2006 Subaru Outback

I OWN A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND ABOUT 28,000 MILES. IT IS AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE. ON "BLACK ICE", REGULAR ICE AND HARD SNOW PACK, IT WEAVES SIDE TO SIDE ON ITS OWN. THE DRIVER BASICALLY LOSES THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE EXPERIENCE WOULD BE SIMILAR TO BE DRIVING WITH A STRONG SIDE WIND WHICH MOVES YOUR VEHICLE ON YOU. THE DIFFERENCE IS WITH THE WIND YOU CAN TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND STEER INTO THE WIND TO COUNTERACT ITS EFFECT. IN THIS CASE, YOU ARE CAPTIVE TO WHEREVER THE VEHICLE TAKES YOU AND CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT SHORT OF SLOWING DOWN OR STOP DRIVING IT ALTOGETHER. THIS IS UNNERVING TO SAY THE LEAST AND FRIGHTENING OTHERWISE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING BY ITSELF IS TO SLOW DOWN TO 35MPH OR LESS. WHILE I HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT (YET), WHILE DRIVING IT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, IT IS VERY NERVE RACKING. SUBARU IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS CHOSEN TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT TO THIS POINT. THEY MUST BE WAITING FOR FATALITIES OR LAWSUITS BEFORE THEY FEEL A "FIX" IS NECESSARY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. IT IS REAL AND COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT FIXED. *TR

I EXPERIENCE A SIDE-TO-SIDE SHAKE ON ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. IT IS VERY UNSETTLING TO THE CAR AND IS NOT SIMPLY ROAD CONDITIONS. FWD, RWD, AND OTHER AWD VEHICLES ARE NOT HAVING ANY TROUBLE AND I'M DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO STAY ON THE ROAD AND AM DRIVING AS MUCH AS 20 - 30 MPH SLOWER THAN THE NEXT SLOWER CAR ON THE ROAD. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SUBARU OUTBACK VEHICLE DYNAMICS ON ICE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON ICY OR PACKED SNOW CONDITIONS SOMETIMES THE OUTBACK'S REAR-END FEELS LIKE IT'S BREAKING FREE, IN A SIDE-TO-SIDE MOTION. THIS IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS GHOSTWALKING OR MAYBE FISHTAILING, BUT NOT THE KIND OF FISHTAILING MOST ARE FAMILIAR WITH. IT SEEMS THE CAR ISN'T EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THESE VERY SPECIFIC CONDITIONS AND AS A RESULT THE REAR-END STARTS WOBBLING. I'VE DRIVEN IN FOUL WEATHER MANY TIMES, MANY MILES, MANY YEARS AND DO NOT DRIVE TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS AND I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE IN BAD WEATHER. I'M 99% SURE THIS CONDITION IS RESULTING FROM THE CAR, NOT THE DRIVER. WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN I END UP DRIVING MUCH SLOWER THAN OTHER TRAFFIC, TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE ARE EAGER TO PASS AND ARE ANNOYED. I ALSO RUN DEDICATED SNOW TIRES. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A "GO-ANYWHERE" CAR WITH PROVEN AWD CAPABILITIES, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS IN PRIOR GENERATIONS, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE 3RD GENERATION MY2005+ CARS. SOA PLEASE DO SOME TESTING AS I CANNOT HONESTLY RECOMMEND THIS CAR AND I WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER. I'M STILL DEBATING IF I'LL BE KEEPING THIS ONE. PLEASE CONSIDER YOUR REPUTATION AND LOOK SERIOUSLY INTO THIS MATTER. YOU HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC PIECE OF THE AUTO MARKET AND I HOPE YOU HAVE INTENTIONS OF KEEPING IT. THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND MAY BE A RESULT OF THE AWD SYSTEM, SUSPENSION, ALIGNMENT OR ANY COMBINATION OF THEM. WE NEED YOUR HELP IN STAGING TESTS TO GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE. I HAVE CONTACTED SOA DIRECTLY AND HOPE THIS WILL TAKE ACTION. *TR

I AM IN MY THIRD SEASON DRIVING MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK TO LAKE TAHOE FOR WINTER SKI SEASON. I'VE ALWAYS FELT CONFIDENT DRIVING ON SNOWY OR ICY ROADS UNTIL MY LAST TWO TRIPS--CHRISTMAS 2008, AND NEW YEAR'S 2009. ON THESE TRIPS, I EXPERIENCED VERY DISTURBING FISHTAILING THAT EVERYONE IN THE CAR NOTICED, AND I HAD TO FIGHT TO COMPENSATE FOR. THIS OCCURRED EVEN ON LONG STRAIGHT SECTIONS. EACH TIME I HAD TO SLOW DOWN WELL BELOW THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, AND THE SPEED OF PREVIOUS TRIPS. THIS ISSUE MADE ME WONDER ABOUT IMPROPER TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE, SO WE CALLED THE TIRE DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED THIS WAS NOT THE CAUSE. IT FELT AS IF THE REAR WHEEL TRACTION WAS OVERCOMING FRONT WHEEL TRACTION, THAT MADE ME ALSO WONDER WHETHER THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I ALSO CONSIDERED WEIGHT AS A CAUSE, BECAUSE ONE DAY I DROVE FROM RENO TO TAHOE WITH ONLY ONE PASSENGER, AND LITTLE CARGO, AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM. BUT, THE FULLY LOADED VEHICLE WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN MANY TRIPS THE PREVIOUS TWO SEASONS, WHEN THE FISHTAILING DID NOT OCCUR, AND I COULD MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT SPEED TO STAY WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. SAME VEHICLE, SAME TIRES, SAME LOADS, SAME ROAD, SAME CONDITIONS, YET MUCH DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE. I NOTICED OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, SOME OF WHICH REFER TO "GHOSTWALKING." PLEASE WORK ON IDENTIFYING THE CAUSE AND SOLUTION FOR THIS ISSUE, TO PREVENT SERIOUS ACCIDENT/INJURY. THANK YOU. *TR

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE PERFORMANCE IN ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. OTHER CARS PASS WITH EASE WHILE MINE FELT LIKE IT WAS SLIPPING AND FLOATING OVER THE ROAD. THIS ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR IN ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. WE ACTUALLY SPUN OUT ON ICE WHILE ONLY DRIVING 30MPH, CLIPPING A ROAD SIGN. WE'RE LUCKY THE DAMAGE/INJURIES WEREN'T WORSE. CAR FEELS COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE. IT IS TERRIFYING TO DRIVE IN THESE CONDITIONS. *TR

REAR TRACKING BEGINS OSCILLATING DANGEROUSLY IN WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. GOING 30 MPH AND BEING PASSED BY EVERY CAR ON THE ROAD WHILE I AM FIGHTING TO KEEP FROM CRASHING. REAR WHEELS SEEM TO TRANSFER TRACTION TO TIRES THAT ARE SLIPPING, OSCILLATING BACK AND FORTH, CAUSING REAR END TO FISHTAIL AT ANY SPEED. REPLACED TIRES AND SAME THING. THIS IS THE SCARIEST THING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. BEEN DRIVING IN WISCONSIN WINTERS FOR 35 YEARS. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA WEBSITE AND ON INTERNET POSTINGS. I AM SERIOUS - THIS IS REALLY DANGEROUS. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE SUBARU ACCOUNTABLE? *TR

OUR 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK WAS TAKEN ON AN EXTENDED TRIP IN THE SUMMER OF 2006 WHERE THE ALIGNMENT WENT SO FAR OUT OF TRUE THAT THE TIRES ALMOST BLUE (PROBLEM CORRECTED ENROUTE). A 2ND EXTENDED TRIP WAS TAKEN A FEW WEEKS AGO WHERE THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED, EVEN THOUGH THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT OK'D THE CAR. THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT IN THE CAR WAS NO MORE THAN PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND SOME FOOD BUT, DUE TO THE ALIGNMENT (AS VERIFIED BY SUBARU MECHANICS), THE TIRES CAME FRIGHTENINGLY CLOSE TO BLOWING. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I WAGON WITH LESS THAN 16,000 MILES. THE BRAKES GRIND AND SEEM LIKE THEY MAY NOT CATCH. IN FACT, A YEAR AGO WE SLID THROUGH AN INTERSECTION ON OUR WAY TO HAVE OUR TAXES DONE WHEN THEY DID NOT HOLD. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS DUE TO RUST AND THAT SUBARU DOES NOT COVER RUSTED BRAKES ON THEIR WARRANTY. WE CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER 1-800-782-2783 AND TALKED TO MATT AND HE ALSO INDICATED THEY DID NOT WARRANT RUSTED BRAKES BUT THAT HE WOULD CALL THE DEALER. THE CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE, AND 36 MONTH 36000 BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN STORED IN A GARAGE. THE BRAKES SHOULD NOT FAIL AT LESS THAN 16000 MILES. THIS CAR SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY. ARE THEY USING SUBSTANDARD METAL IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM? SHOULD THIS CAR BE RECALLED FOR FAULTY BRAKES? IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE? *TR

WHEN DRIVING OUR SUBARU 2006 2.5I OUTBACK WAGON (4-SPEED AUTO W/SPORT SHIFT) IN WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS, WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INSTANCES WHERE THE REAR OF THE CAR BEGINS TO FLOAT OR DO MINI-FISHTAILS. IT FEELS LIKE THE REAR WHEELS ARE ALTERNATELY PUSHING THE CAR BACK AND FORTH OR LIKE THERE ARE WIND GUSTS HITTING THE CAR. THE FLOATING HAS A RHYTHMIC FEEL AND MAY CONTINUE FOR MANY MILES UNTIL THE ROAD CONDITIONS CHANGE. WHEN THE CAR IS 'FLOATING', YOU SENSE THAT ANY CHANGE (STEERING, GAS OR BRAKING) WILL CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AND WHILE WE HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET, IT IS A TRULY SCARY DRIVING SENSATION AND ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS CAUSES A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE ONLY SOLUTION I HAVE FOUND IS TO EASE UP ON GAS UNTIL YOU FIND A SPEED (USUALLY UNDER 40 MPH) WHERE THE FLOATING IS LESS PRONOUNCED. THIS IS OUR 9TH SUBARU AND WE HAVE 18 YEARS EXPERIENCE DRIVING SUBARU AWD VEHICLES ON MINNESOTA WINTER ROADS. NONE OF OUR FORMER CARS, UP THROUGH THE 2004 OUTBACK, EVER BEHAVED IN THE MANNER. PLEASE NOTE, NOT ALL WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS SEEM TO TRIGGER THE PROBLEM. I HAVE MOST FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCED THE FLOATING WHEN ON ASPHALT ROAD SURFACES THAT ARE ICY OR COVERED IN COMPACTED SNOW OR SLUSH. I HAVE HAD IT OCCUR ON COMPLETELY STRAIGHT ROADS UNDER STEADY THROTTLE WHILE TRAVELING UNDER 45 MPH. WHEN IT OCCURS, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DRIVING AT SAFE SPEEDS AND HAVE NOTED THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE PASSING BY AT MUCH HIGHER SPEEDS AND SEEMED COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT WITH THE ROAD CONDITIONS. THE MOST SERIOUS INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER WE HAD NEW MICHELIN TIRES PUT ON AND THE DEALER HAD COMPLETED AN ALIGNMENT. NO OTHER PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS A SUBARU. YOUR DATABASE OF VINS COMES UP WITH THE KEYSTONE RV MANUFACTURER. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. *TR