general problems of the 2016 Subaru Legacy - part 1

Battery continuously dies, likely due to a parasitic drain, and it is extremely hard-taking up to 15 to 20 minutes to open the car door using the the wierd key you slide out of the key fob. As a woman, it is very dangerous when my battery dies and I am in a dark parking lot and I can't even get inside the car and lock the door for safety. Been happening for years lastest time was today 02/17/2026. For some reason, the class action suit said I was not a class member for the same problem.

Car battery dies after the vehicle sits for longer periods (approximately 2 weeks or more?). Roadside assistance has tested battery twice after jumping the vehicle and stated the battery is still healthy. Various subara owners report similar situations in online forums, and the culprit seems to be a design flaw where the dcm module is trying to connect with the obsolete 3g cellular network, causing a parasitic battery drain.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact became aware that while the check engine light remained illuminated the horn failed to function as designed. The contact stated that after the check engine warning light issue was resolved the horn returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance; however, the manufacturer informed the contact that the failure was a known issue and advised the contact to stop driving the vehicle until the check engine warning light issue was resolved. The failure mileage was 184,000.

Battery has failed twice in a matter of a year. Both batteries were top of the line and no reason can be seen for failure. I see that there are a great deal of the same sort of complaints listed here and Subaru should be well aware of this issue.

I've own a 2016 Subaru Legacy limited 3. 6, for coming on 2 years. In the last 3 months I've had to replace my battery twice. The last being a red top battery costing $300+ and only lasted 2 days. The first incident that was most disruptive was, driving home in rush hour traffic when I lost all power, radio cut out, all lights on dash go out, my car begins to sputter and there is no power steering. Once traffic rolled to a stop it dies and wouldn't turn back over, couldn't pull my key from the ignition, roll the windows up, and once in park I couldn't change to neutral. It was very dangerous due to traffic, and I was stuck on a bridge that was a main arterial, with no emergency flashers. Had to have the city law enforcement call to get my car removed from the roadway. Had it towed to the dealership I purchased it from. The next day they told me my battery was dead and I needed a new one. Tested my alternator and that test good. Then again it died under the same symptoms as it did the first time. Leaving me stranded on a busy highway, at 10 at night. All of my symptoms were directly related to my a/c being on and sitting too long without driving, at idle or stop and go traffic and progrssively got to being a main battery drain. My key ittermediately wont pull from the ignition, steering wheel wont lock in place. My windows will randomly not roll up, but bounce down and stop halfway and lock temporarily in that position. I believe its all electrical problems or voltage issues. None the less. . . If there is no way to repair this, than it should be a recall. . . . . Because it's a serious problem with no solution and Subaru is fully aware of it.

Replaced battery but still all dash lights come on I lose power and it dies. I can jump start it and it stay but all lights stay on. New starter, new alternator, I just don't know what it is. Only code that comes up is p0420.

Consistent problems with parasitic battery drain. If the car is ever left to sit for more than two weeks, the battery will have died. I have to be careful because the battery does not recoup the energy required to start the vehicle in city driving. The second battery I installed in the car (7/2021) has failed prematurely and again requires replacement.

Battery drainage issue: battery failed in my 2016 Subaru Legacy in 2019, replaced with a new battery and died again in 2020, 2021, and 2022. This should be a recall not a class action lawsuit. Leaving someone stranded is a safety issue. No warning was given when the battery died. It was fine one day and dead the next day. Had to tow the vehicle at my expense to the Subaru dealership and was told that they needed to replace the battery, which I had to pay for and they performed an obdii reprogramming of the engine control module. The dealership indicated that this should help with the drainage problem but I was not given a guarantee.

Having a problem with battery draining while the car is turned off. Experienced it previously 24,095 miles and 3 years on the first battery. Had to call aaa and get a jump start, and simply replaced the battery (9/18/19). Over the last year started experiencing similar problems with the replacement battery, and bought a battery charger, so when it would not start in the morning, I would put it on the charger and use my other car (a 2020 Subaru forester). Took the Legacy to the dealer (10/15/22 - 39,224 odometer reading), he tested the battery, and said there was no problem. Went on vacation for 5 days, came back, and again the car would not start. Took it to another battery dealer, after charging, and they also said there was no problem with the battery. Recently found out that Subaru has agreed to a settlement in a class action lawsuit. Since Subaru understands the problem hardware/ software problem with the can system, why the affected vehicles are not subject to recall. Vehicles include 2015 - 2020 outback; 2025 - 2020 forester; 2015 - 2020 Legacy; 2015 - 2020 wrx; 2019 - 2020 ascent. I would think the possibility of stranding a motorist in a remote location, adverse weather conditions, etc. Would deem this defect to be serious safety defect.

Start up issues, often need to jump vehicle with a relatively new battery. Power window issues.

I bought the car used in 07/2020. Took the vehicle to get it checked at a Subaru dealership service center. When I returned to pick up my car, it would not start. The shop checked told me the battery was dead and would need to be replaced. I complained that it was functioning fine when I put it in and their reports did not state any issues with the battery. After much complaining they offered a free oil change but I had to pay for the battery. Now, only 26 months into the new battery, it is showing corrosion build up on the battery. Powder and acid. A non Subaru shop just serviced the car and the safety check revealed that the battery was in "fair" condition with reduced cca.

Unknown- car electrical system drains battery to the point, after short drives, does not have sufficient amperage to start motor. No problem with battery, replaced many times, took vehicle to dealer to trace issue and was told no issue. I found a class action lawsuit that describe the same issue on multiple car models including mine. My spouse is a handicapped driver and has been left stranded, leaving her in a unsafe environment. No warning signs, first occurred 2017 and several times during the years. Recent failure 08/16/2022.

Hello! I have a 2016 Subaru Legacy and have been experiencing issues with battery drain over the last 2 years. I have replaced the battery multiple times, the computer modular, and even the alternator with no solution. My safety is at risk as my wife and I both drive this vehicle and have a toddler. The persistent uncertainty on if the vehicle will start puts us at risk to be stranded and is heightened during this pandemic.

Ignition key stuck in ignition. Cannot remove the key, risk of theft or child entering vehicle and turning vehicle on. Have not had it inspected, many forums online address same issue with Subaru vehicles. Subaru service bulletin 16-112-18r.

My battery keeps dying. I just had to replace it for the second time this year. Used 2 brands, one from the dealership and the other interstate. I had the alternator and starter checked but those are working. Something keeps killing my battery and would like it fixed. I have missed appointments and had my car towed having to pay over $600 to get it back.

Battery discharges very quickly and also isn't able to power up the vehicle on a cold day. The original battery on my vehicle (2016 model) was replaced a year (04/2018) before I purchased the vehicle as a cpo (June 2019), but on multiple occasions after purchase I had issues with starting up the vehicle and not having the battery charging despite having it run for 45 min or longer. I finally went to a dealership when in June 2021 since I wanted the battery replaced expecting that it would be covered under the 85 month pro-rated warranty for the battery replacement in 2018. However, I was asked to pay for the battery as the previous replacement was a "good will" according to the dealership and so was not eligible for a free replacement. Just from the history of the batteries in the vehicle, I'm not convinced of the reliability or the reserve capacity of the battery especially in cold conditions.

Battery drain after 2 years. Can be inspected. Not yet confirmed by independent sources or inspected by outside party. No warning lamps, notices, or cause for battery to drain (no lights on, all doors closed, etc). First happened one day ago, jumped the battery and quickly died again.

Battery is being drained when vehicle sits. I have replaced the battery 2 years ago and is needing to be replaced again.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? key ignition does not want to release once car is in park and shutdown. I have to wait 15 minutes or more until the ignition decides to release the key. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? it is a safety issue as I can't leave my keys on the ignition and wait until someone steals it. It mostly happens during the summer time. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes, the problem has been seen by an independence service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? my warranty is expired therefore I have not been able to get it inspected without having to pay out of pocket for it. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no warning messages, and it started about a year ago.

In the process of turning off the vehicle; the car is in park, and the key intermittently gets stuck in ignition.

I am not able to remove the key from the ignition when after I park my car and this happen every other day since I started to have this issue. . I have to drive up and down and change the parking mode to different other modes using the gear stick and switch it back to parking mode in order to release the key. It takes me several attempt s of doing this to release the key from ignition.

Car showed several check engine lights over the course of 6 months which originally pointed to the O2 sensors and then the alternator and then eventually ecu being an issue. Upon further inspection by a Subaru specialist after many codes relating to bank 1 sensor 2 too lean, oil was noticed in the ecu and then later in the O2 sensor. The oil was cleaned to the best of their ability and less than 24hrs later, more oil was found in the other O2 sensor. Oil seems to be traveling through the wiring harness from the engine into the electrical components. Has caused my car to mis fire at speeds as low as 25 and as high as 75 (causing jerking and unsafe driving on the interstate) and the oil is damaging lots of electrical components under the hood. My car is currently inoperable waiting for repairs on sept 15, 2021.

My 2016 Subaru Legacy has a battery issue. I've had to replace it three times. Basically once a year over the past few years. It just drains and is dead. It happens mostly in the winter but not always. Subaru didn't think it was their problem. It is dangerous here in minnesota to have a untrustworthy electrical system. Recently I did have it brought to a non Subaru shop. It had a new battery so they couldn't seem to find the problem either. I, or could get records as to my past battery purchases if need be.

Vehicle is stopped, shifted into park and parking brake is engaged. Steering wheel is straight. Key is used to shut off engine but will not move into the lock position and can not be removed. Occurring 50% of the time. Restarting engine and shifting through reverse/neutral/drive back to park has eventually allowed key removal.

I had to change my battery already as it wouldn't charge or start the car. Two fuses have been replaced. Also while driving, the computer display screen blinks, freezes or has gone blank. At times, I get an alert while driving that tells me 2 or 3 hours since vehicle ignition. These events seem to occur on long road trips with multiple short stops for refueling. If I stop the car and keep it off of around 15 minutes then restart the car, the screen will begin working again. The date entered on this claim is the battery change date.

Battery is draining and needing replaced far more often than is typical. Constant corrosion build up on the battery.

Battery fully discharges when vehicle sits idle for more than 2 to 3 days. Car does not start. I changed the battery twice in 6 months time and have checked alternator which is okay. Subaru insists it's due to a 'non Subaru' battery. The original battery that was exchanged was a Subaru battery. The discharged battery has occurred multiple times in the course of 1 1/2 years. I have not taken the vehicle back in for this issue because they cannot solve the problem and charging me for service call.

The 2016 Subaru Legacy ignition keeps jamming the key after the driver has stopped the vehicle and placed it in park. The key remains jammed and becomes difficult for the driver to remove. Keep in mind the tires are straight when the vehicle is parked and the key is not bent. This incident has occurred several times this month and has never occurred prior.

Unable to remove ignition key from steering column without repeatably shifting car out of and back into park. Dealer charges over $400 to repair a well known defect which was issued a service bulletin in March 2018.

Battery drains completely and will not start if not driven for a day. Have had the battery rep,aced twice and electrical system checked, yet batteries continue to discharge and are dead if the vehicle is not driven for one day.

After placing vehicle in park, roughly 30% of times this is done, key cannot be turned back far enough to remove it. So far the only way to get it out is to restart car, shift through all the gears, and place it back in park. Sometimes this must be done 2-3 times. This started happening around 62,000 miles.

I have had to frequently replace the battery in my car. My car is a 2016, and I’ve had to put four batteries in my car since I’ve owned it. I’ve also had the wire to the alternator get so hot that it melted down the wire and the alternator, required an expensive replacement of both parts.

Key cannot be removed from ignition after placing car in park. Literally have to either slam car into park or start car and immediately shut it down. Problem started right after hitting 60000 miles.

Key can not be removed from the ignition. It does not help turning the steering wheel to unlock it. Shifting in and out of drive/neutral/park several times will eventually unlock it. Has been happening intermittently for about 2 months and happens now every time.

The key gets stuck in the ignition. Put car in park and can not get the ignition cylinder to turn all the back to remove the key.