Tl* the contact owns a 2001 subaru outback. While parking, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a fence. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
2001 Subaru Outback acceleration problems
17 complaints (10% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 43,000. 6 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- typical mileage
- 43,000
- crashes
- 6
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Accelerator pedal4
- Linkages1
- Cruise control1
- Cables1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Subaru Outback acceleration problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2001 Subaru Outback acceleration
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control: cables
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger sedans, wagons, and sport utility vehicles, the cruise control cable could come out of its track on the cruise control lever and lodge on the control lever tab when the accelerator pedal is released. If this condition occurs, the throttle will not return to the idle position and will remain in an open position.
- Risk
- If this occurs during vehicle operation, the driver could lose control of the vehicle, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a cruise control cable retaining clip to the cruise control lever tab on the throttle shaft in order to prevent the cruise control cable from coming out of its track. Owner notification began on april 12, 2004. Owners should contact subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783.
Recall number 04V128000 · Recall details
What 2001 Subaru Outback owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was traveling on an interstate highway in the middle lane at 65-70 MPH with cruise control set when traffic slowed down suddenly. My first reaction in this case is to pull the speed control lever towards me to disengage it and take manual control of the car to slow down by braking or downshifting, as per usual procedure. In this case throttle failed to decelerate after several attempts, upon which I then repeatedly stamped the brake pedal, which was also unresponsive (did not cancel acceleration or slow the vehicle). Out of options, I swerved to the left to avoid the tractor-trailer directly in front of me and rear ended a moving vehicle in the left lane. With brakes still unresponsive, I managed to cut across to the shoulder where I was able to stop the car by downshifting in addition to using the handbrake.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 subaru outback. While driving 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle veered to the right. The contact applied the brakes to release the cruise control; however, it would not release. She then heard a loud noise coming from the rear passenger side and the vehicle rolled eight times into oncoming traffic. The steering failed to respond. The contact was transported from the scene unconscious. She sustained cracked ribs, bruises, and sprains. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. She has not yet notified the dealer or manufacturer. The failure and current mileages were 64,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 subaru outback. While driving 65 MPH, the contact applied the brakes, but the vehicle continued to accelerate. He attempted to decelerate and stop the vehicle. The dealer replaced the throttle cable and no other failures have occurred since. A valid VIN was unavailable. The current mileage was 150,000 and failure mileage was 149,000.
"this is graphic evidence of what happens when someone like subaru 'forgets' to fit a $1 spring clip. The throttle probably stuck at around 3/4 open as she had just been traveling up a steep hill less than 2 miles from our house. The road then dips down and goes into a series of s bends, she left the road doing about 80mph and hit a tree 5 foot up in air from the road's surface. It was a bright sunny day, no precipitation, she was trapped in there for 45 mins and as you can see from the door pillars they tried to cut with their hurst cutters the car survived remarkably. But all the people who have seen this wreck said it was not a survivable accident. I wonder if the people in their big corporations ever consider these type of things, or whether they sleep at night???"
Dt: unintended acceleration and braking, when depressing the gas pedal it takes right off, can take foot off the gas pedal and it still surges forward. It is hard to slow down the vehicle when hitting brakes. This problem got so bad that it wouldn't let consumer make a turn. Had to keep going forward inside. Railroads tracks were there and hit the mound. Had to replace brake pads and rotors. It was 1000.00 miles when it was done last june.
Dt: the odomoter was not reading correctly. On 2 separate occasions the contact tested the odometer and the results were not correct. The contact believed that if the odometer was not reading correctly then the speedometer was not reading correctly. *nm
My 2001 subaru outback suddenly accelerates, on its own, while my foot is lightly on the brake. This happens mostly in parking lots/pulling into parking spaces.
Consumer was on a slight incline and foot was placed on the brakes and vehicle suddenly accelerated. The brake pedal went to the floor, and consumer's vehicle rear ended the vehicle in front. Upon impact, both air bags failed to deploy. No injuries to report. Vehicle was towed to the dealer. However, mechanic informed consumer that the problem could not be duplicated.
Cruise control failed to disengage with brake or clutch.
Questions about the 2001 Subaru Outback acceleration
Does the 2001 Subaru Outback have acceleration problems?
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the acceleration of the 2001 Subaru Outback, 10% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2001 Subaru Outback acceleration problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 43,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Subaru Outback acceleration?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V128000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Subaru Outback have the most acceleration problems?
The Subaru Outback model years with the most acceleration complaints are 2006 (98 complaints), 2005 (40 complaints) and 2017 (29 complaints).
Other 2001 Subaru Outback problems
Fuel system 32Brakes 30Transmission 23Engine 22Suspension 19Body 15Tires 9Steering 4Airbags 3Electrical 3Visibility 3Wheels 2Lights 1Seat belts 1Seats 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2001 Subaru Outback?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history