2002 Subaru Outback

ENGINE STALLS ON ACCELERATION FROM A STOP. AT TIMES THE ENGINE WILL DIE WHEN ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER. DEALER STATES THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS VEHICLES WHICH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ALL OF THEM ARE 2002 MODELS. DEALER STATES THA TVEHICLE CANNON BE FIXED AT THIS TIME DUE TO A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT TO DO. THIS OCCURED THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST 2002. DEALER WAS CONTACTED ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2002 AND STATED THAT VEHICLE STILL COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINEERS IN JAPAN WERE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM BUT IT WILL BE AT LEAST TWO MORE MONTHS BEFORE IT WOULD BE KNOWN WHAT IF ANYTHING COULD BE DONE.*AK

THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION ON THIS VEHICLE SKIPS OR SHUDDERS IN 1ST GEAR MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO PULL FORWARD OR INTO TRAFFIC AT SLOW SPEEDS WITHOUT STALLING THE CAR. THE ONLY OPTION IS TO REV THE ENGINE HIGHER THAN NORMALLY TO INSURE CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT WHICH THEN CAUSE THE CLUTCH TO BURN. SOMETIMES EVEN THIS DOESN'T WORK. IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN WHEN THE CAR IS COLD. DEALER SAID IT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED SO IT MUST BE OUR DRIVING, HOWEVER I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUALS FOR 20 YEARS AND THIS HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM. THIS IS A SCARY CAR TO PULL OUT INTO HEAVY OR FAST MOVING TRAFFIC.*AK

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 MONTHS THAT THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED ON A WET, BUT TOTALLY ICE-FREE PAVED ROAD. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO BE REPAIRED AT SUBARU DEALER (2 DIFFERENT ONES) BUT BOTH TIMES WAS STATED HUNTER'S INVOICE THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CUSTOMER'S (ME) CONCERN, SO NO ACTION WAS TAKEN TO FIX THE BRAKES. BRAKES DEFINITELY FEEL SPONGY WHEN BRAKING WHILE DRIVING FORWARD, BUT BRAKES FEEL GOOD AND SOLID WHEN GOING IN REVERSE. LAST FRIDAY, I TOOK MY CAR TO PRESTIGE, ON FEB 8TH TO ADDRESS THE SECOND TIME THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED. SERVICE MANAGER, DAVE LINDSEY SAID HE COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE BRAKES FAILING AGAIN AND SO WAS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO FIX MY BRAKES. I VOICED MY CONCERNED THAT I WAS VERY AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY WITH THESE WEIRD BRAKES AND HE EMPHATICALLY TOLD ME HE WOULDN'T FIX THE BRAKES UNTIL THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN!!! WHEN I WENT INTO PRESTIGE'S SALESROOM TO GET A 800 NUMBER TO CONTACT SUBARU TO LET THEM KNOW MY BRAKES HAD INDEED FAILED AGAIN, DAVE LINDSEY MARCHED INTO SALES ROOM OF PRESTIGE SUBARU AND DEMANDED I LEAVE THE SUBARU PRESTIGE PREMISES AT ONCE. HE NEVER EVEN GAVE ME THE WORK ORDER/INVOICE SHOWING THAT HE HAD EVEN LOOKED AT MY CAR FOR THE FAILED BRAKES!!! I THINK THAT PRESTIGE SUBARU NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATE. THERE IS A VERY STEEP HILL YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN IN ORDER TO EXIT THE PRESTIGE SUBARU PREMISES AND I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TRAVELING DOWN IT, AFTER HAVING NO WORK DONE ON MY BRAKES FOLLOWING MY BRAKE FAILURE ON FEBRUARY 7TH, 2002. *AK

AIR CONDITIONER HAS NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE BOUGHT THE CAR. HAVE COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES TO 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS AND THEY ALL STATE IT IS PERFORMING "NORMALLY". THE A/C ONLY BLOWS COLD AIR CONSISTENTLY IN THE COLDEST AIR SETTING, IF YOU MOVE THE DIAL UP PAST THE LOWEST SETTING, WHILE STILL IN BLUE "ZONE" YOU WILL START GETTING WARM AIR. I THINK THERE IS A TBS ON IT, BUT THAT HAS NEVER BEEN COMMUNICATED TO ME BY EITHER DEALER NOR SUBARU. *AK