NHTSA Complaint #10605924 — 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ABS BRAKE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL (ALL WHEEL DRIVE) LIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING ALL AT ONCE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL THE LIGHTS FLASH BECAUSE MOST DRIVERS IGNORE JUST THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AT THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING WITH THE ADDITION OF THE FACTS THAT THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS WERE ACTUALLY DISABLED DURING THIS INCIDENT. DURING THE CONVERSATION IT WAS SAID THAT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, A "REFLASH " OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS NEEDED AND THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON SOME OUTBACKS. I ASKED WHY THERE WAS NO RECALL IF THE PROBLEM WAS KNOWN AND WAS TOLD THEY JUST FIXED THE PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENED. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE IF THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE THE DRIVER WAS ON ICE OR SNOW OR WET ROAD , VEHICLE STABILITY WOULD BE COMPROMISED. I THINK SUBARU SHOULD AT LEAST BE MADE TO RECALL THE SUSPECTED VEHICLES AND FIX THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH IT IS SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN TO ALL VEHICLES. *TR