NHTSA Complaint #10060393 — 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK

MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK LIMITED DEVELOPED AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM CHARACTERIZED BY HESITATION AND HARSH, ABRUPT ENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. ORIGINALLY THE PROBLEM ONLY AROSE AS THE CAR WAS PLACED FROM PARK OR REVERSE INTO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO ARMANDO'S SUBARU IN CANFIELD, OH AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. LATER THIS PROBLEM BECAME MORE FREQUENT AND PRONOUNCED. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP AND THE CAR WOULD JERK WHEN THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED. ALSO, THE PROBLEM STARTED OCCURING NOT ONLY WHEN I ORIGINALLY SET THE AT INTO GEAR, BUT ALSO FROM STOPS AFTER THE CAR WAS ALREADY IN GEAR. I WOULD SOMETIMES HAVE TO REV THE ENGINE MORE THAN ONCE TO GET IT TO ENGAGE AND IT JERKED. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD IT MIGHT BE THE CONTROL MODEL BUT PROBABLY WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I DID NOT FEEL THE CAR WAS SAFE ANYMORE BECAUSE I COULD NOT BE SURE WHETHER THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ENGAGE OR HESITATE WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. INCIDENT DATE LISTED IS APPROX TIME PROBLEM FIRST DEVELOPED, IT GOT WORSE OVER TIME.