Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 07 | 02/01/2006 | 10019337 | Combination meter self diagnosis. *tt | 03/09/2006 | |
| 11012005 | 11/01/2005 | 10017952 | Impact sensor installation. techtips. subaru. *tt | 12/08/2005 | |
| 083605 | 10/05/2005 | 10017724 | Error code er sp display in the odometer/trip meter. *tt | 11/21/2005 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||||
| WVM-23 | 03/23/2011 | 10038957 | Ready | 06/28/2011 | |
| WVM-23 | 03/23/2011 | 10038957 | Subaru service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. a software problem is causing the catalytic converter to degrade when driving at high speeds. this will cause the engine light to come on. *rm | 06/28/2011 | |
| SB-WVM-23 | 10/01/2009 | 10032512 | Subaru: engine control module (ecm) reprogramming. under certain severe driving patterns, such as high speed highway/uphill driving and/or accelerating with high engine revolutions, the efficiency of an affected vehicle's catalytic conve | 04/07/2010 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 01/15/2013 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Rear wiper ceased functioning. the problem was due to broken wire(s) in a wiring harness that passes through a rubber accordion boot between the car body and the tail-gate (near the right-hand tailgate hinge). many of the other wires, affecting upper brake light, license plate lights, backup lights, and tailgate latch/lock, were frayed and were replaced due to imminent failure of the above listed components. research at an online forum for subaru owners showed that many other owners (of 2005 and 2006 subaru outbacks) have experienced similar failures due to broken wires in this wiring harness. i suspect that it is an under-reported problem. i believe that subaru should be asked to issue a safety recall notice. *tr | |||
| 01/15/2013 | 60000 | ||
| Rear wiper ceased functioning. the problem was due to broken wire(s) in a wiring harness that passes through a rubber accordion boot between the car body and the tail-gate (near the right-hand tailgate hinge). many of the other wires, affecting upper brake light, license plate lights, backup lights, and tailgate latch/lock, were frayed and were replaced due to imminent failure of the above listed components. research at an online forum for subaru owners showed that many other owners (of 2005 and 2006 subaru outbacks) have experienced similar failures due to broken wires in this wiring harness. i suspect that it is an under-reported problem. i believe that subaru should be asked to issue a safety recall notice. | |||
| 11/21/2012 | 60500 | 1 | |
| While driving on interstate highway, vehicle lost engine power. electric was still on. gas pedal did not work. cel and cruise control lights both blinking. was able to maintain 15 mph on flat road, and barley any speed on incline. got off highway near home and shut of engine. waited and tried to start back up. 30 seconds of cranking, and nothing. waited another minute and it started. got home and pulled a p2138 code. pulled wiring harness off gas pedal and reseated it. reset the cel and everything has been fine since. scary situation, especially at 65mph during thanksgiving eve rush-hour. *tr | |||
| 11/21/2012 | 60500 | ||
| While driving on interstate highway, vehicle lost engine power. electric was still on. gas pedal did not work. cel and cruise control lights both blinking. was able to maintain 15 mph on flat road, and barley any speed on incline. got off highway near home and shut of engine. waited and tried to start back up. 30 seconds of cranking, and nothing. waited another minute and it started. got home and pulled a p2138 code. pulled wiring harness off gas pedal and reseated it. reset the cel and everything has been fine since. scary situation, especially at 65mph during thanksgiving eve rush-hour. | |||
| 11/12/2012 | 96000 | 1 | |
| I was driving when the accelerator pedal stopped responding. i couldn't accelerate or maintain speed. the check engine light was now on and the cruise control light was flashing. i pulled over and the idle was at 2,000 rpms and the accelerator pedal was still not responding. i turned off the engine for about 5 minutes. when i turned it back on, the accelerator was working but the check engine light was on and the cruise control light was flashing. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2012 | 96000 | ||
| I was driving when the accelerator pedal stopped responding. i couldn't accelerate or maintain speed. the check engine light was now on and the cruise control light was flashing. i pulled over and the idle was at 2,000 rpms and the accelerator pedal was still not responding. i turned off the engine for about 5 minutes. when i turned it back on, the accelerator was working but the check engine light was on and the cruise control light was flashing. | |||
| 11/28/2011 | 117000 | ||
| While driving on a limit access highway, the check engine light came on and the vehicle immediately went into limp home mode. this event nearly resulted in a high speed rear end collision. | |||
| 10/21/2011 | 81000 | ||
| Incident happened at a red light in traffic at rush hour. after pulling up to a red light to a full stop, the light turned green and the throttle stuck open at exactly 2500rpm. the car accelerated from a dead stop and continued to do so with no input from me. the gas pedal does nothing at all. i had to apply brakes and move off the road to avoid traffic. check engine light is solid and the cruise control light flashes. | |||
| 12/30/2010 | 59500 | ||
| After slowing to a near stop at the bottom of an interstate highway exit ramp, my car suddenly, and without warning, died and i lost all systems, including engine and power steering. all i was able to do was drift to the side of the road. subaru initially believed that the ecm had failed. after replacing the ecm, it became apparent that that was not the issue. subaru ultimately determined that the wiring harness housing had melted against the coolant crossover pipe, exposing wiring which was then shorting out. subaru could give me no explanation as to why the wiring harness was installed against a hot component of my engine such that it would melt. had this happened 1 minute earlier, i would have been on interstate 95 during rush hour traffic with a dead car. given the suddenness with which my car died, it is likely i would have been involved in a serious accident. | |||
| 01/02/2010 | 1 | ||
| I was using an aftermarket trailer wiring harness with my 2006 subaru outback wagon. the converter unit that plugged into the car wiring and converted it to the 4 flat configuration for my trailer failed by shorting out and caused a fire. had i not realized what was going on quickly the car would have been a total loss. the trailer wiring harness is manufactured by draw-tite and has a model number of 17499-101. i attempted to contact draw-tite directly but have received no response. i was traveling with my 4 year old son at the time, and this incident caused us both to be scared, as any vehicle fire would. *tr | |||