As I'm driving my airbag light comes on and all the lights on the dash starts flashing and cruise control gets disconnected one day it will happen next day it won't
2007 Subaru Outback acceleration problems
17 complaints (13% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 13%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Accelerator pedal2
- Cruise control1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Subaru Outback acceleration problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2007 Subaru Outback owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
An accelerator that became unresponsive while driving 65mph on 3 lane highway. This problem is prevalent with subaru and you can read about many people who have the problem which is an extreme safety issue. If you go online and search for subaru outback code p2138/throttle position sensor you will find that the sensor has intermitent failures which cause the accelerator to become unresponsive. Even when people get this reset at a mechanic and supposedly fixed it will begin recurring again. Or sometimes the mechanic cannot make the car fail because the problem is a sensor and the problem is intermittent. Subaru must fix this problem!! This has happened to me 5 times now over the last year.
I was driving down a street when my car engine was still running but I had no gas pedal response .so l coasted to side of road an shut it off an started it .then after I did that I got gas pedal response .the check engine light was on after restarting vechile so I had a code scan check it,an a code p2138 showed . The code is for the throttle/pedal sensor. I'm just glad I was not doing 65 on a highway an a semi wasn't behind me or any other vehicle
Well I lost all throttle control for the first time. Engine light was on which disabled the vdc and cruise and the gas pedal. It has happened several times since then. When shutting the car off it is very hard to restart. When this happens and you try to stop the car doesn't want to it just pulses forward so more brake pedal is needed. If you put it in park the engine revs high. This is a known issue with the tps not being able to communicate with the throttle servo via the TCM. This issue happens at random. Usually when I've been driving it for about 10 minutes.
Driving at 55 miles per hour on hwy 213, check engine light came on, lost power(limp mode), cruise control flashing. Pulled over to side of road on hill(barely able to make safe spot). Turned out vehicle. Restarted(lights still warning), back up and forward to assure power. Decided to try to get to nearby community/auto shop. Was able to do so. Diagnosis: p2138. They performed diagnostic procedure, results inconclusive. Cycled the accelerator through numerous positions and raters with variations on position/pressure applied to pedal, and monitor lab scope. Sensor signals were precise and without errors. Owner researched online and found numerous cased of same-without resolution for many people-reoccurring with costly repairs to attempt repair. Suggested calling subaru.com which I did. No reassurance as to problem being fixed, just said take it to a dealer. Concerned with safety as I drive my granddaughter in car, as well as safety for myself and others. Will take it to dealer but not optimistic about a permanent fix and safety of future driving.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 subaru outback. While driving approximately 75 MPH, the check engine and cruise control deactivation sensors illuminated before the speed suddenly decelerated to approximately 20 MPH. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. After the vehicle was turned off and on, it operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 120,000.
This is my second complaint to be filed. This has been an ongoing problem since 2013. My 2007 subaru outback loses vehicle power as the accelerator stops responding. The cruise control, traction, and check engine lights all become illuminated or flashing. This is especially common upon restarting the car after a short drive, coming to a stop, or after 5-10 minutes from a cold start. Restarting the vehicle until the vehicle will not restart and then restarting once more resets the issue for approximately 24 hours. Cleaning the connector plug to the accelerator temporarily resolves the issue anywhere form 6 months to one week. Subaru has been contacted and issued a generic response mostly dealing with air bag safety concerns. This is a very hazardous default in the vehicle which is being ignored.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 subaru outback. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The cruise control and traction lights illuminated. The contact coasted to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted after a couple of minutes. The contact drove home and called an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The failure recurred several times. The failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not provided. The failure mileage was 249,000.
Problem p2138 throttle ceases to control car engine speed. In neutral it settles at ?4000 RPM. Stopping and restarting the car stops the problem, but the check engine light remains on and cruise control light flashes for 1-2 days. Cruise control is not functional while in this state. This can happen at any speed, but typically at 55-60. Happens intermittently, now 3 times in the past month. Had the throttle sensor replaced one year ago, and we had no problem for 11 months until the past month.
Vehicle stopped at a red light during rush hour. Tried to accelerate for right turn, however there was no acceleration when the gas pedal was depressed. Checked the displace for indicator lights and check engine light and traction control lights were on steadily while cruise control was blinking. Immediately turned off heater, seat heater, and radio, and proceeded to coast down a hill at idle. Gas pedal was unresponsive, but I was able to safely pull off the road after 0.3 miles. Restarted the car twice and the warning lights were still on and gas pedal still did not work. A third attempt to restart resulted in the engine turning over but no ignition. After several more restarts the gas pedal was responsive but indicators lights were still present. Drove to auto repair shop with normal speed control where the indicator lights promptly turned off. Sensor history indicated p2138 code for throttle position sensor.
Questions about the 2007 Subaru Outback acceleration
Does the 2007 Subaru Outback have acceleration problems?
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the acceleration of the 2007 Subaru Outback, 13% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2007 Subaru Outback acceleration problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2007 Subaru Outback acceleration?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
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 2007 Subaru Outback problems
Airbags 47Electrical 20Engine 18Suspension 14Transmission 9Brakes 8Lights 7Fuel system 6Steering 6Body 5Driver assistance 5Wheels 3Seat belts 2Seats 2Tires 2Visibility 2Locks 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2007 Subaru Outback?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history