2014 Subaru Outback Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH or above, the front end and the steering wheel were shaking abnormally. While driving at various speeds, there was a metallic grinding sound coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard and the braking distance became extended. The contact stated that the brakes were squeaking while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the brakes, check engine, power steering, and engine overheating warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer seven times; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failures. The contact stated that the dealer replaced the passenger’s side rear wheel bearing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 201,206.

The Roll Connector Harness failed, and use of the horn was disabled. It is due to the mechanical steering of the vehicle, and fails over time. As a multiple Subaru owner this has been a topic of safety with most of the owners with 2014 Subarus. Subaru changed the design/engineering of this part in 2016 due to the concern. Because they won't issue a recall, and the cost of repair is high ($400+), mainly due to the location of the part, many will not fix the issue. There is no way to warn other drivers or deer without use of the horn. This has put me in harm's way multiple times until I finally got it fixed. I have contacted my dealer who says it is one of the more common issues they see with this year and probably 2015 as well. It needs to be recalled so everyone with this problem can get their cars fixed instead of Subaru charging for a known problem and making money over safety.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT A PARKING SPACE, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. PRESTIGE SUBARU (LOCATED AT 585 TUNNEL RD, ASHEVILLE, NC 28805, (888) 854-4293) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

STARTED CAR NORMALLY, POWER STEERING WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. RESTARTED CAR A FEW TIMES IN HOPES IT WOULD START WORKING AGAIN, IT DID NOT. NO DASH WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. DROVE HOME WITH MANUAL STEERING ~30 MIN. RESTARTED AGAIN AT HOME, THEN IT WORKED PROPERLY. ONCE CAR SITS FOR A WHILE IT GOES BACK TO NOT WORKING. THIS PATTERN HAS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW. NO SQUEALING AND NO FLUID LEAKS. MUST BE ELECTRICAL ISSUE SOMEWHERE. BATTERY IS GOOD, ALTERNATOR IS GOOD. 2014 OUTBACK, 55,000 MILES, 2.5I BASE MODEL, MANUAL TRANSMISSION

CAN BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND GO TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT HAND TURN AND WILL LOOSE ALL POWER STEERING ABILITY AND THE NEXT TIME THE STEERING WILL WORK FINE. I HAVE ALMOST HAD ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS IN CITY STREETS OR TURNING OFF HIGHWAY.ALSO HAS HAPPENED WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING STALL. SEEMS TO ALWAYS HAPPEN WHEN AT LOWER SPEEDS. HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR AND THEY CAN'T SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I WILL NOT LET MY WIFE DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE SHE DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO QUICKLY TURN THE WHEEL WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. ONE MINUTE IT WILL WORK THEN IT WON'T. IT DOES GIVE YOU A WORK OUT WHEN YOU LOOSE STEERING ABILITY FOR A LENGTHY PERIOD BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION WHEN YOU TURN LEFT OR RIGHT BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL LOOSE YOUR POWER STEERING. MY WIFE HAS REFUSED TO DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED TO HER ONCE AND DOESN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WHICH IS SAD WHEN YOU SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON A CAR. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND WITHIN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AFTER PURCHASE THIS PROBLEM CAME ABOUT. I JUST HOPE THIS PROBLEM CAN BE RESOLVED.

WE PURCHASED A 2014 SUBARU OUTBACK, NOVEMBER 2014. I WANT TO REPORT THAT THE STEERING PULLS TO THE RIGHT. WE HAVE NOT HAD AN ALIGNMENT DONE YET. I'M SEEING OTHER DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS AND THOUGHT I SHOULD REPORT THIS AS WELL. SOUNDS LIKE HAVING IT ALIGNED WON'T CORRECT THE ISSUE. PLEASE RESPOND IF ANYONE HAS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION.

CAR STOPS WITHOUT WARNING. A CLICKING SOUND IS HEARD AND THEN THE FRONT DISPLAY PANELS BECOME BLANK. THERE IS NO STEERING OR BRAKES. THIS HAS HAPPENED 10 TIMES. THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN THIS MIGHT HAPPEN AND THERE IS NO PRECIPITATING FACTORS. HAVE HAD THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE FOUND AND AM STILL DRIVING THIS UNSAFE CAR. *TR

DATE COMPLAINT FILED: 10/18/2014 COMPONENT(S): STEERING DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/17/2014 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10648531 DEAR NHTSA CONCERNING ODI COMPLAINT NUMBER 10648531. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. AFTER FILING THE COMPLAINT I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 10/23/2014. THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR AND PERFORMED A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. . SO IF OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE OF WANDERING, ALIGNMENT MAY BE IN NEED OF ADJUSTMENT FOR THEIR VEHICLE AS WELL. *TR

STEERING NEEDS CONSTANT CORRECTION, IF THE CAR DRIFTS TO THE RIGHT AND YOU CORRECT BY SLIGHTLY TURNING LEFT IT WILL OVER CORRECT & DRIFT TO THE LEFT FORCING THE DRIVER TO CORRECT BY SLIGHTLY TURNING RIGHT, WHICH IS THE CONSTANT CYCLE WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. IT WILL NOT TRACK STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO WEAVE BACK & FORTH IN THE LANE. YOU CAN NOT GET THE CAR TO TRACK STRAIGHT, IT IS ALWAYS EITHER PULLING RIGHT OR PULLING LEFT. THE DRIFTING IS NOT DRASTIC BUT IT IS CONSTANT. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND TRUCKS INCLUDING 4 WD, THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN ORDER TO HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF THIS HAZARDOUS CONDITION WHICH IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT IT CAUSES DRIVER FATIGUE, LESSENING THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO REACT TO THE VEHICLES CONSTANT NEED FOR STEERING CORRECTION. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. THE DEALER PERFORMED A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. UPDATED 12/02/14*JB

WE PURCHASED OUR OUTBACK ON APRIL 28,2014. ON MAY 1, 2014 WE BROUGHT INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THEY APPARENTLY FIXED IT. THE NEXT DAY I WAD BACK AGAIN, THE CAR WAS STILL PULLING TO THE RIGHT. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO REALIGN THE CAR, IT WAS "FIXED". I HAD TO BRING IT BACK IN TODAY, IT IS PULLING AGAIN. THEY CAN'T FIX THE ISSUE BECAUSE NOW THEY SUSPECT IT IS A DEFECTIVE TIRE ISSUE. THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES ON TUESDAY. I GET THE FEELING THERE IS SOMETHING MORE WRONG WITH MY CAR. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2014 OUTBACK 2.5 LIMITED AND HAVE BEEN HAVING STEERING ISSUES. THE CAR CONSTANTLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT THE STEERING IS VERY STIFF AND HEAVY. THIS CAR IS EXHAUSTING AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE! *TR

I PURCHASED THE OUTBACK 3.6 R LIMITED BRAND NEW AND SOON AFTER I NOTICED THAT VEHICLE PULLED RIGHT AND I HAD TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT IT -WHICH BECAME EXHAUSTING AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS RELATED TO ALL WHEEL DRIVE (SINCE I NEVER OWNED AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE). AFTER SOME RESEARCH I REALIZED VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM WHEN I TOOK IT TO DEALER FOR ITS FIRST MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE AT 3,000 MILES. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND THEY FIXED. THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE RESOLVED AT FIRST BUT AFTER 1 WEEK IT STARTED PULLING RIGHT AGAIN -BUT NOT AS NOTICEABLE AS BEFORE. I REPORTED TO DEALER BUT WAS TOLD THAT THAT IS THE WAY ITS SUPPOSE TO DRIVE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AS MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT AND APPEARS TO BE A REPETITIVE PATTERN AND I AM VERY CONCERNED. *JS

THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED. WHEN CAR STOPPED, THE STEERING CAN NOT TURN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED A NEW ONE, BUT THE STEERING IS STILL TOO HARD TO TURN AND FEEL EXHAUSTING TO DRIVE. AND THE DEALER SAID IT IS NORMAL. *TR

I PURCHASED MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2014 3.6R LIMITED IN MID DECEMBER 2013, I FELT THAT THE CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT AFTER I DROVE THE CAR TO HOME, I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE IS ANY PROBLEM WITH A NEW CAR, WITH THAT I KEPT TO DRIVE AND MONITOR IT FOR 2 WEEKS THEN I CONFIRMED THIS IS REALLY AN ISSUE AND IT'S VERY EASY TO REPRODUCE. SO I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY DEALER, THE TECHNICIAN SPENT HALF A DAY TO FIX, ROTATED TIRE, CHECKED PRESSURE AND CHECKED ALIGNMENT, FINALLY THEY REPLACED 4 BRAND NEW TIRES THEN THEY STATED THAT THE ORIGINAL TIRE IS NOT GOOD, THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY REPLACING NEW TIRES AND LET ME DROVE THE CAR BACK. AFTER MORE THAN 3000 MILES DRIVING, THE SAME PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE AGAIN, SO I WENT TO DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THIS IS REPRODUCIBLE, IT'S FUNNY THAT THEY REPLACED 4 NEW TIRES INCLUDING WHEEL HUB THIS TIME AGAIN, HOWEVER THIS ISSUE IS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED, THE TECHNICIAN CALLED SUBARU SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, REPRESENTATIVE SUGGESTED TO LOOSE THE CAP OF SUSPENSION , BOUNCE THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES THEN INSTALL THEM BACK, TECHNICIAN REPEATED THIS PROCEDURE FOR AT LEAST 2 TIMES, FINALLY THEN MENTIONED THE ALIGNMENT IS WITHIN SPEC, SERVICE ADVISE TOLD ME THE ISSUE IS BEEN FIXED. I DROVE THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS NOW, I'M STILL FEELING THERE IS SLIGHT PULLING TO RIGHT, AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS KEEPING TURN TO RIGHT BUT NOT BACK TO CENTER. I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALER TODAY, TECHNICIAN LEAD TESTED THE CAR WITH ME, HE WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM I REPORTED, BUT HE SAID THIS IS NORMAL FOR SUBARU OUTBACK, AND LET ME CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR FURTHER CHECKING. THIS IS SO BAD, I DROVE SO MANY CARS BEFORE BUT NEVER GOT THE SAME ISSUE, AND THIS IS NOT SAFE IF THE CAR CANNOT GO STRAIGHT. *TR

I RECEIVED MY OUTBACK ON NOV 1 2013 AND HAVE BEEN HAVING A STEERING LANE CENTERING ISSUE SINCE DAY ONE. THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE WITHOUT MAJOR INTERVENTION BY CONSTANT CORRECTION. THE CAR WILL GO LEFT OR RIGHT, BUT WILL NEVER GO STRAIGHT. IF I CHECK MY MIRRORS AND BLIND SPOT FOR A LANE CHANGE BY THE TIME I LOOK BACK MY CAR HAS DRIFTED OUT OF LANE OR NEARLY OUT OF LANE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT IS MORE DANGEROUS AT THIS POINT CHECKING MY BLIND SPOT OR NOT CHECKING MY BLIND SPOT, SINCE EITHER CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. I DRIVE BETWEEN 25K-50K MILES A YEAR, AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. HOWEVER, THE DEALER TELLS ME THIS IS NORMAL AND WAS DESIGNED BY SUBARU TO DUE THIS. I CAN'T SEE HOW THIS IS POSSIBLE. I CHECKED WITH A FEW OTHER FLEET OUTBACK DRIVERS WITHIN THE COMPANY, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE. (FOUR) HOWEVER, NOT ALL THEIR LOCAL DEALERS SAY IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO IT, BUT SAY THERE IS NO FIX TO THE PROBLEM. I AM NERVOUS THAT I AM GOING TO LOOK LIKE A DRUNK DRIVER TO SOMEONE BECAUSE I AM CONSISTENTLY SWERVING, OR THIS ISSUE CAUSES A ACCIDENT. I HAVE FOUR KIDS AND I CAN'T RISK HAVING AN ACCIDENT. I AM REALLY NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO WINTER THIS YEAR WITH THIS PROBLEM. I AM REPORTING THIS IN HOPES THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES, IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY. *TR

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A NEW 2014 OUTBACK. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND I NOTICED THE STEERING FELT A BIT "OFF" UPON DRIVING IT HOME BUT WAS CERTAIN IT WAS JUST AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO CORRECTED THE ALIGNMENT. THE CAR STILL FELT OFF. I NOTICE THAT THE WHEEL RETURNS TO CENTER WHEN TURNING LEFT, BUT THE WHEEL WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER WHEN TURNING RIGHT. IT WILL MOSTLY CENTER, BUT THE WHEEL REMAINS OFF BY ABOUT 15-DEGREES. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AS THE CAR WILL NOT POINT/TRACK STRAIGHT AFTER A TURN. ALSO, IT KEEPS TURNING ANY TIME YOU SLIGHTLY TURN THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, BUT NOT THE LEFT. SO, YOU CAN BE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND BUMP THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO GO RIGHT AND DRIVE OFF THE ROAD. THIS IS NOT SAFE! *TR

STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK IN EITHER UP OR DOWN POSITION