2013 Subaru Outback: hesitation when accelerating

Filed Jan 8, 2024 · Brakes, Transmission · FL

I was driving on a highway when my car started to suddenly stutter, hesitate, and jerk after about an hour on the road. I pulled over on the shoulder immediately and tried to better position the car further off the highway with the same vehicle behavior. Initially I thought a tire had blown so sudden was the impact but after exterior inspection I realized the tires were fine and the problem was probably under the hood. The CVT transmission and TCM malfunctioned, and electric parking brake engaged creating a noise. My ability to steer the vehicle in a predictable direction was gone creating a safety hazard on the highway or any road. The car had to be long-distance towed back to where I live; it could not be safely driven. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by two independent service centers, one a general service center and the other a foreign car expert service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else. There were dashboard warning lights that came on at the time the vehicle started to shake. The lights were the vehicle dynamics control warning light and the check engine warning light. A " boat load" of transmission codes that lead to the vehicle being assessed at the foreign car service center. I am asking for Subaru’s assistance in resolving this matter. I purchased a Subaru based on recommendations from other family members and their experience of having multiple Subaru vehicles some of which lasted 300,00 miles. If this is a manufacturing problem I believe that Subaru has a responsibility to notify their owners of the potential problem (which didn’t happen in my case) and a responsibility to resolve the problem when it occurs. I took my vehicle into my nearest Subaru dealership for a warranty repair that I was notified of approx. three years ago. No one notified me of the potential CVT transmission problem at that time. My vehicle cannot be driven in its current state and it is dangerous to drive because of this problem.

Filed Aug 13, 2022 · Engine · VA

The engine was hesitating, loosing power on incline, and shaking when stopping. I had the engine replaced and the a few months later the transmission went down. The car does start but it will not go into any gear other than Park and Neutral. The car is now not drivable.

Filed Mar 19, 2019 · Acceleration, Engine · 93,000 miles · MO

Issue is ongoing for the last 6 months. Vehicle intermittently stalls when at idle and placed in gear. Hesitation when accelerating while driving (acts as if it not getting enough power.) I have taken the vehicle to 3 different dealerships and contacted subaru of america and I am not getting anywhere. Dealerships can't duplicate the problem, so therefore can't diagnose the problem. I have video records of this issue occurring.

Filed Nov 16, 2015 · Engine · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 subaru outback. The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on over two occasions where the failure was able to be replicated, but the failure was undetermined. In addition, the oil warning light randomly illuminated. The vehicle started hesitating and, as the failure progressed, caused the vehicle to stall several times. The contact was able to get the vehicle to restart, but the failure continued to progress. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.

Filed Nov 12, 2015 · Transmission · 48,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 subaru outback. While driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and attempted to stall. The contact stated that the vehicle was burning excessive oil and there was an abnormal noise. The vehicle was diagnosed by a certified mechanic who stated that the power train needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.