Table 1 shows one common traction control system related problems of the 2005 Subaru Outback.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Traction Control System problems |
We have a 2005 Subaru Outback that sways in the rear of car under the following conditions 1. Over bumps the rear will swing to the right and dip. When roads are slick it will almost spin the vehicle. If you are in a left hand curve, even at low speed, the condition is exaggerated more than you would expect sort of like it was pushed in addition to the normal inertia you would experience. 2. Rear end traction becomes unstable under icy conditions where it appears that too much power is being distributed to the rear of the driveline then oscillating to each individual rear wheel. In my opinion 100% of the vehicles power concentrated to the rear differential is alternately distributed between the rear wheels and kind of gets stuck in this mode.
1. Slightly icy road condition. 2. Abnormal loss of road feel and control. 3. No known solution.
2005 Subaru Outback sedan driven on icy/snowy road conditions experiences extreme slippage in the rear of the car. Have experienced this on at least two other occasions with this vehicle in similar conditions. Awd does not appear to be keeping the rear of the car on the road or in line. Vehicle fishtails or ghostwalks on the road surface in these conditions. Each time this was experienced was while driving on highway at speeds between 30 and 70 mph in icy/snowy conditions. I have a 1996 Subaru legacy sedan as well that does not exhibit this type of unnerving wandering on the road when driven in exact same conditions. This wandering makes vehicle feel extremely unstable and the back of the car feels as though it wants to spin around or off the road.
Driving under normal cold conditions. Every time that we went under an overpass where ice has forced on the highway the car momentarily lost control. It was a good thing that the hazard ended quickly otherwise we would have been off the road.
2005 Subaru Outback will not track straight in slippery conditions at all. The term ghost walking is being used for this and is very accurate. I do not feel secure driving in any snowy conditions in this vehicle. I had a 1995 Subaru before this that was rock steady in snow, this car is very unpredictable. Tire changes do not solve problem nor does alignment to oem specs. Has been on going since I bought the car new.