1999 Subaru Outback

BIG HESITATION (CAR IS WARMED UP) WHEN STARTING AGAIN FROM STOP WHEN TURNING LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC. IF I DON'T ALLOW 3X NORMAL DISTANCE I'D GET SLAMMED. I START WITH A SLOW STEADY DEPRESSION OF ACCELERATOR AND END UP HAVING TO PUT IT TO THE FLOOR FOR IT TO EVEN MOVE. DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME THEY COULDN'T DUPLI9CATE AND NOTHING IS WRONG. SUBARU.COM JUST BLEW ME OFF AND TOLD ME TO GO BACK TO DEALER. I'M AFRAID ONE DAY IT WON'T MOVE AT ALL; AND I BELIEVE IN PREVENTION WITH A CAPITAL P. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT.*AK

I HEARD A CLICKING IN MY CAR WHEN ON AN ENTRANCE RAMP. IT DID NOT SOUND TOO SERIOUS, BUT I MADE A NOTE OF IT. I WENT ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHIN A HALF A MILE MY CAR BEGAN TO WEAVE. THE STEERING APPEARED TO FAIL AND I WENT INTO A SPIN. I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR AND LOST CONTROL. THE BRAKES WERE WORKING BUT AT THE SPEED I WAS GOING (40-45MPH) I HIT THE LEFT BARRIER AFTER GOING OVER TWO LANES. THERE WAS NO RAIN OR ICE BUT THE ROAD WAS IN REALLY BAD SHAPE FROM CONSTRUCTION. I HAD EXPERIENCED THAT WEAVING SENSATION BEFORE IN THE SUBRARU ON UNEVEN ROADS BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENED. I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE SHOP DID NOT REALLY CHECK WHAT WENT WRONG THEY SAID THE AXLE AND BRAKES AND TIRES SEEMED FINE. THE CAR COULD NOT START AND APPARENTLY THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BEEN DAMAGED. *LA

BREAK FAILURE - 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHEN THE BREAKS ARE APPLIED THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. OWNER REPLACED PADS - ROTORS, ETC TO IMPROVE THE PROBLEM. THE REPAIR DID NOT IMPROVE THE PROBLEM SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE PROTECTIVE BOOTS AROUND THE CALIPER PISTONS WERE COMPLETELY DETERIOATED AND THAT THE CALPERS NEEDED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND I SUGGESTED THAT THIS COULD BE WIDE SPREAD, AND A SAFETY HAZARD. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AND THAT MY ISSUE WAS ONE OF A KIND. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF FAILURE ANALYSIS IN INDUSTRY AND I AM VERY SURE THAT THE BREAKDOWN OF THE RUBBER PISTON BOOTS IS CAUSED FROM DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. DAVID SLOCUM

I BOUGHT A 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK 30TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION IN MAY OF 1999. WITHIN SIX MONTHS, THE CAR BEGAN TO EXHIBIT CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF THE SUBARU DEALER. FOR THREE YEARS THEY DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, ALWAYS SAYING THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS. FINALLY IN JUNE OF 2002, I WAS ABLE TO GET A REGIONAL SERVICE SUPERVISOR TO ADMIT THAT THE CAR DEFINITELY HAD PROBLEMS. HIS FIRST SOLUTION WAS TO SUGGEST THAT I TRADE THE CAR IN ON A NEW ONE. WHEN I DECLINED, HE OFFERED TO HAVE THE CAR PROPERLY REPAIRED, AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THREE YEARS PRIOR. AFTER FOUR TRIPS TO TWO DIFFERENT SUBARU DEALERS AND AFTER SUPPOSEDLY HAVING THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REPLACED THREE TIMES, THE CAR IS IN WORSE SHAPE THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN. SUBARU HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR THE CAR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION.SUBARU CLAIMS THAT THE CAR NOW "OPERATES AS DESIGNED" AND THAT ANY PROBLEMS I AM NOW EXPERIENCING ARE A RESULT OF MY DRIVING HABITS. SUBARU REFUSES TO REPLACE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO STALL ANY REPAIRS UNTIL THE CAR PASSED THE TWO YEAR LEMON LAW EXCLUSION.*AK