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Subaru Australia has just placed a \u2018stop delivery\u2019 order on all new model Subaru Outbacks. The \u2018stop delivery\u2019 mandate was issued late yesterday.

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Dealers are still selling the new Subaru Outback - meaning signing people up - and this indicates to me the problem is not that major, on the balance of probabilities. Details are not forthcoming at this stage.   Subaru\u2019s head office confirmed that the \u2018stop delivery\u2019 order is in place and they told me they are awaiting official confirmation from Japan over what the underlying issue really is.  I would speculate that there\u2019s a serious but not catastrophic potential software glitch. It could also be a physical component that\u2019s replaceable, but it\u2019s more likely to be a bug in the code. I really don\u2019t know more than that.  Software is the best and most likely reason for this \u2018stop delivery\u2019 edict. Cars are complex, they run on code, and all potential failure modes cannot be predicted in R&D. So it\u2019s likely the fix is going to be a re-flash of some black box or other via the vehicle\u2019s OBDII (diagnostics) port.  If you are an early adopter and you have a new Outback in your driveway now, there\u2019s probably no need for you to panic - but in due course it\u2019s likely this issue - whatever it is - will also impact you. And you\u2019ll probably have to visit the dealer for remedial action (or they might come to you in some circumstances).  This may also become an official recall - but bear in mind recalls in \u2018Straya occur only for serious potential safety defects, and this issue might not be safety related. It might just be some other operational concern.  Anyway, Subaru was typically open and honest with me about it when I bounced them. That\u2019s kinda how they roll - and one of the core reasons I respect them. They\u2019re awaiting advice from Japan on exactly what the issue is and how the fix is going to be implemented. You\u2019ll have to stand by for that - I\u2019ll keep you updated. They\u2019ve promised to call me when they know what\u2019s going on, and I\u2019ll drop everything and update you at that point.  Before I let you go, maybe you\u2019ve heard me say: \u2018give it a few months before you go out and buy any new model after its debut\u2019? Like wait 2-3 months before jumping in to the market with a brand-new model? Yeah, well, this would be why. Teething problems and how to avoid them, simply by being patient. (You\u2019ll also get a better discount.)  No need to panic. It\u2019s not a catastrophe - just an inconvenience if you own one or you were planning on picking your new Outback over the next few days or weeks.   I\u2019ll keep you posted.