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.
Rear four way brake junction is completely corroded and leaking fluid causing a complete loss of braking. This appears to be the exact same issue as referenced in this recall [XXX] ) that affects previous model years. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The rear brake lines sprung a leak in a well-known trouble spot with Subarus. The junction area underneath the passengers rear seat is where brake fluid is leaking from. I was driving under normal conditions, went and depressed the break and the pedal went to the floor. The cars brakes were not performing and upon inspection I found the leak. I researched this issue and found that Subaru did acknowledge this issue and other outback model years through recall and technical service bulletins. This is a significant safety issue and should be upgraded to a recall.
My Subaru Outback, at roughly 110,000 miles, displayed a dash indicator suggesting low brake fluid. After investigating, I found a brake line junction under the car, below the rear passenger seat. This 4-line junction is hidden behind a plastic cover that does have a removable inspection window. The junction's 4-lines are all corroded and at least one is leaking. After finding the issue and researching fixes online, I have discovered that this is a previously-reported problem although Subaru has not taken action to address it. I have not taken action to fix the issue as I am working out the best fix, but will not be driving the car until the leaking corroded junction is repaired.
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated she starting the vehicle and there was an abnormal noise coming from the engine. The contact stated while reserving, she was depressing on the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle, causing her to rear into 2 vehicles. The contact was not aware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she continued to depress the brake pedal for almost 10-20 feet from where she started until it stop the vehicle completely. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries or seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Our low mileage car which we bought new and is under 10 years old experienced a complete brake failure in our driveway. The brake warning light did then come on. The brake pedal went to the floor when pressed. This event immediately followed a trip with a considerable passenger and luggage load on steep hills where complete brake loss would have been catastrophic and endangered us and the public. The dealer is familiar with the problem (rust-through of brake lines in a specific, well-known location). I am astonished to now learn that earlier years of Outback and other models are the subject of NHSTA 14V-311 and a Subaru product safety campaign WQK-47R to inspect and replace or protect the brake lines that just failed in our car, specifically in the vicinity of the 2-2way connector, however our car is not covered by this campaign. I've attached a picture of the corroded lines on our car which is essentially identical to the picture of the 2-2way connector on https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2014/RCMN-14V311-4153.pdf. This failure is compounded by the lack of a conventional emergency/parking brake, as the steps to engage the vehicle's electronic parking brake while the vehicle is in motion and picking up speed are not obvious.
- Putnam Valley, NY, USA
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Brakes failed on the highway and it appears to be the brake lines as outlined in a Subaru Brake Line Recall. Of course I own a 2012 Outback which was not covered and now have a very expensive repair bill. Subaru and the NHTSA annouced that the recalled models include the model year 2008 to 2011 Impreza, 2008 to 2014 WRX and STI and 2009 to 2013 Forester crossover SUV. All affected cars are currently or were formerly registered in the snowy states, where salt is applied to the roads. It was duly noted that these vehicles were previously subjected to another safety campaign, which was given the 14V-311 recall number.
I was driving to work and applied the brakes to slow the vehicle while descending a hill and the pedal went almost down to the floor before the brakes took hold. I got the vehicle under control and proceeded toward the stop sign. I attempted to applied the brakes again and the vehicle went nearly through the intersection before I could get the car stopped. This happened at two more stop signs before I was able to pull into a parking spot at work. After the first stop sign incident, I drove very slowly to work, so as to not use the brakes but for stopping. A mechanic has looked at the car and determined the master cylinder is bad. The part number has been recalled for some vehicles, but not for my car, as determined by the VIN. No warning lights are on. I had two other incidences, on different days, and weeks apart, where I was applying the brakes and went over bumps or holes in the road and brakes momentarily gave out, but after letting off the brake and reapplying pressure the brakes were normal again, and remained so for weeks until this latest episode. I had notified the mechanic at the earlier instances and they noted it might be a problem with my car-make.
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while their son was driving approximately 10 mph, when the driver attempted to apply the brake pedal however the brakes failed. The driver had to drop the vehicle into first gear then crashed into the curb where it came to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the driver received a chest injury however there was no medical attention needed. The rear passengers all of which were children were not injured but all car seats needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (walker motors Inc 265 river St, montpelier, vt 05602; (802) 229-0391) who diagnosed the brake line had corroded. The vehicle's brake line was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that their VIN was not included in any recall. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact state that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed and the traveled to the floor. The contact stated that the brake pedal was spongy while being depressed. The contact stated that the braking system was flushed however, the failure recurred. Ganley westside Subaru (25730 lorain rd, North olmsted, oh 44070) (888) 798-5035) was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact mentioned NHTSA campaign number: 11V562000 (service brakes, hydraulic) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Flashing brake light and ebrake is not engaging. I checked to see if there is a stuck drum brake by jacking up and rotating both rear rotors. Both rotors move freely. I checked online and there was recall on 2012 models but not on mine (2012 Outback, 3.6 limited. It is driving okay but I am afraid to take it on highways. Last year brake lining thickness on all four tires were 7mm (Subaru dealership) and I only drove a maximum of 10000 miles. Is it possible that other users face the same problem and there is an issue with ebrake system too.
Vehicle rear ended vehicle in front because of brake failure/potential acceleration at approximately 35mph. This happened in rainy conditions, which my wife had noticed many weeks before. Subsequently, we found these recalls: And lawsuit https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/Subaru/Outback/2012/reliability https://www.classaction.org/news/class-action-claims-Subaru-concealed-sudden-acceleration-defect-in-forester-legacy-Outback-models#:~:text=new%20jersey-,Subaru%20of%20america%2C%20inc.,from%20A%20sudden%20acceleration%20defect.
I was driving the car when the brake pedal travel distance suddenly changed on me, which required me to apply more pressure to stop the car. Very alarming at the time and if I were not an experienced driver may have caused an issue. The issue resolved itself briefly but has now remained in it current state, making it difficult to judge what brake pressure to apply -- a definite safety concern. Until I can get this issue fixed, I had to keep the car parked. I took the car in for an immediate diagnosis. Shop said the brake master cylinder appears to be failing. They also advised me that this was under a Subaru recall, however, when asking a nearby Subaru dealer, they said the recall didn't apply. I found that troubling since the recall affects 2012 Subaru models and is a very concerning safety issue if not resolved. (note: I uploaded the recall printout that outlines the issue).
Brake line near rear passenger side wheel has corroded to the point where the line is leaking. This is a known issue on older models but this year does not have the recall on it.
My car often gets stuck with the parking brake on and I cannot move the car forward or backward. Most times I have a carload of groceries and need to get them to the freezer or refrigerator. Computer engine analysis...... ABS C0054 brake switch on malfunction C0057 ECM control...... epb C0252 motor malfunction detail code 50A0..... C0234 vdc failure detail code C111..... C0242 power supply voltage failure detail code. I have replaced brakes, replaced tires, checked fluid, checked fuses, etc.
Brake line corroded. This is a known Subaru issue, but recalls have not affected the 2012 Outback as of yet; wanted to report this as a possible safety issue. Car is in a snowy region but all routine maintenance regularly taken care of.
While traveling straight on I70, 10 miles East of colby, ks at 75 mph, the electronic parking brake engaged causing the car to slow down and swerve. The brake light on the dash started flashing on the dash along with the check engine light and swerve light. I stopped the car and consulted the manual which indicated not to drive the car. The car had to be towed to a mechanic in colby. The mechanic was unable to fix the problem and the car was towed to denver Subaru dealer, where it is now.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Novelty, OH, USA