2001 Subaru Outback Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CLICKING NOISE AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. HE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE ONTO THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 75,000.

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARK MECHANISM DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY. WITH SELECTOR LEVER IN "PARK " AND CAR TURNED OFF AND IGNITION KEY REMOVED, THE CAR ROLLS. IN THE EARLY YEARS, THE CAR ROLLED ONLY SLIGHTLY AND FINALLY "ENGAGED": NOW, THE CAR ROLLS SEVERAL FEET AND DOES NOT ALWAYS ENGAGE, REQUIRING USE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOR ALL PARKING. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE, WE SEARCHED FOR REPAIR & RECALL INFORMATION. WE FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH OUR MODEL & YEAR ARE ON THE RECALL LIST FOR THIS PARK MECHANISM, OUR VIN# IS NOT. *TR

STARTING AROUND 62K MILES, I HEARD A WHINING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE NOISE GOT LOUDER AND HIGHER WITH WHEEL SPEED. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, THEY DIAGNOSED A BAD DIFFERENTIAL BEARING, AND INFORMED ME THAT THE RECOMMENDED FIX WAS REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION, INCLUDING BOTH DIFFERENTIALS. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER TO CONFIRM THIS, THEY QUOTED ME $6,000-$8,000 FOR THE REPAIR. I TRIED TO GET SOME RELIEF FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA, SINCE THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY GOES FOR 60K MILES, BUT THEY WERE UNWILLING. THIS CAUSED THE VALUE OF MY CAR TO GO TO ZERO, SINCE IT'S WORTH ABOUT $8,000 WITHOUT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *TR

CLUTCH CHATTER: MY CLUTCH IS CHATTERING OR SHUTTERING WHEN THE CAR IS COLD OR I AM DRIVING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE DAY. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 2 YEARS AGO.

I OWN A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. AFTER HEARING A WHINING NOISE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR, I TOOK MY CAR INTO MY MECHANIC. HE INFORMED ME THAT I PROBABLY NEEDED TO HAVE THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL REPLACED AND REFERRED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME I NEEDED THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. BECAUSE THE MILAGE ON MY CAR WAS AT 62,000 MILES, THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT HONOR MY WARRANTY BECAUSE IT ONLY EXTENDED TO 60K. ASTOUNDED THAT ANY CAR WITH ONLY 62K MILES ON IT WOULD NEED ITS ENTIRE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, I APPEALED TO SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICES AND ASKED THEM TO OWN UP TO THE DEFECT. THEY DECLINED MY REQUEST.

SINCE DAY ONE, THE CLUTCH HAS SHUDDERED AT ENGAGEMENT WHEN ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN IS COLD. THE TREMORS ARE VIOLENT ENOUGH TO SHAKE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE DISTURBINGLY. THIS HAS BEEN A NUISANCE AND SOMEWHAT OF A SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU CANNOT ACCELERATE QUICKLY IF NECESSARY. OVER THE LAST 10000 MILES OR SO, I'VE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL WHEN ENGAGING THE CLUTCH ON AN UPHILL START. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE CLUTCH IS SLIPPING AND WILL NEED REPLACEMENT SOON AND I ONLY HAVE 61500 HIGHWAY MILES ON THE CAR! I'VE HAD PLENTY OF CARS GO OVER 150000 MILES WITH NO CLUTCH PROBLEMS. SUBARU HAS A DEFINITE DESIGN FLAW IN THESE HYDRAULIC CLUTCHES THAT THEY ARE REFUSING TO OWN UP TO! REGRETTABLY, I MAY HAVE PURCHASED MY LAST SUBARU.

CONSUMERS CHILD ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED THE SHIFT MECHANISM CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE CONSUMERS SON BUMPED INTO THE SHIFT. IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THE SAFETY INTERLOCK WAS NOT OPERATING AS DESIGNED. (A PIN HAD COME DISCONNECTED) *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE CENTER OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED REAR DIFFERENTIAL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

MY 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS A CLUTCH SHUDDER ( JUTTER ) THAT IS REPORTED TO OCCUR IN ALL SUBARU MODELS WITH THE 2.5 LTR ENGINE. THERE ARE INUMERABLE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND YET SUBARU BURRIES ITS HEAD IN THE SAND AND PRETENDS THERE IS NO PROBLEM.*AK

SINCE ABOUT 10,000 MILES THE CLUTCH SHUDDERS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. USUALLY ONLY WHEN ENGINE IS COLD BUT NOT 100% OF THE TIME. HAVE COMPLAINED TO SUBARU DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SOME SUBARUS BUT NOT ALL DEALERS ADDRESS IT.

MY SUBARU OUTBACK UNLIMITED 2001 NEEDS A TRANSMISSION REPLACED AFTER ONLY 74,000. ALL THE REPAIRS AND SERVICE WERE PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP INCLUDING THE 60,00 MILE MAJOR TUNE-UP. ALL THE SERVICE WAS DONE TIMELY AND AS RECOMMENDED. THE DEALER FIRST SAID THE NOISE WAS THE ALTERNATOR AND REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR, BUT THE NOISE CONTINUED. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER SUBARU DEALER WHO SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND SUSPECTED IT WAS NOT SERVICED APPROPRIATELY. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER AT THEIR REQUEST. THEY THEN REMOVED THE REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND RETURNED MY ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR, BUT REFUSED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *JB

MY CLUTCH SHUDDERS WHEN COLD AND SOMETIMES WHEN WARMED UP. BEEN HAPPENING SINCE AROUND 20K MILES. TOOK TO DEALER AT 25K MILES BUT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM. THEY SAID BRING IT BACK WHEN PROBLEM WORSENS. BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER AT 56K MILES, AND DEALER SAID CLUTCH WAS BAD. WOULDN'T COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THEY SAID IT WAS "USER WEAR". YEAH, RIGHT! I HAD TO PAY FULL COST TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH!! I THINK THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED SINCE MANY PEOPLE WITH OUTBACK CLUTCHES HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I'VE LOOK AT OUTBACK MODEL YEARS 2000-2003 ON THE NHTSA COMPLAINT WEB SITE AND THERE ARE MANY INCIDENCES ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE CLUTCHES.

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *NLM THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD TOWARDS THE FENCE. *LA

2001 SUBARU OUTBACK, 22000 MILES. CLUTCH NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *JB

CAR HAS SIGNIFICANT HESITATION DURING PERIODS OF ACCELERATION, USUALLY AROUND 2500-3500 RPM. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN MANY DRIVING SITUATIONS. HAVE REPORTED TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES. RESPONSE IS ALWAYS "CANNOT REPRODUCE - COMPUTER SHOWS OPERATING AS DESIGNED". CAR ALSO HAS SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEED, SUCH AS FIRST TAKING FOOT OFF BRAKE.*JB

CLUTCH SHUDDER PROBLEM SINCE 20K MILES. HAPPENS WHEN COLD OR DAMP OUT, HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING IN FIRST GEAR, FROM STOPPED POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, INCLUDING TEST DRIVE W/ MECHANIC,CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *NLM

THE CLUTCH ON OUR 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK LIMITED SHUDDERS WHEN THE CAR AND/OR TEMPERATURE IS COLD. IT HAS DONE THIS FOR THE LAST 30-40,000 MILES.*AK

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WHILE DESCENDING STEEP HILL IN 1ST GEAR USING ENGINE AS BRAKE

OVERDRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DRIVER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO MECHANIC. MECHANIC STATED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE CLUTCH OR FLYWHEEL APPEARS DEFECTIVE. THE CLUTCH SHUDDERS OR CHATTERS WHEN ENGAGED WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO HESITATE UPON ACCELERATION. THIS PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 9,000 MILES AND HAS CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY TILL NOW AT 18,000 MILES. SUBARU HAS AGREED TO REPLACE MY CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL, BUT I AM CONCERNED REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG OTHER SUBARU DRIVERS AND THE SERVICE TECHS REPORT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMEN AND NORMAL FOR SUABRUS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OR MANUFACTORING OF THE CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SPEAK TO ANYONE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WHEN YOU ENGAGE THE CLUTCH UPON ACCELERATION THE CAR JERKS AND TREMBLES, CHATTERS, SHUDDERS BEFORE ENGAGING. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED AS NORMAL OPERATION. THANK YOU.*AK