NHTSA Complaint #10940371 — 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK

INTERSTATE DRIVING. 65 MPH. NIGHTTIME DRIVING. CRUISE CONTROL OFF. SUBARU EYESIGHT STEERING CORRECTION OFF. THREE ADULT PASSENGERS. NO LUGGAGE. NO EXTRA WEIGHT. THULE ROOF CARGO CONTAINER SECURED TO THE ROOF RACKS. SUDDEN ENCOUNTER OF ICE ON ROAD. SIGNIFICANTLY DEGRADED STEERING CAPABILITY. WE WERE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 1-90 AND ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED LONG PATCH OF ICE ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF ROAD. IT WAS VERY SMOOTH ICE WITHOUT SNOW COVER. THE CAR FELT LIKE THE REAR END WANTED TO COME AROUND AND I HAD TO COUNTER STEER TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND DID NOT TOUCH THE BREAK. THE CAR THEN BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS CAUGHT IN DEEP ICE RUTS, BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THERE WERE NO ICE RUTS; THE ICE WAS SMOOTH. THE MOTION OF THE CAR WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT THE MOTION WOKE PASSENGERS. I LOST ALL CONFIDENCE THAT I COULD STEER THE CAR. I DID NOT TOUCH EITHER THE ACCELERATOR NOR THE GAS. I WAS ONLY TRYING TO REGAIN STEERING. I EVENTUALLY COASTED TO 40 MPH BEFORE I COULD REGAIN CONTROL. I HAVE DRIVEN ON ICE FOR 25+ YEARS AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A CAR LIKE THIS. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS TRYING TO STEER ITSELF AND THEN TRYING TO CORRECT ITSELF FOR AN OVER STEER. THIS LED TO ANOTHER CORRECTION BY THE VEHICLE. THIS BACK AND FORTH "MICRO" AUTO CORRECTION MADE STEERING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CAR. CAR HAS < 10,000 MILES. NO WRECKS. GOOD CONDITION. TIRES IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ALL TIRES AT RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE (40 PSI) THE MORNING BEFORE IN INCIDENT. THERE IS SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG WITH THIS CAR. IT IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM.