2015 Subaru Outback engine problems

“NHTSA issued a notice for a recall on the 2015 Subaru Outback for an exhaust pipe bellows crack which causes exhaust noise and odor which affects emission and engine performance. I had noticed our Subaru's exhaust smoke coming in through the air vents while idling and also a general loss of power for the vehicle. When I dug into the causes, I came across this recall and did the VIN look up on the NHTSA website and also the Subaru website for active recalls. The Subaru website states that the recall was completed. I then called the subaru retailer to check if there were any records for the recall work that was completed for NHTSA ID Number: 10199936. They could not find any records. I called in Subaru corporate to see if they could shed any light on the recall. Subaru corporate says that the recall work was performed on August 6th, 2020 but is unable to tell me where it was performed or even if it was actually replaced. My local Subaru dealer has no records and Subaru corporate says that the work was performed. I am stuck with an exhaust leak that is potentially dangerous as time goes on where it might fail emissions. Subaru corporate has not wanted to address…”

“I was within the town limits so I was driving slowly. When I approached the first stop light in town I saw that it was red. There were of three or four vehicles stopped at that light. At that point I was probably only going 5mph. I took my foot off of the gas pedal and put my foot on the brake to make a slow stop. Instead, the car accelerated rather quickly. I continued to brake but the car seemed to speed up. I was able to avoid hitting the truck in front of me by going around it. No vehicles were coming towards me but there were some stopped at the other side of the light. I drove up on the sidewalk to avoid hitting anyone. At that point the front passenger side of the car hit & snapped a pole. The car did not stop immediately upon impact. It stopped acclerating and came to a stop about 10 feet past the pole. I am not sure how fast the car was moving when it hit the pole but I was only going about 5 mph when I put my foot on the break. I would estimate the distance my car traveled from the moment I put my foot on the break until the car stopped was approximately 100-120 feet. It felt like the car went into the cruise resume mode and was trying to accelerate…”

“The cam carrier has a leak that is causing oil to slowly leak out of the car. The current issue is causing me to have to regularly add oil to the car. My safety is at risk as the car engine could fail while driving which would be me and others at risk. My understanding is that the leaking oil could also cause other parts to fail such as the O2 sensor. The recommended repair from the local Subaru dealer is to reseal the cam carrier at an estimated cost of $4,744. I attempted to contact Subaru after reading that many others have had this same issue and some have received monetary compensation to get the repair completed after complaining. Subaru has been very difficult to get in touch with and doesn't seem to want to respond to the issue. The only warning I have had was the oil engine light coming on multiple times to which I proceeded to add oil to the car.”

“The car had a recall on it for the catalytic converter and front pipe and bellows being cracked. It was replaced under a service bulletin put out by Subaru at 104,000 miles in 2020. I just went to get the vehicle inspected in 5/2023 and the exact same part is failing once again. It will not pass inspection. This causes exhaust to leak back into the car (including carbon monoxide) given the converter/bellows are parts that come off the engine right under the driver/passenger's front seat. I have called corporate Subaru to see what could be done and they refuse to do anything since they told me the car is a 2015 and had 167,000+ miles. At this point, it will cost me a few thousand dollars to fix at which point has to be done by Subaru and they will replace it with the exact same parts that have proven time and time again to be a poor design and fail. Or I can take it to an exhaust specialist to be fixed.”

“#1. I replaced the battery in June of 2022 after all the dash warning lights came on. My eyesight safety feature was rendered in operative. After the battery was replaced, all the warning lights eventually went out. In July of 2023 the same scenario happened again. I returned to Advance Auto retailer and the store manager checked the battery. She replaced the battery with a new one of greater cold cranking amps. she was most knowledgeable and extraordinarily gracious. I asked her to check the alternator for proper function and was told it was functioning as it should. #2. On June 07, 2023, I took the automobile in for service: oil and filter change and brake pads and rotors on all four wheels. My Subaru had 68,482 miles on this date. The technician (who previously was employed by a local Subaru dealership) noticed that the engine was leaking oil and diagnosed the timing cover gasket was leaking oil. Oil leaking would contribute to the bad smells entering the passenger compartment. The gasket and three seals were replaced at a cost of $1329.94 plus 8% tax. Online research reveals that Subaru"s boxer engine suffers chronic oil consumption and seal problems.…”

“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 67 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to approximately 25-30 MPH while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. After pulling over to the side of the roadway, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact's wife stated that the failure had occurred a year prior while driving approximately 55 MPH. The failure only lasted for several seconds. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,700.”