1997 Subaru Outback Transmission Problems

Your front passenger tire exploded while driving at 45 mph. After replacing it with the spare tire (a smaller donut spare), your rear differential caught fire due to overheating caused by uneven traction from the mismatched tire size. The owner's manual contains small-print instructions requiring you to install a fuse in the fuse box when using the spare tire to keep an emergency light on, which may be related to preventing this issue. The repair will likely involve replacing the damaged differential and ensuring proper understanding of spare tire limitations.

Your transmission may fail to hold the car on hills, making engine braking ineffective and forcing you to rely only on your brakes. The transmission might also refuse to shift into top gear on the freeway. You may notice shaking and hesitation while driving. Fixing this issue typically requires transmission replacement or rebuilding.

OUR 1997 SUBARU SHARES THE COMMON PROBLEM DOCUMENTED AT HTTP://FORUMS.VMAG.COM/SUVSUBARU0200/MESSAGES/5096.HTML : NAMELY, AS WITH OTHER SUBARU OUTBACKS AND FORESTERS, IT WILL SPONTANEOUSLY SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR INTO NEUTRAL -- COMPLETELY BY ITSELF. IT HAS BEEN TO THE SOUTHERN OREGON SUBARU DEALER IN MEDFORD, OREGON TWICE AND THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BOTH TIMES (EVEN THOUGH IT IS BOTH A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS AN IN-WARRANTY COVERED DEFECT). IT WAS REPORTED TO THE SOUTHERN OREGON SUBARU DEALER WITHIN APPROXIMATELY THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP WHEN WE HAD POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THAT IT WAS NOT MERELY A PROBLEM WITH INCORRECT PLACEMENT OF THE SHIFT LEVER DURING SHIFTING. FOLLOWING THE DEALER'S INITIAL REFUSAL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, SUBSEQUENT CONTACT WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA RESULTED IN THE ASSIGNMENT OF CASE NUMBER 201743. ACCORDING TO SOA, THE DEALER ALLEGEDLY WAS CONTACTED. NEVERTHELESS, ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED, THE DEALER AGAIN REFUSED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM CHARACTERISTIC OF SUBARU OUTBACK AND FORESTER VEHICLES (SEE THE WEB SITE CITED AND RELATED COMMENTS.) IT APPEARS THAT SUBARU IS UNWILLING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM UNLESS REQUIRED TO BY NHSTA. PLEASE PROTECT MYSELF AND OTHER SUBARU OWNERS BY MAKING THIS A MANDATORY SAFETY RECALL. THANK YOU. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER NOTICED SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL SPEED OF TRAVELING. ALSO, RPMS SLOWED DOWN, AND VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE DEALER STATED THAT SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES HAVE DRIVESHAFTS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY BALANCED WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AT 65 MPH AND UP, THERE IS ALSO A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THIS PROBLEM. *ET

I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1993 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON AND IT WAS A REWARDING EXPERIENCE, WITH LITTLE TROUBLE. PERHAPS, MY RUBY RED SUBARU SHOULD BE PAINTED LEMON YELLOW? PLEASE, STAY TUNED. M.A.ROTH

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH, THE DRIVER'S HAND ACCIDENTLY HIT THE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. DRIVER PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, AND NOTICED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR WAS IN THE REVERSE POSITION. AFTER RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE WAS VERY SLUGGISH. THE VEHICLE IS BEING SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP.

VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY JUMPS OUT OF GEAR.