2001 Subaru Outback

SINCE DAY ONE, THE CLUTCH HAS SHUDDERED AT ENGAGEMENT WHEN ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN IS COLD. THE TREMORS ARE VIOLENT ENOUGH TO SHAKE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE DISTURBINGLY. THIS HAS BEEN A NUISANCE AND SOMEWHAT OF A SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU CANNOT ACCELERATE QUICKLY IF NECESSARY. OVER THE LAST 10000 MILES OR SO, I'VE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL WHEN ENGAGING THE CLUTCH ON AN UPHILL START. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE CLUTCH IS SLIPPING AND WILL NEED REPLACEMENT SOON AND I ONLY HAVE 61500 HIGHWAY MILES ON THE CAR! I'VE HAD PLENTY OF CARS GO OVER 150000 MILES WITH NO CLUTCH PROBLEMS. SUBARU HAS A DEFINITE DESIGN FLAW IN THESE HYDRAULIC CLUTCHES THAT THEY ARE REFUSING TO OWN UP TO! REGRETTABLY, I MAY HAVE PURCHASED MY LAST SUBARU.

WE HAVE A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH THE H6 ENGINE. WHEN GOING VERY SLOWLY, SUCH AS PARKING IN THE GARAGE, THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY SURGE. YOU MUST KEEP ONE FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO PREVENT A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS IS JUST THE WAY IT IS WITH THE COMPUTER CONTROL AND THE H6 ENGINE. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT , BUT IT IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD. A SUDDEN LURCH COULD DAMAGE ANOTHER VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT OR A PERSON IN FRONT OF THE CAR. I HAVE LIVED WITH IT, BUT SOMEONE WROTE TO CLICK AND CLACK COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. SO, I DECIDED TO CONTACT YOUR AGENCY TO ALSO VOICE MY CONCERNS. THANK YOU. *AK

THE 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK SEEMS TO HAVE AN UNUSUALLY HIGH INCIDENCE OF NEEDING BRAKE REPAIRS. WE ARE ON OUR 2ND BRAKE JOB IN UNDER 40,000 MILES. THE DISC ROTORS HAVE WARPED TWICE, RESULTING IN STRONG VIBRATION (NOT ABS) WHEN STOPPING. THE BRAKES ALSO SQUEAL IN REVERSE, ANNOYING, AND POSSIBLY A SYMPTOM OF AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS PREFORMED A PAD REPLACEMENT ,EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ADEQUATE MATERIAL REMAINING, AND ROTOR TURNING 2 TIMES. MY ON-LINE RESEARCH, AND THE CONSUMER REPORTS DOCUMENTATION REPORTS A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE , OVER 14% HAVE SUFFERED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IF THIS WERE OCCURING IN A LESS CRITICAL COMPONENT I WOULDN'T BE AS CONCERNED.HOWEVER THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY SHORT LIFESPAN FOR BRAKES IN A NON-HIGH PERFORMANCE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY THE PADS AREN'T WEARING, BUT THE ROTORS ARE FAILING.*AK

I OWN A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. I BOUGHT IT NEW AND OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS IT HAS REQUIRED 3 COMPLETE BRAKE JOBS (ROTORS AND PADS), SO CURRENTLY THE CAR HAS IT'S 4TH SET OF BRAKES. I HAVE NEVER OWNED ANY CAR THAT HAS REQUIRED THAT MANY BRAKES JOBS IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE HAD ALL MY REPAIRS DONE AT SUBARU DEALERSHIPS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS THAT THE DESIGN AND MATERIALS OF THE BRAKES CAUSE THE ROTORS TO WARP AND WEAR OUT PREMATURELY, REQUIRING BOTH THE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED EACH TIME, WHICH IS EXPENSIVE. AS THE WEAR PROGRESSES, THE STEERING WHEEL WOBBLES AND THE WOBBLE GETS WORSE VERY QUICKLY OVER TIME. THE FIRST 2 BRAKE JOBS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE LAST ONE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS LIKE ME EXPERIENCING THE SAME PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR. FOR JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF OTHER TESTIMONIALS, VISIT THE WEBSITE WW.AUTOBYTEL.COM/CONTENT/RESEARCH/FORUMS/INDEX.CFM/ACTION/POSTS/FID/1959 AND YOU CAN SEE THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN MY COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE THE BRAKE DESIGN IS A FACTORY DEFECT. I THINK SUBARU SHOULD REDESIGN THEM AND IN THE MEAN TIME BE MADE TO COVER THE COST OF THESE REPEATED REPAIRS. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT THEIR POSITION IS THAT IT IS "A WEAR ISSUE". I REALIZE, LIKE TIRES, CERTAIN ITEMS ON CARS DO WEAR OUT OVER TIME AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AS PART OF THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE OF A CAR. HOWEVER, I DO NOT AGREE THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON MY SUBARU IS SIMPLY A WEAR ISSUE AND APPARENTLY, NEITHER DO THEIR OWN MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS. *AK

(1) EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE---JUST DRIVING THE CAR, THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN ENGINE STARTED TO GET HOT, SO CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. (2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES--$1900 REPAIR BILL-TWO HEAD GASKET IN ENGINE---FROM ARLINGTON, MA SUBARU DEALER--ESTIMATE REDUCED TO $1700 UPON REQUEST. GETTING REPAIR DONE WITH OTHER SHOP (3) GETTING TWO HEAD GASKETS AND OTHER ENGINE GASKETS REPLACED. *JB