2014 Subaru Outback power train problems

“I am just the mechanic and this is my customer's vehicle, but whilst doing some regular maintenance on the vehicle and also replacing part number 383485200 which Subaru calls "HOLDER, AXLE BRG" due to a crack which ran thru one of the 5 fastener holes. Upon normal cleaning of the threads in the rear differential casting where the "holder, axle brg" is bolted up to the left output shaft side I noticed a massive cavity in the casting which was drilled into and tapped for a bolt. This cavity is so large it presents a huge risk of catastrophic rear differential failure resulting in potential loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash. When I called the dealership to obtain the answers to the questions I know my customer is going to ask me, they shrugged it off as no big deal and couldn't even get me a price on a new rear diff housing or complete assembly. Using my brake rotor thickness calipers I was able to measure what I believe is the closest part of the cavity to the hole where the "holder, axle brg" is fastened in place. This "holder, axle brg" is the output shaft seal housing, plus, the outer race for the differential carrier is pressed into this…”

“Valve body transmission module failed at 118k with no prior warning There are some subaru bulletins that say up 120k. Dealership i bought it from told me 100k. I was never notified this issue was a recall. It could have potentially caused an accident if the transmission failed on the highway.”

“The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the key was in the ignition with the transmission in park(P) with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle moved inadvertently. The failure occurred while the vehicle was on an incline. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 630,000.”

“The center differential or Viscous Coupling locks up after any extended highway driving. The car lurches when turning sharply. This is a 6-speed manual transmission. This started at around 70,000 miles and is getting progressively worse now at 80,000 miles. The tires have always been all the same, inflated according to spec. New tires at about 72,000 miles. From online research, the Viscous Coupling on Subarus fails very frequently. This is a defective design resulting in a safety hazard, and requires expensive replacement.”

“CAR MAKES EXCESSIVELY LOUD ROARING, WHINING NOISE IN ACCELERATION; IT'S RESPONSE IS UNPREDICTABLE. IT DOESN'T SHIFT AND THE DIFFERENTIAL IS THE LIKELY SOURCE OF PROBLEM. CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED ALL ALONG.TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS REPORTED THE CVT MUST BE REPLACED. SUBARU SERVICE INFORMED ME AFTER 120K MILE SERVICING. IT CAN STALL WITHOUT WARNING ANYWHERE ANYTIME CAUSING ACCIDENT, INJURY ETC. THOUGH I'M TOLD IT'S DANGEROUS TO DRIVE SUBARU IS UNWILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EXCEPT PAYING HALF OF THEIR $8000 CHARGE FOR A RE-MANNED CVT...NO RECALL! WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE SUBARU? YOUR INTEGRITY IS COMPROMISED; YOUR CLAIM OF QUALITY IS FALSE. YOU WANT OWNERS TO PAY FOR YOUR TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM. THOUGH THE CVT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF FAILURE, SUBARU HASN'T SOLVED THE PROBLEM OR IMPROVED THE TECHNOLOGY. INSTEAD OWNERS PAY $4,000 FOR A NEW, FAULTY CVT AND SUBARU CONTINUES TO AVOID RECALL. BUYERS ARE THE LOSERS.”

“CVT TRANSMISSION STALLED ON FREEWAY, THEN LOCKED UP, PUTTING US INTO SKID. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY ACCIDENT. WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND LIMP TO EMERGENCY LANE. SPEED WAS 65 MPH ZONE. VERY SCARY FOR US. HAD PREVIOUSLY COMPLAINED TO SUBARU OF PROBLEM, BUT THEY DIDN'T GIVE IT A FULL DIAGNOSTIC AND SAID TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT BROKE. WE HAVE OPENED A CASE WITH SUBARU AMERICA.”