RoadVitals

2000 Subaru Outback Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
14
Latest Oct 1, 2013
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 207 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
4
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Subaru Outback submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistance
Filed Oct 1, 2013

SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED DUE TO LIGHT TRAFFIC AT A RED LIGHT. CAR STARTED TO FEEL NOT NORMAL AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR KEPT JUMPING FORWARD, NOT WANTING TO STOP. I WAS AFRAID I WOULD HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. LUCKILY I WAS GOING VERY SLOW. RIGHT AFTER THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING FOR NO REASON. I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, MY FOOT WAS NEVER ON THE GAS. I HAD TAKEN MY FOOT OF THE GAS BEFORE THE CAR STARTED ACTING UP, SINCE I NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN FOR THE RED LIGHT. THE RPMS WERE GOING VERY HIGH. I WAS UNSURE WHAT TO DO BECAUSE I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF SITUATION. I PANICKED AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND THEN IN PARK AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I CALLED FOR HELP AND WAS LUCKY MY STEP FATHER WAS AROUND THE CORNER. HE PUSHED THE CAR TO A SAFE SPOT. THEN HE TURNED ON THE CAR WHILE STILL IN PARK AND IT WAS STILL ACCELERATING VERY HIGH. IT WENT DOWN AND WENT BACK TO NORMAL ACCELERATION. HE THEN DROVE THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC WHICH WAS ABOUT 200 FEET AWAY. I AM NOW HAVING A DIAGNOSTIC DONE TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION TO WHY THE CAR HAD SUDDEN ACCELERATION. I KNOW FOR A FACT I DID NOT PRESS ON THE GAS INSTEAD OF THE BREAK, AND I ALSO KNOW IT WAS NOT THE SUBARU FLOOR MAT. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10546445
Incident
Oct 1, 2013
Mileage
97,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 14, 2010
Crash reported

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN SUBARU OUTBACK (2000) CAUSED SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10325751
Incident
Apr 14, 2010
Mileage
54,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 4, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AROUND 50-55 MPH WHEN THE RPMS REVVED TO 6500. THE CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE CONSUMER FOUND A MECHANIC THAT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME FOR HER. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT IN USE. THIS OCCURRED TWICE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED AND THEY ADMITTED THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATION. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CALLED. THE CONSUMER THAT WAS MAKING THE COMPLAINT WAS NOT THE OWNER, BUT HAD BORROWED THE VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO FOUND NOTHING WRONG. *SC . *AK

NHTSA ID
10138442
Incident
Oct 3, 2005
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 1, 2005

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER HAS TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO KEEP IT FROM INCREASING SPEED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10117231
Incident
Oct 4, 1999
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 24, 2005

ENGAGED CAR INTO REVERSE AND IMMEDIATELY THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT FULL THROTTLE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP CAR AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET OF MOVEMENT. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO OCCUPANTS OR PEDESTRIANS. BROUGHT TO DEALER, NO EVIDENCE OF PROBLEM FOUND ON CAR COMPUTER SYSTEMS. FILED FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA. FOUND THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY DOCUMENTED BY OTHER OUTBACK OWNERS. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE! *NM

NHTSA ID
10112106
Incident
Feb 20, 2005
Mileage
58,620 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 27, 2004
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. THIS CAUSED CONSUMER'S TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE LEFT THE PAVEMENT AND WENT OVER A STEEP BANK. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AT LEAST TWO TIMES LANDING ON IT'S ROOF. CONSUMER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID
10094320
Incident
Sep 21, 2004
Mileage
78,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed May 5, 2004

SUBARU OUTBACK VIN[XXX], 2000 MODEL VEHICLE STALLS AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE AWAY FROM STOPS. STALLS IN MIDDLE OF ROAD AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. DEALER REPROGRAMMED PCM ON 4/1/04 WHEN TAKEN IN FOR COOLANT/HEAD GASKET ISSUE RECALL. PERFORMANCE WAS POOR AFTER THIS AND WAS RETURNED TO DEALER 5/04/04. STATED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS WERE THE PROBLEM, NEW PLUGS FITTED. CAR IS WORSE THAN BEFORE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE DUE TO SUDDEN STALLING AND BOGGING ON TAKEOFF. MY HUSBAND HAS A 1999 SUBARU IMPREZZA AND HAS SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND HAS RETURNED HIS CAR SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO CORRECTION.*AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
10068371
Incident
Apr 1, 2004
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 15, 2003

AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE CONSUMER WAS WALKING AWAY AND NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS. VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, BUT FOR SOME REASON THE MECHANISM WAS NOT ENGAGED. VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY THE DEALER, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK EXPERIENCED ROLL BACK WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE. VEHICLE TRAVELED BACKWARDS ABOUT 3 FEET UNTIL CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO OPEN DOOR AND ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHERE NOTHING COULD BE FOUND WRONG AS TO WHY ROLL BACKS OCCURRED.*MR

NHTSA ID
10050526
Incident
Dec 2, 2003
Mileage
56,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 11, 2003
Crash reported

WHILE GOING BACKWARDS INTO GARAGE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND WENT THROUGH THE BACK OF THE GARAGE OFF DECK AND HIT A TREE. *AK PH *JB

NHTSA ID
10021860
Incident
May 23, 2003
Mileage
33,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 17, 2003

MY SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON WITH 50K MILES BEGAN HAVING OCCASIONAL ENGINE SURGE AFTER THE BRAKES WERE CHECKED BY THE DEALER. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 2X AND THEY HAVE NOT FOUND THE PROBLEM. JUST APPLYING THE BRAKE WILL KICK THE ENGINE INTO HIGH, AND THE ENGINE MUST BE TURNED OFF TO STOP THE SURGE. IT HAS HAPPEN TO ME 4X IN 2 WEEKS. I HAVE THE CAR BUT WILL NOT DRIVE IT. THE DEALER IS CONSULTING WITH SUBARU. APPARENTLY THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WHICH AT PRESENT HAS NO SOLUTION. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT AND I FEEL IMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN AND THE PUBLIC NOTIFIED. TS

NHTSA ID
10002844
Incident
Dec 8, 2001
Mileage
51,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed May 13, 2002

VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY ACCELERATE WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. IT WOULD USUALLY HAVE AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, USUALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COMING TO A STOP. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID
8009678
Incident
Jan 1, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 7, 2001
Crash reported

WHILE AT DRIVEWAY PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND JUST TAPPED ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND ENGINE OVER ACCELERATED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO CRASH INTO DRIVEWAY.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID
882355
Incident
Apr 9, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 26, 2001

ON THREE OCCASSIONS, WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE WITH FOOT APPLIED TO BRAKES, VEHICLE ACCELERATED 5- 10 FEET, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID
881447
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 31, 2000

AFTER INTIAL FUELING, ENGINE WARNING LIGHT "LIGHTS" ON DASH. LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON FOR 3/4 OF THE TANK OF GAS. INCIDENCE OF OCCURRING IS ABOUT 90%. ENGINE HESITATION IS OCCURING 100% AT INITAIL ACCELERATION. HESITATION LASTS FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS AND THEN NORMAL POWER RESUMES. AFTER INITIAL TAKEOFF ENGINE SEEMS TO ACCELERATE AS TO BE EXPECTED.

NHTSA ID
726317
Incident
Mar 1, 2000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .