NHTSA Complaint #10559827 — 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK

SAME SYMPTOM HAPPENED TWICE: ONCE JUST AFTER STARTING FROM A SERVICE AREA ON THE INTERSTATE, THE SECOND ON SUBURBAN ROADS I DESCRIBE HERE. DURING A NORMAL 30 MILE SUBURBAN TRIP, AFTER ABOUT 20 MILES THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE CONTINUED RUNNING BUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEEMED TO HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE ENGINE SPEED OR POWER. AFTER COASTING TO A STOP AND TURNING THE ENGINE OFF FOR A MINUTE THE CAR STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY, THOUGH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A DAY OR SO. WHEN WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO INTERPRET THE CHECK ENGINE CODES; AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT THEY FOUND A P2138 CODE -- "ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR" FAILURE. THEY REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY AND THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE RUNNING CORRECTLY AGAIN. AS I UNDERSTAND IT THE ISSUE IS A FAILURE IN THE ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR: THERE ARE DUAL SENSORS IN THE ASSEMBLY AND IF THEIR READINGS DIFFER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS EFFECTIVELY "DISCONNECTED" AND THE DRIVER LOSES ALL POWER. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE: THE FAILURE COULD JUST AS WELL HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT HIGH SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A SAFE STOP, AND HAVING THE FIRST INDICATION OF TROUBLE BEING "LOSING ALL POWER" IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. *TR