2006 Subaru Outback Fuel System Problems

Your car shut off while driving at 55 MPH, with check engine and cruise control warning lights appearing on the dashboard. The vehicle entered limp mode, allowing you to safely steer to the shoulder. A mechanic diagnosed the problem as a defective throttle body, which was then repaired.

WHILE MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK WAS AT THE DEALER FOR THE EXPANDED TAKATA RECALL, THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THEY FOUND A LEAK IN MY GAS TANK. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ONLINE AND CAN'T IMAGINE WHY THIS IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED AS A SAFETY CONCERN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BERTERA SUBARU (499 RIVERDALE ST, WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA 01089, (413) 734-4964) AND A SMOKE TEST WAS COMPLETED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT A NEW FUEL TANK WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE SAME DEALER. AT THAT TIMES, A SMOKE TEST WAS COMPLETED AND THE FUEL CAP WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD PROVIDE A SMALL ALLOWANCE TOWARDS THE REPAIR OR TOWARDS A NEW OR USED VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING LOST ALL POWER, GOT OFF ROAD ,ENGINE STILL RUN BUT WOULD NOT MOVE, FINALLY,RESTARTED AND GOT HOME, CHECKED CODES,P2138 CAME UP.THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN,HAVE READ REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHERS. WHAT HAS SUBARU DONE TO CORRECT BIG SAFETY PROBLEM!!! HAS THIS BECOME A RECALL.NOW SCARED TO DRIVE.

TODAY I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I ACCELERATED, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPUTTER OUT. I TRIED TO PULL OVER BUT MY CAR HAD NO POWER. IT BEGAN TO SPUTTER THEN DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I WAS STRANDED AT 9AM ON BROADWAY WITH MY 1.5 YEAR OLD AND 2 WEEK OLD. I TRIED TO START MY CAR MULTIPLE TIMES FOR 8 MINUTES UNTIL ONE ATTEMPT IT TURNED OVER, THIS TIME WITH MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT FLASHING. IT LIMPED AROUND FOR A WHILE AS I TOOK IT TO A SHOP I WAS TOLD THE CODE READ 'THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR'. WHICH I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANYTHING ABOUT LET ALONE FIND IT IN A STORE OR ONLINE. THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS AND I HAVE LOST UTTER FAITH IN MY SUBARU.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE ACCELERATOR BECAME NON-RESPONSIVE. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOVE 65 MPH AND LOST POWER. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING AT IDLE BUT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN WHEN PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR. I TURNED CAR OFF AND WAITED FOR 15-20 MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THEN SEEMED TO WORK AS NORMAL. MY HUSBAND READ THE SES CODE (P2138 THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR). HE CHECKED THE WIRING CONNECTION AT THE FOOT PEDAL AND IT SEEMED FINE. HE RESET THE CODE WITH HIS CODE READER. THE CAR DROVE FINE WITH NO ISSUES FOR ABOUT 3-4 WEEKS BUT THEN HAD THE SAME ISSUE RECUR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I WAS VERY LUCKY I WASN'T IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF TRAFFIC WHEN THIS OCCURRED. IF I WAS I WAS PRETTY MUCH A SITTING DUCK AS THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE ARE QUITE OF FEW OTHER PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET THAT MENTION THEY HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS ISSUE HOWEVER MOST OF THEM DON'T MENTION THEY REPORTED THE ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS BEING DEPRESSED. THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE CONTACT HAD TO OPEN THE FUEL COVER, OPEN AND CLOSE THE FUEL CAP, CLOSE THE FUEL COVER, AND START THE ENGINE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

THREE TIMES I HAVE LOST ALL ACCELERATION WHILE IN MOTION, WITH THE CAR AND ENGINE SLOWING TO IDLE SPEED EVEN THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. THIS OCCURRED TWICE ON TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS AND ONCE IN MY DRIVEWAY. IN ALL CASES, THE CAR RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER BEING TURNED OFF FOR A SHORT TIME AND RESTARTED. MY MECHANIC IS LOOKING INTO A POSSIBLE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE ISSUE. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FIND THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH 2006 OUTBACKS AND OTHER SUBARUS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT COULD PROVE DEADLY IF IT HAPPENS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND SUBARU SHOULD ADDRESS IT.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. SHE WAS DRIVING IN WINTER CONDITIONS. SHE WAS DRIVING THE 2 MILE BRIDGE TO OUR HOME WHEN THE ACCELERATION SUDDENLY FAILED AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SLOWED FROM 55 MPH TO 35 MPH. THE ROADS HAD SNOW AND ICE ON THEM. THE VEHICLE BEHIND HER CLOSED IN ON THE REAR OF OUR SUBARU AND BEGAN HONKING AND FLASHING ITS LIGHTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IN OUR CAR CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FLASHED. SHE WAS SCARED BY THE MISFUNCTION. THE CAR REVVED UP ABOVE 4000 RPMS WHEN SHE PUT IT INTO PARK. SHE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND I CHECKED AND FOUND AN ERROR CODE. P2138. THE ACCELERATOR HAS 2 CIRCUITS THAT RELAY THE DESIRED SPEED TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER. WHEN THE CIRCUITS DON'T MATCH THE COMPUTER CUTS THE SPEED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I THINK THAT THE ENGINEERING BEHIND THIS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE RE THOUGHT SO THAT THIS DOESN'T OCCUR. I READ OTHER REPORTS ONLINE OF PEOPLE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHO HAD NEAR ACCIDENTS. *TR

VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CONTROL ABRUPTLY WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS HAPPENED TWICE OVER A TWO WEEK PERIOD. LUCKY TO HAVE AVOIDED REAR END COLLISIONS BOTH TIMES AS I WAS TRAVELING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. IF I HAD BEEN IN MIDDLE OR LEFT LANE THERE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN SERIOUS MULTIPLE VEHICLE COLLISIONS ON A DENSELY CROWDED I5 WHERE PEOPLE DON'T LEAVE SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCES. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT SUBARU SHOP AND FOUND ERROR CODE P2138= ACCEL. PEDAL SENSOR CIRCUIT. REPLACED ACCEL PEDAL SENSOR FOR $269. *TR

I WAS PARKED IN A SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT. WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE AND PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE THE GAS PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I JUST ROLLED ALONG WITH NO POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I ROLLED INTO ANOTHER PARKING SPACE. I READ IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL THAT IT COULD BE AN EMISSION CONTROL PROBLEM OR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GAS CAP. I TOOK THE GAS CAP OFF AND RE-SEATED IT AND WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN ON THE THIRD TRY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE CAR HAD POWER AGAIN AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS RESPONSIVE. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THE CODE TO BE P3128. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY OR ANYWHERE IN BUSY TRAFFIC. I HAD THE ENTIRE THROTTLE/PEDAL ASSEMBLY REPLACED AT A COST OF APROX. $500 AND HOPE THAT THIS SOLVES THE PROBLEM. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATOR CONTROL IN TRAFFIC. CANNOT REV ENGINE OR MAINTAIN SPEED ABOVE 600 RPM/5 MPH; BARELY IDLING. CODES ON ECU INDICATE THROTTLE BODY POSITIONING SENSOR FAILURE. EVENTUALLY HAD TO REPLACE THROTTLE BODY TO RESOLVE PROBLEM. *TR

SAME SYMPTOM HAPPENED TWICE: ONCE JUST AFTER STARTING FROM A SERVICE AREA ON THE INTERSTATE, THE SECOND ON SUBURBAN ROADS I DESCRIBE HERE. DURING A NORMAL 30 MILE SUBURBAN TRIP, AFTER ABOUT 20 MILES THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE CONTINUED RUNNING BUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEEMED TO HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE ENGINE SPEED OR POWER. AFTER COASTING TO A STOP AND TURNING THE ENGINE OFF FOR A MINUTE THE CAR STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY, THOUGH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A DAY OR SO. WHEN WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO INTERPRET THE CHECK ENGINE CODES; AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT THEY FOUND A P2138 CODE -- "ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR" FAILURE. THEY REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY AND THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE RUNNING CORRECTLY AGAIN. AS I UNDERSTAND IT THE ISSUE IS A FAILURE IN THE ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR: THERE ARE DUAL SENSORS IN THE ASSEMBLY AND IF THEIR READINGS DIFFER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS EFFECTIVELY "DISCONNECTED" AND THE DRIVER LOSES ALL POWER. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE: THE FAILURE COULD JUST AS WELL HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT HIGH SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A SAFE STOP, AND HAVING THE FIRST INDICATION OF TROUBLE BEING "LOSING ALL POWER" IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. *TR

HAPPENED TWICE IN ONE WEEK. ALL OF SUDDEN, ACCELERATOR NOT RESPONSIVE AND LOST OF POWER. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND CRUISE FLASHING. AFTER TURNING ON AND OFF OR STAY OFF FOR A NIGHT, LIGHTS WENT OUT THEMSELVES. ERROR CODE P2138 ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR. CHECK SENSOR NO OBVIOUS LOOSE ON CONNECTOR. PRESS CONNECT ON AND NO ISSUE SO FAR. IT SEEMS THE CONNECTOR TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR AND EASY TO KICKED OR TOUCHED BY FOOT. \ CAR WAS BOUGHT IN BUFFALO WEST HERR SUBARU AND USED IN TORONTO. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 70MPH IN THE FAST LANE DOWN THE HIGHWAY I TURNED CRUISE CONTROL ON. AS SOON AS THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED ALL THROTTLE WAS LOST. WHILE IN MOTION I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL THEN BACK INTO DRIVE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS DECELERATING SO I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE SAFELY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND THEN BACK ON. THE ACCELERATION CAPABILITY RETURNED BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO READ THE CODE WHICH CAME BACK AS THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY SUBARU AMERICA. *TR

I WAS ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY ENTRANCE IN MY SUBARU OUTBACK (WITH MY WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN) WHEN I NOTICE A COMPLETE LOSS IN THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE CAR WAS JUST BARELY MOVING DUE TO THE ENGINE IDLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I DROVE AT THAT PACE TO A PARKING LOT TO CHECK MY OPTIONS. I HAD NOT NOTED, UNTIL NOW, THAT THIS CAR HAS NO THROTTLE CABLE AND IS COMPLETELY DRIVE-BY-WIRE. I LOOKED AT THE CONNECTION OF WIRE HARNESS TO THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND DID NOT SEE ANY RED FLAGS - NO CORROSION, ETC. IT APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF, WAITED ABOUT 30 SEC, AND RESTARTED IT. IT THEN GOT US HOME. WHEN I GOT HOME TONIGHT, I RAN MY OBD DIAGNOSTIC TOOL AND GOT A P2138 ERROR CODE. THIS IS LISTED AS "THROTTLE/PEDAL POSITION SENSOR/SWITCH "D"/"E" VOLTAGE CORRELATION" TROUBLE CODE DESCRIPTION. I AM GOING TO CHECK INTO MY OPTIONS TOMORROW, BUT FELT THIS WAS WORTH REPORTING SINCE IT APPEARS THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. THERE IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN WITH A FAILURE OF THIS NATURE AS I WAS TRAVELING AT A GOOD RATE AND IN TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, EVERYONE IS OK - BUT MY WIFE AND I WORRY WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THANKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE IN COLDER WEATHER, HE SMELLS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 02/17/10. *LJ UPDATED 02/18/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON. THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT SOURCE OF THE ODOR. WHEN UTILIZING THE HEATER OR DEFROST SYSTEM, THE ODOR BECAME OVERPOWERING. WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ODOR WAS NOT AS STRONG, YET STILL PRESENT. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,903 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,198.