2008 Subaru Outback Driver assistance Problems

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION GOING 45 MPH. I SLOWED DOWN TO STOP AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE ABS LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH ON AND OFF. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE STOP LIGHT TO COMPLETELY STOP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WAS ON AND FLASHING AND THE STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND THE ENGINE WAS OFF. I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THE ABS LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT, AIR BAG LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ARE STILL ON. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE FOR FEAR THAT IT WILL TURN OFF AGAIN. I AM UNCERTAIN OF WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS BUT IT SEEMS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM ALSO HAPPENED TO ME AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO TURN OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. I AM GLAD THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME BECAUSE MY CAR COMPLETELY DIED AFTER I TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY WITH THE SAME LIGHTS AND SAME THING HAPPENING AS STATED ABOVE.

NHTSA ID

11208597

Incident

May 18, 2019

Mileage

87,700 mi

I WAS DRIVING AND WITHOUT NOTICE THE CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF, BECAUSE OF A MINOR PROBLEM WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER EFFICIENCY. HAD THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME BEEN ANY CLOSER I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. IT TURNS OUT THAT SUBARU HAS PROGRAMED THEIR VEHICLES TO DO THIS. WHY WOULD ANYONE PROGRAM A CAR TO HAVE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER OVER SUCH A MINOR ISSUE.RECALLS FOR "KEYS TURNING OFF" HAVE HAPPENED, AND THE MANUFACTURERS KNEW ABOUT IT. SUBARU KNOWS THIS HAPPENS AND I HOPE THERE WILL BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HOPE THIS IS BOUGHT TO THE HIGHEST OFFICIALS AT NHTSA AND IS ADDRESS PROPERLY. I HOPE NO ONE GETS KILLED BEFORE THIS IS ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ID

10967192

Incident

Mar 19, 2017

Mileage

173,200 mi

TWICE IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS, WHILE MY CAR WAS STOPPED BUT IN DRIVE, WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY PRESSED ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR HAS REVVED UP AND SURGED FORWARD OF ITS OWN ACCORD. BRAKING DID NOTHING TO STOP THE CAR EITHER TIME. ON AUGUST 3, 2015 AT @ 8:30 A.M., I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE DIRECTLY FACING A BUILDING AND STOPPED. AS I WAS GETTING READY TO SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO PARK, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD, ACROSS A SIDEWALK, AND INTO/THROUGH THE WALL/WINDOWS OF A BUSINESS. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY KNEW OF NO SIMILAR ISSUES LOCALLY OR NATIONALLY. I LEFT MY CAR WITH THE DEALERSHIP FOR A WEEK SO THEY COULD INSPECT IT. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN UNDER 30 MILES AND THE ISSUE DID NOT ARISE, SO THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME. I ASKED THAT THEY NOTIFY SUBARU NATIONALLY AND THE NHTSA OF THE INCIDENT, AND ONLY LEARNED LATER THAT THEY DID NEITHER. ON DECEMBER 19, 2015, I WAS ON A CITY STREET (WET, BUT NOT ICY) @ BLOCK BACK FROM A RED LIGHT COMPLETELY STOPPED IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC. I WAS AT LEAST 4-6' BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, AND MY CAR AGAIN SURGED FORWARD, DESPITE ALL MY EFFORTS TO CONTROL IT, AND SLAMMED INTO THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN, AND ONLY AFTER TWO VISITS WAS A RECORD MADE OF THE 12/19/2015 INCIDENT AND I WAS GIVEN THE NUMBER FOR NATIONAL SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE. I HAVE REQUESTED A FORM TO ALLOW AN INSPECTOR TO DOWNLOAD INFORMATION FROM THE EVENT DATA RECORDER FOR REVIEW WHEN HE INSPECTS THE CAR IN TWO WEEKS. I USE ONLY MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL. I HAVE FACTORY FLOOR MATS WHICH ARE PINNED DOWN AND DO NOT MOVE. I WEAR FLAT SHOES.

NHTSA ID

10820652

Incident

Aug 3, 2015

Mileage

36,580 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON SLIGHTLY SLICK ROADS IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN THE REAR WHEELS WOULD LOSE TRACTION AND START TO FISH TAIL. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT THE GAS APPLIED, WITH OR WITHOUT THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED. THE CAR FELT AS IF IT WAS SLIDING SIDE TO SIDE IN THE BACK. THE TIRES ARE IN GOOD CONDITION AND THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED. OTHER VEHICLES WERE TRAVELING WITHOUT ISSUE. THIS HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS GHOST WALKING IN ON LINE BLOGS. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10556437

Incident

Dec 15, 2013

Mileage

94,000 mi

VEHICLE WILL LOOSE ACCELERATION WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED SIX (6) TIMES. WHEN THIS OCCURS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DOES NOTHING. THE VEHICLE'S SPEED IMMEDIATELY DROPS TO ABOUT 5 MPH. THE "ENGINE" AND "CRUISE" LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. THE TACHOMETER CONTINUALLY FLUCTUATES BETWEEN 2500AND 3000 RPM DURING THIS TIME, . ONE MUST PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE, LET IT SET FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN RESTART THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO RESET THE ACCELERATION SYSTEM. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS AS DRIVERS BEHIND OUR VEHICLE NEEDED TO SWERVE AWAY FROM OUR VEHICLE AS IT LOST ACCELERATION. SUBARU PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING. 1. FLASHED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) CODE TWICE. 2. REPLACED THE GAS PEDAL ASSEMBLE TWICE 3. REPLACED THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ONCE 4. REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) ONCE. I HAVE THREE (3) SERVICES CASES RECORDED WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA (SOA). THE CASE NUMBERS ARE AS LISTED. > 1-2810691799 FILED ON DECEMBER 17, 2012 > 1-2888482660 FILED ON DECEMBER 26, 2012 > 1-4032748404 FILED ON MAY 21, 2013 THE ECM WAS REPLACED ON MAY 29, 2013 AND WE HOPE THIS WILL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER DURING THIS TEN (10) MONTH PERIOD OF TIME SOA ALWAYS PROMISED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM YET DID SO RELUCTANTLY. AS THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WENT FROM 3 TO 6 SOA CUSTOMER SERVICES WAS NOT AT ALL CUSTOMER ORIENTATED. THESE FAILURES ARE A SAFETY ISSUE. ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH COULD HAVE BEEN THE END RESULT OF ANY OF THESE INCIDENTS. WE HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY BUT HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10515795

Incident

Jul 12, 2012

Mileage

22,807 mi

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING-LETTER REGARDING SUBURU PROBLEMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AND SUBSEQUENTLY HE SCRAPED A GUARDRAIL, WHICH RESULTED IN OVER $5,000 IN BODY DAMAGE TO HIS VEHICLE. HE STATED EVERY TIME HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10328527

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

MY WIFE HAD AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION EVENT IN HER 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO PARK BEHIND ANOTHER CAR. SHE DIDN'T THINK THE FLOOR MAT WAS INVOLVED. SHE HAD WINTER BOOTS ON AND THOUGHT SHE WAS ONLY PRESSING ON THE BRAKE. HER FRONT LICENSE PLATE WAS TORN AND SHE DID ABOUT $700 OF DAMAGE TO THE OTHER CAR'S REAR BUMPER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10295462

Incident

Dec 9, 2009

Mileage

19,000 mi

SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING. EVEN PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE ENGINE REVS UP OR SAME PROBLEM WHILE SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT. IT'S AS THOUGH THE CAR DOES NOT WANT TO STOP. AT TIMES IF YOU SHIFT DOWN AND LET OFF ON THE GAS THE CAR GOES FOR A SHORT STRETCH WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10222714

Incident

Mar 28, 2008

Mileage

10,000 mi