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.
Car back door won't open, despite 3 new batteries. Remained locked so that couldn't remove equipment from back--Dangerous. Have been through 3 batteries in 26,000 miles....all that the car has been driven since it's purchase, new, in 2017.
Underlying and undiagnosed electrical issue is placing excessive load on battery to a point where battery can't recover. Have had issues on shorter drives and long drives. We are currently on 4 battery replacements in less than 18 month period. After a quick Google search is a common issue among other Outbacknowners. Best guess is something with a faulty design on alternator and/or electrical system which pulls power accelerating battery decay. Have taken to Subaru several times and they just say it is normal. This is not normal and very dangerous. We have been stranded several times. One time after a 7 hour drive on the other side of state (vacation).
The battery drains after not using the vehicle for 48hrs+. We've replaced the battery 3 times and have had to jump start the vehicle more than 10 times in the last 18mos. This causes a safety concern as there have been times where the vehicle wouldn't start in unsafe areas and late at night not to mention a major hassle to get transportation while stranded in the middle of an airport parking lot at night. This is happening temperature independent, cold and warm (60F+) with the only factor being if the car site for more than 2 days.
The battery in this vehicle consistently drains to the point it cannot start the car. It happened with the OME battery and all subsequent replacements. I reported it originally to Subaru on the date below but it has continued to happen and I have had to buy a portable charger along with new batteries to work around the issue. Leaving a door open for 15 mins or radio on for 4 mins without the engine running can be enough to cause the car needing a jump start to operate. Leaving an interior light on will also drain the battery but am less sure how long that needs to happen. I had been searching forms for a solution and saw I should report it here. This doesn't happen in my 2007 sedan so can't imagine this should be happening on this 2017 outback. I am also surprised the company has not addressed a fix for the issue, so much for buying another one. Thank you.
I have just over 33,000 miles. I already had to replace the battery. Its 60 degrees out this past week and with a 1 year battery the car doesnt start. I have had to get my car jumpstarted 5 times in the past 5 days because the battery goes completely dead. Not even enough power to unlock the doors. I have to use the manual key.
- Seaford, NY, USA
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The battery goes dead prematurely. This is a 2017 Outback and I am having to replace the battery for the third time already. Something is wrong with the electrical system.
I have had a number of unexplainable dead batteries. I have AAA and had battery jumped or battery replaced. In the last week I've had to call AAA assistance twice. Each time the battery and alternator test came back okay.
My battery has died seven times. I have received three battery replacements. Never a full solution. Windshield wipers never work properly either, despite changing brands.
I purchased a used 2017 Subaru Outback Premium in January 2020 from Johnson Subaru in Raleigh, NC. It was a Certified car and had a brand new Subaru brand battery as part of the prep before the sale. That battery failed on Aug 23, 2021...less than 18 months old. A Subaru dealer agreed to replace it under the 2 year battery warranty. The free replacement Subaru brand battery that was installed in my Subaru Outback in August 2021 failed on November 28. 2021...less than 4 months old. The tests at O'Reilly Auto Parts on Nov 28th show the battery was delivering 0 volts. The alternator was tested, too, and it was providing 14 volts to the replacement battery. When Subaru installed this battery last August the Subaru Service Adviser told me that there was no warranty on a replacement battery because Subaru would only replace it once. Why aren't replacement parts guaranteed? They are brand new. Subaru batteries are defective and cannot supply sufficient voltage to the car's electrical system. They don't last as long as their 2 year warranty. I have pictures of the battery test and the alternator test below. Poor quality Subaru brand batteries are a known issue and Subaru should take action to provide better replacement parts and the replacement parts should also be warranted. I can't depend on Subaru brand batteries. I bought a battery from O'Reilly while I was there at a cost of $159.95 plus tax and core. I would like for Subaru to reimburse me for at least part of that expense.
Since purchasing this vehicle in May, 2017, I have had a dead battery 5 times. The original battery was replaced by Subaru in 2020 as it wasn-??t holding a charge & a leak was found. I routinely drive my car a few times each week whether I need to or not as the dealership maintains that this is required to keep the battery charged. Today I attempted to start my car for another useless drive around town & it wouldn-??t start. I cannot rely on my car being available to start when necessary.
The vehicle has an electrical problem or problems that drain the 12-volt battery leaving us stranded, unable to start the car. The problem or problems also lead to unreasonably short battery lifespans (average lifespan = 19-months). Subaru replaced the original battery under warranty after only 23-months. The Subaru warranty replacement battery (#2) died after only 12-months, and we paid for an emergency replacement through AAA at a cost of $145.88. Today, Subaru informed me that the third battery needs to be replaced after only 21-months at a cost of $198.80. The AAA battery (#3) remains under warranty, but it seems unreasonable for AAA to bear the cost of failures due to a faulty electrical system.
My battery is constantly dying. I upgraded the battery to a much larger one yet it keeps dying. If the car sits for more than three days it dies. If the car is driven for a very long time then it will stay working for about three days, then die. Today it is dead. It was dead yesterday. I jumped it yesterday, drove it around, restarted it to make sure, drove it around some more and then parked it. Today it is dead. The battery voltage is fine (a bit low, perhaps) at 12.8V, when charging at 14V. If I jump the car in my driveway, run it for a while, it essentially does not charge the battery. It is almost like the car is designed not to actually charge the battery unless you drive it a lot, which seems counter-intuitive. Engine RPMs doesn't seem to affect the charging ability even though it should. I have one after-market device installed: a remote car starter, built and installed by Subaru. Otherwise, this is a stock, 2017 Subaru Outback. All interior lights are switched off, the head lights are left in the Off position, yet the car continually dies. When I do drive it on a daily basis, it usually is fine. However, I did have it die one time while doing a bunch of errands. Basically, drive 10 minutes, stop, run the errand, drive 10 minutes, stop, run the errand, etc. After the fourth or fifth errand the car was dead. As this is a continual problem I have a lithium power pack designed to jump the car, so that provided the rescue I needed. But I should not need this type of rescue!
Battery totally dead. No sounds or lights came on. The battery tested 500 miles before and was good. The car was functioning 7 hours earlier and then was totally drained the next morning.
In five years, we have needed 3 batteries. On two occasions we were stranded. Car would not start. Dealer changed battery on first occasion. New garage had to replace twice. The first occasion was during a service where battery was tested and failed. Third occasion found me stranded in a parking lot. There were no warnings. Car just failed to start without a jump. Something seems to be draining the battery and a solution has not been found. Car has approximately 41,000 miles. Doesn't feel reliable at this point. Thank you.
I am experiencing frequent battery drain and have already had to replace the battery once since purchasing the product as a new vehicle. I'm now on my second battery and experiencing the same battery drain issue. This issue has left my family stranded.
2 battery failures-?? First failure 15 Mar, 2018 (4,381 miles) and the second of which was 26 Oct 2021 (16,237 miles). Batteries were completely drained. The first battery actually failed when I attempted to start the vehicle. Instead of engaging the starter, the accessories light went out along with a strange audible sound. Because of this I had the vehicle towed to the dealership where they replaced the battery. Second-??.went to start the vehicle and battery was completely dead. No accessories-??nothing. Jumped vehicle and drove for about 30 minutes. Noticed that window controls were not working correctly on the drivers control panel for the drivers and front passenger windows.
2017 Subaru Outback: The vehicle has become completely unreliable due to battery drain issues that result in battery failure. The battery has been replaced and upgraded and it continues to have issues. My children and I have been left stranded many times over the years. The dealer has tested the battery multiple times and the alternator, all tests have come back normal. The dealership has not offered other alternatives or have they been willing to do further investigations on the issue. There seems to be an electrical issue in the vehicle that has not been addressed by Subaru.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Menlo Park, CA, USA