2006 Subaru Outback Suspension Problems
- 20
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 20 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- road conditions · 5 records
- side side · 5 records
- feels like · 4 records
- other vehicles · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 6 |
| 60–100k mi | 5 |
| 100–150k mi | 3 |
| 1–30k mi | 2 |
| 150–400k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine · Service Brakes · Suspension
My vehicle only has 40,000 miles on it. It is not shifting properly from 2ns-3rd gear while driving, it jerks pretty hard if cold, i have had numerous brake problems, takes a long time to stop at slow speeds, & i'm having numerous issues with suspension. Balljoints keep clicking while reversing, (control arms,balljoints, bushings, bearings, have all been replaced, etc.) this car has been babied and has almost no…
ODI 11184294
Steering · Suspension
While driving vehicle in snow covered, slush covered roads conditions varied during day. The vehicle kept feeling like it was washing out side to side. I had 5 passengers in vehicle and they all could feel it and it scared them and i had to slow down to a dangerously slow speed on interstate, that was causing disruption to traffic flow. On way home took secondary roads so as to not disrupt traffic. This was my first…
ODI 10667488
Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 subaru outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, a toxic odor emitted from outside the vehicle. The contact discovered that front passenger's side had caught on fire. The contact extinguished the fire and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the axle boot had failed. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of…
Fire reported
ODI 10643656
Suspension
Purchased this car used last jan. No incidents yet, but can not drive (with passengers in the back or weight in the cargo area) over 35 mph in certain road conditions, mainly when there is ice and dry pavement together. Has dangerous rear steer problem in those conditions. I have driven every type of vehicle from semi's to older subaru outbacks and was born and raised in michigan. This car is very dangerous to drive…
ODI 10671946
Power Train · Suspension · Wheels
Subaru outback began to exhibit "ghost walking" while driving straight during a winter storm. Rear end attempted to race the front end, and could not regain control. This "ghost walking" is well discussed in the online form at subaruoutback.org. Car eventually made it to the edge of the road where it then proceeded to roll 3 times. The experience was not the normally sliding on ice. The rear end seemed to have a…
Crash reported
ODI 10559987
Suspension
Thank you for considering my concern; any sudden twitch of the steering wheel, such as trying to avoid a pothole, or hitting a bump in the road will cause the car to oscillate wildly from side to side with fear of loosing control and rolling over. I am a very experienced driver but my only response is to slow down and take my hands off the wheel to let the rolling settle down. I have replaced all four struts and had…
ODI 10508101
Steering · Suspension
I see the same complaint several times on this site. This was not the first instance for us either, it has been going on since we bought the vehicle with only 17,000 miles. It has been checked by both subaru and private repair shops several times. The car wonders / ghost walks / swerves unexpectedly on slippery road conditions, you drop real fast from 65 to 40 - 45 mph or you feel as though you will go out of…
ODI 10492236
Suspension
I was driving on hwy 287 from casper back to laramie, wy at around 40 mph, which is lower than the speed limit of 65 mph, the car started fishtailing by itself suddenly and span 360 to the side of the road, there's black ice on the road but overall condition was good. The reason why i drove much slower than other cars (fwd cars) was that i don't have any confidence with the subaru, it feels like the car is…
ODI 10449719
Suspension
I took my 2006 subaru outback 2.5 in for routine service and tire rotation. Was told that my left outer cv boot was torn. Took the car to the dealership who verified the problem and was given a price to repair, which i could not afford. Since the car only had approx. 55,000 miles, and my extended warranty had just lapsed, i contacted subaru and was told they would reimburse me for half of the cost of the repairs if…
ODI 10465544
Engine And Engine Cooling · Suspension
Subaru has recall on wheel bearings and state my outback does not fit into recall. However it is the same part that has failed, yet they state they fixed the problem. Headgasket is leaking at 125,000, subaru states replacement gaskets are better however i am expected to pay 2000 for the repair. *tr
ODI 10448264
Electronic Stability Control · Suspension
I own a 2006 subaru outback 2.5 with a manual transmission. This vehicle is an early warning indicator for black ice on the road surface. The outback vehicle has a stability control problem in certain conditions. While driving at constant speed (constant and low throttle position) on a flat road, the back end of the vehicle tends to oscillate from side to side in icy conditions. The vehicle feels like it is going to…
ODI 10381947
Suspension
When driving on poor traction roads (ice or compacted snow), the rear of the car is very unstable and shifts left to right by as much as 2-3 feet - while going in a straight line, straight road - maintaining a constant speed (no acceleration or braking). This happened several times, over a [redacted] trip this winter - sometimes lasting for hours, making for very difficult and unsafe driving, almost going out of…
ODI 10377291
Suspension
Untrue tracking on road with ice patches. Rear of car moves around a lot. Could not safely go over 40 mph, getting passed by other going 60 mph on two-lane [redacted]. *tr
ODI 10376465
Suspension
2006 subaru is unsafe on slippery roads. The car has a tendency to "steer" from the rear. It may be something with the center differential that causes more power to the rear and thus makes the rear want to fishtail out while driving slow in a straight line. It is by far the worst car i have ever driven on ice. Even with snow tires. And i had a rwd cougar with bad tires when i was young. *tr
ODI 10371156
Steering · Suspension
2006 subaru outback auto trans. On many occasions the vehicle's rear-end side-steps, fishtails or oscillates on icy road conditions. This has also been described as "ghost-walking" where it feels like the awd system in the rear is over compensating, leading to the vehicle being uncontrollable. The behavior seems to happen in the 40-60mph range. You must slow down to unsafe speeds, even for the weather, to maintain…
ODI 10368844
Suspension
I have a 2006 subaru outback with about 55,000 miles on it, i have had the rear struts replaced and know i am having the front struts replaced. It is expensive to replace struts. The mechanic that is replacing them says they shouldnt have to be replaced yet. If i dont replace them it affects the steering on the car. What makes the struts go bad prematurely? The car was new when i bought it, i dont drive it…
ODI 10365813
Suspension
I experience a side-to-side shake on icy road conditions. It is very unsettling to the car and is not simply road conditions. Fwd, rwd, and other awd vehicles are not having any trouble and i'm doing everything i can to stay on the road and am driving as much as 20 - 30 mph slower than the next slower car on the road. There is something wrong with the subaru outback vehicle dynamics on ice. *tr
ODI 10254484
Suspension
While driving on icy or packed snow conditions sometimes the outback's rear-end feels like it's breaking free, in a side-to-side motion. This is also referred to as ghostwalking or maybe fishtailing, but not the kind of fishtailing most are familiar with. It seems the car isn't equipped to handle these very specific conditions and as a result the rear-end starts wobbling. I've driven in foul weather many times, many…
ODI 10254233
Power Train · Steering · Suspension
Straight line driving on flat concrete highway, rear end of vehicle may start to wander when road is slippery. This occurs generally over 25mph, when all other vehicles are able to travel at a higher rate of speed than the 2006 subaru outback 3.0r is able to. Cars will pass while i am white knuckled, concerned the rear end is going to break loose and cause complete control failure. I have found other instances of…
ODI 10445673
Engine · Suspension
Check engine light no. 1 piston defective engine replaced covered by warranty. 2nd engine & turbo failure at 94,591 miles nov 10 2010 not covered by warranty we paid $5005.00 in repair bills there was coolant, oil, & other fluid loss & a lot of smoke. The 3rd engine & turbo failure august 2012 diagnosis by international auto/subaru showed no.1 piston came loose also there was check engine light in all 3 incidents we…
ODI 10474270