What 290 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Subaru Outback

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while entering the vehicle, it was discovered that rainwater had leaked into the vehicle from the sunroof. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on six separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the cause of the failure was due to the sunroof drainage tubes being clogged with debris. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that an unknown TSB addressing the failure had been issued by the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 16,781.

NHTSA ODI 11533208

WHILE DRIVING APPROX. 60 MPH ON HIGHWAY, 5/12/19, IN LIGHT RAIN/MIST WITH MILD TEMPS AROUND 50 DEGREES F., I HEARD A SUDDEN "BAM!" AND THOUGHT MY WINDSHIELD WAS SHOT AT BY A SHOTGUN BUT IT WASN'T. KEPT DRIVING BUT HEARD A SWOOSHING OF AIR SOUND. ALL WINDOWS WERE UP SO I SLID THE SHADE PANEL OPEN TO SEE THE SUNROOF AND SAW A HOLE THE SHAPE OF TENNESSEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUNROOF WITH THE GLASS AROUND THE HOLE POINTING UPWARD....AS THOUGH IT WAS A FORCED EXPLOSION FROM THE INSIDE OUT. NO BROKEN GLASS OR FOREIGN OBJECT WAS FOUND LAYING INSIDE THE SHADE PANEL. NO ROCK OR METEORITE WAS SEEN FLYING MY WAY WHILE DRIVING. EITHER AN OBJECT FELL FROM THE SKY DIRECTLY INTO THE CENTER OF MY SUNROOF OR THE SUNROOF EXPLODED ON ITS OWN.

NHTSA ODI 11207194

MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY TURNED ON EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN THE OFF POSITION. THERE WAS NO WAY TO TURN THEM OFF EXCEPT TO PULL THE FUSE UNDER THE HOOD. THIS CREATES A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. LEAVING THE WIPERS RUNNING ON A DRY WINDSHIELD ALSO CAN DAMAGE THE WIPERS AND WINDSHIELD. I FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM SUBARU (ATTACHED) THAT DESCRIBES A SWITCH WHERE MOISTURE AND GREASE CAUSED THE SWITCH TO SHORT. THE SWITCH HAD BEEN REDESIGNED. I PAID 150.00 TO HAVE THE SWITCH REPLACED. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 10971050

I CALLED PRESTIGE SUBARU, IN ASHEVILLE, NC IN JANUARY, 2017 AND WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART TO REPLACE THE "WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR BOTTOM COVER" AT THAT TIME; THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART. OKAY. SO I MADE AN APPOINTMENT APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS IN ADVANCE, FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9TH. A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE THAT, A LADY FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED TO SAY THE PART DID NOT COME IN, SO THERE WAS NO NEED TO COME FOR THE APPOINTMENT; AND SHE WOULD CALL US FOR ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WHEN IT DID COME IN. I GUESS I LEARNED THAT IT TAKES SUBARU DEALERS A LONG TIME TO GET PARTS, BECAUSE AS OF MARCH 20TH, 2017, THE DAY I WRITE THIS, SHE NOR ANYONE ELSE HAS CALLED TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. TWO OR THREE WEEKS PASSED AND I PHONED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ASKED FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER'S NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. I PHONED HIS NUMBER AND HAD TO LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR HIM TO PHONE ME BACK AT MY PHONE NUMBER, WHICH HE HAS NOT DONE TO THIS CURRENT DATE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WILL NOT TAKE MY CAR TO PRESTIGE SUBARU FOR ANY KIND OF SERVICE. EXCUSES OF, I DIDN'T GET THE MESSAGE, OR, I LOST HIS NUMBER, OR, WE HAVE NO RECORD HIM CALLING, ETC., WILL NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR HONEST TRUTHFULNESS. JUST NOW THAT I HAVE ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE ON ANOTHER PART, I WILL SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI 10967239

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V694000 (VISIBILITY); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ODI 10956302

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED AND CAUSED THE GLASS TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

NHTSA ODI 10865663

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM MASTRIA SUBARU OF RAYNHAM MA. IT HAD A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD THAT WAS IN THE DRIVERS DIRECT VIEW OF THE ROAD.IT INITIALLY FAILED INSPECTION FOR THIS ,WE WERE TOLD TO COME BACK TO HAVE IT FIXED.THEY DID VERY LITTLE BUT MAKE THE PROBLEM WORSE.THEN THEY PASSED IT FOR INSPECTION,WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER HE SAID IT WAS OUR PROBLEM HAVE YOUR INSURANCE FIX IT.NOW WE HAVE A VEHICLE THAT IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE BECAUSE THERE IS A CRACK IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER.IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM?I KNOW FROM BEING A NY STATE INSPECTOR FOR 10 YEARS THAT IS NOT PASSABLE AND IS A DANGER TO THE DRIVER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10703756

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE SUNROOF SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

NHTSA ODI 10638441

SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR, WHILE DRIVING FOR 15-60 MINUTES WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP AND DEPENDING ON CONDITIONS, MYSELF AND/OR ANOTHER PASSENGER WILL BEGIN TO FEEL VERY LIGHT HEADED, IRRITATED EYES, HARD TO FOCUS, AND NEARLY PASS OUT. IT'S A FORCED SITUATION LIKE BEING PUT IN A CHOKE HOLD OR SUFFOCATED GENTLY NOT JUST FEELING RELAXED OR COMFY. THE EFFECTS LAST FOR SOME TIME DEPENDING ON EXPOSURE TOO. WE COULD BE LIVELY WITH GOOD ENERGY, BUT USING THE CAR AS SAID WILL KILL IT. IT ALSO OCCURS FASTER THE MORE YOU BREATHE. THE ONLY CURE IS FRESH AIR. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE HVAC SYSTEM FIRST, BUT THE FAN SPEED DOESN'T SEEM TO AFFECT IT SO I'D GUESS IT'S SOMETHING ELSE. MY BEST GUESS IS IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE REAR TAIL GATE SEAL NOT SEALING RIGHT SUCKING IN EXHAUST. THE REASON WE CAN'T READILY IDENTIFY A SMELL IS PROBABLY BECAUSE IT'S A PZEV SYSTEM, AND IT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A TYPICAL EXHAUST ODOR. SUBARU REFUSED TO HELP AND SAID "IT SMELLS FINE". AFTER A MONTH OF TRYING THEY FINALLY AGREED TO DO A RIDE ALONG FOR JUST 30 MINUTES. AFTER COMPLETION ONE SAID "I DON'T FEEL ANYMORE TIRED THAN USUAL" AND THE OTHER AGREED. THEY ALSO TOLD ME AT ONE POINT AUTO NATION'S SUBARU REGIONAL REP SAID "YOU CAN PUT YOUR MOUTH ON THE TAIL PIPE AND SUCK ON IT AND YOU'LL BE FINE"... IN THE END I JUST TRADED IT IN FOR A 2013 OUTBACK BUT SOMEONE ELSE WILL OWN THIS CAR SOON. THIS CAR NEEDS A REAL INSPECTION BEFORE SOMEONE ACTUALLY DIES FROM IT. I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE SURVIVED BECAUSE PROLONGED USE OVER A FEW WEEKS MAKES THE EFFECTS WORSE BUT IF DRIVEN SOMEONE WHO ISN'T VERY ALERT PROBABLY WILL FALL ASLEEP AND CRASH. I ALMOST DID A FEW TIMES AND WHY I SPENT THIS SUMMER WITHOUT AC EXCEPT IN MY TESTS, ALL BAD. AGAIN, I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, OTHER PASSENGERS HAVE TOO. MY NEW OUTBACK DOESN'T HAVE THIS ISSUE EITHER. PLEASE KEEP ME UPDATED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10537139