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 was purchased 2/25/19. At 6,824 miles (10/28/19), our car began to no turn on. After a 3-4 times of jumping it, the battery stopped responding to the jump. Subaru had to tow it from our house because the battery was totally done and they couldn't even start it. Subaru said that the battery was defective (or might have a larger issue with the electrical system in their words). They replaced the battery and it began working again (7,000 miles - 11/4/19). Now, at 13,808 miles (6/16/21) - we've had 2 more instances in the past 2 weeks of the car not starting. In addition, the passenger side window no longer operates from the driver side door. We are confident that these issues are not being caused by lights left on, etc. We are taking it in again for another inspection. I have come to understand that this may be a design flaw with the electrical system including the 2019 Outback model.
The battery in our brand new 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK kept on being drained after moderate usage. Twice it was from leaving the hatch up for a couple of hours, once we were driving out in the country and parked to look at the scenery briefly and the battery died leaving us stuck out in the middle of nowhere. It didn't feel safe to be out there as night was approaching and we were waiting for a tow truck. All in all had to call SUBARU Roadside Assistance and have the battery jumped on three or four separate occasions. Because of this we bought a portable battery charger to keep in the car at all times because we were afraid of getting stuck with a dead battery. We ended up needing to use that battery charger on about 3 different occasions. Eventually the electrical system started acting very erratic with spontaneous alarms, loud chirping sounds and door locks so we took it in to Southern Oregon SUBARU who replaced the battery for us. Changing the battery seemed to fix all of the problems. That was in February 2021. The battery had a 30 month warranty. This week on June 1, 2021 we came back from vacation where we had left the SUBARU safely parked in our driveway. It would not start when we returned. We only have 1 vehicle so this was very inconvenient for us. The battery was dead. We tried to charge it with our battery charger but the battery was just too dead to take a charge. So, we had one night without a vehicle. We called SUBARU roadside assistance and they sent out a tow truck driver who could not get the battery jumped because it was so dead it just would not start. That was our second night without a vehicle. The next afternoon SUBARU roadside service sent out another towbtruck driver who had a more powerful battery charger and he was able to get the battery to start. We drove the SUBARU OUTBACK to Southern Oregon SUBARU and they are working on it now.
Repeated incidences of battery going dead on 2019 Subaru Outback. After 5 times of having to jump the battery to start vehicle, I had to purchase a Battery Booster to keep in the car. At first visit to my Subaru Dealership, a completely dead battery was found and replaced under warranty. Battery continued to die, sometimes after being in the garage for up to one week [when a boost was required], and once after a 76 mile highway trip, it was dead again after one full day parked. There have been 2-3 occasions when it seems to be related to operation of the liftgate. Liftgate becomes inoperative and must be manually opened and recycled and battery jumped for engine start. A second visit to the Dealership determined all in working condition after a full diagnostic check. Car is working normally at this time, one week after Dealership checkout. As this seems to be a frequent issue with other Subaru owners, I am carrying my Battery Booster on board at all times. This seems to be a known issue [by Subaru] for 2017-2019 models. Otherwise, I love the Outback, but this annoying issue is disconcerting, to say the least.
- Cranford, NJ, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
1. System failed. We purchased this car on 6/2/20, with a mileage of 6,174 miles. We are retired and don't drive much; for shorter distances we mostly rode our bicycles. In our recent living environment we can park cars outside in spaces, and in a large underground parking garage. While we did not drive much, I still needed to work on bicycles using tools stored in the rear trunk compartment, with the trunk lid in open position. What I did not know was that even the mere open car trunk was run electrically, though the large electronic dashboard gave a clue of a rather massive reliance on functions run electronically; after a mere 2-3 days of not driving we were made rudely aware that keeping the trunk lid open for any amount of time was a recipe for not being able to use the car when most needed; I should add here that the many Subaru drivers in our complex did not seem to have that problem as they are all "professional" drivers. We called our designated towing service and had to wait for over 3 hours for a rep to show up. Not having bought a car in years we were amazed how quickly the tow driver pulled out an electronic gadget and started the car. It immediately bought one like that, an electronic jump starter. SAFETY. Had my wife had to find transportation to an urgent appointment it would have become a safety problem. PROBLEM CONFIRMATION. No, it has not, except by me, as any greater than fleeting use of electricity in this car is a recipe for disaster. COMPONENT INSPECTED. Yes. After 2 more battery outages I took the car to the dealer and explained the problem (which had little impact on the employee). I had the battery checked, it was fine and working as designed. On 9/25/21, after another battery outage I took the car to the dealer again; again everything was operating as designed. SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM. No. ASSESSMENT. I concluded I needed to keep the car RUNNING when using any function more than 5 minutes. This car is a computer on wheels.
Car battery has failed no less than three times. Upon failure, car is completely inoperable. Used Subaru roadside assistance to jump the car. The battery has drained on more than one occasion. No inspections. No warnings or prior symptoms before the dead battery. Available for inspection upon request.
Apx Apr 25, 2021 noticed cracked windshield in am when starting car for work. Crack was in middle of windshield. Car parked in driveway overnight. Notified insurance company, told me to have it fixed at safelite auto glass wo# 388826. Also noticed my accessory power outlet was not functional, (instrument panel)called dealer, made appointment to have it repaired. Also noticed
The car repeatedly drains the battery for no obvious reason, leaving us stranded with a vehicle that cannot even be jumped to start. The battery is so dead I can't even get the doors open. It has stranded me at home, and various times when I've been out doing errands. It's a safety issue when you're a single woman stranded somewhere in the dark. I've had to call Subaru service to jump the car once, have jumped it three times myself at home, once at the grocery store, and have had to place a totally dead battery on the charger at home six times. It was already taken in for repair twice to the dealer in san luis obispo, ca, and they "found nothing wrong". but, now it's completely and utterly dead in my driveway again, after just driving it on the freeway for two hours four days ago.
Battery drain. Purchased 2019 Subaru Outback in November 2018. In October 2020 (23 months) it failed to start after staying overnight at rest stop in middle of long drive. Checked by dealer after trip --"battery ok. No problems." Over next 5 months of infrequent short trips, Outback failed to start multiple times. Measured current drain when vehicle off was found to be within Subaru allowable (<70 milliamps) but only after 15-20 minutes after everything had been turned off. Current drain during the 15-20 minutes was as high as 2 amps. Any activity (e.g., opening a door, setting alarm) re-initiated the 15-20 minutes of high current drain. Phoned dealer: Only solution (within warranty period) was replacement with same oem battery. Decided to replace with more robust, non-Subaru battery, since my experience and reports of others indicated oem battery would be insufficient to handle amount of drain. Purchased optima red25 battery from auto parts store on 6 April 2021 for $199.99. I believe that Subaru needs to correct the issue of current drain (preferably) and/or equip the Outback with an adequate battery with more reserve power. Since my original battery failed under warranty, I would also like to be reimbursed for my expense of $199.99.
Three times in the last six months my battery died and required emergency roadside assistance. After the first time, the car only had about 5,000 miles on it, I called Subaru and they replaced the battery under warranty. Since then the new battery has died twice. Online searches recently have revealed wide spread problems with the Subaru Outback's electrical system resulting in repeated battery failure. At this time the only outcome from this has been the battery failure, but if there are electrical system problems I'm concerned that more serious problems, like a fire, could arise. Fortunately each time the battery died the car was in the garage at home. The car is driven regularly, at least once a week, for not less than thirty minutes, so I am concerned that there is, indeed, a problem with the electrical system causing the battery to not recharge, or creating a drain on the battery when the vehicle is idle.
Battery failed and will not recharge. Had to replace it. Outback is only 27 months old. Failed after short trip to library. Had to have it jumped to get home.
The electric passenger side window was going up and down on its own while I was driving....thinking something was stuck in there, , I pulled over to check and there was nothing blocking it but I finally got it shut.. then, later in the week, after having the rear gate open for about 15 mins. Loading it, the car was dead. It had to be jumped. Once running, the beeper would not stop beeping in the rear gate. I could not open the rear gate, so I had to drive it to the dealer for a reset. Today, as got in it and once started, the electric eye was disengaged along with BST on startup. The car is going to the dealership again on April 21st.
Car battery often dies - especially if I open the door even for 5 minutes. It often won't start and the rear gate often does not open or close. It has even opened on its own. The dealership mechanic says the factory battery is not adequate to power the car with all electrical components. They replaced original battery because it was leaking. The battery tested well below what the Subaru manual says it should. I am the first owner (car was a dealership loaner) and this has happened since I got it in 2020.
In 2019the battery on the vehicle drained while on a camping trip to the desert, which left us stranded. We got it jumped and drove home. Subaru dealer said that they would install new computer software to fix. In 2021, we took car to Subaru for 36K checkup. They said the battery needed to be replaced. We are worried about being straned again if we go to remote destinations. This is a safety issue.
Outback was purchased in June of 1919. In mid January of 2020 I had to have it jump started twice. Took it to dealer. The vehilce milage was under 2000. They did a "parasite" check to look for electricle leaks. Found none suggested I attach a battery tender in winter. So I did. As long as I keep the tender attached in the winter, the vehicle starts- so far.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Queensbury , NY, USA