NHTSA Complaint #10515092 — 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK

THE 2012 OUTBACK WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO 1ST GEAR WITHOUT MOVING THE GEAR LEVER FROM DRIVE TO MANUAL. THIS HAS OCCURRED 10 TIMES IN 18 MONTHS, THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW. THE PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS OCCURRED AFTER COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN, THEN, AS I ACCELERATE FROM THE STOP, THE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO 1ST GEAR AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STOPS ACCELERATING BECAUSE IT IS STUCK IN 1ST GEAR. THE GEAR LEVER IS ALWAYS IN DRIVE WHEN THIS OCCURS, BUT THE DASH DISPLAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS IN 1ST GEAR. TO RESOLVE IT, I HAVE MOVED THE GEAR LEVER FROM DRIVE TO MANUAL AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE WHICH PUTS THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO DRIVE. ON ONE OCCASION, LEAVING A STOP SIGN TO ENTER A FREEWAY RAMP, THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO 2ND GEAR. AGAIN, THE GEAR LEVER WAS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BREAKS AND JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY ON-RAMP, I WITNESSED THE "2" ON THE DASH DISPLAY CHANGE TO "D" AND THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AGAIN - WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GEAR LEVER. SUBARU FIRST SAID THAT THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE, NOW THEY SAY THEY CANNOT VERIFY IT. THIS IS A VERY INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND SO FAR CANNOT BE MADE TO OCCUR. THIS IS ALSO A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM SHOULD ANOTHER DRIVER NOT SEE THAT MY CAR HAS SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND COLLIDE WITH MY VEHICLE. *TR