1998 SUBARU OUTBACK Vehicle Speed Control Problems

ON OCTOBER 6, 2004, I WAS COASTING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN MY 1998 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK. MY HEADLIGHTS WERE FACING A CURB, SIDEWALK, AND CEMENT BRICK BUILDING, AND I TOUCHED THE BRAKES TO PREVENT BUMPING THE CURB. AS SOON AS MY FOOT HIT THE BRAKE, THE CAR VROOMED AS IF THE THROTTLE HAD BEEN FULLY OPENED, AND THE CAR CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD. I PRESSED THE BRAKE HARDER, BUT THE CAR SEEMED TO TAKE OFF ON IT'S OWN AND WAS TOTALLY OUT OF MY CONTROL. THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE EASILY BUMPED UP THE CURB, AND THE CAR FLEW INTO THE AIR AND CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING. THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT (THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY). THE ENTIRE INCIDENT HAPPENED VERY FAST AND WAS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED. ALTHOUGH I AM THANKFUL THAT THERE WAS NO PEDESTRIAN WALKING...

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A LIGHT POLE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S DESIGNATED REPAIR FACILITY. *AK THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY 2-3 MORE ACCELERATIONS IN WHICH THE VEHICLE GAINED SPEED EACH TIME. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WERE BEING SHIFTED INTO THE NEXT GEAR. *SC *JB

FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: I OWN A 1993 SUBARU IMPREZA L, AND I OWN A 1998 IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT. BOTH THESE CARS HAVE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THERE ARE TWO TSB'S ON HESITATION ISSUES FOR ALL SUBARU'S CONCERNING THIS. THIS IS A HAZARD BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN NEED FOR ACCELERAION IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ARE: 1. AMBULANCE COMING TO INTERSECTION BEHIND ME WITH NO ROOM FOR ME TO PULL OVER DUE TO PARKED CARS, AND I ATTEMPTED TO MOVEOUT OF HIS WAY PUSHING DOWN ON THE THROTTLE, AND THE CAR COMPLETELY SPUTTERING AND BARELY MOVING. THE AMBULANCE IS STUCK BEHIND ME WHILE I AM ATTEMPTING TOMOVE OUT OF IT'S WAY. 2. THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN AT AN INTERSECTION, BUT SOMEONE FAILS TO STOP TO THEIR RED LIGHT, AND NEARLY GET T-BONED, THANKS TO CADILLAC'S STRONG BRAKING POWER, BECAUSE MY CAR SPUTTERS, AND MOVES LIKE...

DRIVING ALONG BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH SLOWED THE CAR DOWN BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE MILD PANIC SET IN. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND INSTEAD ACCIDENTLY PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE. THIS DID STOP THE CAR, BUT AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. I HAVE INCURRED AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. ALTHOUGH I DON'T EXPECT ANY SYMPATHY BECAUSE OF MY AWKWARD HANDELING OF THE SHIFTER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IF ANYTHING SUBARU INTENDS TO ABOUT THIS VERY DANGEROUS UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION PROBLEM. YOUR COMPLAINT SITE HAS SIMILAR SUCH COMPLAINTS ON RECORD. MINE WILL BE THE NINTH. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED. THE SAME PROBLEM BUT HAVE NOT BOTHERED TO FORMALLY COMPLAIN, IT WOULD SEEM THAT A REAL PROBLEM DOES EXIST. THANK YOU. DT

CAR ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO COME TO A STOP. ENGINE ROARS AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO STOP CAR. PROBLEM HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND USUALLY WHEN THE CAR IS GOING 5 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS. BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP CAR. THE SAME PROBLEM IS HAPPENING WITH OUR 2001 SUBURU OUTBACK (SEE ODI#764455).*AK

VEHICLE WILL REV /ACCELERATE WHEN CONSUMER TURNS AIR CONDITIONER( A/C) ON. PROBLEM USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN A/C IS ON. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER CANNOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY, VEHICLE IN FRONT SLOWED DOWN, CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, AND VEHICLE TOOK OFF ON ITS ON. VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL, BUT AVOIDED OTHER CARS. WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, FLIPPED THREE TIMES, AND ENDED ON DRIVER'S SIDE . DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH AND WAS USING CRUISE CONTROL, THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF CONSUMER WAS BRAKING, IN WHICH CONSUMER BEGAN TO BRAKE, HOWEVER VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN, THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*JB

I WAS PARKING MY CAR TO GO TO THE VIDEO STORE WITH MY SON. IT APPEARED TO LURCH FORWARD, SPEEDING UP, AND DID NOT COME TO A STOP UNTIL IT HIT FOUR OTHER CARS, AND FINALLY PLOWED INTO A LARGE 4X4 BROADSIDE, WITH ENOUGH SPEED TO PUSH IT INTO ANOTHER CAR. MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND MY DISABLED CHILD FELL OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE ONTO THE PAVEMENT. PARAMEDICS WHERE CALLED AND HE WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE MINOR INJURIES. I HAD PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE KEY STICKING, AND SOMETIMES UNEXPLAINED MINOR SPEEDUPS INT HE TRANSMISSION, BUT DIDN'T REALIZE HOW SEVERE IT WAS. NOW I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A POSSIBLE, SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. THE CAR IS CONSIDERED TOTALLED, BUT HASN'T BEEN DISPOSED OF AS YET. POLICE TOOK PICTURES AT THE SCENE. PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE THIS OUT.*AK

WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD. THE RPMS WOULD BE REVVING. WOULD PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. ONLY USED VEHICLE IN NY. *AK

THERE HAVE BEEN THREE EPISODES IN WHICH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND DRAMATICALLY REVVED AND CAR SURGED, ONCE WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, TWICE WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR APPROACHING A CURVE. I HAD TO TURN CAR OFF, AND IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, WHEN IT WAS RESTARTED THE RPM WENT UP TO OVER 7000.

THERE HAVE BEEN THREE EPISODES IN WHICH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND DRAMATICALLY REVVED AND CAR SURGED, ONCE WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, TWICE WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR APPROACHING A CURVE. I HAD TO TURN CAR OFF, AND IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, WHEN IT WAS RESTARTED THE RPM WENT UP TO OVER 7000.