2006 Subaru Outback

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY I LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE FORWARD, MEANING MY GAS PEDAL STOPPED WORKING AND I BEGAN TO COAST. AT THE MOMENT I LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND MY CRUISE CONTROL BECAME DISABLED. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER TURNING ON AND OFF THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES, I WAS THEN ABLE TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. I THEN WENT TO O'REILLY'S TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTICS PERFORMED, WHICH RESULTED IN CODE P2138 (THROTTLE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR D-E VOLTAGE RATIONALITY). THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 70MPH IN THE FAST LANE DOWN THE HIGHWAY I TURNED CRUISE CONTROL ON. AS SOON AS THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED ALL THROTTLE WAS LOST. WHILE IN MOTION I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL THEN BACK INTO DRIVE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS DECELERATING SO I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE SAFELY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND THEN BACK ON. THE ACCELERATION CAPABILITY RETURNED BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO READ THE CODE WHICH CAME BACK AS THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY SUBARU AMERICA. *TR

I WAS ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY ENTRANCE IN MY SUBARU OUTBACK (WITH MY WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN) WHEN I NOTICE A COMPLETE LOSS IN THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE CAR WAS JUST BARELY MOVING DUE TO THE ENGINE IDLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I DROVE AT THAT PACE TO A PARKING LOT TO CHECK MY OPTIONS. I HAD NOT NOTED, UNTIL NOW, THAT THIS CAR HAS NO THROTTLE CABLE AND IS COMPLETELY DRIVE-BY-WIRE. I LOOKED AT THE CONNECTION OF WIRE HARNESS TO THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND DID NOT SEE ANY RED FLAGS - NO CORROSION, ETC. IT APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF, WAITED ABOUT 30 SEC, AND RESTARTED IT. IT THEN GOT US HOME. WHEN I GOT HOME TONIGHT, I RAN MY OBD DIAGNOSTIC TOOL AND GOT A P2138 ERROR CODE. THIS IS LISTED AS "THROTTLE/PEDAL POSITION SENSOR/SWITCH "D"/"E" VOLTAGE CORRELATION" TROUBLE CODE DESCRIPTION. I AM GOING TO CHECK INTO MY OPTIONS TOMORROW, BUT FELT THIS WAS WORTH REPORTING SINCE IT APPEARS THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. THERE IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN WITH A FAILURE OF THIS NATURE AS I WAS TRAVELING AT A GOOD RATE AND IN TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, EVERYONE IS OK - BUT MY WIFE AND I WORRY WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THANKS. *TR

IN THE 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK 3.0 THE THROTTLE IS CONTROLLED ELECTRONICALLY. THIS FAILED ON ME WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH DOWN THE FREEWAY. THE GAS PEDDLE STOPPED RESPONDING. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED. I HAD TO PULL OVER. AFTER ABOUT 1 MINUTE I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE THROTTLE STARTED TO RESPOND AGAIN. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOW ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT IS BLINKING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS A FIX. AFTER REVIEWING MANY FORUMS, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE SUBARU KNOWS WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE. BUT THERE ARE SOME "RECOMMENDATIONS". *TR

REAR WIPER CEASED FUNCTIONING. THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO BROKEN WIRE(S) IN A WIRING HARNESS THAT PASSES THROUGH A RUBBER ACCORDION BOOT BETWEEN THE CAR BODY AND THE TAIL-GATE (NEAR THE RIGHT-HAND TAILGATE HINGE). MANY OF THE OTHER WIRES, AFFECTING UPPER BRAKE LIGHT, LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS, BACKUP LIGHTS, AND TAILGATE LATCH/LOCK, WERE FRAYED AND WERE REPLACED DUE TO IMMINENT FAILURE OF THE ABOVE LISTED COMPONENTS. RESEARCH AT AN ONLINE FORUM FOR SUBARU OWNERS SHOWED THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS (OF 2005 AND 2006 SUBARU OUTBACKS) HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR FAILURES DUE TO BROKEN WIRES IN THIS WIRING HARNESS. I SUSPECT THAT IT IS AN UNDER-REPORTED PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT SUBARU SHOULD BE ASKED TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER. ELECTRIC WAS STILL ON. GAS PEDAL DID NOT WORK. CEL AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS BOTH BLINKING. WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN 15 MPH ON FLAT ROAD, AND BARLEY ANY SPEED ON INCLINE. GOT OFF HIGHWAY NEAR HOME AND SHUT OF ENGINE. WAITED AND TRIED TO START BACK UP. 30 SECONDS OF CRANKING, AND NOTHING. WAITED ANOTHER MINUTE AND IT STARTED. GOT HOME AND PULLED A P2138 CODE. PULLED WIRING HARNESS OFF GAS PEDAL AND RESEATED IT. RESET THE CEL AND EVERYTHING HAS BEEN FINE SINCE. SCARY SITUATION, ESPECIALLY AT 65MPH DURING THANKSGIVING EVE RUSH-HOUR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STOPPED RESPONDING. I COULDN'T ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOW ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I PULLED OVER AND THE IDLE WAS AT 2,000 RPMS AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STILL NOT RESPONDING. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, THE ACCELERATOR WAS WORKING BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WAS FLASHING. *TR

INCIDENT HAPPENED AT A RED LIGHT IN TRAFFIC AT RUSH HOUR. AFTER PULLING UP TO A RED LIGHT TO A FULL STOP, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND THE THROTTLE STUCK OPEN AT EXACTLY 2500RPM. THE CAR ACCELERATED FROM A DEAD STOP AND CONTINUED TO DO SO WITH NO INPUT FROM ME. THE GAS PEDAL DOES NOTHING AT ALL. I HAD TO APPLY BRAKES AND MOVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID TRAFFIC. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS SOLID AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT FLASHES. *TR

AFTER SLOWING TO A NEAR STOP AT THE BOTTOM OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP, MY CAR SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING, DIED AND I LOST ALL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING ENGINE AND POWER STEERING. ALL I WAS ABLE TO DO WAS DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SUBARU INITIALLY BELIEVED THAT THE ECM HAD FAILED. AFTER REPLACING THE ECM, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE. SUBARU ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HOUSING HAD MELTED AGAINST THE COOLANT CROSSOVER PIPE, EXPOSING WIRING WHICH WAS THEN SHORTING OUT. SUBARU COULD GIVE ME NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE WIRING HARNESS WAS INSTALLED AGAINST A HOT COMPONENT OF MY ENGINE SUCH THAT IT WOULD MELT. HAD THIS HAPPENED 1 MINUTE EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON INTERSTATE 95 DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WITH A DEAD CAR. GIVEN THE SUDDENNESS WITH WHICH MY CAR DIED, IT IS LIKELY I WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.