Steering Problems of Subaru Outback - part 2

I was stopped at a light in a 3 lane st. It was approximately 930 at night. The auto start stop feature had turned off the engine and when I removed my foot from the brake to begin moving forward the entire electrical system shut off. I tried switching into park and restarting the car but the car locked the steering wheel at this point and killed all of the lights inside and outside of the vehicle. This meant that I was in a car in the middle lane of traffic with no lights and I was not able to turn on the flashers either. I had to use the emergency neutral setting in order to unlock the steering wheel and roll the car to safety. While we were rolling the car I attempted to turn on the vehicle again and it began running. This is the second time that the car shut off when I released my foot from the brake. The first time I was able to shift into park and restart the car.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact's wife owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on various occasions and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced loss of power steering as the power steering and various other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,500. The VIN was not available.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Front control arm bolt pulled out of the subframe due to extreme corrosion.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

A/c compressor locks up, and serpentine belt flies off and stops power steering. Stalls due to this locking up.

In may, returning from va, we noticed an odd noise coming from the right front side of the car. Then the noise stopped. Driving a week later, at about 40 mph, I again heard the noise and as I approached a yellow light and began to slow to a stop, the vehicle pulled sharply to the right. I was able to regain control, drove slowly home, called our repair shop and brought it in for evaluation. The front subframe had rusted out due to the air conditioner condenser dripping onto it. Our mechanic would not let us drive the car without repair, it was too dangerous. The subframe could have dropped at any moment. No inspections other than that of our mechanic were done. I took photos of the subframe that had been removed which are attached. It is not available for inspection as far as I know. The car sat at the mechanic's for a month waiting for parts from Subaru before being repaired.

Upon application of the brakes approaching a stoplight, the vehicle pulled sharply to the right, entering the right lane from the left and was rendered unsafe to operate due to this condition. Had a vehicle been present at this time in the right lane, a collision would have likely occurred. Upon inspection by the mechanic, the front engine frame had broken on the right side. The broken area has two (2) large rust holes on the top and bottom sides of the box frame. Directly above the two (2) rust holes the drain for the air conditioning condenser is located. Illinois, like 22 other states in the u. S. , uses road salt to combat icy road conditions. The combination of road salt with the location of the air conditioner drain tube directly above the frame failure point leads ut to reasonably conclude that this model has a design defect that led to the failure. A remedy for this issue would be to simply extend the drain tube approx. 5" so the water dripping from the air conditioning condenser does not drop onto the top, flat portion of the engine frame where road salt may accumulate over time. In addition, 1. I have possession of the original frame for inspection by the NHTSA. 2. At the time of the repair, the mechanic ordered the replacement dram from the local Subaru dealership. Our mechanic was informed that he was ordering the last remaining subframe assembly that Subaru of north America had in stock at that time.

On April 13th 2022, me and my wife were returning home. We were at a complete stop on a left only turn intersection red light (spring-cypress rd & telge rd in cypress, TX. Coordinates: 29. 985660988461188, -95. 65465736615674). There was a vehicle ahead of us and also behind us at the light. It was raining lightly and the roads were wet. When the light turned green we started slowly accelerating making our left turn and as we were doing so, the vehicle skid causing uncontrolled acceleration, non-responsive braking and non responsive steering. I tried my very best to save us from running over the curb into the ditch ahead and succeeded to do so resulting in the vehicle hitting the curb at probably 15-20 mph. The steering and brakes were non-responsive and it took a lot of effort on my part to save us from running over the curb into the ditch ahead. This accident resulted in the right front passenger wheel, suspension, axle etc. To break. No other vehicle was involved in the accident. No warning or safety lights were displayed to the best of my knowledge. The vehicle was disabled and could not run, it was blocking the intersection and traffic. I called the police who then arrived to redirect traffic and also help with the tow. Currently, my car is being repaired through my insurance. My vehicle was purchased in Jan 2020 and has approx. 9500 miles on it. The reason I brought a Subaru was because of its capability to handle most weather conditions and also its great safety ratings. This unfortunately wasn't the case for me and wife and we were left stranded in the road because of some safety feature/software/mechanical malfunction of the vehicle. I request the NHTSA administration to look into this issue with Subaru and help me reach closure on the safety of this vehicle. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would erroneously turn to either the right or left causing the vehicle to pull in either direction. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I was turning around a bend, going approximately 35mpg, when the wheels no longer were turning as if not responding to the direction of the wheel, almost like it was operating independently of the steering column. The automobile slammed into the curb on the left of the road, damaging the alignment.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

When trying to put the vehicle in park, the key will not release from the engine. After 10-15 minutes of trying, finally it will release, but in reading forums, thousands of customers have had similar issues. It seems to be a very known problem.

System does not recognize the car is in park mode correctly. The side effect of this is ignition key gets locked in the key hole and cannot be pulled out. Repeated problem in all weather situation once the failure started to show symptom. This issue is common enough across multiple product line of Subaru vehicles with a service bulletin reference 16-112-18r with google search. Plenty of website postings and you tube videos showed different work around to resolve the issue. Dealer charges parts and labor cost to repair each vehicle request for service that could possible is a design or sensor defect issue from production quality issue. The trigger point of my vehicle having this problem could be due to recent cold weather, but this issue does not go away even after the temperature gets warmer. Trying to fix the car key situation with a young child in the back seat wanting to get out daily makes this a repeated challenge. Reference link below to share and please consider this is a case for possible safety and manufactuer defects problem that impacts a good group of Subaru fans. . Read more...

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

On January 24th, 2022, during a regularly scheduled maintenance services appointment at a Subaru dealership, the service technician discovered that the steering rack on my 2017 Subaru Outback needed replacement. At that time, I was advised it would be unsafe/dangerous to continue to drive my vehicle, unless I immediately replaced the steering rack. Therefore, at the guidance of the Subaru dealership, namely freehold Subaru, I gave my consent for them to proceed with replacement of the steering components, which cost $2,223. 86 (plus tax). Evidence of the cost is a copy of the detailed invoice and proof of payment is available upon request. At the time when the steering components were replaced, I was not aware of the Subaru Outback recall which involved steering components, nor did the Subaru dealership bring it to my attention, perhaps because they were also not aware of this specific recall. The recall I’m referring to is described under NHTSA campaign number 16v292000 (dated may 11th, 2016). As I paid for the steering rack replacement out of my own pocket, on November 29th, 2022, I contacted Subaru of America to seek reimbursement because this should’ve been covered under the steering components recall mentioned above. On December 15th, 2022, I received a message from Subaru of America stating that my particular Subaru’s VIN was not included in the recall. In my mind, this may have been an unintentional oversight on the part of the Subaru dealership by not including my Subaru’s VIN in the recall, when clearly other same year make and model as my car (2017 Subaru Outback) were included in the recall.

Driving down the freeway, snowy conditions, going roughly 50 mph in a straight line, no curves or turns in sight, hit a very small hump in the road and suddenly I found myself sideways from what seems like a rear steer situation, I corrected as best I could and luckily I was in the only section of the road that didn't have a wall, ended up backwards in a shallow ditch. No immediate damage noted, I was able to drive away, but confidence with driving in snowy and icy conditions has been severely diminished (been driving in snow and ice for 20+ years). My previous vehicle, 1988 chevy s10 was way more reliable in the snow that this thing. I have since felt this car try and "kick out" while going well under the speed limit but in slightly icy conditions. The only reason I can think that this hasnt happened again is due to myself being aware of the isssue, new struts and brand new $600 dollar tires I recently purchased. This is a huge issue, and Subaru needs to own up to it, I know I'm not the only one who's experienced this.

See all problems of the 2007 Subaru Outback 🔎.

2017 Subaru Outback 2. 5 limited has loose steering in the rain and going down hills. Drifts a lot with cross winds vehicle had alignment and tire inspection and suspension checked and all was fine but car still is unstable in bad weather. Feels like it is swaying and the tires are not on the ground. Tires have 13k miles on them and are in good shape. Shocks are fine. Repair shops can not determine the problem.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 40-50 mph, the steering wheel felt loose, causing the vehicle to drift from the lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.

Vehicle had recent periodic service performed prior to event at gwinette Subaru, gwinette, GA. Vehicle currently has 54k miles. The vehicle was purcashed this year as a dealer certified pe-owned vehicle. While leaving the walmart parkinglot and entering a busy intesection I lost control of the vehicle steering and I her severe knocking sounds against body of vehicle I barley was able to drive vehicle out of traffic. When I tried to exit vehicle the driver's door would not open. I exited from the passenger door and walked around vehicle and found that my driver side tire was up aginst fender and had pust fender up agains driver door. The tire was at wired angle . When the tow truc arrived the technician removed the tire in order to move vehicle. Once tire was removed it was obvious that there was a catostrophic steering ball joint failure. The vehicle was taken to gwinette Subaru where they denied it being a component failure and treated me as if it was my fault. The car did not collide with anything not have I hit any potholes to cause this failure. Gwinette subuaru failed to take proper steps to report this component failure, but I am and will be contacting the state of georgia public safety. I was actually on my way to interstate 85 a very congested interstate that moves at about 75-80 mph. I could of been killed at that speed and worse there would of been multiple cars involved in a collision. Please help me! damage was estimated at $4016. 75.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

My 2020 Outback touring has had several issues including the infotainment system rebooting and turning off all safety features: abs, forward collision warning, eyesight, adaptive cruise control randomly turning off (not just adjusting speed), I lose control of all electronics including the digital speedometer. A new infotainment system had been installed and the problems still exist. The date below was the most serious as I was on the highway traveling at high speeds when the system decided to fail and the screens went black. Subaru of America has been informed of these issues but there is no resolution.

The 2022 Subaru Outback has a "feature" called auto start stop. This is intended as a fuel saving feature. In the car's setup menu, you have the choice to turn this feature off. However, this feature must be turned off each and every time you start the car. The change is not held in memory. This fact was confirmed by a Subaru customer service representative in a call on the morning of 9/7/2021. This auto start/stop feature works just like a gasoline powered golf cart. Take your foot off the gas and the engine dies. Press the accelerator and the engine restarts. However, there is not oncoming traffic on a golf course. If the wheels are canted to the left or right, a notable amount of force is experienced in the steering wheel. Subaru should be forced immediately to make a software change to allow this feature to be disabled permanently. I also suspect that in extreme cold or as these vehicles age, this "feature" will become an extreme safety hazard.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

We experienced a steering failure which could have led to a very serious accident. Returning on a freeway after purchasing groceries we heard a kind of rattle rhat seemed to come from behind the hub of the steering wheel. We made it home but as we pulled into our driveway the steering failed completely. The steering wheel spun around like a pinwheel, no resistance whatsoever and absolutely no effect on the car’s steering. If this had happened on the freeway I hate to think what might have happened. The car had to be towed to the local Subaru dealer where it took 17 days to repair the vehicle. We were lucky. It could well have been a disaster.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.

After 20 years of driving experience that's probably the first car where I feel unsafe. Once in my life I had such experience which I have every day right now. It was hydroplaning on the very wet road. In another words it feels like driving under strong side wind or really wet/slippy road and car not under my full control. I already had five visits in two different Subaru dealerships. They twice did wheels allignment. But it didn't help. The last my visit they told they can't find and reproduce the issue. I guess I can be close my eyes for another issue but that's can be dangerous not only but another guys on the road.

I bought the 2019 Subaru Outback less than 2 months ago. While driving either on the street or on the freeway at reasonable speeds, the car will suddenly without warning veer to the left or right causing me to believe I was about to lose control. At first I thought I hit a pothole or some other road hazard. There is nothing that I can see on the road to cause this. This is occurring once every other time I drive the car. I looked online and noticed many other complaints which are exactly the same as mine. This is very dangerous as this veering can cause a serious accident. I spoke with Subaru and am now trying to have it looked at since it is still under warranty. There were no warning lights, etc. Please look into this safety concern.

Under the following three conditions the front tires appear to become airborne and the tires skip making the vehicle seem to be out-of-control; when traveling at speeds >35 mph, wheels are turned >10 degrees, any long bump (such as a rough transition "bump" from asphalt to concrete). This has been worsening over the last year and is now unsafe for my children to be in the car. My local Subaru dealership spent nearly 2 days inspecting all aspects of the car to include the alignment, bushings, and shocks. A senior technician was taken for a test-drive in the car and I was able to recreate the "skip". The technician was alarmed and surprised by the skip and thus held the car for a 2nd day to further investigate the reason for the "skip". They were unable to diagnose any defect. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance company. There have been no alarms or warning.

Lane departure feature malfunction at higher speeds: will reactivate a few seconds after physically deactivating the control; spontaneously activates and inactivates or activates on one side only - pulls aggressively to one side or the other, even though vehicle is centered in highway. Will not stay inactivated but fluctuates on/off. It is dangerous and causes fatigue in wrestling with the steering.

Sunday,August 1, 2021, at 9:05am, I backed out of my garage and when I attempted to turn my car, the steering locked, the car was drifting backwards and I had no brakes. As a result the car kept drifting backwards , off the driveway into the woods, hitting a tree. Once stopped, I was able to start the car and drive it out of the woods. The entire driver’s side was sideswiped and mirror torn off. I was not injured, but could have been. I called insurance that day. On Monday, we contacted the Subaru dealership. The local police were notified and documented the report. The insurance adjuster determined the car unsafe to drive and it was towed to the dealership August 4, 2021. There was no warning or indicated problem prior to the incident.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The roll connector harness failed, and use of the horn was disabled. It is due to the mechanical steering of the vehicle, and fails over time. As a multiple Subaru owner this has been a topic of safety with most of the owners with 2014 Subarus. Subaru changed the design/engineering of this part in 2016 due to the concern. Because they won't issue a recall, and the cost of repair is high ($400+), mainly due to the location of the part, many will not fix the issue. There is no way to warn other drivers or deer without use of the horn. This has put me in harm's way multiple times until I finally got it fixed. I have contacted my dealer who says it is one of the more common issues they see with this year and probably 2015 as well. It needs to be recalled so everyone with this problem can get their cars fixed instead of Subaru charging for a known problem and making money over safety.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

When my dashboard lights lit up for no reason, it was determined after visiting the dealership that the steering gearbox needed to be replaced.

While moving forward slowly with foot lightly on the brakes and pulling into a parking space at local shopping center the car accelerated and the steering wheel turned to the right. The result of the cars actions made the car jump the curb, drive across the sidewalk and then across small hedges in the landscaped area. Car finally came to a stop about 20 feet later, with me pushing hard on the brake, just prior to entering parking lot roadway cross traffic. There was no alarm, warning or any other indication from any of the safety systems. As far as the automobile was concerned, nothing wrong had happened. Luckily there were no other vehicles or pedestrians on sidewalk or in the landscaped area between the parking space and roadway. There was no vehicle damage as the shrubs were all fairly short and the car simply drove over them. My husband disabled the lane departure system and I continue to operate the car. Based on all the previous incidents reported on this site, my husband indicates that Subaru will blame operator error. I have a perfect driving record and this incident was not caused by me incorrectly stepping on the gas.

After the transmission is in park and the key is turned to turn-off the engine, the key will not advance to the "locked" position and cannot be removed. Also, the steering wheel does not lock. This apparently can be remedied by repeatedly shifting from drive to park forcefully. Also, disconnecting the car battery seems to allow turning the key to "locked. ".

Power steering failed while driving. Power steering fluid had all leaked out. Luckily car was at a very low speed as steering was quite difficult. Repaired at Subaru dealer who discovered a leak in a metal high pressure line. There was no evidence of external damage to pressure line. Photo showed a hairline crack at the outside of a 90° bend, thus probably a manufacturing defect. Dealer replaced entire steering rack.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

We built and bought a brand new 2015 Subaru Outback and we have experienced: - a constant sudden loss of eyesight system while cruising or sometimes just driving with no cruise control on. -gas release lever freezes up and we have to forcefully use a flat screwdriver to unlock the gas lid door. -pre collision warning brake system does not respond properly: we got so many close calls. - on March, 2020 ; the stability control system was not working properly on snowy/icy conditions : the car sled off and almost hit a guard rail, soon after that ; the steering wheel got too loose /wobbly and had a big gap while steering( almost no control over our car. We brought it to the dealership right away and the recalibrated, balanced and aligned the car for corrections. -last Wednesday, on April,14,2021: my wife was driving one block away from home, at the traffic light intersection, while the traffic light was green and she was trying to make a right turn to go home; her steering wheel got frozen on her when she was turning and by the time she tried to figure out how to react and control the car, her car already crashed into the pick up truck that was waiting on the other side of the intersection waiting for the light to change into green. The whole front of our Subaru was crashed but no pre collision brakes, air bags were deployed at all. Luckily, nobody got hurt on both sides. The firefighters, the sheriff , the trooper and the tow truck driver who used to be a cop were all flabbergasted of what they saw. We called Subaru of America and opened a case, my car is scheduled for inspection at a Subaru dealership on may 6th,2021. Will see what happens next. They seem willing to address the problem and take responsibility for the damages. We found out that most of those issues were on recall but we never got a recall notification about them from Subaru of America at all. Thank you.

Key does not come out of ignition after turning car off. Gets stuck frequently (almost everytime I drive the car).

Car will pull to the left or right without warning. Whenever you are driving at any speed. Especially when you have a low spot in the road or slightly uneven pavement. You have to hold the car on the road or it will not stay in lane. Highway or in town. Have returned to dealership for repair with no luck. Was told that the alignment on the vehicle was good.

Key get stuck in the ignition lately when I turn off the engine and it takes awhile before it's released from the ignition. I have 52k plus miles now on my 2017 Subaru Outback.

Purchased the automobile with about 7,200 miles on it with extended warranty. Battery failed at 8,000 miles. We replaced it with a new premium battery from aaa. . New battery worked for 8 months then drained overnight. Aaa recharged it and said alternator worked. When driven or backed up after recharging, automobile beeped constantly for approximately 1/2 mile and stopped while in motion. Beeping stopped when vehicle stopped, but started again when vehicle moved forward or backed up. Left with Subaru dealer overnight. Battery was completely drained this morning when service technician tried to start it. Service tech said they could not diagnose problem. Per my internet research, this seems to be a common problem. Subaru should fix it, but seems to be dragging their heels on this issue. Our Subaru is unsafe and not driveable in its current condition. Please investigate and provide assistance. The vehicle has been stationary when the battery drained. The beeping occurred when the vehicle was in motion on a highway and city street. It restarted when the vehicle resumed motion. The beeping continued while the vehicle was going straight or turning while in motion. It stopped when the vehicle stopped. Steering did not feel normal. It was a little sluggish and less precise than normal.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would tighten and oversteer upon switching lanes without warning. The contact stated that excessive force would be needed to gain complete control of the vehicle upon failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer nor the dealer have been made aware of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.