This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
2008 Subaru Outback 2.5I driving straight on compacted snow or icy roads starting at approx. 35mph. Rear of vehicle feels as if traction is breaking loose and fishtailing. Tires are 1 year old and made for snow/ice conditions and alignment was done 2 weeks prior. Problem is exacerbated when additional passengers or weight is added to vehicle. Unable to drive over 40-45 mph; 2-wheel drive compacts passing me in an Outback on a flat snow covered road due to inability to maintain control at speed. Alignment was done to correct the problem from a road trip one month prior to this occurrence. No similar road condition driving between the two.
Ghostwalking Subaru Outback, 2008. Driving my family (2 adults, 2 teens) to a family event, along with luggage, experienced rear end sway back and forth uncontrollably while driving on slightly slick roads (slushy conditions). It felt like rear end was swaying into traffic in adjacent lane. It was extremely unnerving. Occurs in speeds above 50 km/H. problem continued while driving above 50 km/H with slick road. Had to slow down below 50 km/H on highway (which is illegal).
2008 Subaru Outback wagon sways dangerously on rough roads. The sensation is that when one hits a bump the rear end bounces/kicks/walks out to the right. While there have been no accidents with this vehicle, it does not feel safe to drive. The car has been serviced regularly, has newer tires, and has been aligned several times.
Experienced severe fishtailing on slightly slippery roads with a 2008 Subaru Outback. This was highly unusual for an all wheel drive car and I didn't have the same problem with my wife's Honda CR-V that I drove on the same day on the same roads.
Subaru Outback 2008 2.5I side-to-side motion: Recurring issue is considerably dangerous and presents itself when driving on wet and or slippery roads. Yes, although the conditions are less than ideal they are normal driving situations. Testing has been conducted with identical conditions and other vehicles and similar behavior was not experienced. This testing has been repeated with identical results. Issue: When traveling on slippery roads - rain, snow, ice the Subaru all wheel dirve/suspension configuration creates side to side "fish-tail" like behavior. This motion can cause the vehicle to spin-out. Other dirvers have expericed over correction issues when dealing with this unexpected back-end motion. The side to side motion does not seem to be a result of application of power. Wth power applied or coasting the motion is still evident.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Seattle, WA, USA