general problems of the 2012 Subaru Legacy

Brakes malfunctioned and car spun out and hit deer.

My 2012 Subaru Legacy experiences involuntary engine stalling when coming to a quick stop, such as in stop-and-go traffic or during sudden braking at intersections. When the engine shuts off without warning, power steering and braking assist are lost, creating a serious risk of collision. This is a known issue documented by Subaru of America in technical service bulletin 16-90-13r, applicable to 2010–2012 Legacy and outback vehicles with cvt transmissions. Subaru attributes the condition to excessive thrust washer wear inside the torque converter, which prevents proper release of lock-up clutch pressure. Subaru describes the condition as similar to stopping a manual transmission vehicle without depressing the clutch, which inherently results in engine stalling. Subaru later redesigned the torque converter as a countermeasure beginning in October 2013, indicating prior knowledge of a defect. However, Subaru never issued a recall or notified owners and addressed the issue only through a non-customer-facing service bulletin. I contacted Subaru customer advocacy to report this safety concern and request assistance with the repair (quoted over $4,000). Subaru acknowledged my concern but declined responsibility, citing the vehicle being out of warranty and stating that tsbs are not customer facing. Subaru did not confirm whether the vehicle is safe to drive with this condition. This issue represents a safety defect, not a warranty dispute. Vehicles that can stall unexpectedly during normal braking events pose a serious safety risk, and many affected vehicles remain on the road today.

Cvt transmission issues persist beyond the limited warranty extension that has now expired from Subaru. Vehicle rpms regularly drop from 1000 to 500 when coming to a stop, causing engine to knock as it tries to stall. Vehicle then occasionally hesitates when attempting to move under power. Knocking and near stalling occasionally results in a sensation of vehicle being hit from behind while stopped with vehicle in drive and brakes applied.

Faulty torque converter. The car will unexpectedly turn off when coming to a fast, sudden stop. The 1st time it happened, I was in a left-hand turn lane and didn't realize my car had turned off and I had to quickly restart it to complete the turn. A transmission repair shop confirmed that the torque converter and valve body would need to be replaced. No warning lights, messages or other symptoms appeared before the incident. There is a safety bulletin from Subaru on this issue but because my car has a salvage title, it would need to escalate to a recall in order for Subaru to complete the repair free of charge.

In August & September 2022 , 4 times I was stopping at stop signs & red lights and my car shuttered & stalled. No warning lights showed on the dashboard. I contacted my mechanic & he said he was aware of this issue on certain Subarus, possibly a torque converter defect but thought there was an extended warranty & I should look into it. My car was purchased 7/30/12 & had 103,000 miles on it when this issue started in August. I wrote to Subaru of America explaining the problem. They told me that my car was out of the “warranty” since it expired at 100,000 miles or on 7/31/22. They said I’d need to take my car to a dealer & have them diagnose the car, & if it was this issue then it would be reviewed to see if they would offer any “good will assistance”. After reading many blogs I’m noticing many Subaru owners complaining of similar dangerous stalls. Why hasn’t Subaru been forced to recall all these vehicles? this is a dangerous situation. I also read an article in forbes magazine from 2017 by chris jensen that Subaru was allowed to offer extended warranty on this faulty transmission part instead of a recall being issued. I. Don’t understand how you can overlook this safety issue. I would like to know what recourse I have since this started happening just outside my warranty limits. Subarus comment “ it would be reviewed to possibly offer some good will assistance” is just not good enough. I would appreciate a response and some assistance in this dangerous situation. I have a date set in October to have my mechanic check it thank you.

Please see odi#11486236 & request # 562681 “ part 1” I wrote complaining about a 2012 Subaru Legacy torque converter issue. It was “ out of warranty 7/31/22 or 100k miles. At the time it started stalling it was at 103k miles in August 2022! I did not feel comfortable driving it. On 10/19/22 my mechanic drove my car & it shuddered & stalled at intersections for him also. I did not feel comfortable driving it 25 miles to a Subaru dealer to have them check it, diagnose it & repair it. My mechanic replaced the torque converter as well as the appropriate fluids. It cost about $1500 for parts & labor. Since this is a faulty part installed prior to purchase I feel Subaru needs to recall all these vehicles affected. I emailed you multiple emails online multiple complaints about this faulty part which causes a dangerous situation stalling at lights & intersections requiring one to stop & start. I was almost broadsided a few times. Subaru should do the right thing and recall all vehicles involved & your agency should do the right thing & demand it for the safety of the public.

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving at 35 mph and coming to a stop, the vehicle shuddered and shut off. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact’s husband, an independent mechanic, replaced the spark plugs, coil springs and the fuel filter. However, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. Upon investigating the failure, the contact became aware of Subaru technical service bulletin number: 16-90-13r for transmission failure. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not eligible for the technical service bulletin repair due to the vehicle mileage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

The vehicle will on occasion stall when coming to a complete stop. It is a known issue that has a service bulletin. Has something to do with the internals of the torque converter failing. Depending on where the vehicle stalls this could create a serious safety concern. Happens more when the vehicle is cold.

Engine stalls after abrupt stop. For example, I was on post road in westport connecticut and slowed down from 25mph+ very quickly with a hard brake. The engine immediately stalled and all lights on the dashboard were activated. Restarting the car allowed me to proceed. This issue also occurred on a highway (the meritt parkway) several weeks ago. This problem is consistently reproducible and has happened 10+ times. . Read more...

2012 Subaru Legacy. When coming to a hard stop the engine will stall. Will happen any time you come to a hard stop. This is very dangerous and can cause an accident in dense traffic. Very scary.

The car is stalling when coming to a stop. As you slow down the vehicle shutters, and then stops. The awd, check engine, traction, battery, oil, at oil temp all light up. You have to put the car into park to restart the engine. This happened in the middle of an intersection. This happened twice in the day.

Tl- the contact owns a 2012 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated when approaching a traffic light, when depressing the brake pedal the vehicle began to hesitating and stall. The contact stated multiple warning light was illuminated. The contact stated when she depressed the accelerator pedal the vehicle failed to move forward. The contact shifted the gear to park and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to her distinction. The contact called local dealer garavel Subaru located at 10 tindall Ave, norwalk, CT 06851, (203) 642-0620, and made an appointment at a later time. The vehicle has not been diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The manufacturer not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 120,000. Dp.

When braking, the car often stalls and all requires a shift into park, and a restart of the entire engine before being able to proceed. When it stalls, steering is also affected. This frequently happens on city streets, but also happens when pulling into parking spaces and when slowing for turning. This has been happening with increasing frequency.

Started to stall out while stopping at lights, parking lots, wry bad when unexpectedly needing to stop. Almost rear ended a few times because my car would stall approaching lights. I finally figured out that I need to put it in nuetral for it not to die. I just found out that Subaru had an extended warranty to 100,000 miles to fix this issue I am at 100,500. They are actually going to fix it. But if I didn't know they would've never fixed it . My concern is the near miss accidents I was almost in on a daily basis. It happens when I brake and come to a complete stop. Lights, stop signs, anywhere I need to stop.

Squeel and jerkking. See service bulletin and extended warranties. TSB 16-90-13r; car is outside extended warranty but this is a vehicle defect that should covered and recalled.

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Legacy. While driving approximately 75 mph, the contact heard a whining sound coming from the engine. The vehicle would also stall when driving at low speeds or idling. The dealer stated that the transmission was faulty. The transmission was replaced and the failures were remedied. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 2,000.