Four problems related to suspension have been reported for the 2003 Subaru Outback. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the rear suspension subframe was rusted and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that there was a recall regarding the rear suspension subframe corrosion, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified. The recall details and failure mileage were unknown.
Driving home from work noticed car was not handling correctly. Had certified mechanic check and he found the drive side rear spring lower mount had failed due to rust. Also noted that passenger side lower spring mount was starting to fail. The car is driven in the NY , NJ, CT, mass, nh and maine states year round. Car has been maintained in accordance with Subaru specifications. I am the original owner and have been at the same address and did not receive any recalls for the rear, nor for the front components. Will be contacting Subaru corporate on the next business day.
I am the original owner 2003- current/2013. Accelerating from a stop light in traffic, I heard a very loud snap and the right rear side of my car fell to within an inch of the right rear tire. I was able to drive the car, slowly, to a Subaru specialist. I was told the right rear strut rusted and broke after only 7 years and less than 87k miles. I was forced to replace the strut assembly since this was a safety issue. The car has always been driven year round in maine and new hampshire. There's no excuse for this type of rust and breakdown of any major component with relatively low miles. Subaru is very, very well known for rust problems, especially rusting from the inside out in the rear tire areas above the tire, and should be forced to compensate owners for what is clearly a massive and irresponsible failure in the quality control at Subaru.
Defective drive shaft defective viscous coupler defective suspension no deaths or accidents yet I am afraid that my life and safety are seriously at risk and none of the Subaru techs will acknowledge a problem or agree to fix. I had the above defects diagnosed by an auto shop not affiliated with Subaru. There may be other problems too.