2008 Subaru Legacy Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The CV axle on the passenger side caught on fire. It was the rubber boot on the inner side over the catalytic converter. There were no warnings other than the smell of smoke. Fortunately, I caught it early and put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. I had been driving 25 to 40 MPH on city streets for about 5 miles before the incident.

ALL OF MY DASH LIGHTS ARE ON (STATIONARY & IN MOTION) CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS BLINKS CONSISTENTLY (STATIONARY & IN MOTION), MY CAR CRUISE CONTROL ALSO FEELS LIKE IT GOES ON AND OFF CONSTANTLY (IN MOTION), AND MY CRUISE CONTROLS ON MY STEERING DO NOT WORK (STATIONARY & IN MOTION) . ALSO MY RADIO IS CONSISTENTLY GOING ON/OFF, CHANGING STATIONS, VOLUME CONTROLS GO IN/OUT (STATIONARY & IN MOTION). ALSO MY REVIEW MIRROR DISPLAYS THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THE COMPASS, AND THE AUTO DIM AND COMPASS FEATURE IT'S SELF GOES ON/OFF CONSISTENTLY (STATIONARY & IN MOTION). UNDER THE HOOD WILL SMOKE AFTER I'VE DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, OR GONE UP STEEP HILLS.I READ ONLINE WHERE OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE ISSUES WITH THEIR SUBARU LEGACY'S AND OUTBACKS AS WELL. NOTE: THESE ISSUES HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY WITHOUT REGARD TO THE TYPE OF ROAD ON WITH THE EXCEPTION OF UNDER THE HOOD SMOKING. THAT ONLY HAPPENS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

THE OIL COOLER DISINTEGRATED DURING A TRIP WITHOUT ANY WARNING, NO LIGHTS OR ANYTHING. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHO DID THE REPAIRS, WHEN IT DISINTEGRATED, IT DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN, BUT CONTINUED TO CRAWL ALONG AT ABOUT 20 MPH, SO THAT WE COULD REACH HELP. THIS RESULTED IN A $3800 REPAIR, STRANDING US 1,000 MILES FROM HOME AND RESULTING IN SEVERAL WEEKS OF MISSED WORK.

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR A LONG TIME NOW. I AM FINALLY REPORTING THIS AFTER GIVING UP ON SUBARU AND ITS SERVICE NETWORK. CAR EXHIBITS SURGE AND DIP IN ACCELERATION AT CONSTANT THROTTLE, ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. TAKING FOOT OFF THROTTLE ALSO CAUSES SURGE WHEN GENTLY APPLYING THE BRAKES; THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS TO A LOWER GEAR. ALSO, THE CHANGE FROM 2ND-3RD GEAR IS VERY ABRUPT; THE ENGINE RPMS RISE BY 200 IN BETWEEN SHIFTS AND THEN SLAMS INTO 3RD GEAR. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME. DEALER EITHER SAYS THAT IT CANNOT BE REPRODUCED, OR THAT IT IS NORMAL. ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IS THAT IT ALMOST STALLS WHEN STARTING OFF FROM STANDSTILL AND IN INTELLIGENT MODE. THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE FROM A CAR THAT IS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED. THIS MIGHT BE MY FIRST AND LAST SUBARU. *TR

I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY ON A SECONDARY ROAD ON MY WAY HOME, WHEN AFTER THE SECOND STOP SIGN TRYING TO CROSS THE INTERSECTION THE CAR STALLED ,LOSING ITS GEARS WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, BUT NO ACCELERATION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON,THE MODE DRIVING LIGHT AND THE CRUISE LIGHTS BLINKING. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF ,THEN ON AND I PROCEEDED WITH THE ONLY GEAR LEFT TO A SAFE LOCATION. LUCKILY I WAS ON A SECONDARY ROAD OR I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AND HURT OR WORSE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO IS TELLING ME THAT IT HAS TO BE REPROGRAMMED DUE TO A SLIPPAGE(TIME GAP BETWEEN THE 2ND & 3RD GEAR) ; HE ALSO TELLS ME THAT THE BRAKES ARE VIBRATING SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT DAMAGE TO MY GEAR BOX? AT THIS POINT I AM WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR EVEN WHEN IT'S FIXED *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 35 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ON ITS OWN FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. THE RPM'S ALSO REVVED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE, BUT IT WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. THE ABS, CRUISE CONTROL, OIL, AND SPORT INDICATORS WERE FLASHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE GEAR DISPLAY ONLY DISPLAYED A WHITE DASHED HORIZONTAL LINE. IT DID NOT DISPLAY A RED BOX AROUND THE GEAR THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THIS ONLY CAUSED THE ENGINE TO REV. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. HE SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND, ONCE IT WAS RESTARTED, IT DROVE NORMALLY. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINED LIT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN BACK TO THE SHOP, BUT WILL BE TOWED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY HAD NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 26,542.