general problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback - part 1

Leak in cam carrier gasket caused large ammounts of smoke to fill engine bay and enter cabin air system. Struggled to breath and vision to an extent was obstructed. When car was parked, smoke continued to fill the engine bay. Problem was confirmed by an independent technitian, with the vehicle undergoing a complete inspection about a year ago from the dealership of purchase. No warning lamps turned on until enough oil had seeped from the leak in the liquid silicon gasket, at which point the low oil warning light had turned on.

My 2016 Subaru Outback cvt transmission has exhibited an intermittent jerking and grabbing sensation when accelerating from a stop, worse when cold, since at least February 2023. This is a known defect covered under Subaru warranty extension bulletin 16-115-18. February 2023 — an authorized Subaru dealer documented the complaint in writing. The technician stated the vehicle never warmed up during the test drive and dismissed the concern. The cvt issue was never repaired. I was never informed of Subaru's cvt warranty extension program. February 17 2026 — seven days before my warranty expiration — the same authorized Subaru dealer physically identified and documented a cvt oil pump cover leak. The same jerking complaint was again documented in writing. No repairs were made and the warranty expired one week later. The cvt defect has been physically confirmed by an authorized Subaru dealer within the warranty period and Subaru of America has denied my warranty claim in writing. This issue presents a safety concern. The unpredictable jerking and hesitation when accelerating from a stop creates dangerous situations in traffic, particularly at intersections and when merging. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Subaru chose to handle this known widespread defect as a quiet warranty extension rather than a mandatory recall despite hundreds of owners reporting identical symptoms.

My 2016 Outback 2. 5l model experienced an exhaust noise and/or odor coming from cracks at the bellows section of the front exhaust pipe which includes the catalytic converter. It was diagnosed as leak occurring at the front exhaust pipe. Quoted repair for replacement part only is $2700 plus $1000 labor to repair. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Subaru recall wuj-95 with subject exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking was issued in 2020. My specific VIN was excluded from this recall but I have experienced the exact issue described in the recall. As a result of this situation and exhaust inhalation the car is not able to be driven, this cause breathing issues for me, my wife and our 9 month old baby.

Steering wheel controls frequently fail to work properly on the cruise control system specially the speed control. Also the exhaust system bellow has cracked. The moonroof leaks into the cabin and floor area of the passenger side. Also leaking into the a pillar on the passenger side. I only have a picture of the engine valve cover that is leaking and had to be replaced. I have video of the exhaust leak coming from the crack in the bellow pipe. Do not have video of the cruise control speed issues as I can’t take a video while driving.

Accelerated on its own doing 25mph and accelerated quickly and took pumping brakes to get it to stop.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine seal had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Safety concern - exhaust entering into the car. Smells of exhaust. Warranty should be extended to 15 years, 150,000 miles as was done on identical part 2017-2018my Subaru forrester exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking. This part is known to be defective. 1. My 2016 Subaru Outback 2. 5l if manufactured 12/9/2013 - 9/30/2015 is covered. My Subaru just outside this window, manufactured 12/2015. Service program bulletin number: wuj-95. 2. My Subaru is within the 80,000 routine emissions warranty, though 1 year outside the 8 years. 3. This exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking happens on the identical part in the forester and has an exhaust pipe (front) warranty extension (w122-013) to 150,000, 15 years. Attached - repair estimate, service program bulletin wuj-95 dealing with this year Outback, service bulletin number 09-84-22 dealing with identical part 2017-8 Subaru forester.

Original owner of a 2016 Subaru Outback 2. 5l, took in to midas for small exhaust leak. Midas found that the exhaust pipe front bellows was cracking. They sent me a quote to repair the bellows and also a print out of service program bulletin number wuj-95r n the 2015-2016my Outback 2. 5l referring to the exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking. I called to speak with Subaru's corporate recall center and they said my VIN was not part of the recall, however, my car was manufactured in 2015 and is having the exact same issues as the other 2016 Subaru Outback 2. 5l. Our safety is being put at risk as CO (carbon monoxide) is leaking into the vehicle due to the cracking in the exhaust pipe front bellows.

The left front drive axel cracked while we were driving on an overpass connecting two highways. We didn’t hit or bump anything. The car just stopped, like the brakes were slammed on, except the brakes didn’t work. As we were on an incline, the car started rolling backwards, but fortunately the emergency brake worked. It happened so abruptly, I wasn’t able to fully pull off the road and my children in the back seat were screaming for their lives as truck after truck whizzed by rattling our car with their horns blaring missing us by inches. The police and fire trucks eventually blocked us from traffic until we could get a tow. The engine worked, but we couldn’t get into any gear. The mechanic said it must’ve been a faulty part to have gone like that. When the axel broke, it damaged the front differential and the transmission so the car isn’t very drivable. On a less dramatic note, a month earlier, both back doors stopped working on the same day!! the child locks failed and the doors couldn’t be opened. I consider this a safety hazard, so we spent $$$ to fix it. As we take good care of our car, I am very curious why it’s failing so spectacularly all at once.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that there was an exhaust odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle, which was most noticeable when the heater was activated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormally loud sound as if the exhaust was releasing in large amount of fumes. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to the emissions and was related to NHTSA id number: 10182196 (engine and engine cooling, equipment, equipment adaptive/mobility). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not covered under NHTSA id number: 10182196 (engine and engine cooling, equipment, equipment adaptive/mobility) or under warranty. The manufacturer opened a case and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Exhaust leak in or near exhaust manifold / bellows / flex pipe identical to problem identified in wuj-95 recall, confirmed by both dealer and independent mechanic. Problem produces 'growl' and fumes in passenger cabin. This problem likely existed when we purchased the car used from lafontaine Subaru in commerce, mi.

Excessive oil consumption. Have to add a quart every 3300 miles. Twice in last two months on highway and city street, low oil warning came on. Mileage on auto is 72000 miles. All scheduled maintenance performed by Subaru dealer.

Recently, my daughter noticed the strong smell of exhaust in the car. It turns out the there is a leak in the exhaust manifold. Subaru issued service program bulletin wuj-95r to address a issue where a bellows in the exhaust cracked and allowed the leakage of exhaust gases in front of the cc, releasing noxious gases into the air and into the driver compartment. Problem is they only applied this to a small amount of the production of the 2016 Outback. This issue has been occurring on 2015 to 2019 models since and they did not include them in the recall. To fix this issue because of a design flaw the cc (catalytic converter) also needs to be replaced at a cost of over 3000 dollars. My ask is that they should extend this recall to cover all the cars with this design as it is a serious health issue to drivers of the cars. This is not an issue where rust is causing exhaust to break out, this is a manufacturing design issue where cars are having the issue which were only a couple years old. In my case, the bellows in question were replaced by the previous owner at less than 4 years old and I did not know about that. So when that repair failed(not the permanent fix offered in the service bulletin) Subaru told me I am on my own though the cc should be covered to 150k in new york state. I feel they should be responsible to address this issue for all the models with the defective design.

There is a strong smell of engine exhaust in the cabin as other people have submitted similar complaints.

Car exhaust inside the vehicle when driving at low speeds, idling, or parked into the cab of the vehicle. Only way to stop the exhaust fumes is to use the recirculate interior air. Rear hatch hydraulics are failing, hatch will not open completely and partially shuts when opened. When driving very loud squeaking from vehicle.

- leaking exhaust at bellow - I had to replace the catalytic converter. - I have a bad sense of smell. I did not notice it was an issue until a passenger of mine noted a smell of exhaust while we were driving. - I read a bulletin on your websites that there was a recall of other 2016 Subaru Outbacks for this same issue. I understand that my car was not a part of this recall because of the manufacturing date, but I found it to be an odd coincidence that my car has the same issue. When I visited another mechanic initially, he immediately alerted me that he has seen many Subaru vehicles with this same issue and directed me to a Subaru dealership. - my car was finally diagnosed and repaired at marin Subaru of CA.

Exhaust gas smells in the driver cabin and the exhaust shield and the pipe is breaking off.

At 59,000 miles, engine developed “heavy leak from cam carriers” by dealer service department. It was recommended that it be resealed. Engine was removed and serviced. At 112,000 miles same diagnosis was observed, along with a recommend reseal. It appears that the dealer repair was not done properly, or the repair was only temporary. This is a very labor intensive and expensive repair that needs to be done to avoid leaking oil that could ignite and cause engine fire. This seems to be a chronic problem and redesign of the repair and cam carriers are needed immediately. Subaru of America has offered to cover about 1/3 of the cost.

At low rate of speed, while parking vehicle accelerated without warning and damaged 3 cars . This happened previously with separate family drivers without damage. This is a serious defect and could potentially cause serious injury or death. This was not driver error. The car lurched forward with absolutely no gas pedal involvement. The previous times it happened at a stoplight with enough room in front to hit the brake. Not this time.

Cam carrier leak due to a factory design. Yes it is available for a inspection. This causes a lot of oil to leak, oil is flammable and the dealer told me there is a high risk of an engine fire due to this. Yes the dealer confirmed the problem, this is a common problem with Subaru Outbacks, there are tons of reports and complains about this. The vehicle has been inspected by Subaru dealership no warnings or lamps, Subaru dealer has known about this issue with oil leaking from the cam carrier since back in 2019 when they first brought it up to me, they only wiped the leaking fluid and never proceed to complete warranty repair to fix the issue.

Subaru dealer diagnosed oil leaks on the valve cover gaskets. I took the car to an independent repair business and the problem was diagnosed as a camshaft carrier oil leak. Upon removing the necessary parts, the company reported to me they found chunks of silicone around the carrier. I first noticed a smell of something burning after Subaru had done an oil change about 2 months prior. I was also getting the check oil lamp about 2 months after the oil change. It was losing oil. That’s when I had Subaru diagnose the problem. The loss of oil could have started a fire. Parts are available for inspection.

I was in a parking lot at a near-complete stop. I needed to nose the car about 18 inches to move it all the way into the spot. I lightly touched the accelerator to inch the car forward, and it shot forward as if some outside force had stomped on the accelerator. The car jumped the sidewalk and slammed into the wall of the building. The car inner body bent and the car is totaled. The airbags did not inflate. The passenger in the passenger seat sustained a fractured sternum and two broken ribs from going into the seatbelt. The driver sustained a sore neck and dizziness.

The contact called on behalf of his mother who owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there were abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that he was informed at a state inspection that the vehicle was included in Subaru campaign numbers: wuj95 and wth68. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine intake manifold was fractured. The contact stated that he informed the dealer that he would not pay a fee for the maintenance of the vehicle and the dealer informed him that the parts to repair the vehicle under Subaru campaign number: wuj95 were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Exhaust manifold cracked completely through, causing exhaust fumes in the interior of the car. There is a recall on this part for 2015/16 Outback, but only includes certain manufacture dates, my car is not currently included in the recall. This part is clearly defective as the break occurred suddenly under normal driving conditions, pipe is clean, no rust.

The cam tower sealant failed, allowing a leak at less than 70,000 miles driven.

I bought this used 2016 Subaru Outback about a year and a half ago from mccords vancouver dealership. I've had the battery dying problem ever since I got it. I have had to call aaa for jump starts. I took the car into my mechanic because the "change warning light" had been on when I turned off the ignition the night before, and it was still blinking the next morning when I came out to start the car. He suggested that I go to costco to get the battery replaced because it was down to only 22% efficient. They declined for several reasons. It wasn't the battery fault, it was the car! I am 92 years old and disabled. I can't get stuck on a freeway with a dead battery. I am still looking for someone to fix it. I bought this car because I assumed that a newer car would be more dependable. Boy was I wrong! I have already spent a lot of money trying to fix it. Jane cox.

Number: wuj-95 - exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking recall that affects cars produced as below model year carline affected production dates 2015-2016 legacy 12/16/2013 - 9/30/2015 2015-2016 Outback 12/09/2013 – 9/30/2015 affects cars outside this date. My 2016 Subaru Outback was built in March of 2016 and the exact same part broken at the exhaust bellows, requiring a $2600 repair. Instead of a issuing a recall Subaru is offering allowances to the repair. The service advisor stated that he has performed many of the same repair outside the production dates listed on recall wuj-95 - exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking, the production dates need to be extend to include all cars that have defective exhaust bellows and catalytic convertors. I have images and video of the inspection.

My car spontaneously burst into flames after I parked it. I had left the car parked and locked in a parking lot next to a rental house and went in to prepare dinner. 20 minutes later my friends arrived at the scene and alerted us to the fact that my car was engulfed in flames. It seems that the fire originated in the engine somehow, but exactly what started it is unclear. There was no accident or collision, and no foul play. Security cameras in the area couldn't see much, but indicate that the vehicle burst into flames pretty much just after I had left it parked and locked.

Issue with the vehicle's exhaust being loud - upon dealership's multi-point inspection, cracked bellows was identified. Issue that was identified and fixed is described in NHTSA id number: 10199936, exhaust pipe front (epf) bellows cracking, however the VIN of my vehicle was not included (although it is the same make and model year). Request that this issue be investigated to determine if additional vins should be included.

We have experienced slight acceleration issues when at standstill. For example parking in our garage, nosing to the front and the car will lurch forward. We always been able to control it but we do have to watch out. Decided to report after reading issues by other owners.

Complete draining of battery just sitting there for no reason. . . We see this is an enormous problem with Outbacks, and we have one with great problems leaving us stranded !.

The car was parked in the garage and it was above freezing. None of the lights had been left on/doors open. . . The car doesn't have a fob kept too close. . . The car wouldn't start. This isn't the first time this has happened and we're not sure if it's a battery, alternator, electrical issue or what. We've had the battery replaced once already. It first happened within a week of purchasing the car in 2017 in the summer time, and has happened several times since without excessive electrical components in use.

Steering wheel locks and all lights light up on dash then vehicle completely shuts off. Tried to jump vehicle and vehicle will start but turns off a few seconds later. Subaru advise it was a defective battery. Subaru then replace battery under warranty on 11/05/2020. The battery was not even 1 year old when it was replaced. Today on 01/29/2021 it happened again while driving. Lucky both times I was not traveling at a high rate of speed like on a hey. I was able to pull off on the side street. Now I'm waiting for a tow truck to tow my vehicle to the Subaru dealership.

I have a 2016 Subaru Outback purchased September 2019 last year replaced the battery, yesterday the car would not strat. Jump it got it to the shop and they showed the battery, & alternator were good. I sreached and seen several complaints the are the same on 2016 to 2020. We need a recall. ## #vpic# 1 - check digit (9th position) does not calculate properly #vpic#.

Car dies and won't start a new battery will last 6 months.