2000 Subaru Outback

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR CROSS BAR WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V153000 (SUSPENSION:REAR) FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED AT THEIR EXPANSE AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WOULD BE OFFERED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

THE TPS HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, ALL LEADS FROM THE WIRING HARNESS HAVE BEEN GROUND AND LUBRICATED, BUT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT SHOCK REMAINS. THE MANUFACTURER'S TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT, HAVING MADE THE FORMER GUESSES ON THE TPS REPLACEMENT AND LEADS, SUGGESTS REPLACING THE ECM AND TCM TO SEE IF THAT CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. THE SEVERE SHIFT SHOCK IS THE MOST CURRENT PROBLEM WITH THIS EGREGIOUSLY DEFECTIVE VEHICLE IN WHICH ALL MAJOR PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SINCE PURCHASING IT NEW, THE REPAIR COST SO FAR EQUIVALENT TO THE PURCHASE PRICE. THERE IS 126,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ONLY ONE OWNER WHO HAS ALWAYS DRIVEN IT WITH THE UTMOST CARE. THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT STATE SINCE JULY 2010 IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE - WITHOUT FOLLOWING AN OBVIOUS PATTERN, THE AT DASHBOARD LIGHT FLASHES AND WITHIN SECONDS THERE IS SEVERE SHIFT SHOCK, ON HIGHWAYS AT 65MPH AND IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AT 10MPH. THE ENGINE HAS TO BE TURNED OFF IMMEDIATELY SO THAT THE COMPUTER COMPONENTS CAN HOPEFULLY RESET, WHICH RESETTING DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. IF THE ENGINE IS NOT SWITCHED OFF, THE SEVERE SHIFT SHOCK CONTINUES. HAVING THIS HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED IS SO DANGEROUS, AND TRYING TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FROM SUBARU OWNERS, BUT SUBARU CORPORATE OFFICE DENIES ALL RESPONSIBILITY, SIMPLY STATING THAT THE VEHICLES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIPS. THE DEALERSHIPS ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS THE DEFECT IS INHERENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

I HAD RECURRENT LEAKS IN MY 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK AND TOOK IT IN TO DEALERSHIP STARTING IN 2007. 4/01/08 HAD ALL ANTIFREEZE CAME OUT OF CAR DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN 2007. HAD TO REPLACE WATER PUMP,OIL PUMP AND HEAD GASKET IN 2008. THEN BECAUSE OF COOLANT LEAK HAD TO REPLACE TIMING BELT. NOW THEY ARE SAYING I NEED NEW HEAD GASKETS, WATER PUMP AND TIME BELT AGAIN AND IT HAS BEEN ONLY 2 YEARS SINCE THIS WAS DONE. *TR

MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2000 WAS BROUGHT TO A SUBARU DEALER IN SIOUX FALLS, AFTER BATTERY DIED, AND THEY CHANGED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY, AND THEN THEY ALSO STATED THAT BRAKE PAD NEEDED TO BE CHANGED, SO I AGREED AND THEY DID. IT WAS IN MID AUGUST 2009. SINCE THEN I DROVE THAT CAR BETWEEN SIOUX FALLS AND ROCHESTER MN, WHICH IS ABOUR 240 MILES ONE WAY OVER THE WEEKENDS. ON SEPT 20TH, WHEN WE WERE DRIVING BACK FROM SIOUX FALLS TO ROCHESTER, I NOTED SOME NOISE COMING BACK FROM THE LEFT REAF WHEEL, AND IT BECAME WORSE. EVENTUALLY THAT CAUSED VIBRATION, AND COULD NOT KEEP GOING. WE WENT OFF FROM HIGH WAY, AND CHECKED THE CAR, AND FOUND THAT THE WHEEL NAT WAS GONE, AND OTEHR NATS WERE ALL LOOSE. THE CAR WAS FIXED AT A LOCAL ROCHESTER REPAIR SHOP, AND I CALLED SUBARU DEALER IN SIOUX FALLS ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THEY SAID IT IS JUST A MATTER OF MILES I DROVE AFTER THE SERVICE, AND ALUMINIUM WHEEL CAN CAUSE THIS, SO THEY DO NOT FEEL THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. IT WAS VERY DISSAPOITING CUSTOMER SERVICE, BECAUSE I WAS A FUN OF SUBARU. I REQUESTED THEM TO SEND ME A LETTER TO DESCRIBE WHY THEY CAME UP TO THE DECISION, BUT THEY IGNORED IT EVEN AFTER MY REPEATED REQUEST IN OCTOBER, AND UNTIL NOW, NOTHING WAS DONE. I CONTACTED SUBARU COMPANY, AND THEY CONTACTED THE DEALER, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT MY VEHICLE TRAVELLED ALMOST 2000 MILES BEFORE THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR LUG NUTS STARTED. THE DEALER FEELS THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT HAVE LEFT THEIR SHOP IN AUGUST WITHOUT PROPERLY TIGHTENED LUG NUTS, BUT IF AN OVERSIGHT HAD OCCURRED, THAT I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE LOOSENESS MUCH SOONER FROM THEIR OPINION, IN WHICH CASE THEY WOULD HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM FOR ME. THIS SOUNDS ALMOST IT IS MY FAULT NOT REALIZING THEIR POOR PERFORMANCE IN THEIR JOB. THE DEALER FEELS AT THIS POINT THAT THEY ARE NOT REPOSNSIBLE FOR THIS CONCERN AND ARE UNWILLING TO COMPENSATE US FURTHER. IF THIS IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AS A PROFESSIONAL TO REPAIR AUTOMOBILE, WHO CAN EXPECT A CAR DEALER TO REPAIR OUR CAR SAFELY?

FUEL LEAK SOMEWHERE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT; GASOLINE ODOR WENT INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WORSE IN VERY COLD OR VERY HOT WEATHER. IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS FOR 3 OR 4 YEARS. MY MECHANIC SAID IT WOULD COST $200 TO TRY TO FIND THE LEAKS -- MAYBE SOME HOSE CLAMPS NEAR THE FUEL INJECTORS ARE THE CULPRIT, BUT ARE HARD TO GET TO WITHOUT TAKING APART SOME OF THE ENGINE? I'VE SEEN MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS ONLINE BULLETIN BOARDS. I SUPPOSE NHTSA WON'T FORCE SUBARU TO ISSUE A RECALL UNTIL SOME LARGE NUMBER OF DRIVERS/PASSENGERS DIE FROM AN ENGINE FIRE THAT STARTS FROM THIS TYPE OF LEAKING. MOST RECENT INCIDENT: LATE JANUARY, 2010. *TR

MY 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON, WITH 120,000 MILES HAS AN OCCASIONAL STRONG GASOLINE SMELL THAT ENTERS INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, WHEN DRIVING AND WHEN STOPPING AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AFTER A TRIP. IT OCCURS MOST OFTEN ON COLD WINTER DAYS. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE PAST 2 WINTERS. I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH LEAKING GASOLINE AT THE CLAMPS ON THE HOSES THAT LEAD TO THE FUEL INJECTORS. THESE ARE HARD TO GET TO, AND WOULD COST ME $200 IN LABOR FOR HIM TO FIX. MIGHT THIS START AN ENGINE FIRE? I HAVE READ MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON AUTO DISCUSSION BOARDS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES, SO I KNOW THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. I THINK THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT, AND SHOULD REQUIRE AT LEAST A TECHNICAL BULLETIN, IF NOT A FULL RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTS THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE GEARS, THE VEHICLE JERKS VERY STRONGLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BE REBUILT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000. UPDATED 4/23/09 *CN UPDATED 04/27/09*JB