLEMS. THE STEERING DRAG TENSION IS SET SO HIGH THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE INTO PARKING PLACES AT LOW SPEEDS. PARALLEL PARKING IS PAINFUL. I HAD OTHER PEOPLE DRIVE IT TO ELIMINATE MY SUBJECTIVE VIEW OF THIS, AND EVERY PERSON THOUGHT IT WAS HARD TO DRIVE. SUBARU THINKS THIS IS NORMAL, AND REFUSES TO ALLOW ITS SERVICE DEPARTMENTS TO ADJUST THE TENSION IF IT'S WITHIN IT'S "SPECS" EVEN WHEN THE DRIVER OF THIS EXPENSIVE VEHICLE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT. SUBARU SERVICE DEPARTMENT'S REASONING WAS THAT "IT FELT LIKE EVERY OTHER SUBARU OUTBACK." THIS DOESN'T MAKE IT OK; IT JUST CONFIRMS THAT SUBARU IS SELLING MORE THAN ONE DANGEROUS CAR. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT SUBARU IS ALLOWING TO PERSIST RATHER THAN ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THE OTHER ISSUE THE UNREASONABLY TIGHT TENSION IS MASKING - STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THIS IS MY SECOND SUBARU AND IS THE LAST ONE I WILL EVER PURCHASE - NOT BECAUSE THE CAR COULDN'T OTHERWISE BE A GOOD VEHICLE, BUT BECAUSE THIS IS A LEGITIMATE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SUBARU IS IGNORING AND WILL CONTINUE TO IGNORE UNTIL FORCED TO CHANGE, PROBABLY AFTER A LARGE LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY THE ESTATE OF A SUBARU OWNER WHO WAS KILLED IN THEIR VEHICLE. AND, BECAUSE SUBARU HAS SUCH TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT IT THINKS IT'S FINE TO TELL SOMEONE WHO JUST BOUGHT A $30K+ CAR THAT THEY JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH AN UNSAFE CONDITION BECAUSE SUBARU DOESN'T SEE FIT TO FIX IT.

I HAVE 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK. COUPLE OF MONTH AFTER BUYING IT I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE WHERE MY FOOT WOULD BE STUCK ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THERE IS SOME KIND OF A FLAP ABOVE THE PEDAL. THE FLAP NORMALLY JUST TOUCHES THE TOP OF A SHOE. BUT IN SOME SITUATIONS/POSITIONS OF THE PEDAL IT PRESSES ON THE FOOT. WHEN YOU TRY TO MOVE THE FOOT OUT OF THE PEDAL, IT BENDS AND BRACES IT, PRACTICALLY LOCKING THE FOOT. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY, BUT RATHER INFREQUENTLY. WHAT MAKES IT WORSE IS WEARING BULKY SHOES LIKE SNEAKERS, SHOES WITH BUCKLES, OR WITH A MESH TOP. THE MESH ALSO GETS CAUGHT ON THE FLAP. A COUPLE OF TIMES I WAS IN SITUATIONS WHERE IT TOOK 10-15 SECONDS TO GET THE FOOT OUT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. AT LEAST ONCE I HAVE BEEN NEARLY REAR-ENDED BECAUSE I COULDN?T ACCELERATE IMMEDIATELY AFTER BREAKING. I COMPLAINED ON THIS ISSUE 4 TIMES AT SUBARU SERVICE. THEY TWEAKED IT SOMEWHAT, BUT NEVER COMPLETELY FIXED, AND IT GOT WORSE AGAIN AFTER EVERY MAINTENANCE SERVICE. WHILE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS REMEDIED, I FOUND THAT THE DEALERSHIP DIDN?T RECORD THESE COMPLAINTS IN MY CAR HISTORY. SO I WROTE AN EMAIL TO SUBARU. SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT, AS HE?LL INSTRUCT THE DEALERSHIP HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN, WAITED FOR AN HOUR, BUT THEN WAS TOLD NO INSTRUCTIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM SUBARU. ON THE NEXT CONTACT WITH THE SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING REPLY: ?THERE ARE NO REPAIRS REQUIRED AND NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. WE HAVE NO RECOMMENDATIONS AS THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS FOUND.? HOWEVER, IT APPEARED THAT SUBARU HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM DURING THAT APPOINTMENT, WHILE TELLING ME NOTHING WAS DONE. THE FLAP WAS REPLACED WITH THE LONGER VERSION, SO THAT THE FOOT NEVER GETS UNDER IT, BUT RATHER PUSHES THE FLAP INSIDE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS OBVIOUS SUBARU IS AWARE OF IT, BUT DOESN?T ADMIT IT EXISTS. ...UPDATED 07-16-15 *BF MA 07/30/15 UPDATED 10/26/2017*CN

STEERING WAS MAKING A NOISE (AS IF STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED ALL OF THE WAY TO ONE SIDE) WITH ONLY SLIGHT MOVEMENT BUT IT WORKED. THIS NOISE OCCURRED WITH EVERY TURN. AFTER RUNNING AN ERRAND WITH APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES OF USE, I RETURNED TO THE PARKED CAR AND BACKED OUT OF PARKING TO FIND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNING BUT THE WHEELS WERE NOT! I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. NOTE: A RECALL OF THE STEERING WAS DONE BY THE DEALERSHIP IN OCT 2013 AND NO ISSUES HAD OCCURRED WITH THAT REPAIR UNTIL NOW.

AFTER 28,000 MILES AND NOTICED AT DRIVE THROUGH LOCATIONS THE SICKLY SWEET SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE WAS NOTICED. I TOOK CAR TO DEALER WHO PRESSURE TESTED AND INSPECTED COOLANT SYSTEM. NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTICED AND NO LEAKS WERE DISCOVERED. DROVE CAR LATER IN THE DAY AND SMELL RETURNED, WILL DRIVE MORE AND IF SMELL IS NOTICED AGAIN WILL RETURN TO DEALER. COULD ARISE FROM OIL CHANGES AND IF LEVELING THE FLUID LEVEL THE SPILL BURNOFF COULD BE WHERE THE SMELL COMES FROM... WHEN STARTING CAR THE ENGINE REVS AT A HIGH SPEED BUT THAT IS NORMAL FROM THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE SO AFTER STARTING I PAUSE A BIT BEFORE SHIFTING AND DRIVING. OTHER THAN THE ANTIFREEZE SMELL THE CAR IS A PLEASURE TO DRIVE.

WONDERS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. TOOK BACK TO DEALER THEY CHECK ALIGNMENT. SAID EVERYTHING WAS IN SPECTS. THERE WAS NO CHARGE THIS TIME FOR ALIGNMENT BUT WOULD NOT DO IT AGAIN FOR FREE. WE PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY AT TIME OF PURCHASE. WHAT A WASTE! MY DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW BORROWED IT LAST SUMMER. PUT 8000 MILES ON IT DRIVING ACROSS COUNTRY. HAD A TERRIBLE TIME KEEPING IT ON THE ROAD. THEY WHERE GOING TO BUY A OUTBACK BUT QUICKLY CHANGED THEIR MIND. CALLED DEALER AGAIN AND THE SERVICE MANGER TOLD ME TO CHANGE TIRES AND CROSS ROTATE THEM. I TOLD HIM WE ALREADY DID THAT AND MY HUSBAND CROSS ROTATED THEM. HE SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE TO LOOK AT IT. SINCE THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THE FIRST TIME WHY PAY THEM MORE TO TELL ME IT IS IN SPECTS? I THINK THEY ARE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO GET KILLED OR BE KILLED. THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND HAD TO ADD 1 QUART OF OIL AFTER ABOUT 4000 MILES SINCE PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE. THE CAR TAKES SYNTHETIC OIL AND IS SUPPOSED TO GO 7500 MILES BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD TO ADD OIL IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES SEVERAL TIMES, APPROXIMATELY 1-2 QUARTS EVERY 1500 TO 3000 MILES. SUBARU DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL; HOWEVER, WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR BY THIS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW AND ONLY HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

UPON NOTICING A BLOWN 3RD TAIL LIGHT(ONE OF THE TAIL LIGHTS ON THE REAR HATCH/DOOR OF THE WAGON,) I DISASSEMBLED AND FOUND THAT THE SOCKETS ON BOTH SIDES(LEFT AND RIGHT 3RD TAIL-LIGHT SOCKETS) WERE SCORCHED AROUND WHERE THE BULBS FIT INTO THEM. THE DISCOLORATION WAS BROWN/BLACK AND WAS PRESENT NOT ONLY ON THE SOCKET WITH THE BLOWN BULB BUT ALSO THE OTHER, WORKING SIDE. DEALER REPLACED BLOWN BULB AND MADE NO COMMENT ON SCORCHED BULB SOCKETS. IT ALMOST APPEARS AS IF THEY WERE SO HEATED THEY WERE READY TO MELT OR BURN THE PLASTIC. CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR 27 MONTHS AND HAS 27K MOSTLY CITY DRIVING ON IT. HAPPY TO PROVIDE PHOTOS OF THE AFFECTED SOCKETS TO ANYONE INVESTIGATING OR CONCERNED. *TR