2012 Subaru Outback problems

“While driving on I-5 at about 70 mph, I made a normal upshift from 5th to 6th gear in my 6-speed manual transmission. The shift lever went past the reverse lockout without my lifting the reverse pull collar (the owner's manual says the collar must be raised to select reverse) and the transmission briefly went into reverse at highway speed. The lever was in reverse for only a fraction of a second, but that was enough to strip the reverse gear teeth. There was no warning beforehand. I kept driving without knowing anything was wrong and found out later, when I tried to back up, that the vehicle has no reverse. The reverse lockout should make it impossible to select reverse during a forward upshift. Here it failed. Engaging reverse at 70 mph can damage or lock up the drivetrain and cause a loss of control or a crash in traffic. With reverse gone, I also can't leave the car in reverse when parking on a slope, as the owner's manual advises. Subaru appears to know about this. Service Bulletin 03-71-13 (07/2013) released a revised 6MT shift lever (P/N 35011CA010) "designed to improve the operation of the reverse selection mechanism," built into production starting in…”

“Vehicle stalls when stopping. This is a huge safety issue because stalling at intersections can cause accidents. Dealership diagnosed a faulty torque converter. This torque converter (it should be part number 31100AB170) issue is widely known in this production series of the Subaru outback. After hundreds of complaints were filed with the NHTSA, Subaru extended the warranty on all their automatic transmissions to avoid a recall around 2017, but closed the extended warranty in 2022. Subaru now tries to convince their customers that these vehicles are too old for the issue to be attributable to them, despite knowing that they equipped these vehicles with defective parts. See the following: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX]”

“The contact's girlfriend owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while starting. In addition, the contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that during rainy weather, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact scanned the vehicle with an OBD2 scanner and retrieved DTC codes: P0420 (Catalytic convertor) and P0057 (Ignition System). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there were failures with the rear brake pads, rotors, PCV valve, valve cover gasket, engine air filter, catalytic converter heat shield; and a cylinder #4 misfire. The DTC codes P0304, and P0420 (Catalytic convertor) were also retrieved. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced first. The contact stated that several repairs were made prior; however, the failure persisted. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Subaru Service Program Bulletin: WQC-39, WVY-35, WUF-91r, TKC-19R, and NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V003000 (Air…”

“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 89,000. It was later discovered, when the title arrived, that the mileage on the title was 134,000.”

“The brake line junction box rusted through. This is a known issue with Subarus of this general era but the 2012 Outback is not on the recall list. Owner noticed brake fluid was getting low, after recently refilling the reservoir. Took the car to a shop and the brake light came on day of. The shop confirmed the brake line junction box was rusted through and leaking. Owner was advised that they were days away from a complete brake failure from a larger leak developing and brake pressure dropping catastrophically. As stated before this is a known issue Subaru recall campaign WQK-47. Looking online has revealed numerous Subaru owners experiencing the same problem.”

“The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that vehicle was consistently burning out the headlight bulbs. The contact stated that within 3-years he had replaced the driver's and the passenger’s side headlight bulbs 7 times, and following one failure the passenger’s side headlight housing was replaced. The contact stated that the bulb in the new housing was blown. The contact stated that a headlight bulb had blown while driving at night at an undisclosed speed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who determined that the wiring and electrical system was working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.”