Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
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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 2007 Subaru Outback submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
AS I'M DRIVING MY AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH STARTS FLASHING AND CRUISE CONTROL GETS DISCONNECTED ONE DAY IT WILL HAPPEN NEXT DAY IT WON'T
AN ACCELERATOR THAT BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON 3 LANE HIGHWAY. THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT WITH SUBARU AND YOU CAN READ ABOUT MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PROBLEM WHICH IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU GO ONLINE AND SEARCH FOR SUBARU OUTBACK CODE P2138/THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR YOU WILL FIND THAT THE SENSOR HAS INTERMITENT FAILURES WHICH CAUSE THE ACCELERATOR TO BECOME UNRESPONSIVE. EVEN WHEN PEOPLE GET THIS RESET AT A MECHANIC AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT WILL BEGIN RECURRING AGAIN. OR SOMETIMES THE MECHANIC CANNOT MAKE THE CAR FAIL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS A SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. SUBARU MUST FIX THIS PROBLEM!! THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 5 TIMES NOW OVER THE LAST YEAR.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STREET WHEN MY CAR ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT I HAD NO GAS PEDAL RESPONSE .SO L COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD AN SHUT IT OFF AN STARTED IT .THEN AFTER I DID THAT I GOT GAS PEDAL RESPONSE .THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AFTER RESTARTING VECHILE SO I HAD A CODE SCAN CHECK IT,AN A CODE P2138 SHOWED . THE CODE IS FOR THE THROTTLE/PEDAL SENSOR. I'M JUST GLAD I WAS NOT DOING 65 ON A HIGHWAY AN A SEMI WASN'T BEHIND ME OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE
WELL I LOST ALL THROTTLE CONTROL FOR THE FIRST TIME. ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON WHICH DISABLED THE VDC AND CRUISE AND THE GAS PEDAL. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. WHEN SHUTTING THE CAR OFF IT IS VERY HARD TO RESTART. WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND YOU TRY TO STOP THE CAR DOESN'T WANT TO IT JUST PULSES FORWARD SO MORE BRAKE PEDAL IS NEEDED. IF YOU PUT IT IN PARK THE ENGINE REVS HIGH. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TPS NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE THROTTLE SERVO VIA THE TCM. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS AT RANDOM. USUALLY WHEN I'VE BEEN DRIVING IT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
DRIVING AT 55 MILES PER HOUR ON HWY 213, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, LOST POWER(LIMP MODE), CRUISE CONTROL FLASHING. PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD ON HILL(BARELY ABLE TO MAKE SAFE SPOT). TURNED OUT VEHICLE. RESTARTED(LIGHTS STILL WARNING), BACK UP AND FORWARD TO ASSURE POWER. DECIDED TO TRY TO GET TO NEARBY COMMUNITY/AUTO SHOP. WAS ABLE TO DO SO. DIAGNOSIS: P2138. THEY PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE, RESULTS INCONCLUSIVE. CYCLED THE ACCELERATOR THROUGH NUMEROUS POSITIONS AND RATERS WITH VARIATIONS ON POSITION/PRESSURE APPLIED TO PEDAL, AND MONITOR LAB SCOPE. SENSOR SIGNALS WERE PRECISE AND WITHOUT ERRORS. OWNER RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS CASED OF SAME-WITHOUT RESOLUTION FOR MANY PEOPLE-REOCCURRING WITH COSTLY REPAIRS TO ATTEMPT REPAIR. SUGGESTED CALLING SUBARU.COM WHICH I DID. NO REASSURANCE AS TO PROBLEM BEING FIXED, JUST SAID TAKE IT TO A DEALER. CONCERNED WITH SAFETY AS I DRIVE MY GRANDDAUGHTER IN CAR, AS WELL AS SAFETY FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS. WILL TAKE IT TO DEALER BUT NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A PERMANENT FIX AND SAFETY OF FUTURE DRIVING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SENSORS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE SPEED SUDDENLY DECELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND ON, IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT TO BE FILED. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE 2013. MY 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK LOSES VEHICLE POWER AS THE ACCELERATOR STOPS RESPONDING. THE CRUISE CONTROL, TRACTION, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ALL BECOME ILLUMINATED OR FLASHING. THIS IS ESPECIALLY COMMON UPON RESTARTING THE CAR AFTER A SHORT DRIVE, COMING TO A STOP, OR AFTER 5-10 MINUTES FROM A COLD START. RESTARTING THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WILL NOT RESTART AND THEN RESTARTING ONCE MORE RESETS THE ISSUE FOR APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS. CLEANING THE CONNECTOR PLUG TO THE ACCELERATOR TEMPORARILY RESOLVES THE ISSUE ANYWHERE FORM 6 MONTHS TO ONE WEEK. SUBARU HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND ISSUED A GENERIC RESPONSE MOSTLY DEALING WITH AIR BAG SAFETY CONCERNS. THIS IS A VERY HAZARDOUS DEFAULT IN THE VEHICLE WHICH IS BEING IGNORED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CRUISE CONTROL AND TRACTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 249,000.
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
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
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
VEHICLE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT DURING RUSH HOUR. TRIED TO ACCELERATE FOR RIGHT TURN, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. CHECKED THE DISPLACE FOR INDICATOR LIGHTS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS WERE ON STEADILY WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS BLINKING. IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF HEATER, SEAT HEATER, AND RADIO, AND PROCEEDED TO COAST DOWN A HILL AT IDLE. GAS PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE ROAD AFTER 0.3 MILES. RESTARTED THE CAR TWICE AND THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE STILL ON AND GAS PEDAL STILL DID NOT WORK. A THIRD ATTEMPT TO RESTART RESULTED IN THE ENGINE TURNING OVER BUT NO IGNITION. AFTER SEVERAL MORE RESTARTS THE GAS PEDAL WAS RESPONSIVE BUT INDICATORS LIGHTS WERE STILL PRESENT. DROVE TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP WITH NORMAL SPEED CONTROL WHERE THE INDICATOR LIGHTS PROMPTLY TURNED OFF. SENSOR HISTORY INDICATED P2138 CODE FOR THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. *TR
2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NO RESPONSE FROM GAS PEDAL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT AND BEGAN TO TURN RIGHT AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATED TO AROUND 20 MPH AND WOULD NOT GO ANY FASTER. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT AND STOP, AS THERE WAS A SCRATCHING SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS TURNING ABOUT 2,000 RPM AND WAS RESPONDING TO THE AIR CONDITION CYCLING. WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, THE IDLE SPEED WENT UP TO AROUND 2,400 RPM. ALSO, A FLAG WAS SET FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME, WHICH HE WAS INFORMED IT WOULD CAUSE THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT TO BLINK AT A VERY SLOW RATE.
WHILE DRIVING OUR 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK SW ON A 6 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND LOST ALL GAS PEDAL RESPONSE. MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ALTHOUGH SHE ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO SURROUNDING TRAFFIC. THE CAR STARTED FLASHING THE CRUISE CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL, AND CHECK ENGINE DASH LIGHTS. AFTER ALLOWING THE CAR TO SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND GET HOME. I CHECKED THE ERROR CODES AND GOT A P02138. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SUBARU BLOGS. ALL OF THE OTHER REPORTS POINTED TO THE SAME SOURCE(S) THE GAS PEDAL POSITION SENSOR OR THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. MOST REPORTED SUBARU SERVICE DEPARTMENTS CLAIMING NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE ISSUE EVER HAPPENING BEFORE. BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES SINCE IN BOTH LOCAL AND HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. I HAVE CLEANED THE TERMINALS ON BOTH SENSORS AND THIS SEEMS TO HELP, BUT THE PROBLEM ALWAYS RETURNS. I READ WHERE SEVERAL OTHER DRIVERS HAD THE GAS PEDAL ASSEMBLY CHANGED AND THE ISSUE SEEMED TO BE RESOLVED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. HAVING A CAR SUDDENLY BECOME DEAD ON THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC IS DANGEROUS TO ANYONE AROUND. *TR *JS
'07 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I W/ AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN TRANSMISSION WAS COOL CODE P0720 WAS SET FOR VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR FAILURE. AFTER DRIVING FOR A WHILE ERROR WOULD RESET AS SENSOR PRESUMABLY WARMED AND BEGAN WORKING NORMALLY. I IDENTIFIED AND CONFIRMED THE FRONT VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR WAS THE PROBLEM. A WEEK AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE, AND PRIOR TO MY BEING ABLE TO REPLACE THE SENSOR, THE BEHAVIOR OF THE FAILURE CHANGED: AT HIGHWAY SPEED (60-65MPH) THE CAR WOULD AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR AND FEEL LIKE THE BRAKES WERE SLAMMED ON. THIS BEING AN OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS AND SCARY SITUATION, MY SHORT TERM SOLUTION WAS TO CUT THE WIRE GOING TO THE SENSOR UNTIL I COULD REPLACE IT. (THE SENSOR IS HARD-WIRED INTO A 3-SENSOR WIRE HARNESS THAT REQUIRES ACCESS INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED). JUST PRIOR TO THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR I ALSO HEARD THE SAFETY SOLENOID IN THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY (THE ONE THAT PREVENTS THE OPERATOR FROM PUTTING THE SHIFTER INTO PARK WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING) QUICKLY CYCLING ON AND OFF, SO MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT A PARTIAL SIGNAL WAS BEING SEEN BY THE ONBOARD COMPUTER AND INTERPRETED AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT A SLOWER SPEED THAN IT REALLY WAS. AFTER CUTTING THE SPEED SENSOR OUT OF THE CIRCUIT THIS ASPECT OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT REPEATED ITSELF. *TR
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON [XXX] PURCHASED CAR NEW. HAD WHAT I CALLED ENGINE 'REVVING' OR INCREASED ACCELERATION FROM FIRST WEEK OF DRIVING CAR. REPORTED PROBLEM TO DEALER AND THEY WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF REPAIRS WITH NO CHANGE IN PERFORMANCE. THEY SENT A 'CORPORATE' MECHANIC TO TEST THE CAR. HE EXPERIENCED THE INCREASED RPM'S WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL BUT STATED THE CAR WAS NORMAL. HE THEN TOLD ME TWO THINGS, THEY HAD FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM IN ANOTHER CAR AND THEY HAD A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM FOR THE 2008 BUT NOT 2007. 1) WHEN FOOT IS OFF GAS, THE CAR ACCELERATES. 2) COMMONLY OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME I PRESS CLUTCH AND TURN. HAS ONLY HAPPENED 2 TIMES WHILE IN GEAR AND DRIVING. APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE DID SLOW THE CAR 3) CORRECTIONS INCLUDE: GAS/AIR RATIO SENSOR REPLACED, SUGGESTED I RUN 3 TANKS OF PREMIUM GAS, REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP, REPLACED THROTTLE BODY AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL, DISCONNECTED IDLE SWITCH FROM POWER STEERING PUMP AND SUGGESTED I LEAVE THIS DETACHED WHICH I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, I HAVE TRIED FOR A RESOLUTION THROUGH THE DEALER, THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND SUBARU CORPORATE WITH NO RESULTS. *TR
HESITATION ON ACCELERATION,BETWEEN 1500 AND 2800 RPMS .WHILE ACCELERATING QUICKLY AT AN INTERSECTION OR ROLLING STOP. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE GAINED SPEED DOWN HILL AND ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. THE CONTACT DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL BY APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE DEALER FOUND NO FAILURES AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL COMPONENTS DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE FAILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,751 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,841. UPDATED 01/02/08. *LJ
2007 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I, 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION -- WHEN MY FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO SHIFT THE ENGINE ACTUALLY ACCELERATES RATHER THAN DECELERATES. IT CAUSES THE CAR TO JUMP FORWARD MUCH QUICKER THAN THE DRIVER PLANNED WHEN THE NEXT GEAR IS SELECTED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.*AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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