Before you buy a 3.6R w/ 5 speed automatic...

[E85 Powered 3.6]

…make sure your test drive includes a few trips through “the dead zone”. That nasty place where the driver says go, but the car says let’s wait a while. From a standstill there’s no problem, the engine responds as soon as you press the accelerator. Unfortunately that’s not the case when you brake or coast for a moment and then try to accelerate. In this case you press the accelerator and the engine is totally unresponsive for 1 to 1.5 seconds. It doesn’t seem to matter how far you press the pedal, 20% or 100%, the car is simply in a coma for that 1+ second. That may not sound like a long time but it feels like an eternity when you’re in the situation.

It seems to happen at any speed, but is probably most noticeable in the 5-15 MPH range, where you’re slowing to turn onto a busy street or negotiating intersections where you don’t have to (or choose not to) come to a complete stop before proceeding. If every day is a Sunday drive for you then you may not care or even notice this characteristic. If you’re at all impatient or in a hurry, driving this car in the city may make you totally insane.

Manual mode could use some improvement too. The paddle shifters and the little rev you get with each downshift is nifty, but the massive amount of slip from the torque converter greatly reduces engine braking and leaves you wondering what RPM the transmission is turning and when the next downshift should be. It might work well for winding mountain roads, but for city driving it kind of stinks.

Maybe Subaru will fix this (at least the throttle delay problem) with a future program update...

[b00001]

We hope both these issues are addressed soon with a update!!!!!

[NSFW]

I tried to get the 3.6 I test drove to display this problem and it wouldn't. Or I didn't seem to notice it. (and I'm terribly impatient)

The problems I noticed was the shimmy/balance vibrations on the steering wheel while driving on the highway and the passenger airbag not working when it should with an adult passenger in the car.

[davidmalek]

We have the exact same problem with our 2008 Outback w/ 2.5 and 4 speed auto. By placing the transmission in 'sport' mode, we completely eliminate the problem, and the car responds immediately to the gas pedal.

[newbs]

I've been experiencing the same issue in my 2-day old 2010 3.6R 5EAT Outback, and I agree that it seems to be a transmission issue. It feels like the car is in "neutral" for a second or two while the transmission is trying to find the right gear. I have also noticed a slight shudder at low speed when accelerating where it feels like the transmission is in too high a gear (like it is in 2nd or 3rd, when it should be in 1st or 2nd). I, too, hope that there is a fix for this.

[rpr]

There's another thread on this. Its not a transmission issue, Its a drive by wire PCM programming issue. There is at least one report from a poster that his dealer told him Subaru will be releasing a PCM update soon to address this. Let's hope this is true.

[E85 Powered 3.6]

Originally posted by NSFW
I tried to get the 3.6 I test drove to display this problem and it wouldn't. Or I didn't seem to notice it. (and I'm terribly impatient)

I test drove a 3.6 twice and didn't notice it, probably because I was slowly pressing down the accelerator each time and subconsciously I must have assumed the pedal had some free play or something.

If you test another 3.6, get up to 35 mph and brake normally to 10 or 5 MPH, then quickly push the accelerator to 1/4 throttle and hold it there until the engine responds. You should notice something.

[GTScott]

Add me to the list as well in my 2010 w/ 600 miles on it. I had mine in today getting the media hub installed and was told that they did not find anything out of the normal with the trans. I hope the PCM programming is the issue.

[eps105]

Originally posted by GTScott
Add me to the list as well in my 2010 w/ 600 miles on it. I had mine in today getting the media hub installed and was told that they did not find anything out of the normal with the trans. I hope the PCM programming is the issue.

Count me in too. I got mine yesterday and because of this message board I was cognizant of the issue. It's definitely there, although very subtle. If I didn't already know, I would have thought that the tranny was just being very slow to knock down from 2nd to 1st when doing a rolling start.

Easiest to notice when doing things like idling slowly through a parking lot or accelerating after going over speed bump -- all around 5-10 MPH.

A few times I lurched uncomfortably, but I consider it more of an annoyance than a safety issue at this point, but regardless, once I hear a PCM flash fix is out, I'll be one of the first in line.

Other than that, I have no complaints about the new Outback. The ride is sublime and the fit and finish is first class.

[eps105]

I am cross-posting this on all of the related threads to make sure the word gets out about this -- see my suggestion at the bottom for each of you to contact Subaru....

I got an e-mail back from Subaru after submitting a complaint via webform. So, they're aware of the problem but wouldn't comment on if a fix is coming.... Here is the official response:

Thank you for contacting Subaru of America. I am sorry that your e-mail was prompted due to a concern with your vehicle. The dealer has advised you correctly that there has not been a technical service bulletin issued pursuant to throttle response. Our technical services department has been apprised of some similar concerns shared by fellow Subaru owners. In the event that a reprogramming becomes available, you will be notified via mail. Your dealer will also be notified in the event that a Technical Services Bulletin becomes available as well

Here was my submission:

Hi there. I am a very satisfied owner of a shiny new Outback 3.6R Limited. The car is flawless except for a notable problem with the throttle response. This is not a defect specifically with my car but rather it appears to be a common issue across all 3.6R Outbacks discussed by many new owners on various Internet message boards, such as Hesitation Issues with 2010 Outback Limited 3.6R .

Quite simply, the problem is that when accelerating from a ROLLING start (~5-20 MPH), there is NO throttle response for the better part of 1/2 - 1 second. Then, depending on how far the pedal is pressed, one can get lurched forward when the throttle does finally respond.

The response issue does NOT occur from a dead stop, but it DOES occur even if I am in manual mode and already in first gear. For these two reasons, I believe it is a throttle programming issue and not a transmission problem.

So I am writing you today to ask three questions:
1) Does SOA already know about this problem?
2) If so, is a solution (PCM, TCM update, etc.) being developed?
3) And if so, when is the fix expected to be released as a service bulletin?

I have reported this problem to my dealer's service department and he noted that they have no service bulletins in the system yet for this and do not know what is in the pipeline. That is why I am escalating this to you. Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide!!

I suggest that everyone experiencing this problem lets SOA know about it and maybe they will be more pressed to release a fix. Also, when you register your complaint with them using your VIN#, they will mail you when a service bulletin is released. The link is here: https://www.subaru.com/shopping-tools/contact-us.html --> Choose the "Vehicle Problem" option. They responded to me the same day.

Cheers,

Elliot