Leaderboard

hopefully, all the tires are the same brand/model/size. Do some tight circles on dry pavement to see if you feel torque bind. generally, the older a car is, the more important its past care and current condition than its brand or model. The more owners it's had, the more chance something was abused. You might look at the 'sticky' threads here; https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/gen-2-2000-2004.110/

Since it seems that you have already contorted yourself to see behind the hvac control panel, I will just add my experience in the hopes that it might be something simple. My 08 OB has the speed and selector dial. Apparently, I may have been heavy handed in operating it or just plain unlucky at some point after which it stopped working. Twisted my aging 6'4" frame under the steering wheel and saw that the lever intended to operate an actuator had been displaced. Fiddled with it (using controlled force) until I reattached it and all was well in HVAC Land. Hope you are as lucky.