2018 Subaru Outback Speed Control & Cruise Problems

In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutral.

I slowed down to approximately 5 MPH to pull into a parking space in front of a building. Without warning, the car suddenly accelerated toward the building. The car jumped over the parking block and onto the sidewalk in front of the building. I attempted to stop the car but the brakes did not function at that point. The car stopped when it hit a pole. There was damage to the front of the car and the pole. No people were injured. There was no warning before this happened.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while their wife was pulling into a parking space, uphill, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The vehicle jumped the curb and crashed into a sign. The vehicle continued accelerating approximately a car length of distance causing it to jump another curb onto grass and eventually come to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle had damage to the front end and bumper of the vehicle. The contact had no injuries and medical attention was not needed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was able to be driven away from the scene. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who had not diagnosed the vehicle and it had not been repaired. The contact stated they found an article regarding the year/make/model experiencing the same failure due to a failure of the low-pressure fuel pump. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000.

Driver experienced an unexpected uncommanded sudden acceleration upon application of the braking system in the driveway, which caused a collision with the garage/house. The safety of the driver and other were put at risk. Significant damage to the house/garage occurred. This is a first time occurrence. Owner has not yet had the opportunity to have the vehicle inspected by dealer, independent service center, manufacturer, police or insurance rep due to timing of the accident. No warning lights message were displayed. Driver slowed the vehicle in anticipation of putting the vehicle in park when uncommanded brake release occurred, vehicle accelerated and struck the house. Reason for incident is unknown. Vehicle remains parked pending further inspection.

Car jerked back and suddenly accelerated without warning as driver had foot on brake and was slowly pulling into parking spot. Car hit wall of parking garage causing front end damage. Parking collision warning did not sound at any point. Car was going 1-2 MPH and was 5 feet from end of parking spot when incident occurred. Sudden acceleration when driver has foot on brake can cause injury to driver, passengers or others in the path of the car. No hazards in parking garage were present that could have caused accident, which was witnessed by driver's work colleague. No police report filed. Incident was reported to Subaru, which ran diagnostic and could not replicate issue. No warning messages were present prior to the incident. It appears there are 2 current class action lawsuits filed against Subaru reporting similar issues with 2018 Outback. I am unsure what component failed to cause this issue; car is available for inspection on request.

The vehicle, a 2018 Subaru Outback Limited 3.6R, was being pulled into the garage at the owner’s home. With brakes applied, and while putting vehicle into park, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward making contact with a suspended shelf attached to the back wall of the garage. The force of the vehicle was such that the shelf and back wall of the garage were completely separated from the home in one piece and pushed approximately 10 yards away from the home before the shelf broke away from the wall upon impact with the ground, perpendicular to the back of the house. The vehicle then traveled down two hills in the back yard, across a water saturated easement, over a concrete drainage culvert and came to rest at the base of an incline in an adjacent yard approximately 150 ft from the garage. Air bags did not deploy and the owner suffered minor contusions causing pain and stiffness, but no significant injuries are noted as of this report. The vehicle was totaled and significant damage was caused to the residence. No collision warnings were displayed prior to collision and emergency braking did not apply upon acceleration. This was the first incidence of sudden acceleration experienced by the owner so this issue has never been checked out by a service technician and will not be repaired. The vehicle had less than 8000 miles on the odometer. The vehicle is currently located in a repair lot and the owner’s insurance company has been requested to hold the vehicle for inspection prior to disposal. The cause of the sudden acceleration is unknown, but the owner is confident that the brakes were being applied at the time of occurrence, and that they remained cognizant throughout the incident as they were unable to stop the forward progression of the vehicle until it came to rest on the muddy incline.

When I was idling in park, the car spontaneously accelerated at full throttle. Another incident occurred while braking the car started accelerating at full throttle, even though I was sitting still at a drive through. - it would not stop without turning off the ignition.

I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND FELT THE CAR ACCELERATE WHICH CAUSED ME TO HAVE A PANIC ATTACK, I QUICKLY RELEASED THE PEDAL BEFORE REAPPLYING PRESSURE AND IT SELF CORRECTED LUCKY JUST BEFORE LIGHT. THIS HAS HAPPEN BEFORE BUT I ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN MY FAULT, THIS TIME I WAS 100% SURE IT WAS MY BRAKES. I HAVE ALSO BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH BEING ABLE PRESS DOWN ON MY BRAKE PEDAL DUE TO IT BECOMING VERY STIFF. I WAS SO WORRIED I DECIDE TO SEE IF OTHER PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD AND IT WAS NOT JUST ME.

THE CAR WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL IMPACT WHILE PARKED. THE CRACK STARTED FROM THE TOP ON PASSENGER SIDE AND EXTENDED VERTICALLY TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CRACK IMPAIRED THE ABILITY OF THE EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM TO FUNCTION PROPERLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE SAFETY CRITICAL FEATURES LIKE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND LANE KEEP ASSIST.

I WAS DRIVING IN A 4 LANE (TWO ON EACH DIRECTION) PARKWAY TOWARD A RED STOPLIGHT WITH ONE CAR STOPPED AT MY LANE AT THE LIGHT, I WAS COASTING, SLOWING DOWN TOWARD THE CAR. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 30 FT AWAY THE LIGHT CHANGED, THE CAR IN FRONT STARTED DRIVING AND I APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR. THE DISTANCE TO THE CAR IN FRONT WAS DEFINITELY INCREASING HOWEVER MY CAR WENT INTO EMERGENCY BRAKING MODE, CANCELLING MY ACCELERATION PEDAL ACTION AND STOPPING THE CAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME AS IT WOULD HAVE ALMOST CERTAINLY ENDED IN A REAR-END COLLISION.

USING EYE-SIGHT CONTROLS THE AUTOMATIC STOPPING DISTANCE IS SET TOO STOP TOO CLOSE TO THE CAR IN FRONT. VARIES IN STOPPING DISTANCE ,CANNOT DEPEND ON THE SYSTEM THEREFOR CAN NOT USE THE SYSTEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. EACH TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,400.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS IN A LOWER GEAR, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MCGOVERN SUBARU (203 LAFAYETTE RD, NORTH HAMPTON, NH 03862, (603) 964-9303) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN TRYING TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES OR MERGE LANES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A DRIVER ASSIST TECHNOLOGY FEATURE CALLED EYESIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ROMANO SUBARU (960 HIAWATHA BLVD W., SYRACUSE, NY 13204), BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 680.

ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 I WAS DRIVING MY SUBARU OUTBACK THROUGH BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK. I WAS LEAVING THE CHISOS MOUNTAINS BASIN WITHIN THE PARK WHEN IT BEGAN LIGHTLY RAINING. I PRESSED THE X-MODE BUTTON HOPING IT WOULD INCREASE MY TRACTION ON THE WINDING ROADS. AS THE CAR WAS COMING DOWN FAIRLY STEEP DECLINE, I NOTICED THAT I WAS GAINING SPEED AND X-MODE HAD TURNED ITSELF OFF. I CAME AROUND A CURVE A LITTLE FAST AND FELT THAT IT TOOK MORE EFFORT THAN I'D EXPECTED TO SLOW THE CAR. AT THAT POINT, THE ROAD LEVELED OUT AND THE RAIN HAD STOPPED, BUT MY SPEED WAS STILL ACCELERATING. I HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE SPEED. I DECIDED TO PULL OVER, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION IN HOPES THAT WOULD RESET THE ENGINE. AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, I STARTED UP THE CAR AGAIN, PUT IT INTO DRIVE, AND WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL IT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. AFTER IT REACHED APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH (WHICH WAS THE SPEED LIMIT) ON ITS OWN I PULLED OVER AGAIN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. MY FIANCE SUGGESTED PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, THINKING THAT COULD RESET WHATEVER MALFUNCTION THERE WAS IN DRIVE. I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND AGAIN, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. IT WENT FROM 0 MPH TO 40 MPH IN NEUTRAL. IT GAINED SPEED IN A STEADY AND CONSISTENT PACE, ABOUT 1 MPH EVERY 1.5 SECONDS. MY FIANCE CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA, HOPING THEY COULD TELL US ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THEY RECOMMENDED WE GET IT CHECKED OUT AT A DEALERSHIP AND THAT THE CLOSEST SUBARU DEALERSHIP WAS MORE THAN 200 MILES AWAY. WHILE HE WAS ON THE PHONE, THE CAR BEGAN DECELERATING WITHOUT HAVING TOUCHED THE GAS OR BRAKE PEDALS. AFTER THAT, IT BEGAN DRIVING NORMALLY AND I DIDN'T EXPERIENCE ANY FURTHER ISSUES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME AND BRING THE CAR IN FOR INSPECTION.

AFTER USING 'X-MODE' THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ENGAGING THE GAS PEDAL. IT CONTINUED EVEN AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT. I THEN PULLED OVER AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, AND IT AGAIN ACCELERATED FROM 0-40 MPH BEFORE IT STARTED TO DECELERATE ON ITS OWN.

THE ACCELERATION RESPONSE IS DECOUPLED FROM THE THROTTLE. I HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN. I TRIED TO MOVE AHEAD WITH A SLIGHT ACCELERATION TO GET A VIEW OF CROSS TRAFFIC, UNFORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TOO HIGH AND T BONED INTO ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS GOING ACROSS. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE PROBLEM IS MORE EVIDENT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM SLOWER SPEEDS OR FROM A STOP.