2012 Subaru Outback Power Train Problems
- 71
- 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 71 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- coming stop · 19 records
- torque converter · 16 records
- extended warranty · 10 records
- slowing down · 7 records
- like someone · 7 records
- stalls coming · 6 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 20 |
| 100–150k mi | 20 |
| 1–30k mi | 13 |
| 150–400k mi | 8 |
| 30–60k mi | 6 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Power Train
: the transmission stared acting up randomly in early february of 2017. The transmission would slam into gear while shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, accompanied with a huge bang while the whole car would rattle for a second or so. A very scary and unsafe scenario because it felt like you were being hit from behind by another car. Afterward, the car would run normally for few days before it repeats. So i took my car to…
ODI 11157035
Power Train
Engine shudders and occasionally stalls when coming to a hard stop. Problem has been diagnosed as a faulty torque converter, and is identified in subaru technical bulletin number 16-90-13r. This is a significant potential safety issue, and should be addressed by the manufacturer.
ODI 10935628
Power Train
At 70,000 miles my car started stalling when coming to a stop or slowing down. Shudders and stalls as i come to a stop. Very dangerous as it has stalled when i am driving up a hill, coming off a freeway, in bumper to bumper traffic. *tr
ODI 10946817
Power Train
I have a failing torgue converter. The car stalls out when i am coming to a complete stop. The rpms stay normal but the car stops while in gear.
ODI 10926813
Power Train
Purchased a used 2012 subaru outback and about one year into owning it, it started to stutter when coming to a stop - as if it were a manual transmission and you did not push the clutch in. It will stutter and then completely die and you have to put the car back in park or neutral to start again. If braking quick or hard, it will always die. Gradual stops are better, but in the event you needed to stop fast and get…
ODI 10943916
Power Train
2012 outback 2.5i limited with 93k miles stalls intermittently when coming to a complete stop. When placed in park the vehicle will start right up and runs fine. There is no hesitation or engine missing when in motion, only when coming to a full stop. Yesterday it stalled 3 times during a 6 mile round trip to the post office. I am fearful that it will stall while i'm in an intersection waiting to make a left turn…
ODI 10883191
Power Train
Failure of the torque converter caused transmission failure and required a complete overhaul at 82511. I was not informed by the dealership there was a service bulletin by the dealership.
ODI 10978996
Engine · Power Train · Service Brakes
When the brakes are applied and the car comes to a stop light or stop sign, the engine shuts off ('stalls when idling or slowing down'). The vehicle then must be put into 'park' mode in order to re-start. This occurs nearly everyday of the week, and has created many, many dangerous situations for us and the drivers around us. We took the vehicle to the dealership in may concerning this issue, and they stated that…
ODI 10903398
Electrical System · Power Train
Car had fire at starter with lots of smoke coming from transmission and alternator .vehilce had been having shifting issues and traction from all wheel drive not working. I had vehicle taken to different dealers but no one was able to fix problem until the day car caught fire which told them which parts where at fault. My vehicle is truely a lemon, for it has been one problem after another for the past 3 years
Fire reported
ODI 10765172
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 subaru outback. While driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.
ODI 10725259
Power Train
Acceleration shudder in drivetrain between 50 - 60 mph on light acceleration. Started around 16,000 miles. See attached letter to dealer. Dealer, manufacturer did not fix. Subaru support line sent me back to dealer. All they did was rotate tires and re-flash transmission software. On - going problem. Have lost all faith in subaru.
ODI 10929731
Power Train
When the car is cold and just started for the first time in the morning, when exiting a freeway from 60 mph the transmission very intermittently will almost freeze and it feels like someone hit you in the back with a baseball bat. This is exiting or during the de acceleration process and it feels like someone hit you in the back with a baseball bat. This can cause whip lash and cause serious back injury and give a…
ODI 10555681
Power Train
When the car is cold the transmission locks up when exiting the freeway from 60 mph to about 45 mph it is like the scar skipped a gear and you feel a big clunk during the exiting and like someone hit you in the back with a baseball bat. This can cause serious back injury and false sense of breaking. It does not do this all the time extremely intermittently and only when the car is cold and under certain conditions.…
ODI 10555678
Power Train
The car was running for about 20 to 30 minutes, the outside temperature was about 35 degrees and windy. Went and parked the car, return to the car, at night while it was still cold, started up and started driving the car for about a half hour and that is when it happened again. When exiting the freeway and the car goes from 60 mph to 45 mph and it is cold the transmission jerks and freezes and locks, and it feels…
ODI 10555675
Power Train
This vehicle has one owner, which is me, and the transmission, downshifts and skips a gear when cold and almost caused an accident. People were almost injured and someone could have been killed. When the transmission is cold, and on a freeway and than exiting, and slowing down to 35 to 45 mph on exit the car transmission kicks and like someone is hitting you in the back, and skips a gear. Subaru has a problem with…
ODI 10555244
Power Train
When the car is cold and just started for the first time in the morning, when exiting a freeway from 60 mph the transmission very intermittently will almost freeze and it feels like someone hit you in the back with a baseball bat. This is exiting or during the de acceleration process and it feels like someone hit you in the back with a baseball bat. This can cause whip lash and cause serious back injury and give a…
ODI 10555682
Power Train
Driving straight at 40mph, no acceleration or deceleration. Car without warning suddenly stopped, as if it had shifted into first gear and i had slammed on the brakes. When i pressed on gas the car would not move but did make revving sounds. I looked at gear shift and it was no longer in drive. I think it was in manual. I doubt i had accidentally moved the gear shift because i was not moving around in my seat and i…
ODI 10474047
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
In early december of 2011 my wife and i purchased a 2012 subaru outback with a 4 cylinder engine, cvt transmission. We had to wait a day for our outback because it was being repaired do to a brake system recall. Ever since purchasing the outback we have had a serious issue when using the paddle shifters to slow down for a stop. When the tach slows to about 1100 rpm in first or second gear the engine then accelerates…
ODI 10467121
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Situation: traveling at 60mph up a steep hill on i70 west bound in left passing lane. Cars following close, and cars in the right lane. For the first time (new car) i used the downshift paddle on the left side of the steering wheel to downshift to accelerate. I tapped it to downshift one gear. It instantly dropped to 1st gear. The engine rpms went to red line or above. The car decelerated dramatically, and i was…
ODI 10469152
Power Train
I was setting the homelink mirror on my car to recognize a particular garage door opener. The mirror is powered so i needed to leave the car idling. I put the car in neutral and began the programming process. The last step in the process is to engage the garage door opener from the motor head. To prepare to do this, i exited the car and moved on foot into the garage to look for a step ladder. As i was searching for…
Crash reported
ODI 10451209
Power Train
The 2012 outback with an automatic transmission shifted from drive to 1st gear without moving the gear lever from drive to manual. This has occurred 10 times in 18 months, the first incident occurred about 2 months after purchasing this vehicle new. The problem has always occurred after coming to a stop at a stop sign, then, as i accelerate from the stop, the transmission goes into 1st gear and the car immediately…
ODI 10515092