NHTSA Complaint #10302444 — 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK

IN DECEMBER OF 2008 I DROVE FROM IDAHO TO MONTANA OVER CHRISTMAS. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE BROKEN ICE AND COMPACT SNOW. WHENEVER THE CAR WOULD HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE REAR END WOULD TEND TO KICK FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I WAS FORCED TO REDUCE MY SPEED TO AROUND 30 MPH, EVEN THOUGH ALL OTHER VEHICLES COULD MAINTAIN HIGHER SPEEDS IN A SAFE MANNER. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM ON SEVERAL LATER OCCASIONS, AND IT APPEARS TO OCCUR ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOADED DOWN WITH PASSENGER(S) OR CARGO. SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG HAS A GIGANTIC THREAD ON THIS TOPIC. IT APPEARS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=B16BA9FDCE5398DEC3B38124C6D0E1B9&THREADID=11267&PERPAGE=20&PAGENUMBER=1 IN MARCH OF 2009, I HAD AN ALIGNMENT DONE AT A SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN BOISE. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM TO DATE, BUT THIS WINTER HAS BEEN UNSEASONABLY WARM, AND I HAVE NOT DRIVEN ON MUCH PACKED SNOW OR ICE. MOREOVER, I HAVE NOT DRIVEN WITH EXTRA CARGO, WHICH SEEMS TO EXASPERATE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I AM NOT CONVINCED THE PROBLEM IS GONE, AND JUDGING BY THE CONTINUED AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ON SUBARUOUTBACK.COM, I BELIEVE SUBARU NEEDS TO FORMALLY ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN. *TR