2000 Subaru Outback

REAR SUB FRAME ROTTED OUT IN MULTIPLE PLACES AND BROKE LOOSE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2003. THE CAR WAS NEVER REPAIRED BEFORE I PURCHASED IT A FEW YEARS AGO. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DOYLE SUBARU IN WEBSTER NY. THEY OFFERED TO COVER THE EXPENSE OF THE PART BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THEM $800.00 TO COVER THE REPAIR LABOR! THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 8 WEEKS NOW AND I'M DISABLE AND ON SSD WITHOUT MUCH INCOME. I COULD HAVE DIED WHEN THE CAR BROKE LOOSE ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHILE I WAS GOING 55 MPH. I'M WITHOUT A LONER CAR AND CAN'T MAKE MY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. THE CAR HAD TO BE FLAT BED TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT CAN'T BE DRIVEN THE WAY IT IS. MY ATTORNEY TRIED TO CALL THE DEALER BUT THEY REFUSE TO CALL HIM BACK.

NHTSA ID

11061950

Incident

Nov 12, 2017

Mileage

105,000 mi

THE 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS A NOXIOUS SMELL FROM FUEL IN THE CABIN ONLY IN COLD WEATHER,THAT YOU MUST RIDE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN UNTIL THIS DISSIPATES. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER TO ASK IF THEY WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AND WHAT WOULD BE AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR? I, JUST ABOUT GOT THE QUESTION OUT OF MY MOUTH,WHEN THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID IT'LL COST AROUND $200 MAYBE A LITTLE MORE TO REPLACE TWO FUEL LINES AND FITTINGS(SCREW CLAMPS) ON THE TOP RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I ASKED IF SOMETHING THIS SERIOUS WAS EVER COVERED BY A RECALL AND HE SAID NO, BUT I SHOULD CHECK WITH SUBARU OF NORTH AMERICA TO MAKE SURE,BEING THE CAR IS A 2000 HIS COMPUTER MAY NOT HAVE IT, FOR THAT FAR BACK? SO, I CALLED SUBARU OF NA EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND ALSO EXPLAINED THAT WHILE I WAS DOING SOME ON-LINE RESEARCH IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED AND DISCUSSED PROBLEM WITH MANY SUBARU OWNERS AND THEY ARE VERY SPECIFIC AS TO WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM IS. SUBARU OF NA KNOWS OF NO PROBLEM EVER, I GUESS ADMISSION WOULD MEAN THIS PROBLEM TRULY EXISTS. THIS ISSUE ONLY BECAME PREVALENT WITH SUBARU'S OWNED IN COLD WEATHER AREAS, SOUTHERN STATES OR WEST COAST WOULD NOT SEE THIS PROBLEM REGULARLY BECAUSE YOU NEED TEMPERATURES TO BE APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES AND BELOW. I AM JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY NO FEDERAL AGENCY HAS HELD SUBARU TO A HIGHER STANDARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO A PROBLEM WITH A FUEL LINE AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND WELL DOCUMENTED. I AM NOT A MECHANIC, AND LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME I DON'T HAVE THE DISPOSABLE INCOME THAT I HAD IN THE PAST, SUBARU KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS EVIDENT IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS FAMILIARITY WITH THE FIX? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME AS TO WHY THIS HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO GO FOR AS LONG AS IT HAS? SUBARU KNOWS DOES THE GOVERNMENT, I HOPE NOT. CONCERNED, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

NHTSA ID

11060933

Incident

Mar 9, 2017

Mileage

150,000 mi

UNKNOWN COMPONENT PART/SYSTEM. DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. CHECKED FUSE AND BULB WHICH WAS STILL GOOD; REPLACED BULB ANYWAY AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. NEXT DAY THE OTHER HEADLIGHT ALSO WENT OUT. CHECKED THE SAME THINGS. HIGH BEAMS, FOG AND PARKING LIGHTS STILL WORKED. MY SON JIGGLED THE BULB SOCKET AND WIRES AND THE LIGHTS CAME ON BUT NOW THE DRIVER HIGH BEAM WENT OUT. HIGH BEAM BULB AND FUSE WERE BOTH OKAY. THE LOW BEAMS ALSO NOW APPEARED TO BE YELLOW. HAD TO DRIVE AT NIGHT A FEW DAYS LATER (I ALWAYS DRIVE WITH MY FOG LIGHTS ON UNLESS THE HIGH BEAMS ARE USED) AND IT SEEMED LIKE I COULD NOT SEE VIRTUALLY ANYTHING AHEAD OF ME; THE LOW BEAMS WERE EXTREMELY DIM AND UNSAFE TO USE. WAS FORCED TO USE MY SINGLE WORKING HIGH BEAM. IN GOOGLING THE PROBLEMS ONLINE I CAME ACROSS SCORES OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SOME REPLACED THE DRL MODULE WITH NO CHANGE IN RESULT. IT HAS TO BE A SOCKET PROBLEM OR GROUNDING PROBLEM OF SOME SORT, OR PERHAPS A WIRING PROBLEM, THOUGH SOME PEOPLE REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS TO NO AVAIL, AND REPLACED PINS, CLIPS IN THE BULB SOCKET ASSEMBLY. THIS IS DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID

10892936

Incident

Jul 28, 2016

Mileage

210,000 mi

I WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC ON 4/20/15 THAT THE REAR CRADLE IS VERY RUSTY, ENOUGH THAT I SHOULD AVOID CARRYING HEAVY LOADS. I JUST NOTICED ON THIS WEBSITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2003 FOR INADEQUATE RUSTPROOFING OF THAT PART; HOWEVER, WE NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF A RECALL. CAN THIS BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED NOW? THERE WAS NO INCIDENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10872273

Incident

Apr 20, 2015

Mileage

147,138 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED ON A TOWN STREET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED BY THE ODOR OF GAS FUMES. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION BY EXPERIENCED SUBARU MECHANICS REVEALED A SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF THE A/C COMPRESSOR, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, A HEADLIGHT BULB AND FINALLY, A DAMAGED FUEL LINE THAT WAS SPRAYING A MIST OF GASOLINE OVER THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE MECHANICS HAD NEVER SEEN A SITUATION LIKE THIS BEFORE, AND HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR HOW THESE COMPONENTS COULD HAVE FAILED AT THE SAME TIME. THE FUEL LINE AND BULB WERE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

10863233

Incident

Nov 27, 2015

Mileage

124,400 mi

THE REAR SUB-FRAME IS ROTTED AND ABOUT TO BREAK. WHILE DRIVING THE SUB-FRAME IS SHIFTING CAUSING LOUD BANGING. WHEN STARTING, STOPPING AND DRIVING THE LOUD BANGING IS HEARD FROM THE SHIFTING OF THE ROTTED SUB-FRAME.

NHTSA ID

10837324

Incident

Feb 1, 2016

Mileage

240,000 mi

DUE TO HEAVY CORROSION, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR SUBFRAME ON THIS VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY THE 2003 RECALL ON THIS PART WAS INADEQUATE. I WOULD LIKE THE REAR SUBFRAME TO BE RECALLED AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE, RATHER THAN JUST UNDERCOATING THE PART AND HAVING IT ROT AWAY ANYWAY.

NHTSA ID

10785593

Incident

Apr 22, 2013

Mileage

154,000 mi

IN COLD WEATHER (USUALLY 25 F AND BELOW) THERE IS A STRONG FUEL SMELL. WORSE THE COLDER IT GETS. I AM WORRIED FOR MY BABY'S HEALTH AND ALSO WORRIED I WAS INHALING THIS LEAKING FUEL THROUGHOUT MY PREGNANCY. IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING AND IS UNHEALTHY. I REPORTED THIS TO A MECHANIC SHOP AND THEY REBUILT THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF OTHER ISSUES. THEY SAID THIS REBUILDING WOULD FIX THE FUEL LEAK/SMELL ALSO. IT LESSENED IT, BUT IT IS STILL THERE EVERY TIME IT IS COLD OUT. IT DISSIPATES AFTER DRIVING IT FOR A WHILE. I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND THERE REALLY SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10678184

Incident

Nov 25, 2013

Mileage

120,000 mi

This annocement is to inform dealers to the Gen 3.1 Head Unit OTA will be available via Wi-Fi. The update will take place in multiple batches with the first beginneing November 15th and the last being Decemeber 3rd. This update is for approximatelt 714,000 VINs.

This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way some vehicles with accessories are sold. This regulation applies to any automobile retailer installing accessories on a vehicle prior to its first sale.

This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.

This Service Information Bulletin announces the preferred practices to be used when handling vehicles equipped with Gen2 Telematics which are enrolled in the Subaru STARLINK® Security Plus Service featuring Stolen Vehicle Recovery Plus with Immobilizer.

This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.

This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.