1998 Subaru Outback

HAVE A 1998 SUBARU OUTBACK. BOUGHT IT NEW IN 1998. HAS ROUGHLY 90000 MILES. IN THE FIRST YEAR AFTER PURCHASE CLUTCH WENT. DEALER REPLACED CLUTCH FREE OF CHARGE (DIDN'T WANT TO, THOUGH). READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THERE WAS A KNOWN CLUTCH PROBLEM WITH THE OUTBACK AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. CLUTCH WAS NEVER, AND HAS NEVER BEEN "RIGHT". THE CLUTCH HAS BEEN LOOKED AT ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BY DIFFERENT MECHANICS. NONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE CLUTCH PEDAL WILL FADE AND DROP TO THE FLOOR (REQUIES BARE FOOT TO GRAB THE PEDAL W/TOES TO PULL BACK UP) SOMETIMES EVENTUALLY FAILING COMPLETELY, OTHER TIMES, MIRACULOUSLY, RETURNING TO WORKING ORDER. WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY RANGE, SO WE DON'T EXPECT MUCH FROM SUBARU, HOWEVER WE WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT. WE WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE. I AM PUTTING DOWN THE DATE OF THE MOST RECENT FAILURE EVENT, WHICH WAS YESTERDAY.*AK

1998 SUBARU OUTBACK SHOWED SIGNS OF OVERHEATING AS TEMPERATURE GAUGE ROSE UP PAST THE USUAL MIDLINE AND COLD AIR INSIDE CAR FROM AIR CONDITIONER SUDDENLY GOT WARMER. I PULLED OVER AND COOLANT WAS OVER FLOWING FROM OVERFLOW RESERVOIR THROUGH THE CAP. I DROVE WITH THE HEATER ON FULL POWER AND MADE IT TO A REPAIR FACILITY AND REMOVE THE THERMOSTAT WHICH HAD SEIZED. REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR CAP ($30) AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL FOUR MONTHS LATER (MARCH 2004) WHEN CAR SHOWED SIGNS OF OVER HEATING AGAIN (RISE IN INSIDE AIR CONDITIONED AIR TEMPERATURE FROM COLD TO WARM). TOOK CAR TO RALLYSPORT ENGINEERING IN COSTA MESA, CA AND MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND SYMPTOMS OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE ALTHOUGH THIS IS WHAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS. HE ADDED STOP LEAK, NEW THERMOSTAT, AND NEW COOLANT ($150 PARTS/LABOR) AND THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READING WAS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN IT WAS WHEN USING ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (PRIOR TO NOVEMBER). NOW, JULY 2004, CAR HAS ALMOST OVERHEATED AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO SOUTH COAST SUBARU IN COSTA MESA, CA AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS A HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND THAT THEY COULD SMELL THE EXHAUST FUMES THROUGH THE OVERFLOW RESERVOIR. THE ESTIMATE TO FIX THE REPAIR WILL BE $1500 PARTS AND LABOR. *LA

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A LIGHT POLE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S DESIGNATED REPAIR FACILITY. *AK THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY 2-3 MORE ACCELERATIONS IN WHICH THE VEHICLE GAINED SPEED EACH TIME. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WERE BEING SHIFTED INTO THE NEXT GEAR. *SC *JB

MY CAR OVERHEATED AND DIED ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED -- IT WAS REPLACED, AND THE ENGINE WAS TUNED IN ASSOCIATED WAYS. ONE MONTH LATER, THE CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN, WITH COOLANT LEAKING OUT OF THE ENGINE. ONCE AGAIN THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED, AS WELL AS THE WATER PUMP, WHICH THE DEALER SAID MAY HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK FOR ONE WEEK NOW, AND IT'S WORKING FINE. EACH TIME THE CAR OVERHEATED, IT WAS SOON AFTER I TURNED ON THE A/C (AND THE A/C DIDN'T WORK WELL EITHER TIME -- I.E., WARM AIR CAME OUT OF THE VENTS). MY A/C IS WORKING OKAY, NOW.*AK

SUBARU OUTBACK (1998) CLUTCH FAILURE. NOTORIOUS PROBLEM! REPLACED ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, FLY WHEEL, MASTER CYLINDER AND SLAVE CYLINDER AT MY COST!!! DEALER WOULD NOT COVER. THE CLUTCHES ON OUTBACKS ARE LEMONS! CLASS ACTION SUIT FROM ALL OWNERS IS A REAL POSSIBILITY BECAUSE SUBARU HAS NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF A "RECALL". THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING (MONEY AND TIME AND WORRY) TO SEE OVER AND OVER ON THE INTERNET FORUMS, AND EXPERIENCE PERSONALLY. *LA

FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: I OWN A 1993 SUBARU IMPREZA L, AND I OWN A 1998 IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT. BOTH THESE CARS HAVE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THERE ARE TWO TSB'S ON HESITATION ISSUES FOR ALL SUBARU'S CONCERNING THIS. THIS IS A HAZARD BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN NEED FOR ACCELERAION IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ARE: 1. AMBULANCE COMING TO INTERSECTION BEHIND ME WITH NO ROOM FOR ME TO PULL OVER DUE TO PARKED CARS, AND I ATTEMPTED TO MOVEOUT OF HIS WAY PUSHING DOWN ON THE THROTTLE, AND THE CAR COMPLETELY SPUTTERING AND BARELY MOVING. THE AMBULANCE IS STUCK BEHIND ME WHILE I AM ATTEMPTING TOMOVE OUT OF IT'S WAY. 2. THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN AT AN INTERSECTION, BUT SOMEONE FAILS TO STOP TO THEIR RED LIGHT, AND NEARLY GET T-BONED, THANKS TO CADILLAC'S STRONG BRAKING POWER, BECAUSE MY CAR SPUTTERS, AND MOVES LIKE A TURTLE WHEN I NEED TO SAFELY MOVE OUT OF THE WAY FOR SAFETY. I HAVE A FAMILY, AND THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSES WITH A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. WITH THE ENGINEERING GOING INTO CARS THESE DAYS, AND ALL OFF THESE HIGH-PAID ENGINEERS, AND ALL PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS, THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PROBLEM TO BE PUT ASIDE. IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE, PLEASE DO SO. AND IN THE FUTURE IF IT IS DONE, MY PERSONAL REGARDS AND THANKS TO ALL THE INITIATIVE, AND COURAGE FOR THOSE THAT STOOD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MAX . *AK

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A MAJOR ENGINE COMPONENT WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY OUTSIDE THE EXPECTED STATISTICAL FAILURE RATE(BASED ON MY RESEARCH OF COMPLAINTS BY OTHER PURCHASERS OF THIS MODEL SUBARU AUTOMOBILE), RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT COSTS TO REPAIR. AT APPROXIMATELY 56000 MILES THE HEAD GASKETS ON MY 1998 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH THE 2.5L ENGINE FAILED.THE COST TO REPAIR WAS $ 1880.00. I CONTACTED SUBARU IN AN EFFORT TO GET THEM TO ABSORB AT LEAST PART OF THE COST SINCE THE CAR WAS WELL WITHIN THE MILEAGE WARRANTY PERIOD, BUT WAS SLIGHTLY OUTSIDE THE TIME WARRANTY.THEIR RESPONSE WAS SORRY TOUGH LUCK. I INDICATED TO SUBARU THAT A COMPONENT OF THIS NATURE WITH SUCH A HIGH FAILURE RATE, WAS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO A SIGNIFICANT DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT.THEIR RESPONSE WAS, AGAIN, THEY WERE NOT GOINT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SOMEONE NEEDS TO PUT PRESSURE ON SUBARU TO MAKE THIS A RECALL ITEM.*AK