580 messages,
Last post on May 14, 2013 at 12:13 PM
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Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.
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Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Transmission, Sedan, Wagon
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#547 of 580 Re: FILE COMPLAINT WITH NHTSC on Subaru Outback 2011 [orchid7708]
by missmyford
May 02, 2012 (4:00 pm)
I posted my complaint to NHTSA after brakes FAILED at very low speed and the car went thru a fence.
Dealer did not provide me with data I requested.
Subaru stone walled.
If your brakes have failed at all or you have squishy non-responsive, slow brakes on your 2011 let NHTSA know.
I haven't driven my car since November 2011 when the brakes failed. When I bought this new outback I didn't expect to get an undriveable, unsafe car and an ongoing hassle.
I WILL NEVER EVER BUY A SUBARU AGAIN.
#548 of 580 Re: FILE COMPLAINT WITH NHTSC on Subaru Outback 2011 [missmyford]
by orchid7708
May 02, 2012 (5:13 pm)
We were given our car back and told nothing was wrong with it and everything was 'normal'. We were having concerns with our car jerking during braking, especially when the brakes were cold. They refuse to move forward until one of their technicians ride with us and can 'feel it' for themselves. My explanation isn't good enough. We will NEVER buy another Subaru again as well.
#549 of 580 Re: 2012 legacy 3.6r trans jerking [garyh6]
by jti007
May 18, 2012 (8:16 pm)
I also bought a Legacy 3.6 R and my transmission 'clunked' almost every time I accelerated from a slowdown, such as a yield sign or whenever I changed lanes. I bought the car in northern Virginia and the service rep tried to tell me that the car needed to learn my driving habits! I found a dealership in Myrtle Beach, SC and they finally admitted there was a problem after driving it. The tech performed a "re-learn" of my transmission 4 days ago and this appears to have solved the problem. From reading the many posts on here about the transmission problems, I'm guessing that these vehicles may have left the assembly line needing re-programming of the transmissions. The tech said that the re-programming sets the transmission back to 'new status' and I should see a difference. Good luck to everyone having this problem.....
#550 of 580 Re: 3.6 transmission issue [sharlynne]
by carteach
May 26, 2012 (11:35 am)
I agree. It has everything I want in a car, but the complaints about the tranny and other systems on this board have me spooked. I also found the 2.5 to be sluggish when I went on the highway. Drove the 2013 Acura RDX. You get what you paid for when it comes to that. Just too pricey for me. Drove the CRV, felt it was small. Venza is not cheap. Frustrating that there aren't more choices.
#551 of 580 Re: 2012 legacy 3.6r trans jerking [garyh6]
by ventura1188
Jul 18, 2012 (8:20 pm)
I have a 2011 Outback 3.6R Limited. We have had trouble with the transmission "slamming into gear after slowing, and then accelerating - as in approaching a red light that then changes to green. The transmission leaked initially but stopping the leak did not stop the slamming. Subsequently, the Dealer reprogrammed the computer and the slamming has only occurred once since then. My wife drives the car and likes it otherwise. We still have very low mileage - less than 7000 miles - so I hope the transmission does not continue to have problems.
#552 of 580 2012 Legagcy 2.5
by mlo55
Aug 27, 2012 (5:34 pm)
At 3000 miles I brought in the car because the idle would drop and the engine would eventually die. The dealer tried reprogramming the control module, but after a week in the shop it was replaced. I've never been fully satisfied with their fix, the idle is still erratic and braking seems to be affected as well. I just dropped it off for its 7500 mile checkup and mentioned that I was still having the original problem with the idle and this time also mentioned the brakes. The dealer said the there is a known problem and is replacing the entire transmission. I've been driving a unsafe car with known issues and they didn't contact me. This is unacceptable and makes me wonder what else may be wrong with the vehicle. I'll be contacting Subaru of America for an explanation.
#553 of 580 Re: another question [ashevilleian]
by chulai
Sep 04, 2012 (8:08 pm)
i also have a 2007 outback with 68000 miles with the same noise,took it to dealer,he test drove it and told me the noise was from inside transmission, told me i need a new transmission,$3890,called subaru and they are going to give me $1500 towards repair. still think 68000 miles is not enought to cause damage, bought car new but did not buy extended warrranty,
#554 of 580 Add me to the list of 2011 Outback with Tranny problems
by customervalued
Sep 07, 2012 (6:29 pm)
I own a 2.5 premium btw.The jerking sensation I have with the vehicle presents itself during slow acceleration. Its very pronounce during stop and go traffic where the car doesnt pass 5 mph. It feels as if it is in the wrong gear then jerks as you apply gas. Its even more prevalent when the ac is on. Took it to the dealer and his response to me was that it was normal. Cvt are a little different he saids. Still they promised to test drive it just to make sure. He also commented that these cvts were "bulletproof"and hasnt seen one brought back for any reason. After a 2 hour diagnosis they realized that my transmission was indeed jerky. Their computer software couldnt find any problems so they kept my car for 2 days while they consulted with Subaru Tech. The end result. At 30000, my car is getting an entire new transmission. Now Im debating about purchasing an extended warranty just in case this comes up again. Will the basic 60000 drive train warranty cover this in the future, if I decide not to buy the extended warranty and this happens again? Anyhow, the transmission is on order but currently shows unavailable so the the dealer has no idea when its coming in. He did state that it was safe to drive. Lol
#555 of 580 Re: another question [chulai]
by molderb
Sep 08, 2012 (7:13 am)
Get ahold of corporate and tell them of your issue and what you are having to go through. Tell them you want some sort of assurance that you will not have this issue again, they should give you that extended warranty. I would insist on it.
After having the service bulletin applied to my 3.6, the jerking had stopped UNTIL last week. Again, the dealer has to feel it else you get nowhere. I was told 2 days ago at the dealer that the service bulletin cannot be applied more than once and that it has to be another issue even though it is doing the exact same thing it did before. We are very unhappy with our choice to purchase a Subaru.
#556 of 580 First and last Subaru I'll ever own!
by jla_fly
Oct 24, 2012 (5:19 pm)
Just like the other owners out there, I have the same annoying transmission issues. I am currently leasing a 2011 3.6r Legacy. Less than 2 weeks after driving it off the lot, I experienced the transmission clunk/harsh shift issue when slowing down and then trying to accelerate again. I am more than upset at myself for not doing more research on this car before I signed the lease. However, I got a great deal on it and the sales staff and the dealership were awesome and very welcoming. I have nothing against their service. The product is just not well designed.
So here I am over a year into the lease and I have only 11,000 miles on the car. I don't drive much anymore, my friends hate riding in the car because it's extremely uncomfortable and you almost get whiplash when the transmission does engage again. The fact that any modern automaker could produce such a crap product and overlook this enormous issue is amazing to me.
I brought the car into the dealership recently and printed off the service bulletins I found on other forums ahead of time. They dismissed the issue, refused to look at what I had found online, and told me that it's a NORMAL problem. They stated there are no codes in the TCM or ECU and that everything is fine. They did not do the TCM re-flash that others have said were successful and they gave me a free car wash and sent me on my way. The day prior to the appointment with the dealership, I called SOA and filed a formal complaint. The dealership stated that SOA had followed up with them the day of my appointment and that my “file” was now heavily documented regarding the issue.
So now I have a little less than 2 years left on a lease for a car that I absolutely hate, a well-documented file, and a car that while nice to sit in treats you like you’re riding a bucking bronco at times. Driving this car is the most unpleasant experience I’ve ever had with a vehicle. For anyone out there wanting to get into any of the Subaru products with this 5 speed automatic transmission I have one recommendation … run! Run far away! For a low to mid-$30,000 car, you can find a much higher quality product elsewhere that won’t leave you wondering if your transmission just fell out of the back end every time you try to accelerate.
I only wish there was a way for me to get out of the lease and wash my hands of Subaru.