NHTSA Complaint #10484221 — 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK

2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS STARTED SHORTLY AFTER HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. ON TWO OCCASIONS, HE CAME CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE PEDAL ARRANGEMENT. HE STATED HE REALIZED HE WAS CROSSING HIS RIGHT LEG OVER HIS LEFT LEG TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKE POWER ASSIST AMPLIFIED THE APPLIED FORCE VERY WELL, BUT AT TIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO GET TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR BOARD. HE FOUND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS HIGH WHEN THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND SANK TO A LOWER LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. THE LEVEL COULD GET CLOSE TO THE OPERATING PLANE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ON ONE OCCASION, HE FLIPPED OFF THE COVER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS BRAKING ON A BARE STEEL PLATE. HE DISCOVERED HE WAS USING MORE NATURAL ERGONOMIC MOTION AND GOT TOO CLOSE TO THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EDGES OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ABOUT THREE INCHES. THE WIDTH OF THE SOL OF HIS SIZE 12 SHOE WAS ABOUT 4 1/2 INCHES. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS AN ENGINEERING DESIGN PROBLEM THAT INVOLVED THE VACUUM BRAKING SYSTEM, THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE DESIGN AND ERGONOMIC.