This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Been having issues with my Subaru Outback dying for years now. I-??ve gone through 5 battery-??s the last 6 years. No amount of driving seems to fix the issue, the replacement batteries only work for so long until it gets cold or I don-??t drive my car for a week and suddenly it dies. I believe there is a parasitic drain somewhere, I can-??t figure out what. I have nothing obstructing the hatch locking mechanism, I turn all my lights off and air system off before turn turning the car off. It-??s becoming a serious issue, I have to jump my car almost everyday or every other day and am driving for over 40 minutes a day. Subaru has been unhelpful and I-??m now not trusting of their help.
Ignition inhibitor switch causing car to stay in neutral, fried the starter and battery 8 months after getting a brand new transmission under subaru warrenty
#1. I replaced the battery in June of 2022 after all the dash warning lights came on. My eyesight safety feature was rendered in operative. After the battery was replaced, all the warning lights eventually went out. In July of 2023 the same scenario happened again. I returned to Advance Auto retailer and the store manager checked the battery. She replaced the battery with a new one of greater cold cranking amps. she was most knowledgeable and extraordinarily gracious. I asked her to check the alternator for proper function and was told it was functioning as it should. #2. On June 07, 2023, I took the automobile in for service: oil and filter change and brake pads and rotors on all four wheels. My Subaru had 68,482 miles on this date. The technician (who previously was employed by a local Subaru dealership) noticed that the engine was leaking oil and diagnosed the timing cover gasket was leaking oil. Oil leaking would contribute to the bad smells entering the passenger compartment. The gasket and three seals were replaced at a cost of $1329.94 plus 8% tax. Online research reveals that Subaru"s boxer engine suffers chronic oil consumption and seal problems. Subaru of America relies on the consumer to eat any repairs rather than fix the problem that has been going on for years.
There's a problem in a part called (clock spring/roll connector) that is responsible for the horn on steering wheel. It affects almost all Subaru models, like Outback, Forester, Legacy... I've verified it in a mechanic shop, and after all the tests of fuses, horn, and everything. They say the problem is the clock spring, a part that goes after the air bag and costs around $130 plus service ($150 minimum) to change. Then I research on internet and found out it's a very common problem with a lot of videos on YouTube of people having the same issue and a lot of comments there of more people complaining about it that it should have a recall cause it's a security part. I couldn't use my horn when another driver almost hit me, that's how I figured out that my horn died. Those are just some of the videos with this related problem. There's a lot more on YouTube and a lot of posts on Internet forums as well: https://youtu.be/E73ao9zRCUM https://youtu.be/vDxvafmQ6Qg https://youtu.be/plbtVX2WZWw https://youtu.be/YIwl5AmhfQ0 https://youtu.be/ZR5Qq3zufRc
The battery has been in need of replacement at least every year if not twice a year since purchase. This has led to issues with the rear hatch and other fuses being blown.
- Holliston, MA, USA
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Oil consumption issues. The oil is burning more then it should. Oil light would come after 2 to 3 more after an oil change. The dealership has been notified and is working on ordering new parts for the engine. Replacing the small block of the engine. Had less the 100k miles when this problem accured. Electrical issues. The battery is being drained after the car is turned off. Car would not start in the morning and need to be jumped. Additionally, battery eventually dies and needs to be replaced. Dealership has been notified.
The horn in my car quit working about a month ago. I have checked the fuses and relay involved in the horn fiction. I have also tested the horns themselves and they are working. All signs point to the clock spring in the steering column being bad.
I am on my 3rd battery since May 2015 when the Outback was purchased in El Cajon, California. There have been multiple instances when I prepare to venture out and am unable to as the result of a dead battery. In every instance there was not an obvious instigating factor such as a light inadvertently left on. This situation is extremely disruptive resulting in my belief that I have an unreliable vehicle that has caused me to miss appointments and meetings. There is also a significant monetary loss in that this is a known and well- publicized issue that will render me unable to recoup market value upon sale of the vehicle. '
I have had to replace battery sooner than it should have. Also, it seems to be causing an electrical issue with the computer board where all the dashboard warnings are blanking. I have been disconnecting the battery and reconnecting to reset the computer board.
1st time battery died when car was not in use at least for three days, back in Jan 2022. was replaced. on 10/11/22, after the car was not in use for 4 days, 8 month old battery was died, had to replace, again. Recently received a Subaru Battery settlement letter of a design defect that cuase battery drain.
I am reporting this deficiency as it is related to: Subaru Battery Drain Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:20-cv-03095-JHR-MJS Deficiency: Battery will discharge to an unusable degree within a relatively short amount of time (10 to 20 min.) when any power is used (radio, cabin lights) while engine is off. This has happened 4 times since my purchase of my new 2015 Subaru Outback. I now carry an emergency battery jump starter power unit so as to not be stranded. As the amount of power used is so small there is no warning from the car's system that the discharge is causing such a power drain as to make starting the car not possible. Although I have been contacted by the above class action suit sponsors I am mostly interested in Subaru fixing the electrical system from this obvious deficiency.
On multiple occasions I have had the tailgate open and the light has drained the battery to the point that it needs a jump start or a battery charging to get it to start back up. On one occasion the tailgate was only left open for 30 minutes and the car would not start due to the battery being drained from it. The battery is in perfect condition as it would start fine any other time.
Replaced 2 new batteries in 6 months. Batteries went totally dead. Batteries wer replaced by independent shop. Dealer changed battery to a subaru oem battery, checked system, said everything ok. Read about complaints about subaru batteries going dead months apart. Want to find out if there is a defect in subarus.
Inoperative horn. Traced to continuity failure in steering roll connector, part #83111AL13. No indication of fault and no other apparent continuity failure in adjoining wire paths.
On multiple occasions the car battery was drained and required a jump to start. Battery replaced less than 5 months ago. Service technicians unable to identify problem with alternator or parasitic drain.
The electrical system failed to go into sleep mode after parking the car. The battery was totally drained by morning causing us to find someone to use jumper cables to juice it up again.
Repeated battery drain, causing premature failure of the battery. Frequent replacement of the battery and reduced reliability have increased the cost of ownership. It has occurred multiple times over the duration of ownership.
My battery has continually been dead, despite replacing the battery twice. I just had to call roadside assistance last weekend on Saturday. Yesterday (Sunday), the battery was dead again - 8 days later. This happened several times when I first got my car, and Subaru replaced the battery, as the car was still under warranty. I have since replaced the battery twice, and am still having the same issues. This is extremely frustrating, considering one of the main reasons I bought this car was for the reliability.
On multiple occassions, I have been unable to start my Outback b/c the battery is dead. Note that I have not left any lights on, doors open etc. and, when I have taken my car in for routine services, the battery is deemed to be in proper working condition. In addition to being extremely inconvenient when I cannot use my car as needed, this is a safety issue. What if I was not in a safe location when my car wouldn't start" What if I needed to use my car to get a pet to urgent medical care" When I purchased my Outback, I was confident in the Subaru brand for reliability. However, it no longer consider my Outback, or Subaru as a brand, reliable when I can't count on my car starting when I need it to. The date I provided in the additional details of this form is just the latest incident. I purchased this car in 2015 and my battery has been drained more than 5 times.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Issaquah, WA, USA