SUDDEN AACCELERATION: Cold started the car in garage, all OK. Then backed out and into turn around where I placed foot on the brake. At that moment suddenly accelerated and engine revved to 2000rpm (sounded like). I had to push down very hard on the brake pedal (where my foot already was) to stop the car before crashing into a tree. Foot was clearly on brake pedal at incident (that was the only way I could stop the car). It was not on or close to accelerator pedal and no floor mat or other objects was on or near the accelerator pedal. Very concerned about safe vehicle with this sudden acceleration. Appointment with Subaru dealer made for full diagnostic check. Dealer is White Bear Subaru, [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2021 Subaru Outback: sudden unintended acceleration
6 of the 300 complaints about the 2021 Subaru Outback describe sudden unintended acceleration.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Sudden unintended acceleration by model year
What owners say
While slowly backing out of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on it's own - I do not recall pressing on the accelerator but the engine surged and the vehicle rapidly reversed and struck 4 other parked cars. It felt as if the accelerator became stuck and would not respond to braking. No warning light or dashboard alerts appeared. Subaru eyesight and adaptive cruise control were not engaged at the time. There was no known obstruction under the petals. This felt like a serious malfunction and could have caused serious injury. I am reporting this in case it is part of a wider issue affecting this model and because i see that there are multiple complaints to you about sudden unintended acceleration, especially during low speed maneuvers like backing out a parking space.
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 60-75 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving downhill with adaptive cruise mode activated. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 25.
As I was approaching a T intersection and preparing to stop at the stop sign, I started to apply my brakes when all of a sudden my car accelerated and lunged forward almost into the path of oncoming traffic on the intersecting road. As I had originally started to apply my brake, it felt as if the brake dropped slightly under my foot but, as the car lunged forward, I immediately jammed on the brake so I am not 100% sure about that dropping sensation. It all happened within a matter of seconds. Anyway, jamming on the brakes stopped the forward momentum and the car stopped before actually entering the path of an oncoming car. If I had started to brake any closer to the intersection, I may not have had time to stop the car in time to avoid a broadside collision with the oncoming car. I have owned this car about a year and a half and this is the first time anything like this has happened. There was no warning lamps, messages etc at the time or prior to the incident. After the incident, my husband checked online and saw that others have described a similar experience with their Subarus and, apparently, there is an ongoing lawsuit involving this problem. This just happened last evening so I have not yet taken my car to the dealer to be inspected but plan to do so soon.
My wife turned into a parking spot slowly with her foot on the brake, and the car suddenly accelerated without warning. It went up on the curb while my wife slammed on the brake and stopped the car. She then put the car in reverse and backed into the parking spot. Came home without further incident but was very upset. I intend to question the dealer, Parkway Subaru in Wilmington, NC. I see articles online that relate problems like this to a number of different models and makes. My wife does not want the car anymore, but how can I be sure any car I replace it with does not have the same problem? 6/15/23 The contact called to add additional information to the complaint. The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while his wife was driving into a parking space at 1 MPH with her foot off the accelerator and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated. The contact stated that his wife was able to depress the brake pedal to the floorboard and bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
Car experienced unintended acceleration and the pre-collision safety system failed to engage. Car accelerated into a building and the driver stopped car's attempt to continue forward progress by taking the car out of drive mode. The pre-collision system failed completely. The Electronic Control Units seemed to fail entirely. This happened while pulling into a parking space at a very low rate to speed (until the car "took off").
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2021 Subaru Outback sudden acceleration
Is sudden unintended acceleration a common problem on the 2021 Subaru Outback?
6 of 300 owner complaints about the 2021 Subaru Outback (2%) mention sudden unintended acceleration. The model year with the most reports is 2015.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Subaru Outback?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Subaru Outback
Windshield crack 85Battery drain 21Adaptive cruise 16Screen failure 15Won't start 15Check engine light 10Lane assist 7Loss of power 7Stalling 7Collision warning 6Sunroof shattered 6Jerking 5Warning lights 5Wipers 5
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