2006 Subaru Outback: brake failure

Filed Jun 30, 2025 · Brakes · ME

I was driving home when my brake pedal went all the way to the floor. Next, I realized I could not stop the vehicle. I was able to pull over and stop. A puddle was pooling under my vehicle by the rear passenger tire. I received no lights or illumination or warning.

Filed Sep 15, 2023 · Brakes · NJ

All the brake lines rusted through where they were unprotected and inserted into body clips resulting in a complete loss of brake fluid and the inability to stop the vehicle.

Filed Mar 22, 2020 · Brakes · 127,196 miles · MI

Upon returning to my home last week I nearly went through my garage after my brake lines failed and the brake pedal went to the floor, lucky for me I was able to stop the vehicle as I knew once depressed all the way I would have some remaining braking abilities. I do live in michigan which does account for rust on the under bodies of vehicles, although the specific issue that I am very angered by was the fact that there was a recall to prevent premature failure of the brake lines in my car (recall wqk47, the federal safety agency 14v311), which my car took part in and was only coated with anti-rust wax only to fail a year later. At the time of repair I had asked if the lines where still in good shape, and was told they where all good and just had to be coated. Since I have a mechanical background I decided to l locate the brake line that had failed on my car as well as look into the service manual for the repairs required for the recall, and unsurprisingly the exact image on the service manual for problem areas to clean and coat was the location of the failure. I find it very irritating to receive a false sense of hope in reliance of the brakes only to be let down by the one part that was supposed to be checked and corrected. I have contacted subaru with my concerns, only to be offered a voucher for service that will cover to my understanding a third or less of the repair cost for a part that should have been resolved during a recall! Attached you will find my correspondence with subaru support as well as images that depict the failure of not one but 2 joints in the same area above/in the crevice of the fuel tank, and the very little so called protective anti-corrosive wax over these areas that was applied during the recall.

Filed Nov 18, 2019 · Brakes · ID

My son lost his brakes and nearly wrecked the other day. Brake line ruptured and the dealer won't honor the recall on them because they got some half-ass recall treatment by the previous owner. Subaru did not do a proper fix to these lines and they know it! What are we suppose to do with a car with no brakes!!?

Filed Dec 18, 2018 · Brakes · 155,000 miles · NY

Bought car from private owner in october 2018. Immediately after sale had the subaru dealership replace rear brakes in october 2018 and completely inspect car for any needed repairs. In early december brake indicator light on, then immediately after catastrophic brake failure resulting in inability to stop vehicle while entire family was on board. Found out from dealership that, despite finding corrosion on brake line upon initial inspection, the corrosion was encapsulated by barrier spray and continued to corrode brake line until catastrophic failure and inability to stop the vehicle. Awaiting dealership response.

Filed May 20, 2017 · Brakes · 189,574 miles · NY

As I was checking under the hood of my car I noticed the brake fluid was low. I went to pick up a new container of brake fluid. L.p. I noticed my brake pedal went to the floor but I was able to brake when I pushed it to the floor. I went to a shop that showed me where the leak was coming from. Under the gas tank.

Filed Nov 12, 2016 · Acceleration · 80,000 miles · OR

Driving in busy traffic on freeway, highways, and streets, cruise and engine lights came on, no response when applying gas pedal, car coasted into slow cruise, eventually down to about 15 MPH. Again, no response to applying gas pedal. That happened sporadically. Had near fatal accidents a couple times then it stopped and two or three weeks later throttle turned on revving up to 500 in idle, over 300 when driving. Trying to stop at intersections, brake malfunctioned, nearly hit several people trying to get home. Engine racing out of control. This stopped briefly, drove errand, and withno foot on gas pedal, car was speeding up on highway uphill and still accelerating at 78 MPH. Brakes did not work consistently, jumped a curb, when trying to pull over and turn off engine. Had to have car towed. Repair of throttle senior $365 at local dealership in portland, or. I asked them to review all the documentation I found here and elsewhere showing this was a known problem and they ignored me entirely. This was very dangerous and scary. I feel subaru should pay this repair. It easily could have killed me and others here, and others in the future. Park your subaru if this happens and you cannot afford repair. File a complaint with subaru. Don't do what I did out of desperation and drive it, because it could really could kill you. Find another way to get to work. Trucks on roadways cannot avoid you if no engine power with no notice and nowhere safe to pull off, which happened to me.

Filed Oct 29, 2013 · Brakes, Engine · 73,956 miles · WI

Four times in one month prior the above date, this vehicle stopped running in traffic. It would not restart. Most importantly, the automatic transmission could not be taken out of gear and put into park!! In addition, the emergency brake failed to properly keep the vehicle from rolling in traffic. The most recent time this happened, the driver was in heavy traffic on a hill and the emergency brake again did not properly hold the vehicle. The driver had to open her door, exit the vehicle in order to physically stop it from rolling downhill in traffic and was nearly ran over by a passing semi trailer truck. This is a well maintained vehicle, often through the dealer it was purchased from. During this time, the vehicle was towed twice to the dealer. They diagnosed the problem as being caused by electronic computer parts malfunction. After these expensive and possibly unnecessary repairs the problem still persisted. The vehicle continued to stop for no reason in traffic and would not restart. Each time this happened, the vehicle could not be taken out of gear and put into park!! I know of no other vehicle where this type of problem has happened. After the latest breakdown, upon inspection, the dealer located a section of wire loom that had worn bare and possibly had caused a short in the electrical system. This worn spot in the wire loom may have tripped up the logic in the vehicle computer and been the reason the driver could not put the vehicle in park after breaking down in traffic. If this electrical wire loom caused this "malfunction", it would put anyone in this vehicle in a position where there is great potential for serious injury, or death. This problem should be looked into by your department in order to make sure this does not happen again to someone else.