Subaru Legacy sudden acceleration problems

Filed Apr 10, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · MA · crash

I experienced unintended acceleration while operating my vehicle. I was slowly pulling into a parking space at a gym when, without warning, the vehicle suddenly accelerated rapidly forward. I did not intentionally press the accelerator at that time. The unexpected acceleration caused the vehicle to surge ahead and collide with a light post, resulting in significant damage to the front bumper. Fortunately, there were no pedestrians or other vehicles in front of me, so no injuries occurred. This incident created a serious safety risk, as the sudden and uncontrolled acceleration could have resulted in harm to myself or others if anyone had been in the vehicle’s path. At this time, it is UNKNOWN whether the issue has been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. It is also UNKNOWN if any warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms were present before the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

Filed Mar 13, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · NY

Unintended acceleration, on 2 occasions. First occasion, car was in DRIVE waiting at a traffic stop and the engine radically increased it's RPM from idle to over 6000 RPM, remaining there. Braking control maintained the automobile's position. Shifting the car into neutral caused RPM to increase further. The car was shut off, restarted, and seemed to function normally. On the second occasion, which occurred later the same day, the car was off and then started, and while still in PARK with my foot on the brake immediately jumped to over 6000, remaining there. Once again the car was shut off, restarted, and seemed to work normally. It was taken directly (and slowly) to the manufacturer's service center at my local Subaru dealership. They have not been able to re-create the problem as of this date.

Filed Jan 31, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · NY

Incident ~ 5:40 pm, Geneva NY Weather ~ 10 F, not snowing. Background. On or shortly after being started, the vehicle had exhibited prior incidents of extremely rapid engine acceleration not initiated by the operator. Most recently the day before. The incident: I was in the process of very slowly parking the vehicle in a narrow laneway, and positioning the vehicle behind and in line of one other, both parallel to the laneway, in a small area that had been cleared of snow, leaving the laneway open. First, I stopped the vehicle opposite of the parked vehicle's driver side door. Second, I reversed and backed up and positioned the vehicle behind that vehicle. This involved firmly stepping on the brake to stop the vehicle once well behind the parked vehicle. Third, while keeping my foot firmly pressed on the brake pedal, I moved the shift from reverse to forward. At that time, the front wheels were still fully turned to the left. Immediately on completing the shift to forward, my vehicle made a very rapid acceleration. My foot had remained firmly on the brake and had not touched the accelerator pedal. Despite my foot being firmly pressed on the brake pedal, my car surged forward, retracing the path that I had followed while backing up. I could hear the noise of the accelerated engine, and feel the fighting of the brake as the car surged uncontrolled for about four feet and then finally stopped. My foot had been fully depressed as hard as possible on the brake the entire time and did not touch the gas pedal at all. The owner of the parked vehicle observed the incident and expressed concern since the surge was dramatic, and stopped with the right corner of the front bumper of my car within a couple of inches of the left corner of the parked vehicle. The driver's car mat was in the correct position and did not interfere in any way with the operation of the vehicle. I did not inadvertently step on the accelerator. No warning lamps or messages. Cause Unknown.

Filed Jan 27, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · IL · crash · 1 injury

I drove into the parking lot of Walgreens, then drove around and pulled into a parking spot facing the south side of the building and put my foot on the brake to stop and park. Instead of stopping, the car suddenly lurched forward violently and slammed into the brick wall of the building. My wife called 911 since I told her my chest really hurt. When the police came, I told them my foot must have slipped off the brake and hit the accelerator, since I had no idea what else might have caused the car to accelerate like that. My wife drove the car home and then drove to the ER where the EMTs had taken me. A CT scan showed that I had a fractured sternum, since my chest hit the steering wheel full force after the air bags failed to deploy. I was in excruciating pain for a few weeks, and after I felt better, we submitted a claim to our insurance company. We then took our 2017 Subaru Legacy to a certified Subaru collision repair center. We were shocked to find that the car was totaled, since it was still drivable. Something kept bothering us about the crash, since EyeSight should have applied the brakes if I had accidentally accelerated and it detected a brick wall in front of our car. After some research, we stumbled on the information about the Class-Action Lawsuit that was just settled by Subaru for reports of Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA). The description of what happens with SUA was exactly what I experienced, but this was the first we had heard of it. We were never notified about the lawsuit, even though our VIN number shows our car was involved. Our Subaru dealership had all our contact information since we bought our Legacy from them and they have done all the maintenance work on it. Unfortunately, we released our car to Copart as part of our insurance settlement, so there’s no way to check the EDR data. PLEASE let others know about this major safety issue before anyone else is seriously injured!

Filed Nov 22, 2025 · PA

I experienced an incident of spontaneous acceleration of my vehicle on November 21, 2025. I was driving slowly with my foot on the brake as I was about to make a turn and the engine suddenly accelerated. I slammed down on the brake and the car stopped, but this was extremely frightening.

Filed Oct 20, 2025 · Brakes, Engine · FL · crash

My wife experienced an unintended acceleration in her 2018 Subaru Legacy. My wife had begun to slowly back out of a parking space in a school parking lot when her 2018 Legacy went into an unintended rapid acceleration in reverse. The car took off in reverse and did not respond to her applying the brakes. Somehow she managed to steer the car which was rapidly acceleration in reverse, virtually uncontrollable, and guide the car down a row of parked cars until she clipped the front of another car at the end of the row and her car came to a stop. Thank God there were no students in the parking lot at the time! The floor mats in our Legacy are Subaru mats that lie flat and in no way would affect the accelerator pedal. As the car was accelerating in reverse, and she had removed her foot from the accelerator onto the brake, the brakes did not slow the car. There is considerable damage to the right rear of the car and trunk. After the accident, when the car was restarted, the accelerator and brakes worked fine and she was able to drive it home from the scene. Thank god students were not in the parking lot! [XXX] [XXX] (cell) [XXX] Nashua, NH 03062 (May-Oct), Ponte Vedra, FL (Nov-April) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 12, 2025 · Acceleration · IL

THIS IS THE SECOND SUCH EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CAR! On Friday, September 12, 2025 at 3:32 p.m., I was driving slowly in a parking lot preparing to park. As I started to turn the car into the parking space, my car surged forward without my pressing on the gas pedal. I pressed on the brake, and the car came to a stop.

Filed Jul 21, 2025 · Transmission · PA

CVT Transmission Failure. Failure occurred at approximately 66,706 miles on 5/16/25. The Check Engine and AT Temp lights appeared in the instrument cluster. The driving conditions when this happened were a safety concern. First, the vehicle would crawl, shutter, and almost stall with high RPMs when attempting to climb a hill. Second, on a level surface at any given time the vehicle would not respond then lunge forward unexpectedly. The vehicle was inspected by a Subaru Dealership and the diagnosis was "Internal failure of transmission". The transmission needs to be replaced. The same driving conditions and error codes were experienced by an AAMCO Transmission repair facility. The diagnosis was codes P0843 and P0867 present prompting the transmission to be replaced. This repair was completed on 6/4/25. The failed transmission is no longer available.

Filed May 29, 2024 · Acceleration · PA · crash

Subaru sudden acceleration – Garage Accident [XXX] [XXX] – before noon, wet, rainy day: [XXX] returning from grocery shopping - car suddenly accelerated from near stop as she was about to enter garage, the car hit the garage brick wall. When she put her foot on the brake, the car suddenly accelerated. I have security video showing this sudden acceleration (.mp4, the federal safety agency doesn't accept). After accident, car drives well - all lights work - hood opens and locks. Substantial car damage to bumper and adjoining parts - wood trim damaged, garage bricks cracked and pushed in, garage door would not close. [XXX] Wed – took Subaru in for unexpected sudden acceleration on braking – [XXX] – test drive with Gary – Problem unexpected with Subarus – electronic control – no manual linkage (some transmission linkage with shift lever). Sent me home – no charge. [XXX] – Subaru sudden acceleration on braking while car cold – today at Trexlertown after haircut. Happened previously within week. Called Subaru 855‑399‑3787; INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Dec 22, 2023 · Acceleration, Brakes · NY

As I pulled up behind a car that was stopped at a stop sign, I took my foot off the gas pedal, and put it on the brake pedal. The moment i put my foot on the brake pedal, my car surged forward. I had a moment to think, and I confirmed that my foot was on the brake pedal, I had felt the brakes trying to resist the surge. I put the car into neutral, and it jerked to a stop. No one was hurt, I stopped the car in time, but I wondered if this had happened in other settings, what danger it would have posed. This has previously occurred rarely and intermittently when, starting out on some cold mornings, i shifted from reverse to neutral to drive, when backing out of my driveway in the morning.The car surged forward and I had to be quick on pressing the brake pedal hard to get it to stop before hitting a mailbox post. No warning lights went on, in any of these incidents. I called a Subaru dealer, who said there had been no recall history re this uninitiated surge behavior.