I have a 2001 Subaru outback. Recently I've noticed a rattle when I accelerate, especially when I take off from a dead stop. I sounds like it's coming from the front wheel area. It also occurs sometimes when making a turn and then accelerate. It almost sounds like an object in a box and someone is shaking the box-very noticeable.
View 3 RepliesI have a 2000 Subaru Outback with a little over 162,000 miles. About 3 years ago I had the head gaskets replaced. This past March the car started over heating while on the highway driving back to Boston from New Jersey. It has been doing this intermittently since then, and I have had two mechanics look at it.
The first mechanic, who is my beloved mechanic in Maine (where I am originally from), checked the sensors and relays. He even replaced the relays for free, and it still overheated on the way back from Maine to Boston. Needless to say I did not give him enough time to really look at my car to figure out the problem.
I then went to my back up mechanic in Boston, who kept the car for about 4 days. He said there are no leaks and the car did not actually over heat while with him. He had one of his guys drive the car home at night and back to the shop in traffic in the AM, and had it run for hours while on a lift, and on the ground. Still no overheating. However, he did say that the car was eating up coolant, which indicated to him that there might be a head gasket problem.
I was a little upset by this diagnosis because I had them replaced already, and also because I am getting married this summer so this obviously is not the right time to be buying a new car. I should mention that both mechanics looked at my car at the end of August. I have still been driving and watching the coolant.
The car is still randomly overheating but i tend to notice it happen more while in stop and go traffic and when I accelerate. The needle will go all the way up to red, stay there for a few seconds and then slowly creep down. This happened this morning, and I had checked the coolant yesterday and it was full! I checked it again at lunch time to see if it had used all the coolant during rush hour and it was still full. This chain of events seems to keep happening and I constantly check the coolant. Since August I have only had to fill it once. I have also noticed that when I open the radiator cap the coolant is not sitting level like I've been told it should. I've put a decent amount of work into the car and everything else runs perfectly.
Is it possible that this is a pumping or air bubble problem, and not a head gasket?
Over the last several months, the frequency with which my 2007 Subaru Outback is "shuddering" when I accelerate from a stop has been increasing. It feels like driving over a cattle grate -- a vibration that lasts for just a few seconds, and occurs in the 35-45 mph range. Now is happening on a daily basis, a couple of times per day. Based on some internet searchers, I concluded this might be a torque converter problem. Took it to the mechanic today and, of course, couldn't reproduce the problem with them present. They replaced the transmission fluid with a synthetic fluid and replaced the transmission filter.
View 8 RepliesI have purchased number 4024, in CW, and I am posting to ask about the transmission. During take off from a dead stop, the car tends to jitter. Not a fast repetitive jitter, more like a slow, stalling out feeling. a go stop go stop go stop go that blends in to each perspective motion. Now when I purchased the car, it had already been modified by member CWR32. The mods included GIAC software, intake, exhaust as well as suspension, bar, skid plate and all of that good jazz.
What I am trying to figure out is if any of your cars do or has done the same, either stock or modified. I have read something stating that the software controlling transmissions such as DSG determines how smooth the transition of gears will be. Is it possible that the tranny software was upgraded, is this tranny REALLY that clunky, does yours tend to do the same.
There is also a slight tendency for the car to jar roughly when put into reverse or first if i let off the brake quickly.
2010 F150 XLT FX4 5.4L Crew Cab Medium box, nice blue truck, lacking on chrome though.
My friend has a clunk/lag on take off from a dead stop only. Drives fine down the road, but when taking off from a complete stop, you step on the gas, and nothing happens for a second, feels like it lags, then clunks, gives a jerk, and takes off.
From talking to other newer Ford owners, seems like a common problem.
As I said when I take off from a dead stop I can feel a clunk or a bump that feels like it is coming from the rear wheels. I can feel it more than I can hear it, although I can hear it a little. It is difficult to describe this. It is only for a second and kinda feels like the rear wheels have no traction then it bumps and takes off. If I ease into the accelerator I can avoid it, but I don't have to hit it real hard at all to get it to do it. I am sure it is not u-joints as I put a brand new drive shaft from driveshaft specialist on in the spring.
View 3 RepliesI have a 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback (automatic) that has 176,779miles on it. I live in San Francisco and only drive the car occasionally every 2-3 weekends out of the city. Recently within the past month I have noticed that after turning on my car and once it is in drive for the first 10-15 minutes it has a hard time getting past 20 mph. When I put the foot on the accelerator to go past 20mph the rpm goes way up to 4, 5 or 6. Once it gets past this then car is smooth and I have no problems. This problem seems to go away within 10-15 minutes of driving or if I turn my car off and then on again it seems to go away. I called my mechanic and they said it could be that the transmission fluid is low. I checked the level and it is perfectly normal.
View 2 RepliesI have a 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback that has been having a sporadic starting problem for almost two years. Occasionally and mostly when it's cold, but not always, the car will sound like it's going to start for a second and then go dead. I will have to turn the key over and over, sometimes many times until it "catches". And so far it's always started, eventually. I have a new alternator and battery, the belts are newer, a rebuilt engine with about 50,000 miles and have had the starter and relay system checked, which was okay. My mechanic, who's been working on Subarus for years, is stumped. He says to wait until it happens again and have it towed in so he can look at the car while it's acting up.
View 6 RepliesMy 06 FX4 has 106k it started acting up shifting last week and its driving me crazy not knowing what part to change. Sometimes when I take off slowly from a dead stop it shifts really quickly into o/d by the time I am at 15-20mph. Doesn't matter far as hot/cold but if i accelerate quickly it doesn't seem to do it. I have read it could be the Shift solenoid or TPS.
View 2 RepliesI have a 2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport with ~140,000 miles on it. Recently, it's started having a problem, where when I make a right hand turn, it fails to accelerate until the wheel is straight...as if it's revving but not catching/accelerating until I've straightened the wheel and am headed straight onto whatever road I've just turned onto...does that make sense?
It tends to happen more at 1st start up in the morning...and then, once its warmed up it's not as bad, but still present. Left hand turns I don't notice it...maybe because they aren't as sharp? Also, fyi, the check engine light has been on for a while, but I know this is due to the catalytic converter..and am saving up to get that replaced.
All of the sudden the remote to my 2009 Subaru Outback stopped working. The car doesn't respond at all. I mentioned this when I had the car in for service and they tested my remote. They detected a signal that it was sending out so that means something is wrong on the car side and the remote appears to be functioning fine. Unfortunately I only have 1 remote (bought the car used). I didn't have them look any further into it because they admitted that they had no idea what the problem could be and it would take time to investigate. What the problem could be?
View 9 RepliesI just replaced both front strut mounts on my 2005 Outback 3.0L. I was 100% sure that it would resolve an ongoing noise/rattle in the front end when driving over bumps and generally rough roads. It worked with some of the noise because the strut mount bearings were shot. But much to my disappointment after putting everything back together I still have a rattle (more like the sound when you shake a shoe box with a tennis ball inside it) in the right front suspension somewhere. When lifted the right front wheel is solid with no wobble left to right or top to bottom so I"m thinking it is not a tie rod but I am not a professional mechanic. Should I take the right front strut back off and check the new mount or is there an easier answer.
View 3 RepliesHeard a funny intermittent rattle and my mechanic told me that my check engine light should be going on any time now as my cat converter is bad. The part is about a thousand bucks! Looked on line and see some aftermarket ones from walker and some other retailers. My car has 103K miles on it,.
View 17 RepliesI have a 2009 Subaru Outback with 60K miles and this problem has been present since I purchased with 30K miles. When turning left or right over uneven surfaces (like washboard dirt road, potholes, or strips of Botts' dots in a parking garage) there is a loud, audible rattle coming from the front end. It sounds like to metal pipes hitting together. The noise does not happen when driving straight.
Subaru and another garage have inspected. Front struts and sway bar links have been replaced with no effect. CV joints, ball joints have all been inspected with no issues found.
I read on a forum that it may have something to do with the power steering fluid, that when turning there is uneven pressure on both sides and it results in the noise. Possible at the steering column universal joint.
I assume since it only happens to some Subarus that replacing the correct parts will resolve the issue.
2000 Subaru Legacy Outback (or is it Outback Legacy.....I've never known)165000 milesWhite
I have this chronic and intermittent problem with my Subaru. It's been going on for years. I had it to the dealership a few time as well as other mechanics, but of course, it never misbehaves then.
Here's the problem. The car always will start when cold. Occasionally when you go somewhere, primarily short errands etc. the first stop is no problem but when you stop at the next place and come back a short while later (5-15 minutes) it will not start. It does not make a sound. Lights work. The battery is just fine. Stopping on long trips is especially problematic.
At first, it would cure itself after opening the hood, scratching your head, etc. and closing the hood. Or maybe it was slamming the door but you could depend on it starting after some hocus pocus like that. Now it seems to be getting worse. However, there is one thing that so far never fails.... you can jump it and it will fire right up. Remember, the battery is not low, but jumping works.
Actually, the battery is just about a year old. One time it died and when I couldn't get it to start after a long time I thought it was finally my chance to get a mechanic to trouble shoot it. So after towing and about $300 between troubleshooting fees and the diagnosis that the battery was shot, they were confident they had solved the problem. No such luck
I can say confidently that the battery terminal connections are clean and tight. I've checked the wire and mount on the starter too.
I went to start my 07 Subaru Outback 2.5i yesterday morning with both kiddos in the car and it seemed to begin to start and then just seemed to stop the starting sequence. When the key was in the ignition in the on position, the lights work, the radio works, everything thing besides the engine seems to work, BUT above the odometer there was an error reading "Er HC', and the temp gauge was as high as it would go on H but the car had not been run for over 24 hours at that point. The fan to the engine seems to be running also when in the on position which I do not remember happening normally, maybe it is always on when the engine is on but b/c the engine is not on I can now hear the fan?
Tried over and over again to start it but the engine never made another sound and every time the lights would turn on and the error message would appear over the odometer.I ran a scan for any engine problem codes but it said it was clear. We tried jumping the car, but the battery is fine (all lights come on, radio works etc). The car has never missed any maintenance and has always had its oil changed every 3000 to 3500 miles. The car has 62000 on it and just (in the last 1500 miles) had its 60000 mile tune up at the dealership.
We had the front two control arm bushings replaced at Les Schwab (b/c it was less then 1/2 the price of the dealer), they were cracked, but all the other stuff was normal and really they were changing fluids etc. at the dealer and didn't replace anything. Our car has never had any problems besides the control arm bushings just being replaced and now this. We had to have it towed to the dealership and it has been there now for over 24 hours and they have told us 'we have never seen this problem.
My Subaru 2000 Outback is dying occasionally when I come to a stop. It will stutter and die. I can restart it and everything is fine. It does not happen everytime, but happens more when I come to stop quickly, less when I come to a gradual stop. What is this?
View 3 RepliesI have just bought a 2000 Passat 30valve V6, from a dead stop when I accelerate it makes a weird "thud" sound and feeling under my feet, almost like when you have a broken tranny mount on a chevy. I have been told that it is the "TPS" or throttle body?? It does not do this shifting into any other gear.
View 2 RepliesMy Subaru Outback is dying on me when I come to a stop and has happened when just idling. I have been told it is the torque converter and replacement is 2 thousand.
View 7 RepliesMy husband I purchased a 2012 Subaru Outback May 2012, we notice a hesitation when we first drove it and couple weeks later it started stalling out, now it stalls about every other day, we have noticed that ours is after a 15 to 20 minute stop and go traffic and then when your able to drive at normal speeds without stopping, and then stop it stalls out, we have rough idle and transmission acts like it is trying to shift but I know this isnt possible with a CVT transmission.
View 5 RepliesWhy when I come to a stop with the heater on, the car smells like exhaust? I took in into our local Subaru shop and they couldn't find anything wrong. When I'm driving it's fine, but in town or in traffic, I have to keep shutting off the heater. If I forget, the car fills up fumes and I have to drive with the windows down or my daughter's asthma flares up.
View 14 Replies