2006 Subaru Outback

FIRST INCIDENT 4/8/12 - AFTER DOWN SHIFTING AND BEGINNING TO COAST DOWNHILL AT ABOUT 25 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS BEING PRESSED AND DEPRESSED SLOWLY, THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK SLOWLY. THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY SO WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER. TURNED THE ENGINE OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS AND AFTER RESTARTING, THE CAR WAS RESPONSIVE BUT BOTH LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED A LOSE GAS CAP. SECOND INCIDENT 4/18/12 - DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 20 MPH, SAME PROBLEM. TURNED THE ENGINE OFF WHILE STILL IN TRAFFIC AND RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. TRIED TO DO SO SEVERAL TIMES WHILE IN TRAFFIC BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. AFTER RESTARTING, THE CAR WAS RESPONSIVE AGAIN BUT BOTH LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. THE DEALER SUGGESTED A FAULTY THROTTLE SENSOR BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM UNTIL THE CAR WAS CHECKED. THE PROBLEM CODE WAS GIVEN AS P2138. THE CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. *TR

FIRST OCCURRENCE 12/5/11. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS I LOST THE ABILITY ACCELERATE. I COASTED TO A PARKING SPACE, SHUT MY CAR OFF AND WAS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. AFTER AND HOUR I TURNED MY CAR BACK ON AND ALL SEEMED FINE. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND PROBLEM P2138, ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ALL SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE. SECOND OCCURRENCE 1/21/12. I WAS DRIVING ALONG A SIDE ROAD, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS I ONCE AGAIN LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. SHUT THE CAR OFF, SAT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND TURNED IT BACK ON. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. I GOT MY CAR HOME AND HOOKED UP THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER TO IT AND GOT THE SAME P2138 CODE. I READJUSTED THE WIRES CONNECTING THE ACCELERATOR AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO OCCUR WHEN I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. OBVIOUSLY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LAMP AND CRUISE CONTROL WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A SENSOR ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AT 55 MPH IN MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE AND IT APPEARED THAT THE CAR'S ENGINE WENT INTO IDLE MODE. I WAS LOSING SPEED AND DECIDED TO MOVE MY CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I SHUT OFF MY ENGINE AND WAITED A MINUTE OR TWO AND TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. A FEW MINUTES LATER I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEEMED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY, ALTHOUGH THE TWO WARNING LIGHTS WERE STILL ILLUMINATED. THE NEXT DAY I STARTED THE CAR A COUPLE OF TIMES, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AND BOTH WARNING LIGHTS WERE NO LONGER LIT. THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY FOR ABOUT ONE WEEK. THIS INDENTICAL PROBLEM RECURRED AGAIN ONE WEEK AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT. I DROVE MY 2006 OUTBACK TO MY INDEPENDENT SUBARU MECHANIC WHO READ THE ERROR CODE AS P2138. HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL OF HIS CLIENT'S CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM RECENTLY AND RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE MY CAR TO A SUBARU DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. A FEW DAYS LATER I HAD MY OUTBACK SERVICED AT MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR (INTEGRAL TO THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY) AND CONFIRMED THE P2138 ERROR CODE. THE PEDAL SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND (TWO DAYS LATER) THE CAR APPEARS TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AGAIN. THE REPAIR BILL WAS ABOUT $320 FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. ALTHOUGH BOTH TIMES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE I WAS ON A ROAD WITH VERY FEW CARS AND HAD NO DIFFICULTY GETTING SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DANGEROUS IF I WAS TRYING TO CHANGE LANES AT HIGH SPEED WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC AROUND ME. *KB

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF MOMENTARILY AND THE FAILURE WOULD RESET ITSELF UNTIL RECURRING WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN WHICH A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACCELERATOR HAD FAILED. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS REPLACED YET THE FAILURE RECURRED. A SECOND DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED WHICH ALSO INDICATED A FAILURE WITHIN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FURTHER. UPDATED 02/23/11 *BF UPDATED 04/28/11

2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. HI, PROBLEM (1) HEAD REST IS SO BIG THAT BETWEEN THE SEAT BELT STRAP AND THE HEAD REST THERE IS NO VIEW TO SEE VEHICLES ABOUT TO PASS IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. CAN RESULT IN SIDE SWIPING WHEN CHANGING LANES. ALL THE SAFETY FEATURES IN THE WORLD WON'T HELP IF THE END RESULT OF THE FEATURE IS TO CAUSE INJURY OR FATALITY. SAFETY PROBLEM (2) THE SPEEDOMETER. IN ORDER TO MAKE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LOOK "CUTE" YOU HAVE DESTROY THE ABILITY TO SEE WHAT SPEED THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. NO NEED TO GO TO 140 MPH TO START WITH. THE JUMPS BETWEEN MARKINGS MAKE IT JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE TO QUICKLY DETERMINE THE SPEEDS 50, 60, AND 70 MPH AND FORGET TRYING FOR 55,65,75. WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO ABOUT THESE TWO VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS ON MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK?????? I AM "DEAD" SERIOUS ABOUT THIS AND WILL SEARCH ALL POSSIBILITIES FOR A REMEDY.*AK