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.
I purchased the car new on 28 February 2017. The car was started and driven to the front of the dealership for me to pickup after purchase. When I went to start the car, it did not start. The dealer said a light was probably left on and the dealer replaced the battery. On 29 January 2021 my car required a jump to start. I drove to the dealership and they said I needed to replace the battery. From the time of purchase I have noticed battery problems such as slow start or difficult starting. Also I required more than one attempt to start after the radio was used without the engine running for less than 10 minutes. On 26 March 2021 I notice the clock was not keeping correct time, the keyless entry stopped working and other electrical malfunctions. I took the car to the dealership and it took 7 days to troubleshoot the problem. The dealership said the problem was the driver side approach light was shorted. I have also have passenger side front window automatic closing problems. The window closes all the way then immediately opens half way.
car was left in garage for 8 days, did not start upon return. no lights or devices were left on during that time but battery was completely dead. needed a jump from roadside assistance; incident follows pattern history of battery issues ranging from trouble starting and lack of power to quick drain of power if the car idles too long. Original battery that came with the new vehicle has already been replaced under warranty once. Manufacturer is currently facing a class action lawsuit based on the electrical system's inability to fully power down even when the vehicle is completely turned off, which drains the battery if the car isn't operated frequently. service center told me I just needed to drive it for up to 30-40 miles of constant speed e.g. freeway driving on a regular basis. this is obviously not practical and should not be necessary for normal operation of the vehicle.
Random dead battery. Battery replaced. Random dead battery. Got a boost start battery for emergency. Random dead battery, etc. Car will not start you do not know when. No warning. Will contact dealer, again but they were dismissive of the issue last year.
Purchased 05/2017. Within 2 weeks battery dead. Towed to dealer. Told okay. July 2017, dead battery. Charged, dead next day. New battery. 10/2018 new battery. 04/2021, new battery. Condenser for a/c was replaced 05/2021
The battery on this vehicle needs to be charged weekly, the battery tests fine, but something is drawing the charge.I have been charging the battery weekly for almost a year now.
- Villard, MN, USA
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On six separate occasions four times with out any battery drain and twice when I had charged my phone after turning off the engine the battery failed to start the car. It had to be jumped with a portable charger. The car has 62000 miles on it and no warning lights or any other indicators. On my last oil change 7/12/2021 it was tested and just crossed the line into the red and needs to be replaced.
received clean bill of health for battery after 10/24/19 service at dealership. AAA replaced battery on 10/31/19 when car would not start. Car would not start. Had to jump battery on 3/15/21. Car would not start. Had to jump battery on 6/20/21. Car would not start. Had to jump battery on 6/21/21. AAA replaced battery on 6/22/21 when car would not start. Blind spot monitoring turns itself off about 50% of the time. Repaired multiple times at dealership.
My car wouldn't turn on in April of 2020. When I opened the hood there was corrosion around the top of the battery. The battery was dead and had to be replaced. I bought the car new at the end of 2017 from a dealership.
We have had to get a third-party charge to the battery 3 times in the last 2 months. The car had been turned off so there should have been no battery drain.
Since I bought the 2017 Subaru Outback new from the dealer, I have experienced at least four instances when the car wouldn't start because of a dead battery. Once, (I assume) it was because the doors were open for a long time (a couple hours) while I cleaned the interior. The other three times were after I had driven it for a short trip, shut the car off, and returned to the car and it wouldn't start. There were no lights or auxiliary items left on. The most recent time (6-29-2021), it was parked for 20 minutes between trips and wouldn't start. I made a video of the engine compartment when I tried to jump start it and there is a loud noise coming from the engine. Something is running in the engine when the battery is too dead to start. It's loud.
In May 2020 my car battery was replaced. The battery would not hold a charge after a few days of sitting. The dealer found no issues at the time. Today I had a similar issue. The car was parked in my driveway for 5 days, I was unable to start the car, the battery was dead and needed to be jumped. The vehicle is back at the dealership. I was told that if the battery failed, I would be charged for the replacement, as they do not prorate batteries.
Purchased my 2017 Outback in 2016. I have had FOUR batteries in less than four years. We were stranded in the middle of the night on the freeway hours from home, for a problem that has been ongoing. Each time the dealer has given us a new battery instantaneously. Ironic, that they claim there are no problems, when this issue is well documented online. No warning, but each time different symptoms. Hatch beeping unexpectedly, car won't start after short trips, etc... First time was only 9 months after first purchase of vehicle, 2nd time was a year and a half later, 3rd time dealer downloaded software patch, and battery still didn't last past 22 months. Thankfully battery is warrantied 36 months. How many complaints does the NHTSA need for further action" Isn't two lawsuits enough"
The battery seems to die frequently. I am on the second battery after having purchased this car. I now carry a portable charger in the car just incase the car dies in transit. Just today, I ran a quick errand, got to my destination. Decided to repark my car and it would not start.
Battery drains all the time when car is off OR in accessory mode: This vehicle was purchased new. The battery has died quickly multiple times throughout the life of the vehicle. My husband and I realize that we have had the car jumped many, many times for things that should have not caused the battery to drain. We also looked on this nhtsa site, realized this is a problem with other similar vehicles and a class action suit is pending. For the past year we have learned to not keep any electrical on when the car is not running. The last two times: within the last month. I was waiting to pick up my child from an event, I turned the car totally off but left the key in the ignition. This, I found out later, caused the battery to drain in 10 minutes and I was stuck. Two weeks ago, I went to the drive in. When pulling in, I remembered that the car battery dies but I needed the radio to hear the movie - thankfully the movie theater had a jumper as my battery died in less than 30 minutes. No one else at the movie had this problem. I had three kids with me and that is the point, the car was specifically purchased because Subaru advertises that they make reliable vehicles, but this car is not as does not hold a charge. There is no warning that the battery will die. My liftgate also once stopped working. We googled it and had to jump the car to reset the computer to make the liftgate work again. I went to the dealership on 6/9/21, and asked them to do a diagnostic on the battery and alternator during the annual inspection. They said everything is fine and that they researched the problem. They explained that this a known fault and there is nothing that can be done and Subaru has no current plans to fix. They also said cars with FOBs drain too with just the FOB being nearby (I have a normal key). So I called Subrau national customer service and they told me there is nothing they can do and that I need to go through the dealership.
I am the original owner of a 2017 Subaru Outback Limited. There is an undiagnosed drain on the electrical system that causes the car not to start. The first time I replaced the battery, but two months later the car wouldn't start after being left in the garage over the weekend. I had to call AAA to jump the car. The Subaru dealership couldn't find any issues with the electrical system or the battery. A month later, I drove it to work and the car wouldn't start when I got in it to go home and had to be jumped to start. About three weeks later we made a six-hour road trip, parked the car at the hotel and not only would it not start in the morning, it was so dead that the back hatch wouldn't open so I could get the jumper cables out of the spare tire compartment. Fortunately a good samaritan in the parking lot had cables and jump started the car. If I park the car Friday night and don't drive it Saturday it won't start Sunday. I had to buy a battery charger for the garage so that I can jump it if it won't start. When I know I am not going to drive for more than a day, I now disconnect the battery cables so it will start when I drive it next. Ridiculous for a four year-old car with 63,000 miles.
I have had multiple issues over the years with the battery 2017 Subaru Outback keeping a charge and I have required a jump multiple times. My latest issue is over the last 3-4 months I have required a jump and while researching the issue, I came across Chimicles action lawsuit for the same problem I've been having. Please include my information in any database where information is being collected. Feel free to reach out to me if more information is needed.
Vehicle-??s battery keeps draining unexpectedly. Vehicle takes multiple attempts to start in heat, battery has been replaced by Subaru certified dealer after inspection and is still occurring. Vehicle has only been in my possession for a month and a half. No warning lamps. There are MULTIPLE dates for this occurrence.
After the transmission is in park and the key is turned to turn-off the engine, the key will not advance to the "LOCKED" position and cannot be removed. Also, the steering wheel does not lock. This apparently can be remedied by repeatedly shifting from drive to park forcefully. Also, disconnecting the car battery seems to allow turning the key to "LOCKED."
Battery losing power. Bought new battery in 5/2020, recharged in 1/2021 and again in 5/2021. AutoZone has stated it's a good battery, but is being drained by something. No lights have been or other known things left on after turned off car. The lights do not dim when driving either. I have read a lawsuit has been filed regarding it could be an electrical problem with the Subaru. I have been stranded 3 times with this problem.
Ignition key fails to be removed after placing car in park. Key is locked in the ignition column. Steering wheel lock is not the culprit. User must turn key to accessories and continually shift car from drive to park in order for computer to recognize the car is in park to release key.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Doylestown, PA, USA