2006 Subaru Outback Brakes Problems

Your brake pedal suddenly sank to the floor while driving, leaving you unable to stop the vehicle. You noticed a puddle of fluid pooling under the rear passenger area. This happened without any warning lights appearing on your dashboard, making it a dangerous situation that fortunately you were able to control by pulling over.

Your brake warning light came on while driving downhill, and you discovered your brakes had almost completely failed. Investigation revealed that mud and water had accumulated behind a plastic shield at the rear of your car, causing the brake lines to corrode and leak brake fluid out of the system. This issue apparently had a recall in certain regions but not in your area. Fixing this will likely involve replacing the corroded brake lines, flushing the brake system, and potentially installing improved shielding to prevent future mud and water accumulation.

While driving at 35 mph, your brake pedal went completely to the floor when you tried to stop, forcing you to pump the brakes and use the emergency brake to bring the car to a halt. Upon inspection, you found both rear brake lines heavily rusted at the connections, with the passenger side rear brake line burst at a joint before the line runs over the gas tank. This loss of braking pressure was caused by the burst brake line and will require replacement of the damaged brake lines and possibly a brake system inspection to ensure proper function.

Your brake lines rusted through in areas where they weren't protected by clips, causing you to lose all your brake fluid and lose the ability to stop your vehicle. This is a serious safety issue that requires immediate repair of the brake lines and refilling of the brake fluid system.

After your 2006 Subaru Outback had a recall brake repair completed, the brakes failed while your wife was driving at 35 mph — the brake pedal didn't stop the car even when pressed. The low brake fluid warning light came on, and she had to keep pumping the brakes until the vehicle finally slowed down enough to pull over safely. The vehicle wasn't drivable afterward and had to be towed home. A brake system inspection and repair will be needed to determine why the brakes failed after the recall work.

Your brake lines were supposed to be replaced during a recall in 2015, but it appears only a spray was applied instead. Now at 288,500 miles, your right rear brake line has rusted through where it mounts to the body, causing a brake failure. Fortunately, you were able to stop safely, but this is a serious safety issue. The repair will require replacing the corroded brake line and possibly the brake fluid system.

UPON RETURNING TO MY HOME LAST WEEK I NEARLY WENT THROUGH MY GARAGE AFTER MY BRAKE LINES FAILED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, LUCKY FOR ME I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AS I KNEW ONCE DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY I WOULD HAVE SOME REMAINING BRAKING ABILITIES. I DO LIVE IN MICHIGAN WHICH DOES ACCOUNT FOR RUST ON THE UNDER BODIES OF VEHICLES, ALTHOUGH THE SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT I AM VERY ANGERED BY WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL TO PREVENT PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LINES IN MY CAR (RECALL WQK47, NHTSA 14V311), WHICH MY CAR TOOK PART IN AND WAS ONLY COATED WITH ANTI-RUST WAX ONLY TO FAIL A YEAR LATER. AT THE TIME OF REPAIR I HAD ASKED IF THE LINES WHERE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE, AND WAS TOLD THEY WHERE ALL GOOD AND JUST HAD TO BE COATED. SINCE I HAVE A MECHANICAL BACKGROUND I DECIDED TO L LOCATE THE BRAKE LINE THAT HAD FAILED ON MY CAR AS WELL AS LOOK INTO THE SERVICE MANUAL FOR THE REPAIRS REQUIRED FOR THE RECALL, AND UNSURPRISINGLY THE EXACT IMAGE ON THE SERVICE MANUAL FOR PROBLEM AREAS TO CLEAN AND COAT WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FAILURE. I FIND IT VERY IRRITATING TO RECEIVE A FALSE SENSE OF HOPE IN RELIANCE OF THE BRAKES ONLY TO BE LET DOWN BY THE ONE PART THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CHECKED AND CORRECTED. I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU WITH MY CONCERNS, ONLY TO BE OFFERED A VOUCHER FOR SERVICE THAT WILL COVER TO MY UNDERSTANDING A THIRD OR LESS OF THE REPAIR COST FOR A PART THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED DURING A RECALL! ATTACHED YOU WILL FIND MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH SUBARU SUPPORT AS WELL AS IMAGES THAT DEPICT THE FAILURE OF NOT ONE BUT 2 JOINTS IN THE SAME AREA ABOVE/IN THE CREVICE OF THE FUEL TANK, AND THE VERY LITTLE SO CALLED PROTECTIVE ANTI-CORROSIVE WAX OVER THESE AREAS THAT WAS APPLIED DURING THE RECALL.

MY SON LOST HIS BRAKES AND NEARLY WRECKED THE OTHER DAY. BRAKE LINE RUPTURED AND THE DEALER WON'T HONOR THE RECALL ON THEM BECAUSE THEY GOT SOME HALF-ASS RECALL TREATMENT BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. SUBARU DID NOT DO A PROPER FIX TO THESE LINES AND THEY KNOW IT! WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSE TO DO WITH A CAR WITH NO BRAKES!!?

BOUGHT CAR FROM PRIVATE OWNER IN OCTOBER 2018. IMMEDIATELY AFTER SALE HAD THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP REPLACE REAR BRAKES IN OCTOBER 2018 AND COMPLETELY INSPECT CAR FOR ANY NEEDED REPAIRS. IN EARLY DECEMBER BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT ON, THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE RESULTING IN INABILITY TO STOP VEHICLE WHILE ENTIRE FAMILY WAS ON BOARD. FOUND OUT FROM DEALERSHIP THAT, DESPITE FINDING CORROSION ON BRAKE LINE UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, THE CORROSION WAS ENCAPSULATED BY BARRIER SPRAY AND CONTINUED TO CORRODE BRAKE LINE UNTIL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND INABILITY TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AWAITING DEALERSHIP RESPONSE.

AS I WAS CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR I NOTICED THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LOW. I WENT TO PICK UP A NEW CONTAINER OF BRAKE FLUID. L.P. I NOTICED MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR BUT I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE WHEN I PUSHED IT TO THE FLOOR. I WENT TO A SHOP THAT SHOWED ME WHERE THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM. UNDER THE GAS TANK.

FOUND COOLANT BLACK AND POSSIBLE OVERHEATING FROM HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN RESULT RADIATOR WAS EXPOSED TO HIGH HEAT AND CRACKED. COMBUSTION PRESSURE HAD ENTERED COOLING SYSTEM AND CAUSED OVER PRESSURE OF COOLING SYSTEM. RECOMMEND LEAK DOWN AND COMPRESSION CHECK OF ENGINE TO DETERMINE IF INTERNAL DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED. CUSTOMER HAS TWO OPTIONS, REPLACEMENT OF HEAD GASKETS IF NO OTHER FINDINGS INTERNAL ARE FOUND OR REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE COMPLETE. TURBO MAY ALSO BE DAMAGED AND NEEDS INSPECTION ALSO. REPLACE REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS, LUBE BACK OF PADS AND HARDWARE PINS WITH ANTI SQUEAK PASTE. ADJUST EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM TO FACTORY SPEC. ROAD TEST FOR NOISE AND SEAT NEW PADS TO ROTORS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

I HAVE A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I WAGON WITH LESS THAN 16,000 MILES. THE BRAKES GRIND AND SEEM LIKE THEY MAY NOT CATCH. IN FACT, A YEAR AGO WE SLID THROUGH AN INTERSECTION ON OUR WAY TO HAVE OUR TAXES DONE WHEN THEY DID NOT HOLD. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS DUE TO RUST AND THAT SUBARU DOES NOT COVER RUSTED BRAKES ON THEIR WARRANTY. WE CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER 1-800-782-2783 AND TALKED TO MATT AND HE ALSO INDICATED THEY DID NOT WARRANT RUSTED BRAKES BUT THAT HE WOULD CALL THE DEALER. THE CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE, AND 36 MONTH 36000 BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN STORED IN A GARAGE. THE BRAKES SHOULD NOT FAIL AT LESS THAN 16000 MILES. THIS CAR SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY. ARE THEY USING SUBSTANDARD METAL IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM? SHOULD THIS CAR BE RECALLED FOR FAULTY BRAKES? IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE? *TR

AS I PULLED INTO MY PARKING SPACE AT WORK, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND. CAR STOPPED ONLY AFTER JUMPING CURB AND PLOWING INTO BRICK WALL OF MY BUILDING. *NM