2005 Subaru OUTBACK problems and owner complaints

THE BRAKE ROTORS ON MY 2005 SUBARU HAVE WARPED (ALL 4) AT 14,000 MILES PRODUCING A VIOLENT PULSATING PEDAL AND INEFFICIENT BRAKING. THIS ALONE COULD CAUSE SOME DRIVERS TO ALLOW FOR INSUFFICIENT BRAKING DISTANCES CAUSING A CRASH. IT IS NOW MY UNDERSTANDING, AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION, THAT THIS IS A "COMMON" PROBLEM WITH THIS MANUFACTURER FOR MANY YEARS. THE SUBARU DEALER CUT THE ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE OCCURRED AT 14,000 MILES. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10133280 at NHTSA ↗

DT: WHEN THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT ARE ON THE TAILLIGHT ARE OFF. THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE RUNNING LIGHTS AND AS A RESULT THE CONSUEMR DID NOT REMEMBER TO TURN LIGHTS ON WHEN IT WAS DUSK OUTSIDE. THIS ALMOST CAUSED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE CONSUEMR FEELS THAT HTIS MAY BE A SAFTEY ISSUE THEREFORE CONTACTED TEH MANUFACTURER. *AK IPDATED 3/9/2006 - *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10146134 at NHTSA ↗

DT: CONSUMER HAD THIS VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AND THE DEALER HAD TO JUMP START THE MOTOR THREE TIMES. ALSO, REMOTE WON'T OPEN THE DOOR WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. CHANGED THE COMPASS IN THE MIRROR. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE TEST DRIVING VEHICLE. DEALER SAID THEY WOULD PUT IN A NEW BATTERY, AND WOULD FIX IT. HWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 37 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129742 at NHTSA ↗

2005 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5XT WAS PARKED IN A PUBLIC / PRIVATE PARKING STRUCTURE AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM ON 10/13/2005. AT APPROXIMATELY 8PM THE FIRE ALARM WAS TRIGGERED BY VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE. FIRE DEPT FOUND NO SIGNS OF ARSON OR FOUL PLAY, LOOKED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE FRONT RIGHT HEADLIGHT CLUSTER. NO RESPONSE FROM SUBARU, INSURANCE DROPPED MY POLICY - LOSS NOT COVERED! *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 8,061 miles reported. Look up ODI 10170888 at NHTSA ↗

CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE THROTTLE WILL HESITATATE AND SURGE WHEN DESCENDING ON EVEN A SMALL HILL. THIS IS DISTRACTING TO THE DRIVER AND COULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED AND A FIX IS NOT POSSIBLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124895 at NHTSA ↗

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK GOT STUCK AFTER INCURRING A MINOR OBSTRUCTION (SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW IN ONE CASE AND A SOMEWHAT SHARP INCLINE IN ANOTHER CASE) WHILE DRIVING IN HIGH ALTITUDES (10,000 FT TO 11,500 FT). ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST MOST OF ITS POWER AND NO WHEELS WOULD TURN. DESPITE PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR, THE ENGINE NEVER WENT ABOVE 2000 RPMS. FORTUNATELY, ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THERE WERE PEOPLE AROUND TO PUSH THE CAR. ONCE THE TIRES WERE TOTALLY FREE OF ANY OBSTRUCTION, NORMAL ENGINE PO…

Owner-reported narrative. 13,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10130588 at NHTSA ↗

I TOOK A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP THIS SUMMER FROM LA TO KANSAS CITY, MO. I HAD THE CAR SERVICED AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT BEFORE I LEFT BOTH GOING AND COMING BACK. I LEFT KC TO HEAD BACK TO LA. 3 HOURS OUTSIDE OF KC I SAW MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE UP TO RED. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. SMOKE POURED OUT OF MY CAR. I PUT COOLANT AND WATER IN IT 3 TIMES. IT SEEMED FINE WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, THEN THE NEEDLE WOULD GO UP TO RED. I DIDN'T DARE DRIVE IT, SO I CALLED AAA. THEY TOWED ME TO A SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN KS. I…

Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10248404 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED MY 05 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK IN SEPTEMBER 04. THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OUT IN OCTOBER 05 AND I HAD A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACE IT WITH THE RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT BULB. I NOTICED THAT NOW THE RIGHT LOW BEAM IS MORE ANGLED DOWN THAN PREVIOUSLY, MAKING VISIBILITY AT NIGHT MORE LIMITED THAN IT WAS BEFORE THE REPLACEMENT. IN DECEMBER 05 THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT ALSO EXPIRED AND MY FATHER AND I REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME COMPATIBLE PART. I NOTICED THAT NIGHT THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM WAS NOW ONLY ILLUMI…

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10147777 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING ON SNOWPACKED DIRT ROADS TO TOWN, I REACHED A STRAIGHTAWAY WHERE, UNKNOWN TO ME, ICE HAD FORMED OVER THE SNOW. DRIVING STRAIGHT AT 30-35 MPH, THE BACK END SUDDENLY BEGAN TO TRACK TO THE RIGHT. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO CORRECT, BUT THIS HAD NO EFFECT. I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL, AND THE VEHICLE SLID INTO THE DITCH, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND MINOR INJURY TO MYSELF. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 67,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10369138 at NHTSA ↗

FUEL IS LEAKING FROM THE WELDED SEAM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. I PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AFTER FILLING THE TANK, WENT INTO THE HOUSE, AND THE NEXT MORNING FOUND A SMALL PUDDLE OF GAS JUST FORWARD AND INBOARD OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE, AND A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE . I COULD SEE A DRIP APPROXIMATELY EVERY 10 SECONDS. MY NEIGHBORHOOD MECHANIC EXAMINED THE CAR AND DIAGNOSED THE LEAK AT THE WELDED SEAM, NOT AT THE FUEL FILLER TUBE CONNECTION AT THE TANK, AND RECOMMENDED IT BE FIXED AT THE DEALER. IT IS A…

Owner-reported narrative. 85,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10432434 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED AN OVERPOWERING SMELL OF GAS. ONCE HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK NEAR THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS FRACTURED DUE TO CORROSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 126,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10432733 at NHTSA ↗