2006 SUBARU OUTBACK Power Train Problems

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRANSMISSION COOLER FITTING STRIPPED OUT, EMPTYING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND RUINING TRANSMISSION. AS CAN BE SEEN IN PICTURE, OEM COMPONENT HAS VERY FEW THREADS WHICH ARE SHEARED AND COVERED IN FACTORY LOCTITE. THIS IS NOT AN INSPECTABLE COMPONENT, NOR LISTED ON ANY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE, HOWEVER WHEN I CONTACTED SUBARU THEY STATED THAT IT IS NOT DEFECTIVE, CONSIDERED REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR, AND OUTSIDE THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. I POINTED OUT THAT THEY JUST SETLED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REGARDING FAULTY POWERTRAIN COMPONENTS, AND THEY DECLINED FURTHER DISCUSSING MY CONCERNS

I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK AT AROUND 40 MPH, GOING STRAIGHT ON A BUSY ROAD. WITHOUT WARNING, THE ACCELERATOR STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN ABRUPTLY. IT APPARENTLY ENTERED A "SAFE" MODE, WITH A MAXIMUM SPEED OF ABOUT 10 MPH REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH PRESSURE I APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR. THE "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN I RE-STARTED THE CAR, THE WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED, BUT THE ACCELERATOR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AGAIN AND I WAS ABLE TO RETURN HOME. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE MANAGEMENT COMPUTER PROVIDED AN ERROR CODE P2138, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR/SWITCH VOLTAGE CORRELATION. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARU VEHICLES FROM AROUND THIS MODEL YEAR. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN THE THROTTLE SUDDENLY STOPS WORKING AND THE CAR...

WHEN COMING TO A STOP, OUR SUBARU OUTBACK SHUDDERS AND STALLS OUT. THIS HAPPENS ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS AND HAS BECOME A BIT OF A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN STOPPING IN TRAFFIC. ON FEBRUARY 6TH 2017, I WENT TO OUR LOCAL SUBARU SERVICE CENTER AND THEY INSPECT THE CAR AND EXPLAINED THAT THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND ASSOCIATE COMPONENTS AND THIS WAS VALIDATED BY A SERVICE BULLETIN TSB #16-90-13R . THEY EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE COST TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERT WOULD BE $1546 DOLLARS PLUS TAXES. I SEE THIS MORE OF A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS AS A RECALL. OUR VEHICLE HAS 96,404 MILE AS OF THIS DATE AND IS WELL MAINTAIN WITH ALL SERVICE RECORDS AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER AND TURN THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POTION AND BACK ON IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 155,000.

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED - CITY STREET 45MPH -- LOST ABILITY TO THROTTLE. NO THROTTLE, ENGINE, OR ACCELERATION RESPONSE WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL. CHECK ENGINE AND CRUISE LIGHTS BLINKING. AFTER PULLING OVER, TURNED OFF ENGINE. UPON RESTARTING AFTER A MINUTE, THROTTLE CAPABILITY RETURNED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE, UNEXPECTEDLY.

I RECENTLY HAD P2138.. ONE TIME. NO THROTTLE RESPONSE, STOPPED ON A HILL ON A 2 LANE ROAD, ON A CURVE, IN BIG SUR.. NOT GOOD. ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN HILL AFTER THE ONES BEHIND HAD ALL PASSED ME. TURNED OFF CAR, WAITED FOR 10 MINUTES, THEN IT FIXED ITSELF AFTER A RESTART. JIGGLED THE PEDAL CONNECTOR AND IT HAS BEEN GONE FOR THE LAST 2 WEEKS WHILE WAITING FOR MY MECHANIC TO HAVE ROOM IN HIS SCHEDULE TO REPLACE MY THROTTLE PEDAL (WHICH HAS A PEDAL POSITION SENSOR), TWO DAYS FROM NOW.

BOOTS CRACK AND YOU MUST REPLACE ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT. LEFT FRONT DRIVE SHAFT WAS JUST REPLACED @100,000 MILES AS THE BOOT CRACKED ON THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL. THINK THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AS DRIVE SHAFT SITS OVER THE TOP OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WITH NO SHIELD TO BLOCK THE HEAT. *TR

MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS HAD A CODE P2138 ISSUE FOR OVER TWO MONTHS NOW. IN MANY CASES I AM IN THE CAR WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD SON AND END UP BEING IN DANGER FOR NO REASON. LOOSING 99% OF POWER WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL OR TO THE STORE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THIS ISSUE HAVE NOT WORKED AND THE CAR ITSELF IS THOUGHT OF AS A DEATH TRAP IN OUR HOUSE. SUBARU DISREGARDS THE CODE AND OFFERS NO FIX. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL. LIVES ARE AT RISK. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH THIS CAR WAS ME PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AFTER STOPPING AT A GAS STATION AND THE RPMS SUDDENLY SHOT UP TO 2000. AFTER FILLING THE TANK, I TRIED TO START IT BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I LET IT SIT FOR A MOMENT AND THEN TRIED AGAIN AND IT STARTED WITH NOW THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" ON AND "CRUISE" FLASHING. THE LIGHTS SELF-CORRECTED LATER THAT DAY BEFORE I COULD HAVE THE CODE READ. THE NEXT INCIDENT I WAS IN A LEFT HAND TURN LANE WITH A GREEN ARROW. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CRUISE CAME ON AND I SUDDENLY LOST THE USE OF THE GAS PEDAL. IT WAS COMPLETELY LIMP. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED ON IT THE CAR JUST MOVED ALONG AT IDLE SPEED, LESS THAN 5 MPH. I BARELY MADE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BEFORE I LOST THE GREEN ARROW. I PULLED...

SUBARU OUTBACK BEGAN TO EXHIBIT "GHOST WALKING" WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT DURING A WINTER STORM. REAR END ATTEMPTED TO RACE THE FRONT END, AND COULD NOT REGAIN CONTROL. THIS "GHOST WALKING" IS WELL DISCUSSED IN THE ONLINE FORM AT SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG. CAR EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT THEN PROCEEDED TO ROLL 3 TIMES. THE EXPERIENCE WAS NOT THE NORMALLY SLIDING ON ICE. THE REAR END SEEMED TO HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN. *TR

FOUR TIMES IN ONE MONTH PRIOR THE ABOVE DATE, THIS VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING IN TRAFFIC. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COULD NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF GEAR AND PUT INTO PARK!! IN ADDITION, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED TO PROPERLY KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING IN TRAFFIC. THE MOST RECENT TIME THIS HAPPENED, THE DRIVER WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A HILL AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AGAIN DID NOT PROPERLY HOLD THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER HAD TO OPEN HER DOOR, EXIT THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO PHYSICALLY STOP IT FROM ROLLING DOWNHILL IN TRAFFIC AND WAS NEARLY RAN OVER BY A PASSING SEMI TRAILER TRUCK. THIS IS A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE, OFTEN THROUGH THE DEALER IT WAS PURCHASED FROM. DURING THIS TIME, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TWICE TO THE DEALER. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING CAUSED BY ELECTRONIC COMPUTER PARTS MALFUNCTION. AFTER THESE EXPENSIVE AND POSSIBLY...

STRAIGHT LINE DRIVING ON FLAT CONCRETE HIGHWAY, REAR END OF VEHICLE MAY START TO WANDER WHEN ROAD IS SLIPPERY. THIS OCCURS GENERALLY OVER 25MPH, WHEN ALL OTHER VEHICLES ARE ABLE TO TRAVEL AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THAN THE 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK 3.0R IS ABLE TO. CARS WILL PASS WHILE I AM WHITE KNUCKLED, CONCERNED THE REAR END IS GOING TO BREAK LOOSE AND CAUSE COMPLETE CONTROL FAILURE. I HAVE FOUND OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS ISSUE FROM OTHER SUBARU DRIVERS, AND THIS IS BEING REFERRED TO AS "GHOST WALKING" - THIS IS A VERY GOOD DESCRIPTION AS THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE. ESSENTIALLY, THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FEELS LIKE IT IS SENDING TOO MUCH POWER TO THE REAR END, UNDER EVEN/CONSTANT SPEED, AND CAUSING THE REAR TO BREAK LOOSE. OR, THERE IS A ALIGNMENT GEOMETRY PROBLEM. VERY UNSETTLING AND VERY UNEXPECTED FOR A HIGHLY REGARDED ALL WHEEL...

FIRST OCCURRENCE 12/5/11. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS I LOST THE ABILITY ACCELERATE. I COASTED TO A PARKING SPACE, SHUT MY CAR OFF AND WAS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. AFTER AND HOUR I TURNED MY CAR BACK ON AND ALL SEEMED FINE. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND PROBLEM P2138, ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ALL SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE. SECOND OCCURRENCE 1/21/12. I WAS DRIVING ALONG A SIDE ROAD, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS I ONCE AGAIN LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. SHUT THE CAR OFF, SAT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND TURNED IT BACK ON. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. I GOT MY CAR HOME AND HOOKED UP THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER TO IT AND GOT THE SAME P2138 CODE. I...