NHTSA Complaint #10402132 — 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK

2004 SUBARU OUTBACK LL BEAN 3.0L H6 HAS HISTORY OF INTERMITTENT UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, MISFIRE (SURGING) AT HIGHWAY SPEED, NOT SLOWING DOWN WITH FOOT VISIBLY NOT NEAR GAS PEDAL OR BRAKE PEDAL, ACCELERATION IN DRIVE OR REVERSE WITHOUT TOUCHING BRAKE OR GAS PEDAL, ERRATIC IDLE. DEALERS ATTRIBUTE TO BAD SENSOR (REPLACED PART NUMBER 22627AA130 SENSOR ASSY-PRESS), DIRTY THROTTLE BODY, GAS TREATMENT NEEDED IN GAS TANK, AND THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM EVER (DISBELIEF). ALSO, WHEN AT ITS WORST, SYMPTOMS INCLUDE EXTREME (BANGING) SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEARS. AFTER OWNER RESET ECM (DISCONNECT BATTERY, DRAINED ALL KNOWN ENERGY FROM ELECTRONICS, RECONNECTED BATTERY) "SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT SOON"T CAME ON, AUTOMOBILE OPERATED NORMALLY, AND "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT WENT OUT WITHIN 50 MILES OF DRIVING. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION DUE TO UNINTENDED THROTTLE INPUTS, SPEED NOT SLOWED WITH FOOT OFF THROTTLE, AND (OBVIOUSLY) IMPAIRED BRAKING DUE TO ENGINE SURGE PRIOR TO FULL-STOP. HOWEVER, FOLLOWING FULL-STOP, ENGINE WOULD SLOW DOWN TO NEAR "NORMAL" IDLE. FILE UNDER, AMAZING, BUT TRUE. *TR