2006 Subaru Outback

STRAIGHT LINE DRIVING ON FLAT CONCRETE HIGHWAY, REAR END OF VEHICLE MAY START TO WANDER WHEN ROAD IS SLIPPERY. THIS OCCURS GENERALLY OVER 25MPH, WHEN ALL OTHER VEHICLES ARE ABLE TO TRAVEL AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THAN THE 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK 3.0R IS ABLE TO. CARS WILL PASS WHILE I AM WHITE KNUCKLED, CONCERNED THE REAR END IS GOING TO BREAK LOOSE AND CAUSE COMPLETE CONTROL FAILURE. I HAVE FOUND OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS ISSUE FROM OTHER SUBARU DRIVERS, AND THIS IS BEING REFERRED TO AS "GHOST WALKING" - THIS IS A VERY GOOD DESCRIPTION AS THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE. ESSENTIALLY, THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FEELS LIKE IT IS SENDING TOO MUCH POWER TO THE REAR END, UNDER EVEN/CONSTANT SPEED, AND CAUSING THE REAR TO BREAK LOOSE. OR, THERE IS A ALIGNMENT GEOMETRY PROBLEM. VERY UNSETTLING AND VERY UNEXPECTED FOR A HIGHLY REGARDED ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEMS AND NONE HAVE DONE THIS IN THE SAME CONDITIONS. VERY HARD TO RECREATE FOR DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURE, AS IT REQUIRES PRECISE ROAD CONDITIONS. JUST SO HAPPENS IT IS PRECISELY THE ROAD CONDITIONS THAT MOST PEOPLE MIGHT BUY A SUBARU (IN MN OR CO). VERY DANGEROUS. *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 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR STARTED TO FLASH. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AND DROVE THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE CONTACT HAS SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,731. UPDATED 07/26/11 *BF UPDATED 3/20/12 *CN