2016 Subaru Legacy Speed Control & Cruise Problems

THIS IS THE SECOND SUCH EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CAR! On Friday, September 12, 2025 at 3:32 p.m., I was driving slowly in a parking lot preparing to park. As I started to turn the car into the parking space, my car surged forward without my pressing on the gas pedal. I pressed on the brake, and the car came to a stop.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle accelerated at high-speed without warning, causing the vehicle to drive over a curb and into oncoming traffic. The contact desperately depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop. The contact was able to regain control and stopped the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and case was filed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 35,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space and pressing the brake pedal the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and continued to drive forward causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a pole. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified. The failure mileage was 28,000.

DROVE ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH IN A SUNNY AFTERNOON ON A 400 MILE TRIP WITH FUEL TANK BETWEEN 1/8 AND 1/4 FULL. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. PRESSED THE GAS TO REV UP THE ENGINE BUT STILL NO POWER MOVING FORWARD. HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED THE CAR. THAT WAS A PRETTY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE IT HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR BUT FAILED. THE STARTER TURNS BUT ENGINE WILL NOT START. ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PERIOD OF 30 - 40 MINUTES TO NO AVAIL. HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO A SHOP NEAR BY. ONCE UNLOADED (ABOUT 2 HOURS LATER) FROM THE TRUCK, THE TECHNICIAN HOOKED ON INSTRUMENTS TO CHECK. THE ELECTRICALS (ALTERNATOR, BATTERY) WERE FINE. THEN RESTARTING THE ENGINE WORKED. SHORTLY AFTER, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. NOT CONFIDENT OF CONTINUING THE TRIP, STAYED IN THE TOWN OVERNIGHT. CHECKED THE INTERNET FORUMS THE NEXT DAY AND READ SIMILAR EXPERIENCES BY SOME SUBARU OWNERS AND REALIZED THAT IT COULD BE RELATED TO LOW-FUEL. WENT TO FILL UP THE GAS TANK AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE CLOSE TO 100 MILES TO DESTINATION WITHOUT PROBLEM. NOTED WHEN FILLING UP, THE TANK HAD AT LEAST 2.5 GAL OF FUEL LEFT WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. CAR HAS 65K ON THE METER. IT WAS BOUGHT NEW AND MAINTAINED ON-SCHEDULE. NO ACCIDENTS OR MODS.

STEERING WHEEL ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL FOR SPEED REGULATION DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. WHEN PRESSING THE CONTROL TO INCREASE OR DECREASE SPEED, THERE IS NO RESPONSE OR "FOLLOW DISTANCE" INCREASES. BECAUSE SUBARU'S EYESIGHT AND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL REPRESENT SIGNIFICANT SAFETY, ACCIDENT-PREVENTION ADVANCES, A MALFUNCTIONING STEERING WHEEL CONTROL REPRESENTS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD WHEN DRIVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE REVERSING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DROVE THROUGH THE DRIVEWAY BARRIERS AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE PANEL AND TRUNK. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD TOW THE VEHICLE TO A SUBARU DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU LEGACY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN REVERSE OR DRIVE, IT ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,042.

AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, WHEN PULLING OUT FROM MY DRIVEWAY AND PUT THE GEAR IN REVERSE TO PULL OUT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WITHOUT MY FOOT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. SO BRAKE HAS TO BE APPLIED IMMEDIATELY TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. IT SHOOTS FORWARD WITH OUT ME ACCELERATING.. IT ACCELERATES AT ABOUT 25-30 MILES PER HOUR WITHOUT ME ONCE AGAIN ACCELERATING IT SO WE HAD TO BRAKE ALL THE WAY FROM THE HOUSE TO THE PLACE OF WORK. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEW CARS INCLUDING MERCEDES BENZ AND NEVER HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. AS I GO ON THE STREET THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT ME ACCELERATING IT. THERE IS ALSO A BURNING SMELL WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED. . WE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE NO HELP AT ALL..