Wiring Problems of Subaru Outback - part 2

One wire leading to the rear cargo hatch (right side) broke and 3 others had cracked insulation due to a lack of resilience after flexing. These wires are flexed every time the hatch is opened and closed. All electrical parts on the hatch travel though this wiring harness (wipers, lock, etc. ). Had the failure of the lock not been noticed, further wear could have caused a short and a fire. The vehicle is only 4 and a half years old. Many other people have had similar problems going back to at least the 2005 model.

See all problems of the 2008 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Problem 1: experienced rear wiper (station wagon) not working. Car still under warranty, took it to the dealer and was told the wiring harness that goes through the hinge area was broken. It was repaired. Now the car has 72,000 miles and I am having rear wiper problems again as well as the rear door not locking. Wires frayed and broken again. This is a known issue both with Subaru and on the forums on the web. This is a poor design and possibly dangerous as it can cause the rear lights to fail. Failure time frame was almost double mileage from the previous failure. (35,251 - 72,000). Problem 2: air bag light keeps coming on. Have had it to the mechanic several times to be checked out and reset. This is also a known problem with Subaru and on the web forums. This is a serious safety issue as the air bags could fail to deploy. Subaru may say the airbags are a "secondary" safety feature, but to me they are extremely important. Airbag deployment can be the difference between life and death in an accident. Please investigate!.

See all problems of the 2009 Subaru Outback 🔎.

On June 30, 2011 at 11pm I looked out of my window and our entire garage was engulfed in flames. This building was not completed and had no electrical or heating system. I believed at that time that it was the car(Subaru) that started the fire. ,as the intensity of the fire was on the side of the garage where it was parked. I had just had it detailed the day before the fire, as the dealership had done some extra electrical work and the car was returned to us filthy. I had always suspected that it was the Subaru that started that fire and a couple of weeks ago I received a letter form Subaru stating that the "puddle lights" wiring could over hear and start a fire. Guess where I had elec. Work done?I had the lighted floor board lights installed (right above the puddle lights) this fire has left my husband(still) very depressed as we lost all his tools and everything in that garage which included items to finish the construction and many valuable personal items. I realize this if after the fact, but after receiving that letter form Subaru, I feel that my suspicion is justified and think that Subaru should make this right. This building was erected for over five years and there wasn't anything in there that would of started that fire, other than that car. Please feel free to contact us.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

After slowing to a near stop at the bottom of an interstate highway exit ramp, my car suddenly, and without warning, died and I lost all systems, including engine and power steering. All I was able to do was drift to the side of the road. Subaru initially believed that the ecm had failed. After replacing the ecm, it became apparent that that was not the issue. Subaru ultimately determined that the wiring harness housing had melted against the coolant crossover pipe, exposing wiring which was then shorting out. Subaru could give me no explanation as to why the wiring harness was installed against a hot component of my engine such that it would melt. Had this happened 1 minute earlier, I would have been on interstate 95 during rush hour traffic with a dead car. Given the suddenness with which my car died, it is likely I would have been involved in a serious accident.

See all problems of the 2006 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Upon inspecting the trailer hitch and wiring loom that the reno, nv, Subaru dealer installed from their inventory, the wiring loom and connector which connects to a trailer's loom was found to be hanging freely in the wind. The trailer's loom runs both brake lights and tail lights. The loom was attached to the trailer hitch with a single plastic wiring tie which went thru the whole in the trailer hitch intended for the attachment of the trailer's safety chains. The plastic tie used was of the type normally used to hold a group of wires together. Upon attaching the safety chains, the plastic tie which supported the wiring loom, came in contact with the metal safety chain hook. Nowhere on the hitch was there any metal bracket to attach the wiring loom plug to prevent the loom from swinging in the breeze. If the plastic tie were to break or be worn thru by abrasion of the safety chain hook the wiring loom would drag of the ground and the brake and tail lights on the trailer would no longer function. The plastic tie which was the only support for the wiring loom and could not be expected to withstand the environment conditions it would be subjected to like; wind, rain, snow, mud, nor could it withstand constant abrasion from the safety chain hook. The wiring loom was attached to the safety chain bracket hole 3 or 4 inches from the plug which terminated the loom. This created a pinch point in the wiring loom where it was attached to the safety chain bracket. As the loom would swing in the wind, the copper wires would be caused to bend at the pinch point and break. Normally, a pinch point is avoided by firmly attaching the plug at the end of the wiring loom. The defects mentioned above will certainly cause unexpected brake light and tail light failure. This product should be recalled.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I was using an aftermarket trailer wiring harness with my 2006 Subaru Outback wagon. The converter unit that plugged into the car wiring and converted it to the 4 flat configuration for my trailer failed by shorting out and caused a fire. Had I not realized what was going on quickly the car would have been a total loss. The trailer wiring harness is manufactured by draw-tite and has a model number of 17499-101. I attempted to contact draw-tite directly but have received no response. I was traveling with my 4 year old son at the time, and this incident caused us both to be scared, as any vehicle fire would.

Speedometer fails spontaneously, intermittently and frequently. Indicated speed drops to zero. Returns spontaneously after 10 seconds to 15 minutes. Not vehicle speed sensor (vss) or wiring/connector related. Service technician found speedometer circuit board delaminated, causing components to separate from circuit board. Stated this appeared to be caused by oem sealant used on the circuit boards as seen in other Subarus and many Honda vehicles. Speedometer is an obvious safety and legal liability component, which provides critical feedback to vehicle operator. Many other failures reported on internet. Recall should be issued if further investigation confirms defect frequency.

See all problems of the 1999 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The front headlights are not working. I replaced the headlight but that did not fix the problem. There is no warning light to show the lights are out. This creates a dangerous driving situation that both front lights are out but it seems to be due to electrical or another problem. I have noticed many Outbacks with one light out for the same model years. It seems to be a systemic problem unrelated to the bulbs.

See all problems of the 2002 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Subaru Outback wagon, year 2000, milage 33,000 - problem: spedometer and tachometer work on and off. They both 'die' then they both come back on again. On the freeway, one finds themselves without speed information without warning.

See all problems of the 2000 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I was backing out of a parking spot when the car jolted to a stop. The mechanic said the wires holding power harness in place had broken at an earlier point in time. This caused the power harness to shift to rest on top of the sway bar. The constant rubbing against the sway bar caused 3 wires to short, blowing all fuses and the computer module. A Subaru rep said there was one other case like this in the up of michigan. But he blamed packed snow in the wheel wells. This does not make sense in northern illinois in may. Subaru also confirmed had I been in traffic I would have been seriously injured or killed. No one has explained why the wire ties broke causing the power harness to move. At 40000 it was out of warranty, and we had to pay the deductible for the extended warranty, even though parties have said it is possible the wire ties broke while the car was in warranty. **dimsii ivies entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis**762507.

Two catastrophic wiring failures in main computer wiring led to vehicle suddenly going dead. First at 3000 miles traced to short in main relay which was replaced. Second at 16,000 miles traced to short in wire harness under the passenger footwell. Poor design placed the essential computer wires under the passenger footwell where it gets constant pressure wear. Dealer replaced wires inside harness and added cushioning around it. The second failure creates doubt that the first failure was due to a defective main relay. Both failure caused the vehicle to be dead. Both had no warning except the first time the temperature light came on immediately before the car went dead.

See all problems of the 2001 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Consumer experiencing ongoing problem of a burning odor coming into the vehicle on a daily basis, but intermittently within a day. Vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on several occasions. Dealer `informed consumer nothing could be found and at time refused to look further into the problem.

See all problems of the 1998 Subaru Outback 🔎.