Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Subaru Outback submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 32 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.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
When depressing brakes in driveway pedal went to the floor and brake fluid went all over driveway and car struggled to stop. Upon inspection the junction in picture was heavily corroded and when brake line failed. Supposedly this vehicle was repaired in a former recall that obviously was not a fix.
Lost use of my brakes. Could have been killed. Recall WQK-47 was improperly addressed by using rust inhibitor as band-aid. My opinion and that of a 25+ year ASE certified mechanic. I originally wanted the lines replaced and subaru refused, cheaped out and used the inhibitor. It obviously was an ineffective solution since the whole reason for the recall is now an issue with my car. The lines should have been replaced and really sealed, not cheaply coated with an aerosol spray. The car might be older but is far from rusted out. The other brake lines are just fine. I was expecting something from subaru, cover the parts or labor at least but nothing.. Their fix was only "preventative" not actually fixing the problem.
Brakes failed suddenly while on the highway. Virtually no braking available. This could have easily resulted in death or serious injury. Took car to Subaru dealership in Appleton WI. Found split brake line. This is a know issue and recall. Subaru had performed recall by putting anticorrosion on brake lines. All this did was possibly delay the inevitable. The recall stated they could have replaced them at the time of recall. Essentially there are a lot of Subarus driving around now that are ticking time bombs. If they would have replaced the brake
Four Subaru dealership licensed service centers in Maine and New Hampshire have had for some 8 weeks my Outback to evaluate, diagnose, and -upon my approval- service. Every one of the four Subaru locations was been unable to resolve a single one of these chronic problems of the Outback's erratic 1) start/no-start, 2) triggered security light and activated alarm, 3) dashboard battery and brake icons lighting/pulsing, 4) error code 55 (or SS) and 5) car headlights pulsing. The above problems compound with the issues Subaru's service teams have failed to resolve since early days of new car ownership (despite repeated repair) for 1) brakes regularly making noise, 2) radio randomly changing volume or shutting off, and 3) back tail light not working. Note: During the first two years of ownership, Subaru's service stated it "could not replicate" the problem with the brakes I'd reported within weeks of purchasing the new car. But a few weeks out of warranty, the same Subaru service location stated "I need whole new brakes" and quoted some $1,800 in repairs. A few months later, Subaru issued its first admission to the defective brake system. These four Subaru dealership licensed service centers in part or full 1) held my car at least 2x - 4x longer than quoted, while upselling me on the loaner model, then missing several by which they'd a written diagnostic report , 2) refused diagnostic report and when sought provided scant or impractical information, 3) demanded under threat of rental fees if loaner was not retuned within a couple of hours .... during a business day (including at distant locations too far to reach by deadline), and 5) sought many hundreds of dollars in payment for undisclosed and unapproved work without ever diagnosing issue, which they demanded in conjunction with the rental fees ginned up by dragging out and then failing to do the diagnostic work. Subaru USA added years of delay and refuses to honor manufacturer's or licensee-issued warranties.
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brakes failed to function. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the failure and replaced the brakes. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer and the battery was replaced. Soon after the battery replacement, the front headlights began strobing and the taillight wiring caused the lights to fail. Additionally, there was moisture behind the A-pillar applique trim. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that the alternator needed to be replaced. Additionally, the wiring and bulbs in the taillights needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
When I braked downhill the main brake line, from front to rear, ruptured underneath in the middle of the Subaru. This car came from Wisconsin and apparently had a lot of rust, caused by salt, affecting the steel brake lines. Subaru calls Wisconsin the Salt Belt. I could avoid an accident, using the parking brake. I looked up recalls recently and learned that 2 recalls have been offered by Subaru. Only the first one was carried out: In 2014, after "6 years of rusting", they applied wax on the already rusted brake lines, to no avail. The second recall (there is a 40 pages document issued by Subaru) would require replacement of all 4 main brake lines, "in any cases of rupture". I contacted Subaru of Gwinnett (Georgia) and then SOA Subaru of America, case number 2210041700431 in order to get the second recall carried out, which was denied. I was told "Subaru has no further obligation, because the first recall was successfully (!) done" - in spite of the rupture! Now the vehicle, which has gotten a makeshift repair in the meantime, must be considered unsafe and a danger in public traffic. There is a reason why Subaru requires replacement of all 4 main brake lines in case of rupture: It can happen again; all 4 are equally affected by rust. I want to keep this car, it's our daily driver, and I want the second recall performed. (Repair invoice of makeshift repair available, can be sent separately, $550.)
Brake pedal became less firm, and less effective, and Brake warning light came on. I was able to park my Outback, and saw evidence of brake fluid leaking from under the right rear passenger seat. After pulling the lower rear seat cushion off, and pulling the brake line grommet out of the body, I saw, through the hole the brake lines go through, a fitting that had bare rusty brake lines attached to it, covered in brake fluid, with plastic sheathing that started about an inch from the fitting. After I discovered that there have been a lot of outbacks with the same problem, I found out that there was a recall years ago, so I called a local dealership. The person I spoke with said that the previous owner of my vehicle had neglected to have the brake lines serviced during the recall and that the recall expired years ago, so I would have to pay for replacing the defective line myself.
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH and attempting to make a turn downhill, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond, causing the vehicle to crash into a ditch. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he did not sustain any injuries. The contact was unsure whether a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, then it was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated he repaired the vehicle himself. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
Brake line ruptured suddenly. Thankfully it happened at slow speed. Had just enough braking power to make it to the shop. If it would have happened on the highway, it could have been catastrophic. There is a known recall on brake lines. Unfortunately Subaru merely sprayed brake lines with wax-like substance. This only delays problem, it does not fix it. Confounding factor is the brake line is hidden under the undercarriage substructure, so it can not be inspected. I did have it fixed and it was pricey, as expected as they had to remove substructure.
VEHICLE HAD RECALL IN 2014 DUE TO CORRODED BRAKE LINES. THEY COULD EITHER SPRAY IT WITH ANTI CORROSIVE SPRAY OR REPLACE THE LINES. THEY OPTED TO JUST SPRAY THEM. TWO WEEKS AGO CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AND LOST BRAKE PRESSURE. THANKFULLY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. CONTACTED SUBARUS RECALL NUMBER. THEY TOLD ME THIS IS A WEAR ITEM SIMILAR TO TIRES. THIS IS NOT A VALID ARGUMENT. THE LINES ARE UNDERNEATH AND ARE PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTED BY GAS TANK. NO WAY THESE CAN BE INSPECTED BY AVERAGE DRIVER. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IS REFERENCED IN RECALL WQK-47. THEY SIMPLY PUT A BANDAID ON A SERIOUS ISSUE. BRAKE LINES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MADE WITH METALLURGY THAT DOES NOT FALL APART IN SALTY CONDITIONS. THE FIX IS ABOUT 3,000 DOLLARS AS THEY NEED TO DROP GAS TANK AND SUBSTRUCTURE ON REAR OF CAR TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES. AS YOU CAN SEE THIS IS BOTH RISK TO DRIVERS AND THEIR WALLETS. ALL THIS BECAUSE THEY ENGINEERED SOME BAD BRAKE LINES WITH POOR METALLURGY AND/OR POOR PLACEMENT IN THE CAR. IF WHAT I AM SAYING IS NOT TRUE, THEN THE FRONT BRAKE LINES SHOULD HAVE SAME ISSUE. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED
THE BRAKE LINES SHOW EVIDENCE OF CORROSION WITH ONE LEAKING FLUID. MY DTR WAS DRIVING TO FL AND NOTED EXCESS BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL UPON ARRIVAL AND BROUGHT IT TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MEC.H INFORMED HER OF PROBLEM AND SENT PHOTOS OF CORRODED BRAKE LINES. I'LL FORWARD WITH ADDTL. CORRESPONDENCE IF NEEDED.
RUST AND CORROSION HAS RESULTED IN A BRAKE LINE FAILURE AND LOSS OF BRAKING POWER.THIS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT AND DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT
CORRODED BRAKE LINE FAILURE. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 20 MPH EXITING HIGHWAY RIGHT SIDE REAR AT JUNCTION BLOCK ABOVE GAS TANK COVER
WHILE DRIVING IN BLOOMINGTON, THE BRAKE LINES FAILED. MANAGED TO PULL OVER INTO A MALL PARKING LOT. BRAKE FLUID POURED OUT FROM THE BRAKE LINES WHICH HAD RUSTED THROUGH NEAR THE GAS TANK. MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED BASED ON RECALL WQK47, BUT IT WAS THIS AREA THAT HAD CORRODED, LEAVING THE BRAKES USELESS.
TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HIS GIRLFRIEND WHO OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO FUNCTION AS INTENDED. THE BRAKE FAILURE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH RUSTED BRAKE LINES ON THE REAR AND FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.
DRIVING AT 70 MILES AN HOUR ON I95 IN PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND, TAPPED THE BREAK TO KEEP KEEP SAFE DISTANCE FROM CAR IN FRONT, PEDAL SEEMED A BIT SOFT. THEN HAD TO PREFORM A HARD STOP AS THE ENTIRE 3 LANES HAD STOPPED DUE TO AN ACCIDENT. PEDAL WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR, NO STOPPING POWER WHAT SO EVER. FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SWERVE LEFT INTO THE HIGH SPEED BREAKDOWN LANE AND DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW THE CAR. UPON COMING TO A ROLLING STOP WITH USE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IT WAS NOTED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS SPEWING FROM UNDER THE CAR, THIS CAR NEARLY KILLED MYSELF AND MY 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. CONTACTED SUBARU REGARDING THE RECALL WQK-47 WHICH THEY STATED WAS COMPLETED IN SEPT 2015 WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER. I INQUIRED AS TO THE EXTENT OF THE WORK AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THIS FAILURE WAS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL, AND A RESULT OF WEAR AND TEAR. THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION IF THE BRAKE LINES WERE COATED, OR REPLACED FOR MY PARTICULAR CAR, THEY COULDN'T COMMENT IF THE ANTI- CORROSIVE AGENT WAS APPLIED TO THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM, NOR THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE REPLACEMENT. THE BRAKE LINES USED BY SUBARU AR CLEARLY SUBSTANDARD AND UNSAFE. IF ONE AREA IS ABLE TO CORRODE AND LEAK, WHAT SAYS ANOTHER AREA WONT DO THE SAME. MY DAUGHTER AND MYSELF WERE PLACED IN HARMS WAY AND COULD HAVE POTENTIAL BEEN SEVERELY HARMED, AND EVEN WORSE HARMED SOMEONE ELSE OR ANOTHER FAMILY HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO USE THE HIGH SPEED BRAKE DOWN LANE. SUBSTANDARD PARTS NEARLY KILLED MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER
MY CAR WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THE CAUSE IS A RUPTURED, CORRODED BRAKE LINE AS OUTLINED IN RECALL WQK-47 FOR MY MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND THE RECALL SHOULD COVER ANY REPAIRS FOR THE MODELS OUTLINED IN THIS RECALL. IT IS A KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT THAT SUBARU REFUSES TO REMEDY FOR ACTIVE CARS STILL ON THE ROAD.
I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET WHEN I LOST BRAKING POWER. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN TO A STOP AND GET IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC WITHOUT DAMAGE TO MY CAR OR SOMEONE ELSE'S VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH REAR BRAKE LINES BECAUSE THEY HAD RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY LEAKED BRAKE FLUID. I CALLED SUBARU. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE PROBLEM.
THIS ISSUE IS ON THE TOPIC OF A RECALL: "BRAKE PIPE CORROSION" NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 14V311000 SUBARU SERVICE CAMPAIGN: WQK47 SUBARU OF AMERICA IS REFUSING TO PROPERLY HONOR THIS RECALL, AS THEY WILL ONLY COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF CORRODED BRAKE LINES IF THEY ARE ACTUALLY LEAKING. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE CRITERION FOR BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT, AS IT IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE FAILURE MODE WITH POTENTIALLY-LETHAL CONSEQUENCES. I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF A CORRODED AREA OF THE BRAKE LINES ON MY 2008 OUTBACK, AN AREA UNDER THE FUEL TANK WHICH IS EXPLICITLY COVERED BY THIS RECALL. AS CAN BE SEEN, THEY ARE TERRIFYINGLY CORRODED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF SUBARU'S IMPROPER RUST-PROOFING OF THIS AREA. THEY WILL START LEAKING AT ANY MOMENT. INCLUDED IN THE RECALL IS A PRELIMINARY MEASURE TO APPLY SOME RUST-PROOFING COATING TO THE AREAS IN QUESTION. IF THAT ACTION IS TAKEN, THE RECALL IS CONSIDERED 100% RESOLVED PERMANENTLY. THIS RESOLUTION CRITERION IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, AS THE RECALL MAY NOT BE DONE BY A VEHICLE OWNER UNTIL THE BRAKE LINES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRODED BUT JUST BEFORE THEY START LEAKING DUE TO CORROSION. THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE RESOLUTION TO A RECALL FOR CORRODED BRAKE LINES IS THE REPLACEMENT OF THOSE BRAKE LINES, NOT SOME MEAGER BAND-AID THAT SUBARU IS EFFECTIVELY CLAIMING IS A PERMANENT FIX TO THE ISSUE. THAT IS NOT TRUE AT ALL, AS BRAKE LINES WILL CONTINUE TO CORRODE TO A DEGREE EVEN IF THEY HAVE SOME COATING ON THEM, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE COATING CAN WEAR OFF. THIS RECALL WAS SUPPOSEDLY ADDRESSED ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE BY CITYSIDE SUBARU OF BELMONT, MA. HOWEVER, 2.5 YEARS LATER, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO RUST-PROOFING COATING REMAINING. EITHER THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T DO THE RECALL PROPERLY (OUT OF SCOPE OF THIS ISSUE SUMBISSION TO THE NHTSA), OR THE COATING WORE AWAY COMPLETELY. HOWEVER, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S THE FORMER OF THOSE TWO.
WHEN DRIVING HOME, BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR THEN LIGHT CAME ON. TRIED BRAKE FLUID AND GUSHED OUT. INCHED TO NEARBY MIDAS WHO RAISED CAR AND FOUND MAJOR LEAK BY GAS TANK. RECALL ON THAT AREA WAS TREATED WITH WAX IN 2014. CALLED SUBARU WHO DID NOT GUARANTEE HELPING BY WANTED US TO BRING CAR TO A SUBARU SERVICE CENTER.
BRAKE LINES CORRODED, FAILED STATE INSPECTION. BRAKE LINES HAD BEEN SERVICE UNDER SUBARU RECALL TWICE AND SPRAYED WITH A COATING. TREATING INFERIOR, CORRODED BRAKE LINES DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. BRAKE LINES SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE GOTTEN NO SATISFACTION FROM EITHER THE DEALER OR SUBARU AMERICA. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON ISSUE FOR SUBARU.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GLANZMANN SUBARU (95 OLD YORK RD, JENKINTOWN, PA 19046, 215-885-8282) TO BE REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V311000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED ONCE AND COULD NOT BE DONE AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FOR BRAKE LINE, TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY APPLIED ANTI CORRESIVE. APPROX 16 MONTHS LATER BRAKE LINE BLEW WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM ON A CITY STREET. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY ASKED SUBARU TO COVER UNDER RECALL BUT WAS DENIED DUE TO HIGH MILAGE. BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING WHERE ANTI CORRESIVE WAS APPLIED. HAVE HEARD IF OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM. WE IN 3 OTHER SUBARUS ARE UNDER THE SAME RECALL AND HAVE CONCERNS.
BRAKES FAILED AT A STOPLIGHT WHILE BRAKING FOR A RED LIGHT. BRAKES FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 10MPH. BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED DOWN TO THE FLOOR, A POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR AND THE BRAKES COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. NEEDED TO USE HAND BRAKE TO SAFELY STOP CAR. MECHANICS SAID THE BRAKE LINE ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE HAD CORRODED THROUGH AND BROKE. BRAKING FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE CAR AROUND THE BROKEN HOSE. THE BROKEN PORTION OF THE CABLE WAS INSIDE THE THE CAR, AND NOT DIRECTLY EXPOSED TO THE ROAD OR OUTSIDE. CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED FOR RECALL 14V311000 INVOLVING BRAKE LINE CORROSION, BUT THEY FAILED TO FIX THIS PART OF THE LINE. RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR BEFORE INCIDENT. CONTACTED SUBARU USA ABOUT THE ISSUE, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY PART OF THE REPAIR.
BRAKE LINE FAILURE, LOSS OF BRAKES WHILE DRIVING ON US HWY 221. BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT FROM THE GAS TANK SPLASH SHIED. THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. ACCORDING TO RECALL BULLETIN A DESIGN FLAW IN THE SPLASH SHIELD ALLOWS SALT TO ACCUMULATE IN THIS AREA. I TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS WHY I HAVE HAD THIS FAILURE.RECALL PERFORMED PREVIOUSLY DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. SUBARU APPLIES BAND AID BY SPRAYING WITH ANTI-CORROSION NOXRUST. THIS DOES NOT ALLEVIATE/SOLVE THE CORROSION ALREADY OCCURRING LEADING TO FAILURE LATER ON, AS IN MY CASE. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE LOSS OF LIFE OCCURS. I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU TO INFORM OF THE ISSUE INVOLVING MY SITUATION. THEIR AGENT INDICATES THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE DUE TO PREVIOUSLY PERFORMING SERVICE WQK47. THIS DOES NOT REMOVE THE FAILING COMPONENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO DETERIORATE DUE TO SURFACE CORROSION. THIS SHOULD CAUSE AN IMMEDIATE ALARM TO ANY OWNERS KNOWING THEY COULD POSSIBLY EXPERIENCE MY SITUATION. I WAS LUCKY. NO ONE WAS INJURED OR NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. THIS WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THE CASE. BE AWARE SUBARU IS TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE REAL DANGER OF THESE FAULTY, CORRODED BRAKE LINES. I DO NOT TRUST THEM TO DO ANY FURTHER INSPECTION OR REPAIR OF MY VEHICLE AND WILL TRUST IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO HAS MY FAITH. SUBARU HAS FAILED!!!! MY HOPE IS THAT THE NHTSA WILL OPEN AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE THIS GOES MAINSTREAM NATIONALLY. WHO CAN REPLACE A LOST LIVE?
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
Data on this page last refreshed .