Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Subaru Outback - part 2

While stopped at a yield sign waiting for traffic to clear so I may proceed with my left turn, I stepped on the accelerator pedal to make my left turn; however, my car did not go because the engine had turned off due to the auto stop feature. Once the engine restarted, I was no longer clear about proceeding with my left turn and had to apply the brakes very hard immediately to stop my vehicle. The auto engine stop is a dangerous feature that should not automatically be applied when starting the car.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Thermo control valve. Check engine light on. Eyesight adaptive cruise control automatic emergency braking blind spot warning forward collision warning lane departure warning lane keeping assistance x mode dealership would not honor repair even though there is recall it does not cover VIN 63400 miles vehicle inspected by manufacturer code p2682 check engine light is on and eyesight warning.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

?hi I had my car into the local Subaru dealership (wheeling Subaru) a few weeks ago to investigate a couple of issues that the car has been having for years (and they have never been able to find). Over the course of that investigation, they finally were able to recreate two issues that should have been covered under the warranty since it's been happening and reported to them for years (the seat memory programming button isn't working and the right sight steering wheel controller isn't working). The parts and labor for those two issues come to $545. But the much bigger issue is that they told me the engine needs to be pulled out and resealed because of cam carrier and spark plug gasket leaks, and that repair is $5,076 plus tax. When I expressed astonishment over this and asked what is going on, the service advisor explained this is a common problem with Subaru cars from this model year because of the switch from timing belts to whatever it has now. With the cvt engine I looked around online and discovered that this is a common issue with 2017 Outbacks. I thought I was making an investment that would last when I bought a brand new Subaru rather than a Ford, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, etc because Subaru was supposed to be a car that did not have poor quality manufacturing issues like this. Given that this appears to be a common issue with the way this model and year car was manufactured, I am very upset that Subaru is not fixing this under recall but is expecting me to pay $5076 (before tax) to have what was explained to me as a manufacturing defect repaired. Since I've seen a lot of reports for other Subaru owners of this issue, I was advised to file a report with you to investigate. Thank you so much for investigating. Sincerely, [xxx] ? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that his wife was driving the vehicle and as she was entering into a parking spot and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration. The contact's wife reported that the vehicle had made an abnormal revving sound as if she had applied the accelerator. The front end of the vehicle jumped the parking bumper and crashed into the store's glass front. The wife stated that she had not noticed any warning lights or alarm chimes before the abnormal revving noise. The wife was not aware of the speed of the vehicle. The wife stated that the vehicle stopped and she had shifted the vehicle into reverse (r) and was able to reverse out from the storefront. The wife stated that she had not suffered any injuries. The police were called and issued the wife a citation. The vehicle had damage to the front bumper and the hood. The contact stated that there were some broken pieces of plastic missing and there was some deformation of the front edge of the hood. The contact stated that the vehicle was drivable. The contact stated that a similar incident had occurred to him last August as he was pulling into his residence garage. He stated that he heard an abnormal revving sound from the engine and he was able to stop the vehicle before it had crashed into the garage. The vehicle had been taken to a local dealer, however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,800.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

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.

I drive 2. 5miles to work, Tuesday [xxx], I was turning into the parking lot and my car just cut off. I couldn't use flashers, restart it, put it in park or anything else. I called my husband to come help. I thought maybe the battery cable might have come loose. It was dead. I couldn't get out, if I let my foot off the brake it would roll backwards, going into the road and I didn't want it to hurt anyone. It started smoking from the drivers front side of engine. I called my husband back and said please hurry. It took approximately 7 minutes for him to arrive. I was on the phone about the smoke when he drove up behind me. He told me to get out of the car it's on fire. He tapped my bumper to keep my car from rolling backwards. I jumped out, called 911. He had sandbags in the back of his truck. He put them under the back tires so it couldn't roll into the traffic. A lady stopped that had a fire extinguisher and [xxx] attempted to put the fire out. It was getting quite large. We couldn't open the hood, he could only spray it in the wheel area up front. He had to get back the fire was getting big. The car then exploded. It was so loud, fire and smoke. I went into work and asked to be let off for that day. I smelled like smoke and my lungs hurt. I inhaled so much smoke. My daughter got me a breathing treatment setup to help with breathing. The fire department came and put the fire out. They were so kind. No police showed up, so we only have a fire department report. The tow truck showed up and took my car away. When we got home we notified our insurance agent. :engine failed, if I had been on a busy street I would have been hit. The car just stopped where it was. Yes our insurance adjuster said it could be looked at by anyone. :yes my safety and the ones around me were put at risk. My lungs are still suffering. :no it's not been reproduced by anyone I know of. :no, there was no indications that pointed at something being wrong. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informati.

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 mph or above, the front end and the steering wheel were shaking abnormally. While driving at various speeds, there was a metallic grinding sound coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard and the braking distance became extended. The contact stated that the brakes were squeaking while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the brakes, check engine, power steering, and engine overheating warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer seven times; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failures. The contact stated that the dealer replaced the passenger’s side rear wheel bearing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 201,206.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle hesitated and almost stalled. The failure was intermittent but caused the vehicle to stall on several occasions. The check engine warning light and the low oil pressure warning lights recently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, and the contact was informed that oil was leaking from the upper and lower oil pan, the head gasket, and other engine seals. The contact was aware that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 21v587000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact researched and became aware that a failure of the fuel pump could lead to other failures with the engine oil seals. The contact stated that the fuel pump had been ordered; however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The computer control system showed low tire pressures. While the passenger’s seat was occupied, there was an abnormal dinging sound detected. The message that the seat not activated message was displayed. The contact stated that the battery drained, and the vehicle failed to start. The starting system had drained battery. The contact had triple aaa check the vehicle, and the dcm made an abnormal popping sound. The abs, radio, and cd warning lights were flashing. The transmission, gps, and undercarriage message were illuminated. The computer screen had burned out and was inoperable. The contact stated while driving 60-65 mph, the vehicle abruptly stopped without driver input. The steering wheel became inoperable and was uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the dcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000. The VIN was not available.

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.

According to my mechanic, the engine cradle is severly corroded and needs to be replaced. According to Subaru, today December 4, 2024, Subaru inspected my vehicle and determined it was badly corroded. I have pictures to show this and the report from Subaru showing they did look at this corrosion. I had wanted Subaru to replace the engine cradle because of the damage. They claimed the car was out of warranty and was 12 years old. Even so, that much corrosion should not have happened.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Vehicle stalls when stopping. This is a huge safety issue because stalling at intersections can cause accidents. Dealership diagnosed a faulty torque converter. This torque converter (it should be part number 31100ab170) issue is widely known in this production series of the Subaru Outback. After hundreds of complaints were filed with the NHTSA, Subaru extended the warranty on all their automatic transmissions to avoid a recall around 2017, but closed the extended warranty in 2022. Subaru now tries to convince their customers that these vehicles are too old for the issue to be attributable to them, despite knowing that they equipped these vehicles with defective parts. See the following: [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2012 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Thermo control valve failure. Would not cover it.

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.

Battery failures and being stranded due to parasitic loads from dcm.

Automatic auto off-on began to fail and car didn't start well. I began to disable the automatic auto on off while driving because it began to sound like it would stall out while stopped at a traffic light . Then I forgot to disable the automatic auto off on and car stalled out while stopped at a traffic light. I took it to dealer, rafferty Subaru, they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Then a few days later check engine light and other icons started flashing on dashboard. I took it to dealer, they said the gas cap was off. For the next week the automatic auto off on sounded like it would fail so I disabled it, the car didn't start normally every morning, and it began to feel like it didn't shift correctly as I accelerated or slowed down. About one day later it suddenly lurched to almost a stop while driving, check engine light was flashing, other icons on dashboard were flashing, the park brake icon started flashing. The engine continued to run but I couldn't go more than 2 mph. I put it in park and it started to smell like something was burning so I turned it off. I had to have it towed to the dealer, rafferty Subaru.

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.

The auto restart does not work and requires a car restart to fix. The latest software update caused this is to happen.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while his wife was accelerating from a stop into traffic at approximately 10 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to move. There were unknown warning lights illuminated after the failure.  the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer informed him there was no warranty coverage. The dealer confirmed the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA campaign number: 21v955000 (power train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 70,158.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I see many many complaints about the head gasket material Subaru used was not compatible with the very fluid that is needed for the cars engine to not blow up. . . . . Coolant. Subaru knows the head gasket material is ruined by the coolant it needs but has left us consumers to deal with a very costly, devastating issue such as what I just want through and am still in the middle of a fight with dealer who sold me a car for 10995 and I had it 2 weeks. . . . Coolant blew everywhere had to fight with dealership to get them to tow it. I was yelled at, hung up on, calls not returned all while I have no car no way to work and as a [xxx] and a child to raise, I do not have options and live by a thread and paycheck to paycheck. . . . . It should not be allowed that Subaru doesn't fix that since it is a manufacturing defect that they made it incompatible with the coolant it needs. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Lower oil pan leaks oil. Started leaking oil right after warranty expired. This is a known issue for Subaru cars with the 2. 4 turbo engine. Seats ripped right after warranty expired.

In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutral.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Was just driving when I noticed my car was sounding louder than usual. Then when I stared it after running some errands it sounds like a bad engine nock. So I took it in for an oil change and they told me it was a cracked exhaust manifold. Also told me it fine to drive and shouldn’t cause further problems. Then I started to smell heavy exhaust smells inside the cab of the car. Now I have to drive it with windows down or risk passing out or dying.

Coolant leak, steering power fluid leak, break pad leak, gasoline line leak, seat heater, clicking noise after turning off car, leaking seats and rear view mirror also leaking, steering wheel expanding due to possible air bag, heater and ac vents lose and also chemical smell/gas/coolant coming from front and back of car, sunroof not secured. Every wiring wet, charger port in middle compartment wet when plugging something in. Everything auto does not work. Car sounds like something is constantly leaking air or gas somewhere, even when off. My safety was at risk by having severe chemical burns on my skin everywhere, hair falling out due to exposure, almost passing out while driving due to inhaling components, low visibility due to auto dimming in rear view and side mirrors. The problem has not been confirmed due to me being in a financial bind at the moment. The car has not been inspected. Due to financial problems I am not able to get the vehicle looked at. There were no warnings except for the blue temp light came on but immediately will shut back off. Car also severely vibrates when turning on. They started appearing around against of 2024.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow down, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle while the vehicle was still in motion, and the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the thermo-control valve. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

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.

Today while waiting at a stop light the auto start stop engaged. When the light went green I put my foot on the gas and the vehicle stalled. The car was on but not running, several alarms were on the dashboard. I had to put the car in park, turn it off and then restart the car. This is a repeated issue and has been going on at least once a month since we purchased the car in 2021. We've brought it to the dealer and they said there was nothing wrong because there was no obd code. I have checked myself and I have not found any code. This is extremely unsafe.

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.

We bought this around June 2018 with ~96,000 miles. I change oil every 6 months or 6,000 miles with oem filters and mobil 1 0w-30 oil. This car has burned 1/2 to 3/4 of oil initially. After 140,000 miles it climbed to over 1 1/2 quarts between changes. I had repeated O2 sensor codes and sensor replacements and finally catalytic converter codes. Replaced the converter around 160,000 miles. I took off the intake manifold after seeing excessive oil deposits under the throttle body. There's was over 1/8" of caked oil inside the manifold and butterfly valves. I'm very confused as to why the class action lawsuit didn't cover my serial number. I checked this before buying the car and incorrectly assumed all the affected cars were included in the recall/repair process.

The engine, running at idle in and out of gear, did not respond to input from the gas pedal. Pushing the gas pedal did not have any effect on the engine revs. This was dangerous because I was attempting to enter a busy roadway and suddenly was faced with zero throttle response although the engine was still running and was in gear. The car has 5,300 miles. The transmission failed at 1,300 miles and was replaced by the dealer. The present incident began when, for unknown reasons, the car battery did not have enough power to start the car after being parked for 30 minutes. I got a jump start, and after letting car run for several minutes, attempted to leave the parking lot as described above. The car would move in forward and reverse at idle speed, but there was absolutely no response to gas pedal input. The car was towed to the dealer who will look into this.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Outback 🔎.

When I was driving yesterday, the engine warning light and brake warning light both turned on. The car was like frozen on the road cannot be moved no matter how to press the gas pedal. The police helped to call tow and move my car out of the road. The tow driver left my car at a flat parking lot. On the lot, when I tried to restart my car, the car started to shake side to side and up and down. I can feel some part is dislocated and one piece of heavy thing was swaying in the car. The engine warning light was on for two times during the last two years. First time when I sent the car to the dealership, they performed the check and fixed it by free. The customer service person told me the problem is the sensor failing and the fixing was free. So, I guess it is the system defect and the manufacture already knew it. So the repairing was free. However, with one year, the situation happened again. The second time I sent the car for fixing, the service person told me it was the same problem of sensor failing but they charged me around two hundreds dollar for the second time fixing. Yesterday, the same situation happened again with the brake warning light on at the same time. It is almost another one year after the second time I sent car for repairing. My most concern is the car completely suddenly stopped during the driving. If I was on the highway, serious collision may happen and I am already passed away.

The contact owned a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the contact's residential driveway, the contact noticed the smoke exiting from the hood area of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was on fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle remained at the contact's residence. The vehicle was condemned total loss. The contact stated that as a result of the fire, the contact's residential driveway was damaged and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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.