2005 Subaru Outback Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year describe two broad themes: rear-end instability on snow and ice, which many call "ghost walking," and repeated loss of accelerator pedal response, often logged as code P2138. Corroded brake lines that leak fluid and cause a long or floor-level pedal are also reported, largely on higher-mileage vehicles, and several owners say a prior recall repair did not end the problem.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Rear end sways or fishtails on snow and ice

   • 44 complaints (16%)
   • median 60,500 mi at 5.8 yrs old (42 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2023

   Owners describe the rear of the vehicle swaying or fishtailing from side to side on packed snow, slush or ice, sometimes at speeds as low as 20-30 mph and often worse with a full load. Many say new tires and alignments did not change it, and some report that switching off the all-wheel-drive system stopped the skids. Complaints describe dealers saying they could not duplicate the condition or had not heard of it. Reported from roughly 25,000 to 185,000 miles, almost always in winter road conditions.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask a prior owner about winter behavior and check front and rear suspension bushings and struts; a service bulletin describes inspection criteria for front transverse link bushings. A test drive on a wet or slippery surface is worth doing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving in light snow or mixture of slushy snow the vehicle rear drifts left and right at speeds of 20 MPH. Dangerous if the speed is exceeded. Car pass me all the time because they have not problems with the road at high speeds. I understand this is called ghost walking. The first time this happened I spun out.”

   NHTSA complaint #11386523, filed 2021-01, 176,000 miles

   “I have owned and driven this Subaru since july 06 and have driven it through 5 northern illinois winters. Today was our first snowfall this season and for the first time I have noticed that the car exhibits very un-nerving handling qualities in very light snow road conditions. Something has changed to make me feel like I will loose control of the vehicle. The car feels like it wants to fishtail out of control at any speed over 30 MPH. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10443601, filed 2012-01, 162,516 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Accelerator pedal stops responding (code P2138)

   • 51 complaints (19%)
   • median 120,000 mi at 11.2 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2026

   Owners describe the gas pedal suddenly having no effect while driving, sometimes at highway speed, with engine speed either dropping to idle or revving high. Restarting the engine after a short wait usually restores normal response, and complaints mention code P2138 (pedal/throttle position sensor correlation). Some say a dealer replaced the pedal assembly or sensor and the problem came back. Reported from a few hundred miles to over 200,000 miles, often in rain, cold or damp weather.

   What to check: Ask whether the accelerator pedal assembly or sensor has been replaced and whether any stored P2138 code was diagnosed; have a scan tool check for stored codes before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am having an issue with my car going limp after start. The engine does not register the gas pedal/throttle. Code reader said its the throttle position sensor. Brought to mid hudson Subaru in wappingers ny, they said gas pedal sensor. That did not fix vehicle. Subaru does not seem to recognize this as a safety issue... The problem is sporadic and there is no warning, just driving along and gas pedal no longer has any effect on propulsion of vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11152142, filed 2018-11, 129,653 miles

   “Please refer to code p2138 - throttle/pedal position sensor switch with d / e voltage correlation DTC severity 2 of 3 repair -- I believe elaine chao should be made aware of the safety issues affecting the general public regarding this dangerous issue -- my Subaru Outback accelerator will shut down on the highway almost every day. Subaru is aware that this is a pervasive problem affecting thousands of subarus and should be forced to issue a recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11373843, filed 2020-11, 185,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake lines rust through and pedal goes to the floor

   • 16 complaints (6%)
   • median 182,500 mi at 14.7 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2017–2023

   Complaints describe the brake pedal sinking to the floor with little or no braking, traced to corroded brake lines leaking fluid, often near a rear wheel. Several owners say the vehicle had been serviced under a brake line recall but the lines leaked again at the same area. Dealers in some cases told owners the recall had expired and the repair would be at their cost. Mostly reported above 150,000 miles, on vehicles in rust-belt areas.

   Recall 14V311000Recall 13V1100001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Look under the car along the brake lines for rust and wet spots, and ask whether the brake line recall work was done and when. A service bulletin covers diagnosis of brake caliper fluid leaks.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving home from work on the highway when I pressed the brake pedal as normal to slow down and the pedal went soft and I had no brakes. I was able to make it home using the emergency brake to stop. Upon inspection the lines were leaking from the same place repaired in recall wqk47, NHTSA campaign 14v311000. Visual inspection could confirm that the initial recall wqk47 repair completely failed causing serious danger to my life. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11324327, filed 2020-05, 152,730 miles

   “The vehicle has soft brakes, it is common among this generation. It does not matter if everything is replaced. There is still a long/soft pedal travel. This may be due to an inadequate master cylinder size or brake booster size. This is a constant issue, does not matter when you use the brakes, it always is slow to stop and can be a bit scary.”

   NHTSA complaint #11218292, filed 2019-06, 160,000 miles

Buying note. Check the brake lines for rust and confirm any brake line recall work was completed, and scan for stored throttle codes on a test drive that includes a stop-and-restart. Winter handling is the other thing to evaluate, ideally on a wet or slippery road.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.