2012 Subaru Outback Engine Problems

After your 100k-mile service, your car began shaking when slowing down and stalling at stops. After sitting in neutral for 2-20 minutes, it would restart, though sometimes it wouldn't restart at all and needed to be towed. This problem happened repeatedly despite the dealer being unable to replicate it or find any diagnostic codes initially. Your Subaru dealer eventually diagnosed a faulty torque converter that needs replacement — a known issue in 2012 Outbacks that typically appears around 100k miles and was the subject of a warranty extension bulletin issued in 2017.

Your car is having trouble starting and sometimes won't start even with a jump, with the check engine light coming on and off. When it rains, multiple warning lights appear on the dashboard. A dealer diagnosed multiple issues including a misfiring cylinder, a failed catalytic converter, worn brake pads and rotors, a bad PCV valve, a cracked valve cover gasket, and a dirty air filter. The catalytic converter was identified as needing replacement first, but the problems continued even after some repairs were attempted. Fixing this will likely require replacing the catalytic converter, valve cover gasket, PCV valve, and brake components, along with addressing the engine misfire.

A week after a routine oil change, your car suddenly jerked while cruising on the highway at 65 mph, and the brake and engine warning lights came on. Your acceleration dropped significantly, and the dealership diagnosed that cylinders 1 and 4 are not firing correctly. After checking spark plugs and fuel injectors without success, the dealer says your engine pistons and valves need to be machined, and they're contacting Subaru about warranty coverage since this appears to be an emerging issue affecting multiple Subaru vehicles.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEWEY GRIFFIN SUBARU (1800 IOWA ST, BELLINGHAM, WA 98229, (360) 734-8700) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 155,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

ON OCTOBER 16TH, 2020 WHILE DRIVING OUR 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY HUSBAND AND I PULLED OVER, LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAW STEAM COMING FROM THE ENGINE NEAR THE RADIATOR. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND THE TECH STATED BOTH HEAD GASKETS WERE FAILING. THE VEHICLE HAD 156,000 MILES ON IT AND WE ENDED UP PAYING OVER $2500 IN REPAIR COSTS. BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON THE CAR, I DID NOT PLAN TO SUBMIT A REPOT TO THE NHTSA. HOWEVER, I WAS NOTIFIED BY A RELATIVE TODAY THAT HER 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA WITH ONLY 68,000 MILES JUST EXPERIENCED HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED HER $4500 IN REPAIR. I HAVE ENCOURAGED HER TO SUBMIT THE ISSUE THROUGH NHTSA FOR FURTHER TRENDING PURPOSES AS I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A SAFETY CONCERN WITH SUBARUS.

THE VEHICLE STALLS COMPLETELY UPON SLOWING DOWN. THIS OCCURS FREQUENTLY AT STOP SIGNS, LIGHTS AND WHILE CROSSING A MAJOR ROAD AND WAITING HALFWAY ACROSS TO JOIN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. SUBARU DEALER SAYS IT IS A DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER BUT NO LONGER COVERED BY THE CVT WARRANTY EXTENSION. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE FIXED AT NO COST TO VEHICLE OWNER.

WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF A EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE CVT OF OUR OUTBACK. WE TOOK IT TO SUBARU DEALERSHIPS FOR MAINTANCE AND THEY FAILED TO TELL US ABOUT THE CVT GOING BAD CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN WE CONTACTED SUBARU CORPORATE THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. NOW WE HAVE HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT WHEN IT WAS UNDER THE MILEAGE BECAUSE IT WAS SHOWING SIGNS OF THE CVT GOING BAD AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS NEGLIGENT IN LETTING US KNOW OF THE PROBLEM. NOW WE FEEL OUR VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND SUBARU IS NOT WILLING TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEY KNEW ABOUT. WHEN WE FILL OUR TANK UP AT THE GAS STATION THE BREAK, TRACTION, CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS WILL BLINK AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL STOP WORKING WHILE THE LIGHTS ARE BLINKING. WE TOOK THE CAR TO DERREL WALTRUP DEALERSHIP IN NASHVILLLE TENNESSEE, SUBARU OF NASHVILLE AND SUBARU OF GALLITAN TN. ALL THREE DEALERSHIPS AGEED THAT THE ISSUE WITH OUR CAR IS DUE TO THE CVT WARRENTY ISSUE. WE ARE THE ONLY OWNERS OF THIS SUBARU AND HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE OF IT. WE WANT SUBARU TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND FIX THE DEFECT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE SAFE IN OUR CAR.

WHEN I BE DRIVING, AND APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, OR A STOP. MY CAR STALLS OUT. THIS HAPPENS MORE OFTEN, WHEN A DO A QUICK STOP. I BEGAN,NOTICING THIS CONDITION ABOUT A FEW MONTHS AGO,,APPROXIMATELY JANUARY 2020. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A RED LIGHT OR AN INTERSECTION, IT WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS POWERED OFF AND RESTARTED, IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TACOMA SUBARU (LOCATED AT 3838 S TACOMA WAY, TACOMA, WA 98409, (253) 473-6200) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

WHILE ON A 200 MILE TRIP ON RURAL INTERSTATE THE THERMOSTAT FAILED CAUSING HEAD GASKET TO BLOW AND ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. NO CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS DISPLAYED. SUDDENLY ALL CONTROL PANEL WARNING LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH. ALL COOLANT WAS EXPELLED FROM RADIATOR. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES. BY SHEAR LUCK I WAS AT AN EXIT WITH A SUBARU DEALER NEAR BY. HAVE ATTACHED REPAIR REPORT FROM SUBARU DEALER.

THE VEHICLE STALLS AND ABRUPTLY STOPS. THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, BUT THE DEALERSHIP IS DEMANDING $1300 TO FIX IT SINCE I'M OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS SHOULD NOT BE JUST A EXTENDED WARRANTY - THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE: THE VEHICLE STALLS IN TRAFFIC. IT CANNOT BE DRIVEN IN THIS CONDITION. TODAY IT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY INTERSECTION WHERE I WAS TURNING. I HAD A SEMI TRUCK BARRELLING DOWN AT ME ON AN ICY ROAD WHILE I DESPERATELY TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AND GET OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. THE SEMI SWERVED AND BARELY MISSED ME. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED!

ENGINE SHUDDERS THEN SHUTS OFF WHEN STOPPING. FREQUENTLY OCCURS WHEN COMING TO A STOP ON A CURVED ROAD NEAR MY HOME. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BEING REAR-ENDED. I HAVE TO THROW THE CAR IN PARK, RESTART AND THROW IT BACK IN DRIVE. DEALER REPLACED OIL SOLENOID VALVE FOR $350 AND IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW THEY WANT OVER $1500 TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY SAY IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND I HAD UNTIL JULY 2018 UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO TAKE CARE OF IT. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. I FEAR SPENDING ANOTHER $1500 WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I OWE ANOTHER YEAR OF PAYMENTS ON THIS VEHICLE AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE SUBARU. MILEAGE IS AROUND 155,000.

MY CAR SHUDDERS AND DIES WHEN BRAKING. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE A HARD BRAKE. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. IT HAPPENS WHILE I AM SLOWING FOR A STOP. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME IT IS RELATED TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER, WHICH IS EXPENSIVE TO FIX. I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BE REAR-ENDED. WITH HIGHWAY DRIVING THIS IS UNBELIEVABLY DANGEROUS. I KNOW THAT SUBARU EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE--ALTHOUGH I ONLY KNEW OF THIS BECAUSE MY MECHANIC TOLD ME. UNFORTUNATELY MY CAR JUST WENT OVER THE 100,000 MILE MARK, SO I'M UNSURE IF SUBARU WILL COVER THE REPAIR NEEDED. I REALLY BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD PROMPT A RECALL. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE.

WHEN BRAKING TO COME TO A STOP AT A LIGHT ON A SECONDARY ROAD OR STOP SIGN ON MY BACK STREET IN A STRAIGHT LINE THE ENGINE STALLS, THIS HAS EVEN HAPPENED WHEN I HAD TO BRAKE TO STOP FOR BACKED UP TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST AND AGAIN THIS MORNING. I TOLD MY DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE I NOTICED IDLE WOULD DROP OUT AND COME BACK WHILE AT A STOP, BUT I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOT AN ISSUE. I NOW READ THIS IS NOT TRUE AND HAS BEEN AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH THIS MANUFACTURER FOR SOME TIME AND IS A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE WITH THE CVT. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY OFFERED AND NOW EXPIRED BY SUBARU NEVER MENTIONED THE POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE OF STALLING DUE TO A FAULTY CVT, BUT ACTUALLY SEEMED TO SAY THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY ONLY APPLIED TO SHIFTING ISSUES SO I IGNORED IT AS THE CAR SHIFTED FINE BOTH AUTOMATICALLY AND MANUALLY AS DESIGNED. I FEEL VERY MISLED AND LET DOWN BY SUBARU WHO I ALWAYS THOUGHT WOULD PUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS FIRST, I GUESS NOT.

5 DAYS AFTER 120K MILE DEALER SERVICE (ALL WORK IS DONE BY SUBARU DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED) MORE DASH LIGHTS THAN WHAT SULLY SULLENBEGER HAD TO CONTENT WITH. OCCURRED WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC IN 90 DEGREE HEAT (WITH A 6 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR). DROVE IT 35 MILES TO GET IT TO THE DEALER. $2200 ESTIMATE TO REPLACE 2 HEAD GASKETS. DEALER IS TAKING $350 OFF. WORTH TALKING TO SUBARU CORP ABOUT ADDED COMPENSATION FOR A KNOW DEFECT? I SEE THE SAME ISSUE REPORTED ON LINE SHORTLY AFTER THE 100K OR 120K MILE DEALER CHECK UP.

MY WELL-MAINTAINED SUBARU OUTBACK LIMITED WITH 102,773 MILES OVERHEATED AND BLEW A HEAD GASKET OUT OF THE BLUE. JUST HAD THE MAJOR 100K MILE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DONE TOO. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED AT 100K AND THE DEALER SAYS IT WILL BE OVER $3K TO REPAIR. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARUS THAT THEY HAVE FAULTY HEAD GASKETS THAT FAIL BETWEEN 80-120K MILES. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH SUBARU QUALITY WITH SUCH A MAJOR ISSUE AT HALF LIFE OF MY OTHERWISE RELIABLE VEHICLE!

ENGINE LOCKED UP TRAVELLING 80 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE HAD 90,000 MILES ON IT AND IT WAS FULLY SERVICED AT 88,000 MILES BY A DEALERSHIP. NOTES FROM THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT: 'MOTOR CAME APART AT HIGH REV SPEED, 1 PISTON CRACKED, 1 PISTON GONE. EXCESSIVE METAL SCATTERED THROUGH COMPLETE ENGINE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD' "THE ENTIRE MOTOR (BLOCK, HEADS, VALVES, CAMSHAFTS, INTAKE MANIFOLD, ETC.) WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO METAL DEBRIS THROUGHOUT MOTOR."

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUTTERED AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MASTRIA SUBARU (1255 NEW STATE HWY, RAYNHAM, MA 02767) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BURNING OIL. THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,459.

ENGINE SHUDDERS, OR COMPLETELY STALLS AT A SUDDEN BRAKE TO STOP COMPLETELY. DRIVER MUST PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL OR PARK TO RE-START THE ENGINE. **** THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED BEGAN A YEAR AGO. DRIVER NOTICED VEHICLE WOULD SHUDDER OCCASIONALLY AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE FIRST TIME THAT THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED, DRIVER THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO WEATHER. THIS SHUDDERING AND STALLING BEGAN OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. WHEN DRIVER NOTICES THE SHUDDER, IF THE BRAKE PEDAL IS EASED UP, NORMAL RPMS RETURN. THE ENGINE WILL ALSO SOMETIMES SHUDDER DURING A TIGHT TURN AS WELL. WHILE TESTING DURING DRIVING/BREAKING THIS MORNING DRIVER MAINTAINED A SPEED OF 55 MPH FOR 1 MILE. DRIVER BEGAN BRAKING THE VEHICLE AT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN 2 LIGHT POLES (ON A COUNTRY ROAD) AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT FORWARD. ENGINE DIED. THE 2ND TIME THIS WAS TESTED, SAME SPEED SAME BRAKING DISTANCE, THIS TIME THE DRIVER WAS GOING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, SO UPON BRAKING THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED AT A 45 ANGLE. THE ENGINE DIED. WARNING LIGHTS: VEHICLE DYNAMICS, CHECK ENGINE, AWD, CHARGE WARNING (BATTERY) , AND OIL PRESSURE. THE CD PLAYER STAYED ON, THE FAN FOR HEAT/AC TURNED OFF.

3.6 ENGINE USES 1/2 QUART OIL AFTER 3000 MILE OIL CHANGE. CAR HAS ALWAY HAD 5W30 MOBILE 1 OIL USED IN IT SINCE WE HAD THE CAR. HAD SOME MINOR OIL CONSUMPTION AT FIRST BUT NOW IT IS BECOMING MORE COMMON. DEALERSHIP SAID IT CAUSE THE OIL MANUFACTURES ARE MAKING THE OIL THINNER SO THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM? SORRY I WAS NO NOT BORN YESTERDAY. 2 REASONS FOR OIL CONSUMPTION THAT I KNOW IS A OIL LEAK OR DEFECTIVE PISTON RINGS WHICH SUBARU HAS HAD ISSUES WITH ON OTHER MODEL CARS.

CAR IS STALLING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT STOPS. ENGINE HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP.

ENGINE UNEXPECTEDLY STALLS WHEN STOPPING. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION CAUSED AT STOPLIGHT BECAUSE OF STALLING.

MY SUBARU OUTBACK (2012) IS STALLING WHEN I NORMALLY OR A LITTLE HARDER USE THE BRAKE.I HAVE TO ROLL IN AND STOP VERY SLOWLY. SOMETIMES IT'S EVEN STALL WHEN I'M GOING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN REVERSE OR JUST STARTING UP AT A GREEN LIGHT. IT'S STALLING EVERY DAY FOR THE LAS 3 WEEKS. (TODAY IS, FEBRUARY 23, 2017).

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