2005 SUBARU OUTBACK Fuelpropulsion System Problems

ON RANDOM OCCASIONS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL QUITS WORKING, RESULTING IN SUDDEN DECELERATION WITH THE ENGINE SPEED NOT RESPONDING TO THE PEDAL POSITION. I HAVE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY, TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND WAIT. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR DRIVES FINE UNTIL THE NEXT FAILURE. OCCASIONALLY IT TAKES E FEW TRIES TO RESET.

PLEASE REFER TO CODE P2138 - THROTTLE/PEDAL POSITION SENSOR SWITCH WITH "D"/"E" VOLTAGE CORRELATION DTC SEVERITY 2 OF 3 REPAIR -- I BELIEVE ELAINE CHAO SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE SAFETY ISSUES AFFECTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC REGARDING THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE -- MY SUBARU OUTBACK ACCELERATOR WILL SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY ALMOST EVERY DAY. SUBARU IS AWARE THAT THIS IS A PERVASIVE PROBLEM AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF SUBARUS AND SHOULD BE FORCED TO ISSUE A RECALL. I'LL BE GOING 75 MPH AND THEN SUDDENLY THERE WILL BE NO POWER AND THE CAR WILL COAST TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS THEN SHUTS DOWN EVERYONE ON I35 AND I ALMOST GET HIT FROM BEHIND MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK.

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (~75 MPH) DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY, EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL AND RESULTING DECELERATION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GLOWED STEADY AND THE CRUISE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. AFTER PULLING OFF TO THE SHOULDER (ACROSS THREE LANES) AND SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THROTTLE CONTROL RESUMED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL GLOWS STEADY AND THE CRUISE LIGHT IS FLASHING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING.

AS I WAS DRIVING, I ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST ALL POWER AND CONTROL FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR DECELERATED AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO IDLE FORWARD. THE GAS PEDAL BECAME COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BLINKS BUT THE CAR DRIVES FINE UNTIL THE THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN. THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT IT. I'M GLAD IT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION OR A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE DECELERATING THAT QUICKLY WAS MORE DANGEROUS. THE CAR IS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I BELIEVE THE CHECK ENGINE CODE READING IS P2138.

GAS PEDAL FAILED WHILE THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY. UNABLE TO ACCELARATE. TOTAL FAILURE OF PEDAL. LUCKILY PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE ANOTHER VEHICLE PLOWED INTO ME. RESTARTED VEHICLE AND PEDAL OPERATED PROPERLY. VERY DISCONCERTING. FAILURE CODE WAS P2138.

THERE IS SMELL OF GAS IN THE CABIN , THIS IS A 2.5 TURBO MODEL WHICH INCREASES DANGER OF FIRE.I NOTICED OTHER SUBARUS FROM DIFFERENT YEARS AND MODELS HAVING SAME PROBLEM AND EVEN BEING RECALLED, SO I SUSPECT THIS IS THE SAME OR SIMILAR FUEL LEAK PROBLEM.HOPE THEY RECOGNIZE THIS AND FIX IT!

RETURN FUEL LINE LEAK. THE LEAK IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. A SMALL RUBBER HOSE SHRINKS IN THE COLD ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK ON THE ENGINE BLOCK. A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN THE CABIN WHEN STATIONARY. LEAK GOES AWAY WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED IN OTHER SUBARU MODELS. I HAVE REPAIRED THE PROBLEM ONCE BEFORE AS WELL AS THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE CAR, AND NOW IT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED AGAIN.

THE CABIN IS FLOODED WITH THE SMELL OF RAW GASOLINE ON COLD DAYS DUE TO THE SAME DEFECT THAT CAUSED A RECALL FOR THE EARLY 2000'S SUBARU IMPREZA WRX'S. THIS DEFECT IS ALSO PRESENT IN THE FORESTER AND THE LEGACY, JUST READ THE FORUMS. ON TURBO CHARGED CARS THIS CAN LEAD TO A FIRE AND ON ALL CARS IT BATHES THE OCCUPANTS IN GASOLINE VAPOR AS THE LEAK OCCURS JUST OUTSIDE THE FRESH AIR INTAKE. THIS IS MORE THAN JUST THE SCENT OF GASOLINE. TURNING ON THE AIR BLOWER PULLS IN ENOUGH VAPORS TO MAKE MY EYES WATER. THE VAPORS PERSIST UNTIL ABOUT 45MPH WHICH MEANS DRIVING WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN IN THE WINTER.

CAR SUDDENLY LOOSES POWER AND WILL NOT RUN ABOVE 1500 RPM IT WILL RUN BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IT ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES IT DOES THIS WHEN PULLING OUT OR GOING STEADY DOWN THE ROAD .... CRUISE LIGHT FLASHING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON

STRONG RAW GASOLINE SMELL IN AND AROUND ENGINE, AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT THE CABIN WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DROPS TO BELOW 60 DEGREES (F). *TR

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP LIGHT AND MY OUTBACK ACTED AS THOUGH I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. THE MORE I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE THE LESS IT RESPONDED. IF THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC HADN'T NOTICED, THEY WOULD HAVE HIT ME. WHEN I FINALLY GOT IT OFF THE ROAD AND SHUT IF OFF FOR AWHILE, IT STARTED BUT DIDN'T RUN CORRECTLY. I CALLED THE SUBARU DEALER AND THEY HAULED IT 90 MILES TO THEIR SHOP. THE REPLACED THE FOOT PEDAL SENSOR AND IT WORKED OK UNTIL THE LAST 2 WEEKS AND IT IS ACTING LIKE IT DID 2 YEARS AGO. AS I VISIT WITH OTHER OWNERS, THEY SAY THEY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE BUT DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT. I FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE THAT NEEDS ATTENTION AND A PERMANENT FIX FOR A SOLUTION BEFORE SOME ONE GETS HURT DO TO THE INABILITY TO...

MY VEHICLE HAS STARTED TO LEAK FUEL AFTER COLD STARTS IN COLDER WEATHER (BELOW 50 DEGREES F). THE ODOR INSIDE THE CABIN IS ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A HEADACHE. ONCE THE CAR WARMS UP IT DOES DISSIPATE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS FUEL LINES LEAKING UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. WITH PARTS AND LABOR THE BILL IS ALMOST $1000. AFTER DOING SOME "RESEARCH" ONLINE IT APPEARS THAT THIS A MORE WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH SUBARU'S, IT EVEN RESULTED IN A RECALL OF SOME WRXS IN SOME STATES... I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SUBARU IS NOT ISSUING A TSB OR RECALL ON OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES. *TR

ON APPROXIMATELY 10 OCCASIONS RIGHT AFTER A RAIN WHEN I START UP THE CAR THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AND THE CAR RUNS ROUGHLY WITH LITTLE POWER. AFTER A SHORT TIME THE CAR POWER RETURNS BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON FOR ABOUT A WEEK. ONCE THE LIGHT GOES OUT THE CAR THEN RUNS NORMAL UNTIL THE NEXT RAINSTORM. IT THEN DOES THE SAME ALL OVER. *TR