general problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback

I was within the town limits so I was driving slowly. When I approached the first stop light in town I saw that it was red. There were of three or four vehicles stopped at that light. At that point I was probably only going 5mph. I took my foot off of the gas pedal and put my foot on the brake to make a slow stop. Instead, the car accelerated rather quickly. I continued to brake but the car seemed to speed up. I was able to avoid hitting the truck in front of me by going around it. No vehicles were coming towards me but there were some stopped at the other side of the light. I drove up on the sidewalk to avoid hitting anyone. At that point the front passenger side of the car hit & snapped a pole. The car did not stop immediately upon impact. It stopped acclerating and came to a stop about 10 feet past the pole. I am not sure how fast the car was moving when it hit the pole but I was only going about 5 mph when I put my foot on the break. I would estimate the distance my car traveled from the moment I put my foot on the break until the car stopped was approximately 100-120 feet. It felt like the car went into the cruise resume mode and was trying to accelerate to a predetermined speed. I had not been using the cruise control that day but that is exactly what it felt like. There was one other time this year that the car lunged forward without using the gas pedal. It stopped quickly for me and I just assumed that I had hit the cruise resume button, although I also hadn't been using the cruise that day. The insurance company took the car to an impound lot two hours away. I am sure there has been no inspection and my insurance has not informed me of the status of having my car totaled or repaired. Because of the age of the car, and damage, they think it will be totaled. Yes, my safety and the safety of anyone near me was at risk. The car malfunctioned and the fact no one was hurt was miraculous. There were no warning messages before this accident.

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 67 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to approximately 25-30 mph while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. After pulling over to the side of the roadway, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact's wife stated that the failure had occurred a year prior while driving approximately 55 mph. The failure only lasted for several seconds. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,700.

#1. I replaced the battery in June of 2022 after all the dash warning lights came on. My eyesight safety feature was rendered in operative. After the battery was replaced, all the warning lights eventually went out. In July of 2023 the same scenario happened again. I returned to advance auto retailer and the store manager checked the battery. She replaced the battery with a new one of greater cold cranking amps. She was most knowledgeable and extraordinarily gracious. I asked her to check the alternator for proper function and was told it was functioning as it should. #2. On June 07, 2023, I took the automobile in for service: oil and filter change and brake pads and rotors on all four wheels. My Subaru had 68,482 miles on this date. The technician (who previously was employed by a local Subaru dealership) noticed that the engine was leaking oil and diagnosed the timing cover gasket was leaking oil. Oil leaking would contribute to the bad smells entering the passenger compartment. The gasket and three seals were replaced at a cost of $1329. 94 plus 8% tax. Online research reveals that Subaru"s boxer engine suffers chronic oil consumption and seal problems. Subaru of America relies on the consumer to eat any repairs rather than fix the problem that has been going on for years.

The car had a recall on it for the catalytic converter and front pipe and bellows being cracked. It was replaced under a service bulletin put out by Subaru at 104,000 miles in 2020. I just went to get the vehicle inspected in 5/2023 and the exact same part is failing once again. It will not pass inspection. This causes exhaust to leak back into the car (including carbon monoxide) given the converter/bellows are parts that come off the engine right under the driver/passenger's front seat. I have called corporate Subaru to see what could be done and they refuse to do anything since they told me the car is a 2015 and had 167,000+ miles. At this point, it will cost me a few thousand dollars to fix at which point has to be done by Subaru and they will replace it with the exact same parts that have proven time and time again to be a poor design and fail. Or I can take it to an exhaust specialist to be fixed.

The cam carrier has a leak that is causing oil to slowly leak out of the car. The current issue is causing me to have to regularly add oil to the car. My safety is at risk as the car engine could fail while driving which would be me and others at risk. My understanding is that the leaking oil could also cause other parts to fail such as the O2 sensor. The recommended repair from the local Subaru dealer is to reseal the cam carrier at an estimated cost of $4,744. I attempted to contact Subaru after reading that many others have had this same issue and some have received monetary compensation to get the repair completed after complaining. Subaru has been very difficult to get in touch with and doesn't seem to want to respond to the issue. The only warning I have had was the oil engine light coming on multiple times to which I proceeded to add oil to the car.

Intermittant engine acceleration or engine surge while braking at very low speeds.

Entering a residential garage to park; experienced sudden acceleration while braking. Vehicle went through drywall/wall about 2 feet. Placed vehicle in park to stop vehicle. No airbags went off. Driving vehicle to repair shop later; experienced same rapid unexpected acceleration with different driver. No issue with floor mats. Oem mats. Service center cannot provide any insight or reproduction of event.

On three separate occasions, most recently on 01/06/22 , my Subaru Outback began to accelerate without touching the gas pedal. My wife and myself were both fortunate to have a foot covering the brake pedal when this occurred . We fortunately avoided the potential collision hazard. The unexpected acceleration is alarming and continues to occur !.

Engine consistently burns oil. Adding pints between factory recommended oil change interval when low oil light comes on. On average, one pint is burned every 1500 miles.

On 8/25/21, during servicing, I was informed by the Subaru dealer who has always serviced my car that the driver's side head gasket was starting to go bad. The car had 54,108 miles on it and was 6 years and 5 months old. It had always been driven under normal conditions, on public roads, and 100% of the servicing had been performed by the Subaru dealer who sold me the car, which I bought new. In addition, I had never used the car for towing. Under the circumstances, it seemed indefensible that the head gasket should be going bad. It's a very expensive repair. The engine in question is the 3. 6-liter 6-cylinder.

Car stalled, could not take out of gear; could not restart, could not set emergency brake. Couldn’t turn key to restart. Finally a light came on that said hatch was open. Could not operate hatch from inside car. Jumped out hatch was closed. Opened and reclosed. Car started rolling. Ran to jump in and apply manual brake. I’m 85 years old. Very dangerous situation.

The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, he was alerted by another driver that the vehicle was smoking and flames were coming from under the vehicle. The contact stated that warning lights flashed off and on. The contact stated that he pulled over, exited the vehicle, and saw flames coming from underneath the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames and exploded. The contact stated that he sustained light burns on his hands from the steering wheel however, medical attention was not required. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a junkyard as it was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a field technician was sent to retrieve information from the edr. The contact was not aware of the diagnosis. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

While driving at highway speed and traveling over about 6 hours, the car simply shut off. We were traveling on the highway in the passing lane. Without warning the car began to slow down rapidly, no dash lights on, but the engine was off. We managed to cross two lanes of traffic without power assist and once on the shoulder and slowing down, the engine lights all came on. Once fully stopped, we turned the car off, waited a few seconds and restarted. We were then able to complete our trip without difficulty. This has happened twice. The dealer has done full diagnostics twice but has been unable to find the problem. We have heard that other year Subaru Outbacks have been recalled for this problem but our year isn't included.

My battery has had to be replaced twice because it drains even though the car is used regularly and nothing is left on. I have had to be jumped six or seven times since I purchased the car and towed once to the dealership.

Oil consumption issues. The oil is burning more then it should. Oil light would come after 2 to 3 more after an oil change. The dealership has been notified and is working on ordering new parts for the engine. Replacing the small block of the engine. Had less the 100k miles when this problem accured. Electrical issues. The battery is being drained after the car is turned off. Car would not start in the morning and need to be jumped. Additionally, battery eventually dies and needs to be replaced. Dealership has been notified.

Tl-the contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback . The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 69,000. Ap.

Tl-the contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. While, driving 60 mph the vehicle failed to accelerate and loss power the check automotive transmission and check engine warning indicator lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the cvt transmission failed. The vehicle was towed to Subaru of puyallup 720 river rd, puyallup, wa 98371 (253) 286-5900 where diagnosed that the wrong transmission fluid was in vehicle. But, not repaired, the manufacturer was contacted who provided case number 150070620183 . The failure mileage was 74,000. Ap.

Vehicle would not start. After jumping the battery vehicle started, aaa performed roadside testing and determined the battery and alternator are working properly and are sufficiently charged. Car would not start for unexplained reasons. Previous service history leads me to believe there is an ongoing electrical issue with this vehicle. Previously the airbag light would frequently illuminate. Dealership stated it was due to electrical interference and that nothing was wrong.

While parking the car at an open parking lot in shopping center at low speed (<5mph) the engine surged suddenly and the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. It required tremendous pressure on brake to eventually override the engine.

Very difficult to start-problem with push to start button and engine not getting fuel. Vehicle stationary in parking lot. Have had to get jump start 3 times.

Repeated dead batteries. Replaced oem battery in year 2, new battery also comes up dead regularly. There is clearly a parasitic battery drain happening. Burning oil, this car burns more oil than any car I have ever owned. Subaru claims it is within specification, but their specification is 1 quart between changes, this is a ridiculous claim in 2021. Heat shield and exhaust noise. Always a new noise or exhaust leak. Lights are not adequate for country driving, it is dangerous.

The Subaru Outback 2015 was parked in a lot after a 12 minute drive and burst into flames. It was purchased in February 2015 and was not yet due for servicing when the event happened. The Subaru Outback manufactured from July 3rd-27th 2015 has been recalled due to "possibility of fire due to a transmission fluid leak". I believe the same thing occurred with my car and I am concerned that if the model is not recalled someone will get badly injured or killed due to fire.

Unintended acceleration. When driving at low speeds--what would traditionally be 1st and 2nd gear (the car has a continually variable transmission)--and while keeping constant pressure on the gas pedal, the transmission changes the acceleration of the vehicle on its own in a process that feels like it can't find the right "gear", and it provides a "jerking" feeling (usually only a couple of "jerks"). Yet the transmission is not just finding the right gear for a specific constant speed; as it shifts around, the acceleration changes and has, with constant pressure on the pedal, accelerated faster on its own. I have never felt less control of a vehicle as I have with this one.

I have a surging issue with my 3. 6r after cold starts. Upon start-up, the idle will be ~1800 and when I put the car in drive, it will drop to 800-1000rpm. Then, as I slowly pull into the garage, or pull into a stopped line of traffic, the engine will surge back to the higher rpm, causing the vehicle to push through the brakes. I have had this return to high idle occur after I have come to a complete stop, causing the vehicle to push through the applied brakes and requiring additional brake pressure to stop the vehicle. I have also had it occur when slowly rolling forward. I believe this is an unsafe situation that could result in damaged property and/or injury. I see that there is at least one additional NHTSA complaint for this issue, which Subaru deemed "normal" operation. I did contact my dealer requesting a firmware update, if one was available, and they said there was not one. I have owned this vehicle since 3/23/2015 and this issue has occurred since new, but it more common in colder weather. I have 18k miles on the vehicle.

Engine idle is erratic when cold. Backing out of the garage in the morning the engine surges 3-400 rpm making the car jerk faster and slower. This is with only the brake pedal pressed. I have a second identical car that does not have the problem. Temperature is in the 40's. When the engine slows, you have to ease off the brake, them it suddenly speeds up 50% and the car takes off. The cycle repeats for a few minutes in the mornings. The problem is very repeatable -the same thing every morning.

Red engine light came on and car died. Lost all power/ drive. Needed to coast to berm. Would restart, but die immediately. Everything was immobilized. This could have happened at 70 mph on an interstate! our was very close to being rear- ended.

Tl-the contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the engine seized as the keyless access system disabled warning light illuminated. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed a faulty connector in the wiring. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,000. Pam.

The vehicle is equipped with the 3. 6r engine and a continuously variable transmission. When descending a long hill in a fixed gear ratio (usually 2nd or 3rd) the vehicle slows normally until the rpm reaches approximately 1200 rpm at which point the vehicle suddenly begins accelerating until the rpm reaches approximately 2500 rpm at which point the process repeats. I observe the "mpg" suddenly drop at the same time to around 25 mpg when the vehicle accelerates. It rises back to "99" when it slows. Note that during the entire sequence my foot is off the accelerator pedal and the throttle angle display shows zero. I find this very hazardous as the unintended acceleration can occur when entering or within a turn creating a crash risk.

When the engine is cold, the idle speed is 1600 rpm when started. When placed in reverse or drive it reduces to a nominal 900-1000 rpm. When the vehicle starts to move it suddenly drops to 600 rpm. When braking to a stop after moving vehicle the rpm suddenly jumps to 900-1000 rpm just before vehicle halts. This causes sudden unexpected acceleration of the vehicle and presents a safety hazard. I believe this is due to an engine/transmission software issue. This has occurred since new.