Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 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. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 12/24/2008 | 67000 | 1 | |
| I am in my third season driving my 2006 subaru outback to lake tahoe for winter ski season. i've always felt confident driving on snowy or icy roads until my last two trips--christmas 2008, and new year's 2009. on these trips, i experienced very disturbing fishtailing that everyone in the car noticed, and i had to fight to compensate for. this occurred even on long straight sections. each time i had to slow down well below the flow of traffic, and the speed of previous trips. this issue made me wonder about improper tire inflation pressure, so we called the tire dealer, who confirmed this was not the cause. it felt as if the rear wheel traction was overcoming front wheel traction, that made me also wonder whether the all-wheel drive was functioning properly. i also considered weight as a cause, because one day i drove from reno to tahoe with only one passenger, and little cargo, and did not experience the problem. but, the fully loaded vehicle was no different than many trips the previous two seasons, when the fishtailing did not occur, and i could maintain sufficient speed to stay with the flow of traffic. same vehicle, same tires, same loads, same road, same conditions, yet much different performance. i noticed other similar complaints, some of which refer to ghostwalking. please work on identifying the cause and solution for this issue, to prevent serious accident/injury. thank you. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE HUBS | |||
| 02/22/2008 | 1 | 06/30/2006 | |
| 2006 subaru outback wagon, front left (drivers side) wheel squeals at low speeds. sound is intermittent, but always present at start of usage. taken in numerous times for diagnosis. everything checks out ok, but noise is still present. possible wheel bearing issue? *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 subaru outback limited wagon. driving on wet roads, not even icy, the most minor bump in the road, or frost heave, will send the vehicle's rear end swaying, almost out of control. this is supposedly known as ghost walking. this is extremely dangerous, as it happens at highway speeds, on straight roads, and causes the vehicle to sway back and forth across the lane. tires have been replaced as well as subaru dealership performing a full alignment. this is supposed to be awd, so rain should not be a factor. i also notice this swaying happen on dry pavement, but not as threatening. seems like there is play in the rear end, but car was fully safety checked by subaru and passed all points. seems to be a major flaw in the awd, namely the limited slip differential in the rear end. i'm afraid to drive this vehicle in winter conditions, yet that's what subaru's are known for. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 12/26/2007 | 49000 | 4 | 03/21/2006 |
| When driving our subaru 2006 2.5i outback wagon (4-speed auto w/sport shift) in winter road conditions, we have had multiple instances where the rear of the car begins to float or do mini-fishtails. it feels like the rear wheels are alternately pushing the car back and forth or like there are wind gusts hitting the car. the floating has a rhythmic feel and may continue for many miles until the road conditions change. when the car is | |||
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||
| 12/26/2007 | 49000 | 4 | 03/21/2006 |
| When driving our subaru 2006 2.5i outback wagon (4-speed auto w/sport shift) in winter road conditions, we have had multiple instances where the rear of the car begins to float or do mini-fishtails. it feels like the rear wheels are alternately pushing the car back and forth or like there are wind gusts hitting the car. the floating has a rhythmic feel and may continue for many miles until the road conditions change. when the car is | |||