| Issue ID | 956408 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10490030 |
| Manufacurer | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. |
| Brand | SUBARU |
| Model | OUTBACK |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| File date | 24/12/12 |
| Component | SUSPENSION |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | While driving on straight, flat and level ice-covered northern indiana road at 35 mph, my 2005 subaru outback xt ltd fishtailed (rear over-steer) repeatedly. This felt as if the rear of the vehicle was being quickly pushed from side to side. (this is often referred to as "ghostwalking" and is unmistakable once experienced.) there were two average weight adults in the front seats and one young adult (135 lbs) in the rear passenger seat. The vehicle received a four-wheel alignment two years ago and does not exhibit any alignment-related issues on dry pavement. I. E., doesn't pull to left or right, nor wear tires unevenly. The vehicle is equipped in winter with bridgestone blizzak ws60 215/55 r17 tires with approx. 75% of their tread remaining. (these tires show no signs of abnormal wear or other defects.) i am a driver with 37 years of driving experience and believe this is a very serious safety issue with this vehicle. I've never experienced this degree of unpredictable instability in any vehicle that i've driven on ice. This vehicle gives the operator the impression that it is very sure-footed in any other condition, leading the operator to approach all road conditions with a level of confidence that can (and does) result in nearly out-of-control situations when the vehicle is driven on ice. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 106521 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | FORT WAYNE, IN |
| VIN pattern | 4S4BP67CX54XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 35 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |