Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
OBD Code P2138 (Throttle/ Pedal Position Sensor/ Switch D / E voltage correlation). This code pops up intermittently resulting in the car going into "limp mode". Truly dangerous, if this occurs when traveling at speed in traffic or when pulling away from a stop light. It is hard to pin down; but, it generally happens with high humidity or When you start the car after a cool night when there has been a lot of condensation that has formed on the car. A check of Subaru forums shows that this is a prevalent and / or recurring problem with many Subaru models. (I have also found mention of similar problems with other manufactures.) Dealers and mechanics have confirmed this problem with other Subaru makes. There is no advance warning of this malfunction until after it occurs. Once it occurs the car goes into "limp mode", the check engine light flashes and the cruise control light flashes.
The accelerator pedal position sensor is faulty. It is prone to wear in these vehicles based on my research. This caused my car to go into limp-mode on the highway, rapidly cutting my speed in half. The accelerator provides no response until vehicle was restarted. The ECU put out the code P2138 for loss of voltage in throttle system.
P2138 code - throttle issue --- today as I was driving to work, luckily on a side street,when the check engine light came on and the cruise control light began to blink. Then I lost power to the engine while it was still running. I normally take the highway to work but this day there was snow and ice so I decided to take the side streets instead. I pressed the gas pedal with no response. I coasted to a side street and turned in with no incident, thank god. I was near a Toyota dealership and I asked for their help but they said they did not work on Subaru. I was just about to call aaa when I thought to restart the car to see if it would go so I could take it somewhere else. I gave it gas and it went. The check engine light and cruise control was still on. …
I was driving my 2006 Subaru Outback at around 40 MPH, going straight on a busy road. Without warning, the accelerator stopped functioning and the vehicle slowed down abruptly. It apparently entered a "safe" mode, with a maximum speed of about 10 MPH regardless of how much pressure I applied to the accelerator. The "check engine" warning light was illuminated, and the cruise control light began flashing. I pulled into a parking lot and turned off the ignition. When I re-started the car, the warning lights remained illuminated, but the accelerator functioned normally again and I was able to return home. The vehicle's engine management computer provided an error code p2138, throttle position sensor/switch voltage correlation. This appears to be a common problem with Subaru vehicles from around this model year. …
My fiancee was driving my 2006 Subaru Outback on the highway approximately 65 MPH when there was a sudden loss of power. The throttle was unresponsive, but the engine remained idling. My partner pulled over to the side of the highway and tried restarting right away but the engine wouldn't start. After waiting a few minutes he was able to restart and drive normally. The CEL was on with the cruise control blinking. When I took the car in to get the code read it gave the p2138 error code. In the last month this has happened 3 more times, including when on the way to the mechanic this morning. The mechanic said he has heard of this problem previously with '06 subarus and recommended I get the wvu31 recall update, which I am really hoping will make a difference. This is extremely unsafe and essentially makes my car undriveable as I am never certain when a sudden loss of power will occur. …
Unexpectedly, while driving, the check engine light will come on, the car will idle high, the accelerator pedal will not respond, and the cruise control light will also come on. The car won't move even while pressing down on the accelerator pedal. I have to pull off the road, turn the car off, and wait until the car starts, the idle returns to normal, and the accelerator pedal responds. This has happened once last year and twice this year; the last time being 2/17/17. I was lucky. The first time it happened I was on a country road. The second time was more difficult as I was on a busy city street in winter, and the last time I had a green light and had just gone through an intersection in a suburb and was able to pull off the road. I did bring it to my mechanic who ran the code, which was p2138, the throttle position sensor. I will be getting this repaired. …
My wife was driving our 2006 Subaru Outback. She was driving in winter conditions. She was driving the 2 mile bridge to our home when the acceleration suddenly failed and the vehicle abruptly slowed from 55 MPH to 35 MPH. The roads had snow and ice on them. The vehicle behind her closed in on the rear of our Subaru and began honking and flashing its lights. The check engine light in our car came on and the cruise control flashed. She was scared by the misfunction. The car revved up above 4000 rpms when she put it into park. She shut the vehicle off and I checked and found an error code. P2138. The accelerator has 2 circuits that relay the desired speed to the car's computer. When the circuits don't match the computer cuts the speed out of the vehicle. I think that the engineering behind this system needs to be re thought so that this doesn't occur. …
On street, from park with engine idling, car in drive, accelerator pedal dead at first, then high RPM 3000+ with pedal released. No control of engine RPM. CEL and cc illuminated on instrument panel. Put transmission in neutral. Killed ignition switch. Engine shut down. Restarted engine and RPM was normal. Very frightening! Found DTC p2138 acc pedal sensor failure. Called Subaru support, no such record of failure. Called dealer from which car was purchased, answer was bring car in and will try to repair. This is a serious failure and danger. Please see this failure on google. Many people are reporting the same issue. I am apprehensive to put this car on the road especially with other people in it. An investigation should be pursued in these drive by wire vehicles as this car is. Please take this seriously.. Thank you
Hi, I'm writing you to to inform you of a safety issue with the 05-09 Subaru Outback airbag system. The passenger airbag notification board, located in the dome light assembly is assembled with poor quality solders between the board and diodes, this results in failure of the board, this is often seen in lower temperatures when the solders crack due to thermal contraction. When one of these solders fails, it causes 2 issues, 1, the indicator lights don't come on correctly, and 2, the entire airbag system is disabled. This is an issue known to the Subaru owners community. My dealer wants about $260 to fix it. Thanks.
Car intermittently loses all power as you are driving and RPM gauge goes up as cruise control and check engine light go on. A very dangerous situation that Subaru customers have complained about, but Subaru ignores need for recalls. Money spent on troubleshooting is ridiculous! Car works fine after pulling over and restarting after a couple of minutes, only to happen suddenly weeks later. Gas pedal accelerator assembly and or throttlebody issues. Also Subaru cars from 2006 and older all have head gasket leaks. They never recalled cars for that problem. That costs $1600. They used a different gasket material after 2007
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019.
Electrical complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Subaru Outback, 15% of the model year's 277 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Subaru Outback electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-297 (switch, Apr 11, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Subaru Outback electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.