Automatic Transmission Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while reversing out of his garage, the vehicle made an abnormal sound, and while the transmission was shifted into reverse (r), the vehicle rapidly accelerated, crashing into a tree. The contact stated the vehicle made the abnormal sound again and rapidly accelerated forward, crashing into a fence. The contact sustained injuries to his head and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. The VIN was not available.

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The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that when the key is in the ignition, in the park position and the brakes are pressed the vehicle would move. The failure would occur when they were on an incline. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure and could not diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 630,000.

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I took my 2010 Subaru Outback to my dealer to have my front brakes checked. It felt like they were grabbing, and I wanted to check the wear. They checked the brakes, cleaned them up, and stated they were at normal wear for 35,000 miles. In the next breath, they stated I needed a new transmission. I still have not gotten an exact reason why my two year old car needs a new transmission. I have a cvt automatic/manual transmission. The dealer was very vague as to what happened. They stated it was the first one they've seen this happen to.

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Engine idle drops 200 rpm below normal under braking at low speeds. Sometimes this results in an engine stall in traffic. Subaru of America suggested a transmission "retraining" which seems to have cured the issue.

About a month ago (April 2011) while moving forward at around 5 to 10 mph I reached for the glove box and my shirt cuff caught the shift handle and thru the transmission into reverse. While I was lucky and there were no injuries this appears to be a serious safety defect that should be adressed by Subaru of north America. There are no built in safety locks or mechanisms to prevent the transmission from being moved from reverse to drive or drive to manual shift option. Actually you can shift anywhere from reverse to manual auto by bumping or pulling the shift handle with very little effort. Someone could have been serously injured or killed. Is there a recall available to correct this condition. Every american made car I've owned had a built in mechansim that required that you push down / pull up and push forward or pull backwards at the same time thru some type of manual locking mechanism. . . . . . Thanks I'm still driving the car but damage to the transmission is unknown.

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The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact was driving at 45 mph when every service warning light illuminated. The vehicle began to jerk abnormally while changing gears. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that there was a miscommunication between the speed sensor and transmission. The dealer made repairs to the vehicle. The warning lights were no longer illuminated. Two hours later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where another repair was performed on the vehicle. The failure persisted intermittently after the second repair when driving between 25 and 35 mph. The failure mileage was 13,357 and the current mileage was 14,800.

My husband has tried contacting both Subaru north american corporate office and the eastern regional office regarding the several recalls he has received on his 2010 Subaru Outback. He went to the top because the people at the dealership are - well - stupid; and he his concerned about their ability to "fix" the car properly. He asked the dealer about TSB's and was told there were none; when in deed there are four (4). The people he has contacted are at the vice president level of management. He has also tried to speak to someone in the president's (thomas doll) office. Everyone refers him to an 800 customer service number. The people at this number know nothing about cars; all they do is read off what is ever written on their computer screen. Of course, Subaru has no plant manufacturing problems; their problems are all caused by the companies they get their components from. My husband does not want to be "put-off"; he wants someone from Subaru's upper management to give him a call right away.

The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Outback. While driving approximately 30 mph he applied pressure to the brake pedal. He took his foot off of the brake pedal before reaching a stop sign and attempted to accelerate. The vehicle momentarily hesitated before accelerating. The failure recurred while driving approximately 30 mph whenever he attempted to accelerate after applying the brakes. He also stated that while driving approximately 75 mph he took his foot off of the accelerator pedal but the vehicle did not begin to decelerate for approximately 4 seconds. This failure also recurred whenever he was driving approximately 75 mph. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where he was informed that the vehicle was manufactured to operate in that manner. The failure mileage was 2,000 and the current mileage was 8,000.

I have a 2005 Subaru Outback wagon. This weekend, on hard packed ice roads, the back wheels would "float", sway out from under my vehicle. This has happened previously in black ice conditions. I was traveling 20 mph slower than the rest of traffic to maintain control of my vehicle, and thus creating an additional hazard to the vehicles that could handle the conditions. The below email thread is a good description of what I have experienced in the past and other Subaru Outback owners are experiencing as well. The vehicle has new tires and the alignment was recently verified. . Read more...

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I am in my third season driving my 2006 Subaru Outback to lake tahoe for winter ski season. I've always felt confident driving on snowy or icy roads until my last two trips--christmas 2008, and new year's 2009. On these trips, I experienced very disturbing fishtailing that everyone in the car noticed, and I had to fight to compensate for. This occurred even on long straight sections. Each time I had to slow down well below the flow of traffic, and the speed of previous trips. This issue made me wonder about improper tire inflation pressure, so we called the tire dealer, who confirmed this was not the cause. It felt as if the rear wheel traction was overcoming front wheel traction, that made me also wonder whether the all-wheel drive was functioning properly. I also considered weight as a cause, because one day I drove from reno to tahoe with only one passenger, and little cargo, and did not experience the problem. But, the fully loaded vehicle was no different than many trips the previous two seasons, when the fishtailing did not occur, and I could maintain sufficient speed to stay with the flow of traffic. Same vehicle, same tires, same loads, same road, same conditions, yet much different performance. I noticed other similar complaints, some of which refer to "ghostwalking. " please work on identifying the cause and solution for this issue, to prevent serious accident/injury. Thank you.

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The contact owns a 2000 Subaru Outback. When the contact starts the vehicle and attempts to change gears, the vehicle jerks very strongly. The dealer stated that the transmission was the cause of the failure. The transmission fluid was changed, but the failure persisted. The dealer recommended that the transmission be rebuilt. The failure mileage was 83,000 and current mileage was 93,000. Updated 4/23/09 updated 04/27/jb.

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2008 Outback Subaru - drove the car for over 1 year with the transmission jerking into gears. I had the dealer/mechanics check it 4 times within the first 2 months of the purchase. They could not find the problem. I have had the 3,000 mile oil change serviced by the dealer - 6x and complained about the transmission. On 10/9/08 took to the dealer again for a oil change and the transmission. They find the problem - I think they called it - a reflash - a computer adjustment. The car now drives great. Why did it take so long for this adjustment? I think that Subaru should have called a recall. I am also concerned if it did any damage to my transmission.

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Transmission will intermittently fail to go into drive from park or reverse. Happens at random. Engine can be cold or warm and it still hesitates. Sometimes takes over a minute to get the transmission to engage. Only a matter of time before we get stranded. Took car to dealer and they topped off the transmission fluid and said the delay was normal. Issues began at 65k miles and have progressively gotten worse. Car now has 77k miles and only option given has been to replace the transmission.

The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Outback. Intermittently, the rear of the vehicle loses control in slick road conditions. The contact stated that there was mechanical failure with the electronics in the all wheel drive. The failure occurs while driving between 20-45 mph. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The tires were replaced twice. The vehicle was realigned, but the failure still persists. The current mileage was 25,800 and failure mileage was 12,000.

: the contact stated while driving 40 mph on wet roads, the vehicle ran rough, and did not accelerate properly. The vehicle began to buck, and the check engine light illuminated constantly. The vehicle was taken to a private repair shop, where the transmission fluid was found to be empty, and was refilled. The problems persisted, so the vehicle was taken to a service dealer several days later, where the problem was unable to be determined.

See all problems of the 2003 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I have been experiencing a problem while accelerating from a stop or from coasting, such as when a red light has just turned green. I begin to depress the accelerator and the engine just about dies. This has nearly caused me to get "t-boned" at intersections numerous times. I have brought it to the attention of two different Subaru dealers and they say that nothing is wrong with it. I have heard that other Subaru owners are having this problem but Subaru will not admit that this is a safety issue.

Automatic transmission has delay in engaging from a stop into any forward gear from any gear.

Vehicle approximately 9 months ago was experiencing a slight delay in engaging automatic transmission from any gear into drive. Had dealership look at it and do a transmission flush of all fluid. The problem really didn't get better until finally on 3/19/05 at only 51,800 miles the transmission would no longer engage in drive at all. A transmission shop looked at it and said an 'o' ring failed causing the entire transmission to need to be rebuilt and catalytic converter to be replaced. Cost was $2,644 and was only 6 weeks past expiration of the warranty.

Approximately 6 months ago automatic transmission started having trouble shifting from reverse to drive. Car would hesitate and finally lurch forward. Took it to the dealer and was at first told they couldn't find anything, then was told I needed a new $3400 transmission. I was told to baby the car for as long as I could. 4 months later car became stuck in reverse and would not shift to drive. Took it to another service center (not the dealer) that specializes in Subaru's and was told this was a common Subaru problem with automatic transmissions. I was also told that I could have gotten at least 15 - 20,000 more miles out of the transmission is the transmission filter had ever been replaced and the fluid flushed. (up until this time I had always had the car serviced under warranty at the dealer). I am being told now that I will have to get a new transmission. This seems ridiculous being that the car is only 5 years old.

See all problems of the 1999 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I drive a 1996 Outback with 116,000 miles on it. I've read about possible recalls pertaining to the transmissions binding in turns, which is what I'm expereincing now. I've been told that if it gets too bad, it may break an axle or something. If it is a recognized problem/mistake, I'd really like to see a recall.

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Auto started running rough. Transmission shifting abruptly. Throttle would remain open after foot taken off accelerator. Car would maintain last speed before foot off accelerator. This would continue on level ground and even uphill to a large extent speed would be maintained with no input from driver. Cruise control was off. No codes generated and no check enging light. Dealer notified. Could not duplicate. This occurred on three separate occasions before dealer replace throttle positon sensor.

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99 Outback - tranny wont engage when shifting into drive from park, nuetral, or reverse. Rev the motor and then c-lunk into drive after long delay. Got worse over time. Subaru and other service shops say it's common on 99's, probably the main pump seals, and the tranny has to come out to fix or replace. I changed the fluid twice in a week to "flush" it - much better now, almost "ok" (compared to $2500 fix) but still not "normal".

Consumer complained about a transmission problem. Vehicle delayed when it was put into drive. Also, consumer would be driving and suddenly the transmission would go into neutral without changing gears. Consumer contacted the dealer, who recommended that the transmission needed to be replaced. . . . . . . Initially, dealer could not find a problem. After 2 mor evisits to dealer, it was determined that transmission needed to be replaced.

Consumer states that vehicle is unable to shift into drive intermittently. The dealer indicated that transmission needed to be replaced due to an internal failure. When the computer diagnostic was done no codes registered, according to the diagnostic machine the vehicle was not in need of repair.

Intermittently, automatic transmission will not shift into second gear. It goes into neutral and will continue to rev up to anywhere between 5500 rpm and redline before it shifts. This has been an ongoing problem for the past year. It usually happens at least once each time it is driven. We have taken it to Subaru of santa cruz in the past and they could not identify a problem. When the 'check engine' and 'at oil temp' lights came on, we took it to Subaru of santa cruz. The diagnostic computer indicated that the speed sensor needed to be replaced. Once replaced, the problem did not occur for about 5 days, but then began occurring again.

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The vehicle was parked and off. Please provide any further information. The vehicle moved forward towards the fence.

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The vehicle experienced a delayed response when changing from one gear into another. The vehicle was stopped on a steep slope and put into reverse. The driver took his foot off the brake and onto the accelerator then the vehicle rolled forward. The consumer believes this problem is called shift lag.

Burning smell eminating from transmission.

On multiple occasions, and with multiple drivers, I have had 2 2003 Outbacks with frequent stalling when moving from neutral to first, or to reverse. This is potentially dangerous when moving out into traffic. Subaru denies receiving prior complaints (despite the material on your site) and in general denies that there is any problem. They also compelled me to sign a "gag" clause as part of a deal whereby they exchanged car # 1 for car # 2. I have arbitrarily put in a specific month, day and year but it has happened on multiple occasions. Also car # 1 had 2 incidents of the engine running too rough to be driven, progressively losing power and then quitting - when restarted, ran fine. Also car # 1 had 1 episode of turning over well but refusing to start.

There is a delay in the transmission when shifting from park or reverse to drive. The car has already been involved in a minor accident because of the problem. The car was taken to a Subaru service center and I was told I needed a new rebuilt transmission at $3600.

Car has significant hesitation during periods of acceleration, usually around 2500-3500 rpm. Potentially dangerous in many driving situations. Have reported to dealer multiple times. Response is always "cannot reproduce - computer shows operating as designed". Car also has spontaneous acceleration at low speed, such as first taking foot off brake.

Nar 03-27-2003 mr the car dies intermittently at speeds between 20-25 mph on deceleration. The power is completely lost with no power steering control. Additional items noticied . . Shifting in transmission at low speeds, dashboard creaks and drivers window faulty.

Nar 07-15-2003 the consumer vehicle made high frequency noises that effected the hearing on the driver inside of the car while driving at a speed above 50 ml hr, also series of strong multiple jerking occurred.

Nhtsa#02-v-282-000. Please provide further information. Ph.

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My 1999 Subaru legacy Outback limited developed an automatic transmission problem characterized by hesitation and harsh, abrupt engagement of the transmission when starting from a stop. Originally the problem only arose as the car was placed from park or reverse into drive. I took it to armando's Subaru in canfield, OH and was told they could find nothing wrong. Later this problem became more frequent and pronounced. The engine would rev up and the car would jerk when the transmission engaged. Also, the problem started occuring not only when I originally set the at into gear, but also from stops after the car was already in gear. I would sometimes have to rev the engine more than once to get it to engage and it jerked. When I returned to the dealer I was told it might be the control model but probably would need a new transmission at a cost of several thousand dollars. I did not feel the car was safe anymore because I could not be sure whether the transmission would engage or hesitate when pulling into traffic. Incident date listed is approx time problem first developed, it got worse over time.