7.1

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,230 miles

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problem #9

Oct 232022

Outback 4-cyl

  • miles
While driving at highway speed the tire separated at the seam of the sidewall and tread. Tire tread depth was between 9-?"9.5/32nd on the tire. 225/60 r17 tire. Because of the complete separation of the tire and how sudden the separation occurred, it caused the vehicle to lose control, thankfully the driver was able to get control of the vehicle and get it start safely. The safety of all occupants and vehicles on the roadway were put at risk. Tire was taken to the retailer (car dealership), retailer and consumer contacted the manufacturer who stated this is not a manufacture defect.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #8

Dec 242016

Outback

  • miles
2015 Subaru Outback. Consumer writes in regards to reimbursement for vehicle repairs. The consumer stated the rear bearings were gone at 65,000 miles. The purchased tired wer bald at 25,000 miles. The consumer believes this should be covered under warranty.

- Somers, NY, USA

problem #7

Dec 132013

Outback 4-cyl

  • 64,030 miles
Contipro contact 225/60R17 tires were mounted as replacements 11/17/13. Tires were rotated and maintained by dealer on a regular basis. Primarily highway/city driving. I have not hit any fod or potholes - there has been no unusual trauma to the tires. After 13 months, 18K miles, the left front tire's inner sidewall suffered a catastrophic failure. Continental refused to pro-rate or make any adjustment for the premature demise of this tire. Because the car is AWD, I was forced to purchase 4 new tires. I believe there is a manufacturing defect in this brand/model of tire. Luckily, I was only driving 25 mph when the tire failed. I have now researched and discovered that there are multiple reports of this type of tire failure for contipro contact 225/60R17. One report indicates that Continental replaced the tire under warranty at 18 mos, however, it appears that Continental is aware of a manufacturing defect and has now limited the warranty period to 12 mos. They have apparently continued to experience problems with the inner sidewall failure because the tire is no longer offered. I believe this tire should be recalled in the interest of consumer safety.

- South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

problem #6

Nov 242010

Outback 4-cyl

  • 9,500 miles
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5. 9.5K at speeds above approximately 65mph sever vibration of steering wheel (steering wheel deflection about 1/8 inch back and forth). Speedometer hand seemed to vibrate - but could have been hands, arms, head, eyes absorbing the rapid wheel vibration). Never happened on infrequent high speed road trips. Could not have been not felt. Dealer did road force test on the original Continental brand powers. Two failed and replaced. Failed tires where in diagonal positions. Asked manager about the other two tires - he said tires were either good or bad. Not consistent with my experience. Did not have vibration well into the mileage for the year. So tires could not have been bad at the beginning or it was not just the tires.

- Oldsmar, FL, USA

problem #5

Jul 102010

Outback

  • 100 miles
My 2010 Subaru Outback has front end shaking, and steering wheel shimmy at speeds over 65 mph, 1 trip to the dealer for this problem resulted in steering wheel shimmy at lower speeds.

- Dingmans Ferry, PA, USA

problem #4

Apr 142010

Outback

  • 100 miles
Our 2010 3.6R Outback arrived in Apr. The first time that the vehicle was taken on the highway, I noticed a prominent high frequency vibration in the steering wheel. There is also unusual feedback in the steering wheel at slower speeds that feels unlike anything related to road noise. I researched the "problem" on the internet and seen that there were many forums identifying the same problem for 2010 Outbacks. I informed our local Subaru service dept. About the vibration and made an appointment. A Subaru service technician confirmed the vibration during a test drive and recommended a spin balance. After reading all the complaints and proposed "fixes" on the internet, I told them that I was not confident that a spin balance was going to be successful. I asked the service dept. Manager if they had been informed/aware of the ongoing problems and she denied having any previous knowledge of steering vibration issues with any Outbacks. The spin balance added a multitude of stick-on weights to all four wheels (some exceed 9 in. In length). The invoice said that a follow-up test drive by a technician produced normal steering as designed. A test drive home from the dealership on the highway again produced the same high frequency vibration. I informed the service dept. Immediately and the vehicle was again left there this morning. I produced several pages of complaints found on the internet identifying this issue. They made copies of them and told me that they were going to contact soa factory engineers. The bottom line is this. The vibration is prominent enough to cause fatigue and numbness in the hands on extended drives. There is also a concern of what may fail and cause a loss of steering or vehicle control. The faulty component needs to be identified and the issue fixed by soa immediately. Soa has tried a number of fixes without success (spin-balance, forced balance, alignment, backlash spring, wheel bearing, steering pump, replace out-of-round tires).

- The Dalles, OR, USA

problem #3

Mar 162010

Outback

  • 90 miles
I purchased a Subaru Outback 2.5I premium (manual transmission) on 03/15/2010 and noticed moderate to severe steering wheel and front driver's side wheel vibration above 40mph on the second day. I subsequently checked tire pressure on all four tires, gave the car some time to "break in", and tested various road conditions and speeds to determine if the problem is more pronounced under certain conditions. The vibration can be felt at speeds above 50mph on the front driver and passenger side floors, seats, and in the steering wheel, with the intensity increasing with speed, regardless of road smoothness. After the car didn't self-correct, I scheduled an appointment at the dealership for 04/26/2010 to do an initial/routine check of the car. They rebalanced all four tires and said that should fix it, but asked that I advise any future issues. The vibration remains, but at speeds above 60mph (a mere 10mph increase) from both the steering wheel and tires, and - as before - is increasingly noticeable at higher speeds and during rain/wet weather. I called the dealer and have scheduled another appointment to address this vibration issue. I will post a follow-up once this service is complete.

- Portland, ME, USA

problem #2

Dec 152009

Outback

  • 250 miles
Brand new 2010 Subaru Outback has a shimmy problem. The steering wheel shimmies and when making a wide turn, often the steering feels like you hit an ice patch, even tho the road is dry. Subaru is and was aware of these problems before production, and sold them anyway.

- Erie, PA, USA

problem #1

Oct 122009

Outback

  • miles
There is an continuous vibration and shimmy in the front-end and steering wheel of my 2010 Subaru Outback that since new (Oct 2009) has not been able to be rectified by Subaru mechanics, even with cooperation by Subaru of America. This vibration can sometimes be dramatic through the steering wheel at highway speeds, and causes erratic drivability, especially in adverse conditions. This vibration may also cause premature wear on front tires, steering and suspension components that could lead to failure and injury, especially at highway speeds. In fact, Subaru initially blamed the tire manufacturer - Continental - for the issue, stating the tires were defective, and had Continental issue replacement tires for my Outback. This did solve the problem. If this problem is researched on popular and respectable automotive web sites, one can find that it has been affecting a considerable amount of 2010 Subaru Outbacks and to date, no owners have had their issue resolved by Subaru of America. Many other owners reported Subaru of America replacing what were considered "defective" Continental tires, with another set of exact tires from Continental. I am worried that this issue is not getting enough exposure and may take an unfortunate accident for anyone to seriously take notice. I have a customer service case open with Subaru, but it is evident from my repeated conversations with them that they are being evasive with where they are in fixing this issue, and I have now become deeply concerned for the safety of my family. They want to try another 'fix', but that will not be until mid-March, with no guarantee of resolution. This is a brand new car with only 6,000 miles on it, and I have been thoroughly disappointed with the issues it has had. This vehicle was heavily influenced by Toyota, who owns a considerable percentage of Subaru...if this says anything.

- Manassas, VA, USA