NHTSA Complaint #10823175 — 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK

MY 2005 NEARLY KILLED ME RECENTLY DRIVING ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAYS THAT WERE A BIT ICY. DESPITE 4 STUDDED TIRES, IT WOULD BARELY STAY ON THE ROAD ABOVE 35 MPH EVEN GOING TOTALLY STRAIGHT. CARS OF ALL OTHER TYPES WERE FLYING PAST AT 60-75 MPH, NO PROBLEM. BUT MY CAR WOULD END UP GOING SIDEWAYS AND INADVERTENTLY SWITCHING LANES AND OR ALMOST GOING OFF THE ROAD AT SPEEDS STARTING AT ABOUT 35-40MPH. WE HAD THREE ADULTS IN THE CAR AND THE CAR FILLED WITH LUGGAGE, SO IT WAS FULLY LOADED. I'VE READ THAT THIS "GHOST WALKING" PHENOMENON HAPPENS TO 2005 TO 2009 SUBARU OUTBACKS THAT WERE PRODUCED IN THE USA. IT MAINLY HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS FULLY LOADED, WHICH DUE TO A REAR SUSPENSION FLAW, CAUSES TOE-IN ON THE REAR SUSPENSION AND THEN THE REAR END BECOMES TOTALLY UNSTABLE. I HAD TO DRIVE AT 35 MPH ON HIGHWAYS BACK WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON THE AVOID BEING REAR ENDED BY ALL THE TRAFFIC GOING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. BASED ON WHAT I EXPERIENCED, THEY'RE DEATH TRAPS THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. MORE INFO: HTTP://WWW.ULTIMATESUBARU.ORG/FORUM/TOPIC/103820-05-OUTBACK-AWD-TRICKY-ON-SOME-WINTER-ROADS/