r/subaru • u/SituationTurbulent20 • 1d ago

Mechanical Help Engine hesitation/sputter

I have a 2017 outback 2.5 with 51k miles. Recently I noticed it has a jerky hesitation/sputter when cruising at higher speeds. I don't feel it when I'm going 20-35mph but when I get up to 45+ I start to notice it and the interval increases as speed increases. Today on the interstate i was going 75 and it was sputtering every 2-3 seconds. Does not do it during acceleration, only when cruising at the higher speeds. No noticeable misfires when idling but there is a rougher idle when the AC is on, rough idle goes away with AC off...probably yet another issue to be addressed later.

I took it to Subaru last week and they replaced the spark plugs and cleaned the throttle body but it hasn't improved the sputter. Car hasn't thrown any codes. My diesel mechanic buddy said it could be anything from bad coil packs to a clogged fuel filter to a blown head gasket....I'm not too sure where to start now and would rather not go broke at the dealership so I'm hoping someone here has some experience and can point me in the right direction.

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u/Jsk84 1d ago

did they do an idle relearn after the throttle body cleaning?

is it turbocharged?

This doesnt sound normal to me. Id ask over at AskMechanics or .. whats the other one?

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u/SituationTurbulent20 17h ago

They didn't specify if they did an idle relearn. It does not have a turbo. Definitely not normal lol I posted on the ask mechanics as well, hoping to get some input soon.