Adaptive Cruise Control Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

I own a 2024 Subaru Outback limited xt, VIN [xxx]. While traveling approximately 45–50 mph on a four-lane road with adaptive cruise control (acc) engaged, my vehicle suddenly and rapidly decelerated and automatically applied the brakes as I approached a police vehicle traveling in the lane immediately to my right. There was nothing in my lane for at least one mile ahead of me. The police vehicle was not in my lane. It was traveling in the adjacent lane to my right. As I approached the police vehicle, my Subaru unexpectedly began rapidly decelerating and automatically braking. I did not apply the brakes. There was no warning beep before the automatic braking occurred. The vehicle behaved as though it had detected an imminent collision or obstacle directly in its path, even though there was no vehicle, pedestrian, or other obstacle in my lane for at least a mile. The event occurred while adaptive cruise control was engaged. I am concerned that the eyesight/adaptive cruise control and/or pre-collision braking system incorrectly detected the police vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane as an obstacle or as being in my vehicle’s path. The sudden automatic braking at approximately 45–50 mph is a serious safety concern. A vehicle traveling behind me could have struck my vehicle because the deceleration was unexpected and there was no warning beep. This type of false or inappropriate automatic braking could cause a rear-end collision or other crash. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles equipped with eyesight and adaptive cruise control are experiencing unintended or inappropriate automatic braking, phantom braking, or rapid deceleration when vehicles are traveling in an adjacent lane. I would like this complaint associated with other reports involving sudden braking, rapid deceleration, adaptive cruise control, eyesight, and pre-collision braking in 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles. I am willing to provide additional informati information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I own a 2024 Subaru Outback limited xt, VIN [xxx]. While traveling approximately 45–50 mph on a four-lane road with adaptive cruise control (acc) engaged, my vehicle suddenly and rapidly decelerated and automatically applied the brakes as I approached a police vehicle traveling in the lane immediately to my right. There was nothing in my lane for at least one mile ahead of me. The police vehicle was not in my lane. It was traveling in the adjacent lane to my right. As I approached the police vehicle, my Subaru unexpectedly began rapidly decelerating and automatically braking. I did not apply the brakes. There was no warning beep before the automatic braking occurred. The vehicle behaved as though it had detected an imminent collision or obstacle directly in its path, even though there was no vehicle, pedestrian, or other obstacle in my lane for at least a mile. The event occurred while adaptive cruise control was engaged. I am concerned that the eyesight/adaptive cruise control and/or pre-collision braking system incorrectly detected the police vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane as an obstacle or as being in my vehicle’s path. The sudden automatic braking at approximately 45–50 mph is a serious safety concern. A vehicle traveling behind me could have struck my vehicle because the deceleration was unexpected and there was no warning beep. This type of false or inappropriate automatic braking could cause a rear-end collision or other crash. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles equipped with eyesight and adaptive cruise control are experiencing unintended or inappropriate automatic braking, phantom braking, or rapid deceleration when vehicles are traveling in an adjacent lane. I would like this complaint associated with other reports involving sudden braking, rapid deceleration, adaptive cruise control, eyesight, and pre-collision braking in 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles. I am willing to provide additional information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information.

My 2024 Subaru Outback rapidly deaccelerated/tried to stop in the middle of the highway twice! this is a safety issue and an accident waiting to happen. This car has been to the Subaru dealer 4 times for this issue and the dealer says they can’t figure it out. The last time the car slowed drastically and in the middle of the highway, we had three of our little grandkids (all under 6) in the backseat. It was very scary and it almost caused a very serious accident. I am now too afraid to ride in that car especially with my babies.

I'm new to this automotive technology. When I was introduced to the car, one of the "features" indicated was the ability to sense and slow down for curves, if the system sensed the need, when operating under the cruise control option. In testing my different options of my new car, I was using the cruise control on a 65 mph road in TX set to 60 mph. As I entered the curve the car did not slow down. This was a surprise to me. I contacted a Subaru dealer about this. I was told that my trim level did not have this "option". Before I contacted the dealer I did look in the Subaru eyesight drivers assist technology owners manual. On pages 280 and 281 of this manual in the cruise control, pre-curve speed control*, on/off. The *note is "if equipped". My car is not equipped. I was not informed or cautioned about this when I went through the delivery process. I did not know I did not have this feature. My complaint is this. If the car is equipped to assist steering when in cruise control, for safety, all models should come standard with the pre-curve speed control. It only takes one instant for a new driver to loose control if expecting this feature to be present. I am an experienced driver. I was able to take corrective action to avoid trouble. But, I did anticipate the car to slow and was startled when it did not.

We are having issues with the rab, lane departure, collision assistance and other warning lights just randomly coming on. We put it to the dealer and they said it was a problem with a dead fob. They returned it to us and the first day back on the road it did it again. When it left the dealer after being "fixed" before it had 14625 miles on it. I also have a picture of when we were going 71 miles per hour when it cur out.

See all problems of the 2025 Subaru Outback 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I was driving to a medical appointment in ann arbor mi, and was in the area where [xxx] has a few big turns in the road . . . . Like at . . . [xxx] . All of he sudden the car started to accelerate a little on the turn so I attempted to brake the vehicle and I could not feel the brake pedal. I slowly moved into the right lane and frantically trying to slow the car down. I still could not feel the brake pedal and I believe when I hit the speed control off is when it slowed down and I was able to finally brake the car. It all happened in a matter of 10-20 seconds I would guess and it was absolutely terrifying. I have on occasion used the speed control to slow down the vehicle and wonder if that might have some connection. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Gas cap was not secured overnight. The next day every adas function both safety and convenience was disabled and their lights were on. Users guide said car should recover after a few miles of driving. 100 miles and multiple restarts later it did not. It was taken to the dealer where they cleared the error for free. Poor design that a loose gas cap could cause a collision due to lack of adas. Dealer said it is a known condition with all Subaru models.

On Sunday, July 13, 2025, I received a warning that my eyesight was disabled in the middle of driving. This meant that I was unable to utilize cruise control or any driver assistance functions. The weather was clear, sunny, and there was nothing obstructing the eyesight cameras, nor were there any cracks in the windshield. The following day, Monday, July 14, eyesight worked normally in the morning, but was disabled in the afternoon. Again, the cameras were clear of any obstructions and no cracks were visible on the windshield. Cruise control and driver assistance features were unavailable. On the morning of Tuesday, July 15, I came out to a 7-8 inch crack in the windshield, on the passenger side. No impact had occurred to cause this crack and it was not present the previous days. Eyesight is still disabled due to this and the windshield needs a full replacement. All driver assistance/collision prevention features are not available until the windshield is replaced and a recalibration is completed. Advantage auto glass of rockford, IL will be inspecting the glass and can make it available for NHTSA evaluation. However, given that I have owned two Subaru Outbacks now, windshield weakness has been an issue with this vehicle, especially in warmer weather.

Car was being driven on the highway in cruise control, when the cruise control turned off and the car began to decelerate. When the gas pedal was pressed, the rpms shot up but there was no acceleration. The car was pulled over, turned off, and we were not able to turn it on again. The car was towed to a shop, where they were able to identify the engine wasn’t working but not the root cause, and also mentioned the possibility of there being a transmission problem. We then brought it to a Subaru dealer, and they said a similar thing without being able to diagnose anything more specific. This car is 8 years old and has had routine, consistent maintenance the entire time. The surprise of an engine failure with no warning is very alarming and dangerous.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The thermo control valve on the vehicle failed. This has been such a consistent problem, that Subaru has extended the warranty for this item to 150k miles. I realize that alone is not a safety problem, but the issue is that when there is a check engine light error, the system shuts down the cruise control, lane departure, collision avoidance (eyesight), and xmode (all wheel drive). The safety issue is shutting down these unconnected safety features because of a check engine light. I will say that the dealer promptly fixed the problem at no charge under the extended warranty. My concern was the loss of the 4 wheel drive right as major snow was hitting the mid atlantic area.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The speed control (adaptive) doesn't work. The interior heater doesn't work. Several lights including the 'check engine' light come on the dash. The lane departure system doesn't work. (it appears the thermo control value subassembly may be at fault. ) the car has approximately 25k miles on it.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I was driving down the street, stopped at an intersection, and made a u-turn. Immediately after I made the u-turn a message came up on the screen saying "eye sight disabled. " from that point on the cruise control stopped working, the lane deviation stopped working, the forward collision system stopped working, and several other things malfunctioned (I can't seem to connect to the bluetooth system with my cell phone). The local Subaru dealer told me they are aware of the problem, but, have not notified anyone, they told me that I needed to make an appointment to get the problem fixed and it would take four to five hours.

The car has been to the dealership five times for electrical/computer issues. First the main dash ui computer screen would occassionally lock up and freeze shutting all safety systems off. (cruise control, lane holding, blind spot warning, etc. ) then the battery failure issues started - basically four times the car when parked and sitting overnight for approximately one week - will not start and the battery is completely dead. This is a know Subaru issue with earlier models and even involved a class action lawsuit. Subaru has not fixed the issue in newer model cars and continues to deny it is an issue. This is gross negligence by continuing to make unsafe cars with the same flaw and nof fixing the issue.

After completing an ota software update the screen would not load and entered continuous buffering disabling all environmental and safety functions.

When coming to a stop at a stop sign, the car jerks and the engine appears to stall. I have brought it to 2 dealerships and both have said that it is "normal". I have had dozens of cars and none have ever performed in this manner. The adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking frequently brakes for no reason or does not recognize cars in front of me. It regularly misses large objects directly in front of the car. The system also has a lot of failures and turns itself off randomly for unknown reasons. (again, "working as designed").

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Acc eye sight is intermittent. It normally fails within 5 minutes of operations and just turning the car on.

The eyesight system will malfunction and turn off at random times. The automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning will activate when there is nothing in front of my car causing it to brake abruptly. I have almost been in numerous collisions due to the random safety systems malfunctioning.

Went out to driveway and started car. Heard a ping. A few minutes later the windshield started to crack from drivers side bottom corner upward across the field of vision. At first it was about a foot long but spread to about 3 feet. No sign of impact.

When traveling on hwy at hwy speeds with cruise control on set for 70 mph and car in front is traveling 60 mph as am I. The road curves the car no longer identifies a car in front of me and accelerates to 70 mph, when the road becomes straight again and I am getting close the system slams on the brakes. When I'm going 70 mph and approach a car going 60 mph the car slows to keep a safe distance. As I change lanes the car begins to accelerate. As I am passing the slower car, if on a curve and the car identifies a car in another lane and slams on the brakes. This has caused road rage from drivers approaching from the rear in the passing lane thinking I'm braking to slow them down for no reason. The dealership told me to turn my cruise control off on roads nort straight! this has happened since the car was new. This occurred on a recent trip across country on hwy us 40.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Windshield cracked spontaneously while parked, March 29, 2024. Temperature was approx 28°f. This was the second time in 11 months this has happened. Safelite technician said it was caused by faulty windshield heater. The first one I paid for the replacement, the second one was under warranty from safelite. But was told if it happened again they would not be responsible.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

While doing a casual drive, engine made a noise after work at night. Woke up in the morning and check engine light as well as the eyesight light was on. Checked everything and noticed the coolant was low; but upon filling it, did not resolve the issue. Took it to a Subaru service center and was told that it the temp valve had been stuck and that they had replace not only one for my year model the same day, but also a ‘20 and ‘19 in the past week. Have looked online and noticed others have been unfortunate around the same mile range 60k.

On 12/28/2023 my 2018 Subaru Outback without warning suddenly accelerated on its own, causing my vehicle to hit the curb and ran into a building.

Adaptive cruise control slows way down for a sound wall on a curve.

Received error code p2682, a faulty thermo control valve. This happened on 11/17/2023. Car potentially could have quit running in traffic. Subaru has identified the issue with TSB 09-80-21r. They have changed the design of the valve due to the many failures. My car has 74,000 miles. My brother in law has the same vehicle with 57,000, and his car is in the shop today for the same issue. The service tech working on his vehicle stated that he does a couple of these repairs a week, and that Subaru knows this part will fail and should issue a recall.

My entire infotainment system, including the "eyesight" sensors regularly shut off, or won't turn on upon vehicle start. Happens to the radio and other parts of the infotainment system too. It's been happening since about September 2023. I purchased the car in March 2023.

This is known issue with the electrical system that is associated with the touch screen controls. Without any driver input, the eyesight driver assist system was shutoff. That system controls adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, and lane departure features. Rebooting the starlink touch screen restored those functions. The safety issue is that no audible warning gave indication that the safety features were disabled. Two icons appeared on the dash. There appears to be a class action suit that applies to the starlink system for my model year. It is important to understand that this more than merely a problem with the entertainment features.

Radio headunit -- freezes and has ghost inputs. Makes the unit unusable- no backup camera. Flashes and beeps constantly. You can not mute it or stop it. It seems to also cause the "eyesight" to not behave normally.

On my 2023 Outback my Subaru eyesight is intermittently inoperable, which causes my cruise control and automatic braking to not work.

Transmission failure at 55mph my couldn't shift and the motor revved up all the way to the redline mark and wouldn't stop when I tried to stop it the reaction control lights came on the cruise control light was flashing the emergency break light was flashing every light on my dash was flashing there was a terrible vibration in the steering wheel the transmission was humming really loud and just got worse the car just kept going and not stopping I could have hit someone another person a car I could have hit anything instead I choose the ditch and cornfield the car has been looked at by a repair shop and everything has been duplicated by them the problem hasn't gone away or changed all the codes were cleared and as soon as it starts up they all came back signaling the transmission and torque converter the sounds are still there also upon start up the engine starts fine but the car can't be driven can't get above 15 mph without vibration and loud noises and the motor revving up without notice this is very dangerous you can't control the car.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

This complain is specific to the wireless charging pad featured in the touring 2023 model I leased. The wireless charging pad overheats very quickly, thus overheating the phone it's charging. Even if the device is just plugged into a charging cord, located right next to the charging pad, it will overheat the phone, sometimes to the degree that the phone and the screen console will go blank. This has been incredibly dangerous when using the screen for navigation on the highway and the whole thing goes black/malfunctions, and this has happened quite a few times. The other frustrating issue is that the battery of my phone has overheated many times so it doesn't hold much of a charge anymore. The other issue is that the eyesight function, which is necessary for cruise control, goes out often and completely malfunctions in head-on strong sunlight, which is often in southern California.

While I am driving my cruise control will just stop working causing the auto braking feature to stop also.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? actuator assy-epb, part number 26002aj02c (from technical service bulletin), part is not available how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? brake light and isight warning light comes on. Safety systems will not operate properly when these lights are on has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? brake light and isight warning light comes on, this started several months ago after driving this car for about an hour, shutting it off then starting it back up after short amount of time, like 20 minutes, the brake warning light and isight light (safety system/adaptive cruise control/automatic braking) will come on immediately, they will stay on until the car has been allowed to cool down for several hours. This happens more often in hot weather. This has happened about a couple dozen times already. Took the car to eurasian autoworks in tilton nh, the mechanic, who I'm told is a former Subaru master tech says this is a common problem and is usually fixed by replacing the emergency brake actuator under technical service bulletin 06-58-17r. I called the local dealership and they do not have any of these parts available. I called Subaru customer support, case number 230720-1600595. And was told the part is discontinued and essentially said I should get one from a junkyard. I do not believe a 10 year old car should have safety related parts unavailable, especially on a common issue with this year/model of car.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The eyesight keeps disabling itself. And the infotainment system is not working properly. My car is at the dealership and they are telling me they are waiting for back up camera to come off backorder 10/3/23. This means my vehicle will have been at the dealership for repair a total of 45 days if backorder date is correct. I purchased this vehicle brand new 5/6/23. I have researched online and there is a class action lawsuit for the issue. The braking safety system does not work properly and warns with red lights beeping that collision is ahead which then brakes the car automatically when not needed. I have taken the car to dealer 3 times to have this repaired.

A crack has spontaneously appeared at the base of my windshield after no apparent damage. The crack is spreading across my windshield and will affect my adaptive cruse control and automatic emergency breaking if it interferes with the Subaru eye-sight system at the top of my windshield. I have not taken the vehicle in for service but I did see this was an issue that lead to recalls on previous Outback models but not currently a recall for the 2020 Subaru Outback. I do not have any current warning lamps or messages.