Austin20

I just got a letter from Subaru for this EPB recall, stating parts are now available. I called my Subaru dealer to schedule an appointment, and after researching it for an hour, they called me back and told me parts are NOT available. I explained I had the letter from Subaru stating otherwise. They said they just contacted Subaru of America directly and parts are not available now, but may be in a week or two. I guess this is progress at least.

Of course, it was not in gear then. I've always had manual transmissions and used the hand brake - never a need to also put it in gear unless on a steep incline. I'm sure I had engaged the EPB when the accident happened, and it apparently held the Outback for about a minute, then disengaged. The vehicle will not stay in place for even a few seconds if the brake is not set (or it's in gear.) I've asked SOA for a detailed explanation of the problem, but I just got the vague statement that the EPB may fail. I had hoped Subaru would want to look at my Outback as one known to have the problem, but now I think they have known exactly what the cause is for a while. It's very rare that it happens, but when it does, you better have it in gear or be on level ground. We'll have to see if they ever get parts - my insurance agent thinks they may be hoping the issue fades away after time.

The EPB parking brake issue is real. It must be an intermittent electrical problem, not something like a capacitor burning up. It happened to me once in 2014, then not again that I know of, but then, I always leave my 2011 Outback in gear when parked now. My garage slopes slightly, so that if the parking brake is not engaged, my Outback will immediately begin creeping backward once I have stopped. In 2014, I parked the Outback in my garage, engaged the EPB, then got out to check my mail. Walked out to the street, got the mail, then on the way back to the house, the Outback starts rolling out. I couldn't stop it, opened the door but got thrown to the ground before it rolled across the street and hit my neighbor's car. This always puzzled me, Did I hit the EPB button twice by mistake, disengaging it? Did I not engage it at all? I tried those theories. The EPB does not disengage if you just hit it twice. And my Outback will begin rolling out of the garage immediately if the EPB is not engaged - I can't even get out of the car. It is impossible that it can just sit there for a minute, then start rolling. Insurance covered the $8000 damage to my neighbor's car, but not the $2000 for my car. (An Outback can beat up a Honda any day!) So, last November I got the EPB recall notice. Mystery solved. Contacted my dealer, made an appointment, they looked up the EPB notice said they had parts, I showed up. I had to explain the EPB problem to the guy and show him the recall notice. Then he tells me they do NOT have parts - and what am I doing there? Like this is my fault. I told him about the accident, and he recommended I call Subaru of America. They might reimburse me for my repairs, they are not like other companies, he said. I do that, SOA sends me an EPB letter with instructions for a claim (posted early in this thread) and so I send them original receipts and an explanation how this happened. Two months later a simple denial from SOA. Like I thought, a waste of my time. And still no parts? They must have known about this for a long time. I like the Outback, but no more Subarus for me. No, I do not want a discount on a new one. OK, I've vented. Again, the EPB problem is real. Thanks for listening.