Unintended acceleration. Not driver error, not stuck floormat. Vehicle started accelerating above 7 on the tachometer. Pushed in clutch of course. Stopped with clutch in and vehicle just kept revving higher. Shut off car and restarted later. Terrifying.
2004 Subaru Outback: sudden unintended acceleration
6 of the 90 complaints about the 2004 Subaru Outback describe sudden unintended acceleration.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical mileage
- 90,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 2 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Sudden unintended acceleration by model year
What owners say
I was pulling into my driveway when I stepped on the brakes the car lunged forward and struck a boat on a trailer in my driveway sending it into the side of my home the more I stepped on the brake the faster the engine accelerated I eventually ended up crashing into a tree which finally stopped the car.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 subaru outback. The contact stated while driving into a parking space the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward while the contact applied the brakes and crashed into a building. The contacts face hit the steering wheel and she also injured her ankle. The vehicle was currently in the dealers possession for diagnostic testing to determine what may have caused the sudden acceleration. The failure mileage was 67,000.
2004 subaru outback ll bean 3.0l h6 has history of intermittent unintended acceleration, misfire (surging) at highway speed, not slowing down with foot visibly not near gas pedal or brake pedal, acceleration in drive or reverse without touching brake or gas pedal, erratic idle. Dealers attribute to bad sensor (replaced part number 22627aa130 sensor assy-press), dirty throttle body, gas treatment needed in gas tank, and they had never heard of such a problem ever (disbelief). Also, when at its worst, symptoms include extreme (banging) shifts from 1st to 2nd gears. After owner reset ECM (disconnect battery, drained all known energy from electronics, reconnected battery) "service engine light soon"t came on, automobile operated normally, and "service engine soon" light went out within 50 miles of driving. This is an extremely dangerous situation due to unintended throttle inputs, speed not slowed with foot off throttle, and (obviously) impaired braking due to engine surge prior to full-stop. However, following full-stop, engine would slow down to near "normal" idle. File under, amazing, but true.
The automatic gear shift had been locked in park, which never happened previously. It eventually was released by putting the tip of a key into the area of the panel. Advised for this problem in the drivers manual. After driving the vehicle twice more , it was parked again. When the key was put in the ignition, there was a whirring sound and when it started, it surged forward very rapidly and could not be stopped by using the brakes.. The vehicle was out of control. It was off the road and rocks punctured a tire. It stopped. When brought to the subaru repair shop, the insurance adjustor did not advise repair, because of heavy damage to the engine, transmission etc.
On two separate occasions, with two different drivers, my subaru outback 2004 vehicle experienced dangerous sudden acceleration. In both cases, we were stopped in traffic for a few minutes, foot on the brake, when suddenly, the car began to surge forward. Even exerting strong pressure on the brake, the car continued to surge forward, the engine racing. On one occasion, we were behind other stopped cars and almost rear-ended the car in front of us. On another, we were stopped at a cross walk and almost lurched forward into pedestrians. In both cases, we then threw the car into neutral (it is an automatic). The engine then raced wildly for a few seconds. We then threw it into park. At this point, the engine continued to race, then subsided. A moment later, the car was behaving normally again. Our initial calls to subaru were regarded with lightheartedness. They told us, in essence, we didn't know how to drive (each driver has more than 30 years driving experience). A search on the internet reveals many other subaru owners who have had this problem, and a subaru history of ignoring it and their customers' safety. Shame on subaru. Please take action to prevent injury or death resulting from this unsafe vehicle.
Service bulletins that may apply
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
Questions about the 2004 Subaru Outback sudden acceleration
Is sudden unintended acceleration a common problem on the 2004 Subaru Outback?
6 of 90 owner complaints about the 2004 Subaru Outback (7%) mention sudden unintended acceleration. The model year with the most reports is 2015.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Subaru Outback?
There is 1 recall and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Subaru Outback
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