NHTSA Complaint #11128588 — 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK

WHILE IN MOTION, RAPIDLY APPLYING THE BRAKES CAUSES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON, THE CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR FLASHES AND CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL LOST. THE CAR ESSENTIALLY BECOMES LIMP AND IS NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT THIS TIME. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND LETTING IT SIT FOR 30 SECONDS AND THEN TURNING THE CAR BACK ON RE-PROVIDES CONTROL TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. AT THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF. MY LOCAL AUTHORIZED SUBARU SHOP TRACED THE ISSUE TO A FAULTY ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR. THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AND THE CAR IS OPERATING NOMINALLY. TWO TWO INSTANCES WHERE THIS CAUSED A SERIOUS CONCERN WAS WHEN I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHEN A CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON IT'S BRAKES AND CHOSE TO TURN RIGHT INSTEAD OF THE INTENDED DIRECTION OF TRAVEL STRAIGHT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THE SECOND TIME WAS TO AVOID AN ANIMAL RUNNING ACROSS THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE CAR. IN BOTH INSTANCES THE CAR WAS MOVING AT ROUGHLY 25MPH.