2005-2009 Ghostwalking/abnormal winter handling fixes

[tdelker]

Make sure they use the updated alignment spec.

[Boreas]

I'm curious, considering I have already had the KYB struts and Rallitech overload rear springs installed, should I take this to my local Subaru dealer and have them align it to the most updated specs?
OR take it to a independent Subaru shop and see what they might be able to do with the alignment, even if it is not the updated specs?

[tdelker]

Anyone can do it to the updated spec. You just need to find the TBS. I feel like it was posted on here at some point. The rear toe spec was changed from being allowed to be "-3 mm to +3 mm" to being allowed to be "-3 mm to 0 mm".

You also want to add some weight to the rear, as well as make sure your gas tank is full:

Some cars are particularly susceptible to a "ghostwalking" handling issue in cold weather. It is believed the increased ride height of USA models contributes to a rear suspension geometry issue where to toe-angle can go out of spec depending on how much the car is loaded down. To combat this situation you can throw 100-200 pounds of sandbags in the back of the trunk and then get an alignment to 2007+ spec. Upgrading the rear spring rate with RalliTek springs and upgraded dampers like KYB may also help limit the amount of toe change during normal driving. Some folks have stated that the Whiteline rear camber bushing helps dial in a little more rear camber and improves the handling.

[WashingtonOBXT]

im not sure if anyone has asked this already but in terms of major fixes for people who want to spend more money, has anyone tried other options than Whitelines rear camber bushing?

I was on the whiteline website and saw their rear control arms (about$500) were camber and toe adjustable, and their Rear Control arm - lock bolt kit (toe correction)? because these seem to be toe specific fixes that might help more than camber bushings

[coolboarder69]

After 2 years of near accidents and overall horrible winter driving experiences, i seemed to have finally fixed the gw issue on my 2005! I started last year by just buying the RalliTEK HD springs, hoping to cure the horrible handling and eliminate the rear sag. Got rid of the sag but still handled like complete garbage with a loaded car on ice. So I just bought and installed the 04 KYB Excel G's for the rear, (major PITA to connect that nut on the bottom of the strut to the car) but the improvement of ride quality made it well worth it. Next i aligned the car with the updated 2007 specs, about 200-250 lbs in the back seat, and an additional 100-150 in the cargo area. Just had a decent fall of snow in Oregon this weekend so i loaded the car up as much as i could and headed to the mountains... The car handled amazing, absolutely no ghostwalk! The next day i drove back up again with only myself and one other passenger, still handled great. I now feel 100% confident in my cars ability to handle snow and ice with weight for the first time since owning this car. I hope this will help fellow OB owners fix the extremely dangerous problem our cars have!

[dagies]

I'm curious if this issue is related to only certain years. I read a fair bit of this thread a few years ago, but have missed out quite a bit of discussion in the intervening years. I've got a 2005 that suffers from this and I'm wondering if this is just limited to the 2005-2009 models, or a subset of those models, etc.

I used to have a 1997 OB with absolutely NO issues.

My current 2005 is a maintenance nightmare. Many issues from the transmission to....all over.

I love it otherwise, but I don't want to buy a 2010+ model OB only to suffer this same ghostwalking issue.

So...has there been any definition to the model years affected?

Thanks in advance...

[tdelker]

Yes, it's fixed. Only Gen 3 suffer.

[Bimmer]

Originally Posted by dagies

I'm curious if this issue is related to only certain years.... I'm wondering if this is just limited to the 2005-2009 models, or a subset of those models, etc.

MY2005-09 is the fourth generation Legacy/Outback, and there weren't any suspension changes during that generation.

IIRC, alignment specs changed at some point, but I think the problem is with the basic design and/or the crappy components.

I'm surprised to hear at how troublesome your Outback has been. Subarus aren't perfect, but knock wood, mine have been relatively trouble-free.

[Bimmer]

Originally Posted by dagies

I don't want to buy a 2010+ model OB only to suffer this same ghostwalking issue...

Oh, yeah, those don't have the rear suspension issues.

They have the steering wheel vibration problem...

[barefootdesigns]

On 8/27/12, we bought a used 2006 Subaru Outback XT with @70K miles. On our first trip to Vermont, with about 400# of dogs and luggage in the back, new all-weather tires and a driver with a spotless 48-year record, on a flat straightaway at @30 mph, the car crept into the oncoming lane. My husband managed to tweek it back into our lane in time to avoid a head-on collision, but the car then spun out of control and hit a tree. The air bags broke both our sternums. I am a very small woman and was unable to breathe right afterwards. It was @9pm and the road was just starting to freeze, so we had slowed down from 50 mph. We ended up sideways in the road with smashed headlights--helpless. My husband managed to climb out and while trying to open my door to attend to me, had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit by an oncoming car that then t-boned my side of our car with me still in it.

They took me out on a back board. We both ended up in the hospital with broken sternums and assorted bumps, including a huge knot on my forehead where I hit the side window when the other car struck our car after the wreck. If the other car had been going much faster, I'm sure I'd be dead. A huge local two-day search restored our two dogs to us, fortunately.

In researching why the air bags nearly killed us both, I ran across the "ghost walking" term on line and followed it here. Undoubtedly, that was the cause of the accident, since my husband had noted earlier that the car was handling like there was a cross wind even though there was none. That was our only warning of what awaited us that night.

We have owned four Subarus and were dedicated fans. I still own an '09 WRX which I love, but the unconscionable failure of Subaru to "own" this design defect and notify owners and dealers about this very-dangerous problem with the rear toe-in under moderate loads nearly cost us our lives, and a great deal of pain and money.

I had spent a lot of time researching this vehicle but didn't run across this issue--and am amazed that these Outbacks still have a near-spotless safety record despite this very-serious design flaw. If Subaru handles this like they handle most design problems, nothing will come of our report to them and to the NHTSA.

Be careful, people. This defect is a killer waiting to strike.