2007 Subaru Outback

PROBLEM P2138 THROTTLE CEASES TO CONTROL CAR ENGINE SPEED. IN NEUTRAL IT SETTLES AT ?4000 RPM. STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE CAR STOPS THE PROBLEM, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT FLASHES FOR 1-2 DAYS. CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT FUNCTIONAL WHILE IN THIS STATE. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED, BUT TYPICALLY AT 55-60. HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, NOW 3 TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. HAD THE THROTTLE SENSOR REPLACED ONE YEAR AGO, AND WE HAD NO PROBLEM FOR 11 MONTHS UNTIL THE PAST MONTH. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG SYSTEM SOMETIMES IS NOT ACTIVE UPON STARTING VEHICLE. THIS IS INDICATED BY THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WHICH IS ILLUMINATED. THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ILLUMINATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT IN THIS SITUATION (AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED) THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. NUMEROUS POSTS ON THE INTERNET CONFIRM THIS. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY DANGEROUS AND COMMON SITUATION THAT SHOULD BE REMEDIED BY SUBARU THROUGH A RECALL. UPDATED 09/24/14*LJ UPDATED 02/20/2015 *JS

IN JUNE OF 2013 I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER FOR SERVICE AFTER NOTICING A BURNING SMELL. I WAS TOLD MY FRONT RIGHT AXLE WAS BROKEN. SEVEN MONTHS LATER (JANUARY 2014) I RETURNED TO THE DEALER WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THIS TIME THE LEFT AXLE AND LEFT WHEEL BEARING WERE BROKEN. TWO MONTHS LATER (MARCH 2014) I WAS BACK AT THE DEALER AND MY RIGHT AXLE AND RIGHT AXLE SEAL WERE BROKEN AGAIN. THAT IS THREE AXLES IN NINE MONTHS! THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER AT SUBARU TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT ABNORMAL; THAT THE CAR HAS A "DESIGN FLAW" WHERE THE AXLE BOOT SITS VERY CLOSE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SO IT HEATS UP, WHICH CAUSES THE AXLE TO CRACK AND BREAK. *TR

REFER TO NHTSA COMPLAINT 10558038 VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN A COUPLE OF TIMES ON GOOD DRY ROADS AFTER DECEMBER COMPLAINT ABOUT REAR END STABILITY AND TRACTION PROBLEMS. ON JAN 29TH, MID MORNING DRIVER WAS DRIVING WITH 1 PASSENGER ON A SLIGHTLY SNOW COVERED GRAVEL ROAD. VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM TURNED OFF AND WHEN HE ACCELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WITH SLIGHT THROTTLE PRESSURE, HE STATED "THE CAR STARTED DRIVING ITSELF AND BECAME TOTALLY UNCONTROLLABLE." HE SAID "IT SPUN AROUND ONE WAY THEN THE OTHER" BEFORE GOING THROUGH A DITCH, RUNNING THROUGH A FENCE AND INTO A RAILROAD TIE POST. HE SAID THAT HE HAD TRIED EVERY THING POSSIBLE TO AVOID THE CRASH AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THIS IS THE SAME DRIVER IN PREVIOUS COMPLAINT THAT IS A EX-RACE CAR DRIVER, HAS HAD NUMEROUS SPIN OUTS AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE TRACK AND IS ALSO A PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER. HE DROVE AN OLD 2 WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCK LATER THAT DAY UNDER WORSE ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE TO GET IT HOME. ON THE WAY TO THE BODY SHOP, 40 MPH IT AGAIN STARTED SWAYING BACK AND FORTH ERRATICALLY WHEN HE DROVE OVER A PATCH OF ICE ON THE ROAD. THE CAR IS AT THE BODY SHOP WITH OVER $3000 DAMAGE. *AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR END SWERVED WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. A LOCAL AUTO SPECIALIST PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT AND THE TIRES WERE REPLACED HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000. ..UPDATED 08/11/14 *BF

WHILE DRIVING ON SNOW COVERED ROADS WITH THREE PEOPLE AND SKI EQUIPMENT IN THE VEHICLE, I EXPERIENCED DANGEROUS, ABNORMAL HANDLING. THIS PHENOMENON HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY OTHER 2005-2009 SUBARU OUTBACK OWNERS, AND IS BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE VEHICLES SUSPENSION SYSTEM. SPECIFICALLY, THE OUTBACKS APPEAR TO HAVE A CHASSIS TUNING ISSUE WHERE THE REAR SUSPENSION OSCILLATES IN SUCH A WAY TO CAUSE REAR-STEER. WHEN THIS OCCURS ROAD FEEL AND HANDLING CONFIDENCE ARE COMPLETELY LOST. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW AND SEE THAT IT IS PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER. *TR

THIS IS THE 5TH SUBARU I HAVE OWNED IN MY LIFE AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANY OF THEM WITH STABILITY IN SNOW AND ICE. I AM A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER AND HAVE DRIVEN IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS IN 2 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES AND 4. I PURCHASE THIS CAR IN JUNE OF 2012 AND ALWAYS FELT THAT IT WAS NOT STABLE ON THE ROAD. WHEN THE SNOW FELL, I WAS TESTING THE ROAD CONDITIONS ON VERY DRY CRUNCHY SNOW, WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE TO GO AROUND A LEFT CORNER. (THIS IS SOMETHING MY OTHER 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH.) THE VEHICLE STARTED TO TURN AND THE REAR END CAME UNDONE AND THE CAR SLID INTO A 4 WHEEL SKID. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE WHOLE REAR END HAD LOST ANY TRACTION. IT TOOK ACCELERATION TO GET IT TO ENGAGE AGAIN. BOTH OF MY SUBARU'S HAVE ALL SEASON RADIALS THAT ARE IN GREAT SHAPE. LATER IN DECEMBER MY HUSBAND (WHO IS ALSO A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER) AND I WERE TRAVELING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 55 MPH, THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 38 DEGREES AND THE ROAD SURFACE WAS WET. WE HAD JUST A FEW GROCERIES IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AND IT WAS NOT HEAVILY LOADED. WE HIT A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE CAR STARTED SWAYING AND WOBBLING LIKE ON ICY ROADS. HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR UNDER CONTROL, BUT BOTH OF US WERE SHOCKED AT HOW UNSTABLE IT WAS. WE AGAIN CHECKED THE ROAD SURFACE AND IT WAS NOT ICY. I HAVE ALSO ENCOUNTERED INSTABILITY IN SNOW AND SLUSH, THAT IS NOT NORMAL TO THE SUBARU OUTBACK. MY OTHER CAR HAS NO PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR