Subaru 05' Outback and newer, DANGEROUS ON ICE!

I have seen a few postings on the Internet concerning this problem, and was wondering if any of you Subaru owners (2005 and newer) have encountered this problem.

My 2005 Subaru Outback does not handle well in snow/icy conditions. The rear end oscillates back and forth in a very uneasy, unsafe manor. Specifically the rear of the car “fishtails”. It does not matter if it’s off throttle, off brakes, or in a straight-line. Almost any speed does it, and is particularly bad in downhill stretches. I’ve had to slow down to very low speeds to regain control. Other cars had no trouble at the time, and easily passed. New M/S tires and an alignment have not corrected the issue. Of course the dealer can not duplicate the problem and claims everything is working correctly.

Does this happen to any of you other skiers out there, or do I have a lemon?

Bryan

Get some decent snow tires and the problem should go away. All wheel drive vehicles with all season tires will easily be bested with a front driver and a good set of studded tires.

Please, this problem is specific to 2005 Subaru outbacks and newer. It is not related to driver skill, or tires. I believe something is wrong with the car. I am asking if others have a Outback that does the same thing.

Bryan

I was riding up to Crystal with TopherVW in his brand new 07 Outback and we clearly experienced what you described. We were crossing a small bridge that had iced over and the back end of the car did this weird, tight fishtail. It wasn't out of control and we were going very slow, but it was a very weird feeling. I have ridden in 4x4 and all wheel drive cars and have never experienced this same thing that this car did. ThopherVW, has that happened again since that day?

Get some decent snow tires and the problem should go away. All wheel drive vehicles with all season tires will easily be bested with a front driver and a good set of studded tires.

I would love to believe you but I'd rather not have to chain up during chain restrictions. AWD is exempt for some reason.

Hey bscott, My 06 Outback with studless snow tires does not handle as well as my old Legacy Wagon with regular M&S, but I think it has to do with the higher center of gravity on the OB. The most dangerous part of my OB is the turbo. Good luck gaining traction when that thing is kicking in. Anyway, I was thinking, is your problem after you've been parked in cold for quite a while? Reason I ask is--I've noticed my e-brake will freeze to the disk and can be pretty squirrelly until it heats up and pops back. I try not to use the e-brake when it's very cold for that very reason. Also, post your question at www.subaruoutback.org and see what happens. BTW...I had a beater Civic a few years back with studs and that thing was unstoppable (like GreggC said). Also, the stock Bridgestone Potenza tires that come on Outbacks are worthless.