Table 1 shows one common wheel related problems of the 2006 Subaru Outback.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems |
2006 Subaru Outback head gaskets went bad at about 35,000 miles. Had to replace those called Subaru and they help me get those replaced. Thought all was well soon after, the electrical system including the air conditioner and the heater . Then I was told that the airbags were defaulted and to bring it into replace them which I did. The final straw is that they called me again two weeks ago to bring the rigging to replace that same airbag again. I asked them why they gave me a car that wasn't safe. The wheel bearings also wore out very early around 50 miles. This car has been so expensive. And now they informed me that there was a second recall on the airbag. So I bring it in for the second time realizing that now in 2021 this car has not been safe the whole time I've been driving it with my family my daughter learned how to drive in this car and so did my son. As they were repairing the faulty airbag they cracked the dashboard and then informed me that it would be $300 to fix it because it had a tiny crack in it. Please note that they were the ones that took the dashboard off in the first place. Super rude! I called Subaru of America and they decided to reimburse me for the dashboard. They were talking about gluing it back together last I heard I'm very much hoping this is not the case my daughter ensures me that it isn't but we'll see. Also he informed me that my head gaskets were leaking again. The mechanic said that this is common once you've had your gaskets replaced. This makes no sense to me. My car has about 160,000 miles on it and it seems like it's already played out and not safe. What a joke. I'll never buy a Subaru again. This has been the worst car and apparently the most unsafe car I've ever owned. Note:this car was consistently unsafe while driving for the last 15 years. I bought it because it had a five star rating for safety what a joke!.
Subaru Outback began to exhibit "ghost walking" while driving straight during a winter storm. Rear end attempted to race the front end, and could not regain control. This "ghost walking" is well discussed in the online form at Subaruoutback. Org. Car eventually made it to the edge of the road where it then proceeded to roll 3 times. The experience was not the normally sliding on ice. The rear end seemed to have a mind of its own.
Front wheel bearings failed. Initially, the noise happened around 30-40 mph. Then the noise (grinding/rotational) got progressively louder and started happening even at low speeds (under 20 mph). Eventually, the noise was accompanied by vibrations/shuddering when the broken bearing supported the load of the car on every rotation of the wheel.
Vehicle becomes very unstable on icy roads at relatively low speeds. Excessive rear tire wear suggests defect in construction of this vehicle. Problem persisted even after a 4 wheel alignment and new tires last winter. Rear tires completely worn out in less than one year.
Recently had to replace a rear wheel bearing in my 2006 Subaru legacy Outback, which only has approx. 46,000 miles. My mechanic indicated that he has seen several of these failures in the newer Subarus, but that Subaru has not issued a recall notice.