2006 Subaru Outback

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SOON FOLLOWED BY THE FLASHING CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT. AT THE POINT, THE CAR BECAME NO LONGER RESPONSIVE TO THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER BECAUSE AFTER BREAKING, I COULDN'T SPEED BACK UP. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON THE ENGINE REVVED AT A HIGH SPEED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT STILL FLASHING. I EVENTUALLY HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH THIS CAR WAS ME PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AFTER STOPPING AT A GAS STATION AND THE RPMS SUDDENLY SHOT UP TO 2000. AFTER FILLING THE TANK, I TRIED TO START IT BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I LET IT SIT FOR A MOMENT AND THEN TRIED AGAIN AND IT STARTED WITH NOW THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" ON AND "CRUISE" FLASHING. THE LIGHTS SELF-CORRECTED LATER THAT DAY BEFORE I COULD HAVE THE CODE READ. THE NEXT INCIDENT I WAS IN A LEFT HAND TURN LANE WITH A GREEN ARROW. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CRUISE CAME ON AND I SUDDENLY LOST THE USE OF THE GAS PEDAL. IT WAS COMPLETELY LIMP. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED ON IT THE CAR JUST MOVED ALONG AT IDLE SPEED, LESS THAN 5 MPH. I BARELY MADE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BEFORE I LOST THE GREEN ARROW. I PULLED OVER, PUT IT IN PARK, THE RPMS WENT TO 2000, THEN I TURNED IT OFF. TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN AND IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. TRIED IT A SECOND TIME AND IT FIRED RIGHT UP AND THE GAS PEDAL FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CRUISE WERE ON AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE TO HAVE THE CODE READ AND IT CAME UP WITH P2138, AN ISSUE WITH THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED TWICE MORE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET A PROPER DIAGNOSIS FROM A MECHANIC AND THEY OCCURRED ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO TWO WEEKS APART. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH THESE CARS AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY A RECALL BY SUBARU. *TR

INCIDENT INITIALLY STARTED IN FEBRUARY, WENT TO ACCELERATE AFTER STARTING CAR IN THE AM, DID NOT RESPOND, CEL AND FLASHING CRUISE BUTTON CAME ON, ENGINE SEEMED TO IDLE AND WOULDN'T RESPOND TO TRYING TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. TURNED ENGINE OFF, TRIED TO TURN BACK ON, WOULD NOT START. REPEATED PROCESS WITH STARTING 2-3 TIMES UNTIL STARTED AGAIN. CEL AND FLASHING CRUISE REMAINED ON FOR A COUPLE DAYS, TOOK TO REPAIR GARAGE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG ON THE DIAGNOSTIC RUN. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS WHO COULD NEVER FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR OR GET IT TO REPRODUCE WHEN THEY DROVE IT, AND THEN TO DEALER 2 WEEKS AGO, THEY REPLACED THROTTLE BODY AND DID A FUEL INJECTOR SERVICE. AGAIN, THIS MORNING, ACCELERATING AT 30-40 MPH IN START/STOP TRAFFIC, COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT 30 MPH, ENGINE STARTED TO REV, PULLED OVER TO SIDE, SHUT OFF ENGINE, REPEATED 2 MORE TIMES, AGAIN CEL AND FLASHING CRUISE. THESE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON BUT CAR DROVE NORMALLY. VERY FRUSTRATED AS I CANNOT GET IT TO REPRODUCE FOR SHOP OR FOR DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT HAPPENS SO ERRATICALLY. *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

THERE HAVE BEEN TWO INCIDENTS SO FAR. ONE WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH WHEN THE THROTTLE COMPLETELY STOPPED RESPONDING. THE OTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED AT MUCH LOWER SPEEDS WHEN TURNING A CORNER AND THE THROTTLE NO LONGER RESPONDED. IN BOTH CASES THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED. PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR DID NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT AT ALL. IN BOTH CASES THE CAR WOULD "COAST" ALONG AT WHATEVER SPEED THE ENGINE IDLING WOULD MOVE IT - ROUGHLY 15 MPH. *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

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CRUISE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. THE GAS PEDAL WAS NON FUNCTIONING. SHE WAS ABLE TO COST TO A SAFE PLACE. WHEN I ARRIVED THE CAR WAS RUNNING. THE GAS PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TOOK HER TO WORK. AN HOUR LATER I RETURNED TO THE CAR AND TRIED TO START IT. IT TOOK SEVERAL SECONDS TO START, BUT DID. THE GAS PEDAL WORKED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON STEADY AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS FLASHING. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME. TODAY 10/20/12 THE CAR HAS NO SYMPTOMS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SCARY AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE BUSIEST STREET IN MONTANA DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. *TR