Cruise Control Problems of Subaru Outback - part 2

Cruise control: when the cruise control (+/-) toggle switch on the steering wheel , which is used to set or change the speed setting of the cruise control, is pressed down to the ¿minus� or ¿set� side, it intermittently and in variable conditions either does not react at all (I. E. No change to the speed setting), flashes the speed setting on the screen display, but does not change it or more importantly it increases the speed setting and in some cases has caused the vehicle to accelerate while the driver is attempting to decrease the speed setting of the cruise control.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

P2138 code - throttle issue --- today as I was driving to work, luckily on a side street,when the check engine light came on and the cruise control light began to blink. Then I lost power to the engine while it was still running. I normally take the highway to work but this day there was snow and ice so I decided to take the side streets instead. I pressed the gas pedal with no response. I coasted to a side street and turned in with no incident, thank god. I was near a Toyota dealership and I asked for their help but they said they did not work on Subaru. I was just about to call aaa when I thought to restart the car to see if it would go so I could take it somewhere else. I gave it gas and it went. The check engine light and cruise control was still on. I drove slowly to another service place and they found the code p2138 and said I could drive it but to get it to a dealership as soon as I could. The Subaru dealerships are not located in my town and takes 20-30 by highway to get to one of them. I am very unsure of driving on the highway now and have this happening again. I drive the highways a lot in order to fit my daily schedule. This is especially true for me to see elderly mother who lives 30 minutes away by highway. I love my Subaru even after having had the typical 2006 problems like head gasket leak and such which I consider acceptable for the mileage I have on her. I had planned on getting another Subaru in the future but not having power is extremely scary and will make me shop elsewhere if this is typical.

See all problems of the 2006 Subaru Outback 🔎.

While driving home the check engine light came on and the cruise control light began flashing. The car began to decelerate and the accelerator pedal became unresponsive. Vehicle continued to idle normally, but depressing the accelerator had no affect on the engine. Searching forums returns that this is a very common and dangerous issue with the drive-by-wire throttle of these vehicles. Had it happened on the freeway as opposed to a 30mph residential street, it would probably have resulted in an accident.

My wife was driving our 2006 Subaru Outback. She was driving in winter conditions. She was driving the 2 mile bridge to our home when the acceleration suddenly failed and the vehicle abrubtly slowed from 55 mph to 35 mph. The roads had snow and ice on them. The vehicle behind her closed in on the rear of our Subaru and began honking and flashing its lights. The check engine light in our car came on and the cruise control flashed. She was scared by the misfunction. The car revved up above 4000 rpms when she put it into park. She shut the vehicle off and I checked and found an error code. P2138. The accelerator has 2 circuits that relay the desired speed to the car's computer. When the circuits don't match the computer cuts the speed out of the vehicle. I think that the engineering behind this system needs to be re thought so that this doesnt occur. I read other reports online of people in heavy traffic who had near accidents.

While coming to a stop at a traffic light, the check engine light came on along with a flashing cruise control light. When I started up there was no response from the gas peddle. My car started to roll and got up to 10 mph ( the speed limit was 45 mph). The rpm gauge stayed at 2000 rpms. I pulled on to a side street with my flashers on and parked. I turned off the engine and started it. Still no response from the gas peddle. I turned the car off a second time. This time the engine didn't start. I tried again and it take a long time (10 seconds) but it finally started. Now the gas peddle responded. I drive my car home without incident but the check engine light stayed on and the cruise still flashed. I went to auto zone where they said the code was p2138. Thank goodness the traffic was light when this happened and I was able to find a side street.

While driving on the highway at 65 mph, the car would not accelerate. The check engine light came on and the cruise control light flashed. Once the car was turned off and restarted, the accelerator again engaged. This is an extremely dangerous (and common in Subarus) malfunction. I was fortunate enough to be able to pull over on the side of the highway without incident.

See all problems of the 2005 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Vehicle suddenly lost power, would not accelerate when accelerator pedal was depressed. When car was turned off and ignition turned, the vehicle was idling at a high rpm. When placed into drive vehicle would move forward at 15 mph, but there was no response from the accelerator pedal. Engine light went on, as did the cruise control light. Depressing the cruise control on/off button did not change cruise control indicator. Took into the dealership and they cleared the code and returned the vehicle back to me. The same thing occurred several days later. When I took it into the dealership, they told me the accelerator pedal assembly was malfunctioning and they charged me $403. 88 as a replacement. I see now on the web that others have had this problem. This is a very dangerous fail and could have caused a serious incident. It is also very frustrating because it all occurred within a few days of having $2400 of service already on the vehicle (engine head gaskets replaced, timing belt, trans fluid flush, tire rotate), and I had to take it back to the dealership 3 times in order to get issues dealt with (twice with the accelerator issue, once because they had failed to properly tighten the power steering belt).

Driving on the highway, the check engine light came on soon followed by the flashing cruise control light. At the point, the car became no longer responsive to the accelerator. I was forced to pull over because after breaking, I couldn't speed back up. Turning the car off and on again did not solve the problem. When I turned the car on the engine revved at a high speed with the cruise control light still flashing. I eventually had to get the car towed.

Subaru Outback/legacy 2006 - intermittent issue over a few months. The check engine light comes on, cruise control flashes and car goes limp, gas pedal stops working. After car goes limp, engine needs to be turned off, but once car is put in park for it to be turned off, the engine revs to approx. 2000 rpms on its own. The car then has to sit for a few minutes to attempt to turn the car on and the gas pedal to work again. This problem has thrown the code p2138. This is a serious safety issue, even more so as it has happened while on the freeway, where the car will lose speed due to the accelerator pedal not working and the car has essentially become a roadblock in the middle of fast oncoming traffic. This could have potentially caused serious accidents. After researching this particular problem online, it appears that many others with this exact car make/year have had the same issue and it is prevalent to this particular car. Subaru needs to conduct an investigation and offer a safety recall of this vehicle - at the very least, the cost of repairs to fix this known and prevalent issue with this car needs to be covered by the manufacturer.

Driving with cruise control (cc) engaged on rolling terrain, the vehicle speeds up on a downhill slope until brakes are applied (by cc), then at bottom of hill pickup is sluggish and speed falls off 2-3 mph below set point. Then the power comes on late and hard, and the vehicle goes over the crest of the hill accelerating at peak power level, 2-3 mph above set point. An associated issue, observed since the car was new, is that when climbing a uniform 3-4% grade at highway speeds, the engine rpm cycles constantly over a range of 800-1000 rpm at a frequency around 4 cycles/minute. This is annoying to the driver and passengers, and increases the stress level on the driver. We have had the vehicle back to the dealer three times, and a factory rep has evaluated it, the response we get is that the vehicle is operating within specifications, and no action will be taken, nor will any adjustments be made.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I was driving on the freeway when my check engine light, abs brake light, traction control (all wheel drive) light and cruise control lights began flashing all at once. I called the dealership immediately and was told that all the lights flash because most drivers ignore just the check engine light. At the dealer the next day I was told the same thing with the addition of the facts that the abs brake system and the traction control systems were actually disabled during this incident. During the conversation it was said that to correct the problem, a "reflash " of the computer system was needed and that this was a known problem on some Outbacks. I asked why there was no recall if the problem was known and was told they just fixed the problem when it happened. This seems to me to be a significant safety problem since if the problem occurred while the driver was on ice or snow or wet road , vehicle stability would be compromised. I think Subaru should at least be made to recall the suspected vehicles and fix the problem even though it is something that may not happen to all vehicles.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I have experienced this twice in the past 3 months. Both time my car goes to limo mode. The check engine light comes on and the cruise control light flashes. The pedal does not rev the engine. After a number of tries, the pedal will become responsive again. After about 3 restarts once the engine is reving the check engine light and cruise will go out and the car will be normal until it does it again. When I read the code, it's p2138 indicating it's an issue with the 2 reducent sensors on the pedal disagreeing about where the pedal is. This is a very serious defect! call soa and asked to take it to the authorized dealership. Bought the car at west Subaru herr buffalo,live in canada now.

I was driving the vehicle at a steady rate of 50mph. Suddenly the cruise control indicator light illuminated and began to flash as well as the check engine indicator light. The vehicle also became unresponsive to the accelerator when pressed or depressed. The vehicle would maintain a speed about 20mph even after coming to a complete stop. After pulling to the side of the road and engaging the hazard lights, I put the car in park. The rpm gauge then skyrockets to 3000-4000 rpm and the engine becomes really loud. I turn the key off and let the car sit for a few minutes. Neglecting to sit for a few minutes results in the same behavior. After starting the car again the cruise control indicator light still flashes and the check engine indicator light remains on. After 3 restarts both indicator lights are off and all seems fine. After taking it to the dealership they told me it is a "bad accelerator and it has been replaced recently". The dealership then reset the code. This has happened over 10 times in the last 3 months and continues to happen on a random basis. Loss of power and control is unsafe and needs to be addressed.

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the cruise control switch malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10 and the current mileage was 21,000.

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Driving on interstate freeway, in heavy traffic, with the cruise control set, when the vehicle suddenly lost all power and throttle response. The "check engine" light came on, and the "cruise" light started blinking. Engine continued to run at high idle but speed and rpm were not maintained. I was lucky enough to cross 4 lanes of traffic and stop. Turned off the engine, which was running at 2200 rpm. After a brief stop and investigation, I was able to restart the engine and drive normally to an auto parts store. I scanned the obd ii code (dtc code) and found p2138 - throttle position sensor. No injuries, but this is a potentially deadly issue. Has recurred one time since.

I was traveling on an interstate highway in the middle lane at 65-70 mph with cruise control set when traffic slowed down suddenly. My first reaction in this case is to pull the speed control lever towards me to disengage it and take manual control of the car to slow down by braking or downshifting, as per usual procedure. In this case throttle failed to decelerate after several attempts, upon which I then repeatedly stamped the brake pedal, which was also unresponsive (did not cancel acceleration or slow the vehicle). Out of options, I swerved to the left to avoid the tractor-trailer directly in front of me and rear ended a moving vehicle in the left lane. With brakes still unresponsive, I managed to cut across to the shoulder where I was able to stop the car by downshifting in addition to using the handbrake.

See all problems of the 2001 Subaru Outback 🔎.

While driving 70mph in the fast lane down the highway I turned cruise control on. As soon as the cruise control was engaged all throttle was lost. While in motion I put the car in neutral then back into drive and nothing happened. The car was decelerating so I pulled off the highway. Once safely on the side of the road I turned the car off for several minutes and then back on. The acceleration capability returned but the check engine light was on. I took the car to a mechanic to read the code which came back as the throttle control sensor. This is a very dangerous defect and should be addressed by Subaru America.

The contact owns a 2006 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the accelerator failed to respond to acceleration attempts. The contact also mentioned that the check engine warning light and the cruise control light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle also erroneously decelerated while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician stated that the accelerator pedal would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 94,000. Updated 12/30/cn.

In the 2006 Subaru Outback 3. 0 the throttle is controlled electronically. This failed on me while driving at 70 mph down the freeway. The gas peddle stopped responding. I could not accelerate or maintain speed. I had to pull over. After about 1 minute I restarted the car and the throttle started to respond again. My check engine light is now on and the cruise control light is blinking. This is a safety hazard and needs a fix. After reviewing many forums, it doesn't sound like Subaru knows what is causing the issue. But there are some "recommendations".

While driving at 65 mph, car began to "buck" and lost power. Cruise control light began to flash and check engine light was steady. Happened exactly the same again today, 6/3/2014. Problem was coded as p2138 and accelerator assembly was replaced one year ago. Car will need to go in to mechanic again today. Expect similar problem.

Vehicle stopped at a red light during rush hour. Tried to accelerate for right turn, however there was no acceleration when the gas pedal was depressed. Checked the displace for indicator lights and check engine light and traction control lights were on steadily while cruise control was blinking. Immediately turned off heater, seat heater, and radio, and proceeded to coast down a hill at idle. Gas pedal was unresponsive, but I was able to safely pull off the road after 0. 3 miles. Restarted the car twice and the warning lights were still on and gas pedal still did not work. A third attempt to restart resulted in the engine turning over but no ignition. After several more restarts the gas pedal was responsive but indicators lights were still present. Drove to auto repair shop with normal speed control where the indicator lights promptly turned off. Sensor history indicated p2138 code for throttle position sensor.

See all problems of the 2007 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I was driving at 60 mph when the accelerator pedal stopped responding. I couldn't accelerate or maintain speed. Had to coast to the shoulder thru traffic. The check engine light was now on and the cruise control light was flashing. The idle was at 2,000 rpms and the accelerator pedal was still not responding. I turned off the engine for about 2 minutes. When I turned it back on, the accelerator was working but the check engine light was still on and the cruise control light was flashing. Read obd code p2138, reset code and check engine light went out. This is a very dangerous condition and should be recalled by Subaru.

I was driving at 65 mph with the cruise control on and all of sudden the cruise disengaged, check engine light, brake, and traction control lights lit up on the instrument panel. The car's loss of speed could have caused an accident as the loss of speed was fairly dramatic. Disconnected the battery to see if that would help, it did, but only for a day. It happened again today 12/17/2012.

I was driving when the accelerator pedal stopped responding. I couldn't accelerate or maintain speed. The check engine light was now on and the cruise control light was flashing. I pulled over and the idle was at 2,000 rpms and the accelerator pedal was still not responding. I turned off the engine for about 5 minutes. When I turned it back on, the accelerator was working but the check engine light was on and the cruise control light was flashing.

While driving my Outback lost suddenly lost all acceleration. The check engine light immediately came on and the cruise control light began to blink. The car continued to move forward but decelerated to about 15 mph which nearly resulted in my being rear ended. I was able to get to the side of the road where I turned the car off and turned it back on. After doing this the car behaved normally expect the check engine and cruise control lights stayed on. After about an hour, both lights went off. Since then, this problem has recurred multiple times. I recently took the car to be repaired where the problem was diagnosed as a bad pedal assembly. However, I'm concerned that this problem will reoccur at speed and cause an accident.

My wife was driving the vehicle when the check engine light came on. The cruise light started flashing. The gas pedal was non functioning. She was able to cost to a safe place. When I arrived the car was running. The gas pedal was unresponsive. I shut the car off and took her to work. An hour later I returned to the car and tried to start it. It took several seconds to start, but did. The gas pedal worked. The check engine light was on steady and the cruise control was flashing. I was able to get the car home. Today 10/20/12 the car has no symptoms. This could have been very scary as my wife was driving on the busiest street in montana during the morning commute.

Problem p2138 throttle ceases to control car engine speed. In neutral it settles at ?4000 rpm. Stopping and restarting the car stops the problem, but the check engine light remains on and cruise control light flashes for 1-2 days. Cruise control is not functional while in this state. This can happen at any speed, but typically at 55-60. Happens intermittently, now 3 times in the past month. Had the throttle sensor replaced one year ago, and we had no problem for 11 months until the past month.

Vehicle stopped cruise control & flashed brakes & no traction control unexpectedly. Came close to a wreck shutting the vehicle down on the side of the road hitting various tire recaps & debris on the side. Of the road. Not told that this is a regular occurrence with this vehicle.

First incident 4/8/12 - after down shifting and beginning to coast downhill at about 25 mph, the engine began revving as if the accelerator was being pressed and depressed slowly, the car did not respond to the accelerator, the check engine light turned on, and the cruise control light began to blink slowly. The car continued to move very slowly so were able to pull over. Turned the engine off for a few seconds and after restarting, the car was responsive but both lights were still on. The dealer diagnosed a lose gas cap. Second incident 4/18/12 - driving in heavy traffic on a highway at about 20 mph, same problem. Turned the engine off while still in traffic and restarted immediately but the problem persisted. Tried to do so several times while in traffic but the problem continued. Was able to get over to the shoulder, turned the engine off, for about 30 seconds. After restarting, the car was responsive again but both lights were still on. The dealer suggested a faulty throttle sensor but could not confirm until the car was checked. The problem code was given as p2138. The car has a manual transmission.

I was driving at 55 mph in my 2006 Subaru Outback. When I braked for slowing traffic, the check engine light came on and the cruise control light started to blink. The accelerator pedal became unresponsive and it appeared that the car's engine went into idle mode. I was losing speed and pulled to the shoulder of the road. I shut off my engine and a few minutes later I was able to restart the car. The accelerator pedal seemed to function normally, although the two warning lights were still illuminated. The next day I started the car a couple of times, the accelerator pedal functioned normally and both warning lights were no longer lit. My code reader found an error code of p2138, (unrecognized code), the car operated normally until 12/18/2012. This indentical problem recurred and I again read the error code as p2138. This is a potential safety issue. Although both times the accelerator pedal became unresponsive, I was on a road with very few cars and had no difficulty getting safely to the side of the road. The situation could have been more dangerous if I was at freeway speed with traffic around me.

Incident happened at a red light in traffic at rush hour. After pulling up to a red light to a full stop, the light turned green and the throttle stuck open at exactly 2500rpm. The car accelerated from a dead stop and continued to do so with no input from me. The gas pedal does nothing at all. I had to apply brakes and move off the road to avoid traffic. Check engine light is solid and the cruise control light flashes.

The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Outback. The contact noticed that with the cruise control and the paddle shifters for the steering wheel malfunctioned and the vehicle would not decelerate. The dealer advised the contact not to use the paddle shifters while using the cruise control. The manufacturer was not notified nor was the vehicle inspected or repaired. The current mileage was 30,000. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000.

While driving with cruise control engaged, suddenly the cruise control disengaged, the brake warning light and the abs warning light came on. The required repair was only the forward oxygen sensor, a non-emergency repair. Yet cruise control and abs were disabled, abs being an important safety feature. I was told Subaru has purposely programed the car this way. Not only was I unable to make a decision as to the critical nature of the actual repair but had an important safety feature disabled unnecessarily.

The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the cruise control would not disengage. She had to shift the vehicle into neutral gear in order to slow down. The contact was then able to drive onto the emergency lane and have the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealers diagnosis confirmed that there was nothing wrong since they were unable to duplicate the failure. The accelerator pedal became stuck and the dealer stated that the floor mat had to be the cause. The vehicle will be taken to the dealer for additional diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85000 and the current mileage was 87000. 11/9/10 the cruise control would not disengage. The accelerator became stuck while traveling up a 9% grade. The consumer stated her foot was not on the accelerator pedal, hitting the brake disengaged the accelerator. Updated 11/16/10.

See all problems of the 2003 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Sudden acceleration disabling the cruise control to slow down and then hitting the resume button caused the car to surge . The rpm increased from 2000 to 6000 rpm. This occurs whenever the set speed is 20mph greater than the current speed. The dealer could not correct this, claiming that the full acceleration is by design. Wide open throttle is not a good practice since it makes the car hard to control. What belongs on a race track not on a highway.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.