Subaru Outback Won't Drive

[Dzmitry]

For a 2001 Subaru Outback Limited MT:

Though my dad has already moved on and bought a new car, the situation before it still bothers me a bit and makes me curious as to what the problem was.

A few weeks ago, my dad was driving home from work and started feeling like the cars front wheel (felt like it was front left) was wobbling, and pretty hard. He said he had to use quite a lot of force to keep the steering wheel straight. There was also loud clanking noises or something along the lines of what he described. He managed to take his time and make it home while on the phone with me. As we were driving it to the shop with me following him, I did not notice any wheel wobble or anything unusual from behind.

Moving forward, the shop calls him to tell him that his clutch is dead because the car wont move. So this is where I get curious. My dad replaced his clutch about a year or two prior to this incident, so I really have a hard time believing it has anything to do with the clutch at all. And regardless of that, the symptoms he described that his car was experiencing just don't seem to relate to the clutch.

What could have broken/disengaged/rusted off over night to where the car could no longer move the next day? I know the culprit of this is almost always a bad transmission or clutch, but could that really create the symptoms he was having? Or was it just such bad luck that at the same time as something in the suspension was going, the transmission went too?

[bcj]

CV joints.

[ActionMaxon]

Sounds like maybe a seized brake caliper piston.

Pulling to one side, wobbly (warped rotor), and then wouldn't "drive" because essentially the brakes were locked up.

During the drive, the overheated brake pad lost holding ability (brake fade) so he could continue driving.

That is a total guess based on the limited available information. Clutch could have been womped during the course of limping to the shop and having to use extra clutch scrub to get it going if the brakes were locking up.

[DarkPira7e]

As ActionMaxon said, clutch probably took a lot of abuse being slipped to move the car under brake load... I'm sure a caliper seized, the old Subarus are known for it

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ActionMaxon

Sounds like maybe a seized brake caliper piston.

Pulling to one side, wobbly (warped rotor), and then wouldn't "drive" because essentially the brakes were locked up.

During the drive, the overheated brake pad lost holding ability (brake fade) so he could continue driving.

That is a total guess based on the limited available information. Clutch could have been womped during the course of limping to the shop and having to use extra clutch scrub to get it going if the brakes were locking up.

Originally Posted by DarkPira7e

As ActionMaxon said, clutch probably took a lot of abuse being slipped to move the car under brake load... I'm sure a caliper seized, the old Subarus are known for it

These^

And the fact that it is a 19 year old car doesn't help.

[Mr.ac]

Sometimes clutches can die in a year. It's not common but it is possible
Back in the day ACT clutches where notorious for poor quality on brand new clutches lasting less than a year.

[Dzmitry]

Interesting. Though I know that a caliper would cause these symptoms, I did not think of that being the issue at all. Thanks a lot guys! I'm gonna run back to that shop while it sits there and check it out. Fix it up and sell it for more than 250 which is what they're offering him to dump it lol. And The worst part is the engine in it was replaced about 90k ago due to a late oil change on regular oil, and quite a few other parts are fairly new. Thanks again for the info.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dzmitry

Interesting. Though I know that a caliper would cause these symptoms, I did not think of that being the issue at all. Thanks a lot guys! I'm gonna run back to that shop while it sits there and check it out. Fix it up and sell it for more than 250 which is what they're offering him to dump it lol. And The worst part is the engine in it was replaced about 90k ago due to a late oil change on regular oil, and quite a few other parts are fairly new. Thanks again for the info.

What you have seen is just a small taste of how fixing a 20 year old car can just lead to a domino effect of failures. It isn't just a matter of replacing a couple of parts like repairing a newer car but can become a total restoration project that soon becomes a money and time pit. There is a whole different level of dedication when you start working on older vehicles like this and a quick, cheap, flip is a rarity no matter how easy is seems.


Proceed with caution.


Or better yet...

[WolfpackS2k]

I'm not an expert on Subarus (or AWD vehicles), but I find it highly unlikely that a brake caliper would seize up and not cause complete brake failure via boiling brake fluid. I've had personal experience driving with a frozen brake caliper, and I can assure that after driving about 10 miles like that I had no brakes. Pedal went straight to the floor. I avoided crashing by downshifting and using the E-brake.

It's definitely worth looking at though, as would be super easy to diagnose.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Dzmitry

Interesting. Though I know that a caliper would cause these symptoms, I did not think of that being the issue at all. Thanks a lot guys! I'm gonna run back to that shop while it sits there and check it out. Fix it up and sell it for more than 250 which is what they're offering him to dump it lol. And The worst part is the engine in it was replaced about 90k ago due to a late oil change on regular oil, and quite a few other parts are fairly new. Thanks again for the info.

i probably wouldn't bother if the engine replacement is any indication.

the 2 main things that absolutely kill old cars are poor maintenance, and oddball parts like model-specific switches/trims.

poor maintenance will kill anything that can be replaced, and lack of a replacement of oddball parts like will doom whatever can't be replaced.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

I'm not an expert on Subarus (or AWD vehicles), but I find it highly unlikely that a brake caliper would seize up and not cause complete brake failure via boiling brake fluid. I've had personal experience driving with a frozen brake caliper, and I can assure that after driving about 10 miles like that I had no brakes. Pedal went straight to the floor. I avoided crashing by downshifting and using the E-brake.

It's definitely worth looking at though, as would be super easy to diagnose.

I've driven 30+ miles at 70+ mph with a seized brake caliper where that didn't happen. And yes, that is exactly as stupid as it sounds.

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by Spuds

I've driven 30+ miles at 70+ mph with a seized brake caliper where that didn't happen. And yes, that is exactly as stupid as it sounds.

Holy crap man. Sounds like it was only "partially" seized. LOL, jk.

[Dzmitry]

[QUOTE=Tcoat;3295113]What you have seen is just a small taste of how fixing a 20 year old car can just lead to a domino effect of failures. It isn't just a matter of replacing a couple of parts like repairing a newer car but can become a total restoration project that soon becomes a money and time pit. There is a whole different level of dedication when you start working on older vehicles like this and a quick, cheap, flip is a rarity no matter how easy is seems.

Agreed. I have certainly had some taste of repairing old cars, but definitely not much yet. But of the two I owned (00 cavalier and 04 Mazda 6), both had issues that created plenty more. And yes, these aren't OLD haha, but I ain't either.... yet. The Mazda especially was a nightmare. I spent more time heading to the junkyard to pick up parts and changing them out than I did driving the thing. I remember taking it to the shop once because there was a particular code that was related to the throttle body going off, so I wanted the guy to see if I needed to replace it. He called me and told me there's too many codes on the car, he can't fix it, LOL.

As per the Subaru Outback business, I'll get a look at it this weekend real quick to check the brakes and maybe peak underneath the car. Just to satisfy my curiosity. Thanks guys.

[Tcoat]

[quote=Dzmitry;3295589]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

What you have seen is just a small taste of how fixing a 20 year old car can just lead to a domino effect of failures. It isn't just a matter of replacing a couple of parts like repairing a newer car but can become a total restoration project that soon becomes a money and time pit. There is a whole different level of dedication when you start working on older vehicles like this and a quick, cheap, flip is a rarity no matter how easy is seems.

Agreed. I have certainly had some taste of repairing old cars, but definitely not much yet. But of the two I owned (00 cavalier and 04 Mazda 6), both had issues that created plenty more. And yes, these aren't OLD haha, but I ain't either.... yet. The Mazda especially was a nightmare. I spent more time heading to the junkyard to pick up parts and changing them out than I did driving the thing. I remember taking it to the shop once because there was a particular code that was related to the throttle body going off, so I wanted the guy to see if I needed to replace it. He called me and told me there's too many codes on the car, he can't fix it, LOL.

As per the Subaru Outback business, I'll get a look at it this weekend real quick to check the brakes and maybe peak underneath the car. Just to satisfy my curiosity. Thanks guys.

For much of my driving life I have had cars that were 15+ years old. Fixing them up/keeping them going can be fun but also a nightmare!


My year round DD from 2000 to 2004