NHTSA Complaint #10056555 — 1999 SUBARU LEGACY

97000 MILES - AUTOMATIC W CRUISE - VEHICLE JUST STARTED EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT HIGH IDLE CONDITIONS. THE FIRST CONDITION HAS PERSISTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. VEHICLE (EVEN WHEN WARM) IDLES AT ~1.5K RPM IN PARK. WHEN COASTING IN DRIVE, VEHICLE DOES NOT SLOW DOWN AS IT NORMALLY SHOULD. IT IS ALMOST AS IF VEHICLE IS DRIVING ITSELF. WHEN STOPPING ABRUPTLY,THE ABS DID NOT SEEM TO ENGAGE AND THE CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP (I PAST THE TOLL BOOTH GUY BY A FOOT). FUEL ECONOMY HAS BEEN REDUCED. THE SECOND CONDITION IS MORE INTERMITTENT AND COULD BE VERY SERIOUS. AFTER STARTING MY CAR AND LETTING IT WARM FOR 2 MINUTES, I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THEN SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE. THE RPMS SURGED TO OVER 2.5K AND STAYED THERE. LUCKILY, I WAS FIRMLY PRESSING THE BRAKE. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND RELEASED THE BRAKE, THE RPMS DECREASED TO 750. I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS SEVERAL TIMES IN BOTH REVERSE AND DRIVE AND COULD FIND NOTHING TO SUGGEST I WAS THE CAUSE (I.E PRESSING BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME). THE BRAKE WAS FIRMLY DEPRESSED AND I DID NOT MOVE. AFTER 2 MINUTES OF THIS, THE CONDITION STOPPED AND THE RPMS NO LONGER SURGED WHEN PLACED IN GEAR. I DROVE TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE IT. ON MY NEXT DRIVE (1 HOUR LATER) THE CAR IDLED AND RAN FINE FOR THE COURSE OF MY 10 MINUTE DRIVE. ON RETURNING HOME (1 HOUR AFTER THAT), THE CAR RAN FINE UNTIL I STOPPED IN THE DRIVEWAY SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO PARK. THE ENGINE SURGED TO OVER 2K RPM, BUT IDLED NORMALLY. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE DEALER TO INVESTIGATE IN A FEW DAYS. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND OF OTHERS.*AK