Car-and-Safety.com
Subaru Outback Power Train Safety Report | July 03, 2011
Reported on July 03, 2011
| I TURNED RIGHT INTO A DRIVEWAY WITH A STEEP UPWARD INCLINE AND HAD TO STOP MY CAR BRIEFLY TO SPEAK TO A PERSON HELPING WITH PARKING FOR AN EVENT. MY CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, SO I ENGAGED THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE TO HOLD THE CAR SO I COULD GET MOVING AGAIN WITHOUT ROLLING BACKWARDS. HOWEVER, THE PARKING BRAKE ON MY CAR AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGES AS SOON AS THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED (OR EVEN, ACTUALLY, TOUCHED AT ALL). BECAUSE OF THE VERY STEEP INCLINE, BY THE TIME I HAD ENOUGH REVS TO ENGAGE THE CLUTCH, MY CAR HAD ROLLED BACK INTO THE STREET BEHIND ME. FORTUNATELY NO VEHICLE WAS PASSING AT THE TIME, THOUGH A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE NEEDS TO BE MANUALLY DISENGAGED IF THE DRIVER SEATBELT IS UNFASTENED, PRESUMABLY AS A REMINDER TO FASTEN THE SEATBELT. IN THE FUTURE IN A SIMILAR DRIVING SITUATION I WOULD BE TEMPTED TO UNFASTEN MY SEATBELT BEFORE ATTEMPTING THE STEEP HILL START, WHICH WOULD BE THE LESS DANGEROUS OF TWO DANGEROUS OPTIONS. I EMAILED SUBARU TO POINT OUT THE PROBLEM AND ASK WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MODIFY THESE VEHICLES SUCH THAT THE PARKING BRAKE IS ALWAYS CONTROLLABLE BY THE DRIVER. MY CONCERN WAS DISMISSED, SEEMINGLY WITHOUT MUCH CONSIDERATION. I LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE STEEP HILLS ARE THE NORM, AND HAVE ALWAYS DRIVEN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE ON MY NEW CAR PRESENTS A SERIOUS HAZARD. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED. *TR | |
| Make: | Subaru |
| Model: | Outback |
| Manufactured by: | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | |
| Was a death reported? | |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | CANBY OR |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 4S4BRBCC2B1 |
| Mileage: | 2000 miles. |
| Speed: | 0 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | 4 |
| Vehicle type: | |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
| Previous Report:Power Train | Next Report:Service Brakes, Hydraulic Foundation Components Hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings |