106 problems related to equipment have been reported for the 2016 Subaru Outback. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2016 Subaru Outback based on all problems reported for the 2016 Outback.
I own a 2016 Subaru Outback. While driving approximately 40:mph on a local main road (CT rte 10) the eyesight pre-collision brake assist suddenly activated and caused the vehicle to completely stop. The brakes then released and I was able to continue driving. This is the second incident with in a month that this has happened. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000 there were no prior warning lights or engine lights on. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer. This sudden stopping can cause an accident.
On 2/8/22 I brought my car in for service to an independent repair shop. The service was for the 120k standard service. I had been noticing exhaust smells. They checked the exhaust and found "exhaust leak from center exhaust flange, and exhaust leave from exhaust manifold". They recommended a complete replacement of the exhaust manifold "under Subaru recall". They printed the recall for me. It is wuj-95. Which recalls 2015-2016 Outbacks for this issue. When I contacted the dealer they indicated my vehicle was not under this recall. Subaru customer care indicated the same as did your website. Subaru said that the recall was initiated by NHTSA and that until NHTSA indicated my vehicle was included in the recall they would not repair it. My vehicle has exactly the same issue as what was found for the recall. The only thing I can assume is that my actual 2016 Subaru Outback was manufactured after 9/30/15. I cannot find the exact date of manufacture so cannot tell if that is the issue. However, that actual manufacture date should not be controlling as my 2016 Outback has exactly the same issue as the recall. If 2016 Outbacks manufactured after 9/30/15 have this same issue they should be included in this recall. I am asking you to review this issue and include my vehicle in the recall.
Key sticks in ignition and won’t release. Takes from a few attempts to several minutes of restarting the car, putting car in drive and then park, turning the wheel etc.
Incident occurred on interstate 25 northbound at approximately mm 190. My speed was approximately 70 mph. Weather was dry and about 70 degrees. I was in the next to left lane in 4 lanes of traffic. The moonroof on my 2016 Subaru Outback exploded violently sending glass outward into traffic. I had never heard of this phenomena so when I saw black material from the top of my car going into traffic I thought it was pieces of my roof rack. I pulled over to the shoulder to examine my car and saw a massive hole in the moonroof. Knowing that if I continued shards of glass would continue to be expelled onto the interstate I pulled the remaining pieces of glass into the interior of the car. Not that it mattered, that's where they fell anyway when I opened the moonroof. The pieces of the moonroof fell into the slots for the seatbelts, rendering the drivers side inoperable. It was a miracle that no other car was seriously impacted and that I was able to get home safely. Subaru and any other car manufacturer that is involved with this problem needs to be held accountable for the damages and remedial repairs. This problem should be addressed by the NHTSA immediately.
Unable to turn key to off position when in neutral and unable to remove key from the ignition. In order to get the key out of the ignition, the car needs to be restarted and turned back off or the gear shift needs to be pushed as hard as possible into the neutral position multiple times. With the inability to turn the car totally off and remove the key, there are multiple safety issues that can arise. Was informed that the entire select lever assembly needs to be replaced due to a known issue by Subaru. The issue was reproduced by an independent service center. No warning lamps are illuminated.
The car does not recognize that it is in park, and the key gets stuck in the ignition frequently. The only fix is to repeatedly shift in and out of the park position until the key releases (which can take anywhere from 1 minute to 10 minutes -- it seems to get worse over time). It's a safety concern for various reasons: you can't exit your car quickly in case of emergency -- you can't just leave your vehicle with the keys in the ignition (dangerous/negligent/someone could steal your car). It's also concerning that the car doesn't recognize what gear it is in. This is a widespread issue across Subaru vehicles that is documented in many online forums. The issue was confirmed by the dealership that I went to on my vehicle specifically, but they also knew the source of the problem, before they even looked at the vehicle.
Windshield got a very large crack from me trying to kill a bug inside the car. Windshield is thin. I didn’t hit it that hard with my hand. Had to be replaced. The repair service tech explained that the only replacements for my model are of the same thinness as the original, and to seek the recall glass replacement should it be thicker and safer.
The battery was replaced in 2017 (I paid) for this 2016 Outback. In November 2020, during oil change, Subaru dealer stated battery need to be replaced, I paid and replaced battery. Last week, may 2021, during oil change, Subaru dealer stated that battery "failed" and they replaced the battery for no charge. It appears the battery is draining rapidly 24/7 because of a likely soft ware problem.
Battery drains after the car sits for a few days. I had the battery replaced last year, and had the new battery checked recently at the dealer. They (dealer) said it was fine and saw no parasitic drain. They told me I should drive the car every day to keep the battery charged, which I find to be very odd and extremely inconvenient. I also own a 2020 Subaru ascent and don't have to drive it every day to keep the battery healthy. The car sat for one week recently and the battery drained again. I jumped it yesterday it and drove it for 30 minutes and today the battery is dead again.
Battery often goes dead. Have replaced battery 3 or 4 times since we purchased in November 2015. Battery died in garage and in parking lot.
The car was parked in the garage and it was above freezing. None of the lights had been left on/doors open. . . The car doesn't have a fob kept too close. . . The car wouldn't start. This isn't the first time this has happened and we're not sure if it's a battery, alternator, electrical issue or what. We've had the battery replaced once already. It first happened within a week of purchasing the car in 2017 in the summer time, and has happened several times since without excessive electrical components in use.
Key gets stuck on ignition switch when I turn car off and put it in park. Key will not release from the steering column. It takes several minutes, some times up to 20 minutes for the key to release from the column. Vehicle needs to be started and turned off several times before key releases. This has been happening for a few weeks now, very frustrating and dangerous as having to start and stop the vehicle has drained the battery twice now and I have had to get the vehicle jump started. Hopefully this does not happen in the middle of no where. . . . .
For the past 6 months out key has become very hard to remove. The ignition system will not disengage and release the key. Multiple methods have been tried and sometimes are effective. Placing the car into park, then neutral, back to park and so on eventually releases the key. The service center said to play with the breaks and shifters to fix the issues. I’ve been reading of multiple problems that keep occurring with these cars.
Battery rapidly drains leaving me stranded. 4th battery that has been replaced by dealer and the same thing happens. No warning lights or low battery lights. Dies from 1 week to over nite. Remote won't even open the car. Dealer refuses to fix the battery drain and keeps saying it isthe battery that is bad but replaces with the same battery which fails ! I see where there are lawsuits against Subaru but I am not getting any help at all from corporate or dealer. Personal safety and being stranded and unreliable are my main concerns.
Key will not release from ignition switch when parked after driving. Requires multiple shifting from park to drive and back to park before key will release. Frequency of occurrence is now every other day. Vehicle has 48,500 miles on it currently.
Battery has died twice in the last 5 months when nothing was left on and the car has been driven at least once a week. It continues to drain even when we replaced with a high level battery.
Without warning the sunroof glass spontaneously exploded while driving 40 miles per hour.
When you shut the vehicle off they key gets stuck in accessory mode and you are unable to remove the key. Problem occurs intermittently.
The adjustment of the passenger side side view mirror has malfunctioned. The mirror can not be adjusted properly for visibility of cars to the side of the vehicle. Only the driver-side window is operable. All other windows fail to open from the driver side control. The passenger window will no longer operate from the passenger side either. These windows would have to be broken in order to escape the vehicle in some situations (flooding). My mechanic says that this is a common problem in 2016 Subaru Outbacks. No warning lights were activated. A mirror not able to be adjusted for optimum sighting of other vehicles is surely a safety issue.
We were driving on i5 north through washington on a roadtrip (going ~65mph), about to enter a thunderstorm, and our moonroof unexpectedly shattered, making an explosion sound. Thankfully no one was hurt and we were able to go to a nearby Ford dealership to help us patch the car so we could make our 2+ hour drive home, but it was absolutely terrifying. After further research, we think it's in relation to the pressure difference inside and outside of the car. There was little glass in the car, making it seem as if the explosion was coming from inside. No rock or debris hitting the car was noticed. . Read more...
Sometimes the key won't come out of the ignition when I try to turn the car off (even though the car is in park). Based on what I've read, this is a defect with a sensor not recognizing that the car is in park. I think there should be a recall for this particular defect. I believe the service bulletin that addresses this defect is TSB number 16-112-18r.
The car is stationary when this happens. The ignition key gets stuck in the ignition after turning the car off. Besides being annoying, this prevents the car from being locked thus introduces a theft risk. Eventually, we are able to remove the key but there is no consistent method of doing so. It's a matter of time and messing with turning the car on and off, moving the shifter, jiggling the key, or moving the steering wheel before it comes out. Google indicates this is a common problem with Subarus so I don't know why there is not a recall. This happens sporadically and has been ongoing for the past several months.
My 2016 Subaru Outback all of sudden had warning lights such brake, abs, and stability traction control popped up on the dashboard when the car was in park ans when I was driving down the road and will not go away. It has made my steering wheel really hard to turn.
The battery on our 2016 Subaru Outback keeps discharging and car won't start. It is in the garage. Drove it to the store yesterday. Bought a new battery 4 months ago, has happened 5 times in 6 months.
Battery runs down often. I've had the battery checked multiple times and no problem with the alternator either. I know it will run down during loading or unloading that lasts more than 30 minutes, so I manage that situation. But it is starting to run down more often while parked. This has left me stranded multiple times over the last 6 months.
Can not remove key when in park!! leaves me stranded. . Have to keep trying various methods to turn car off and remove key!! this should be a recall. . Have seen many complaints as well on line.
My 2016 Outback will have a "ghost slide" when on ice. It seems to be worse when the roads are only partially icy. The back end feels like it will slip out and the car will feel like it is losing control. This is my 3rd Subaru and the only one we have had issues with. I have had it into a shop (not a Subaru dealer) and they cannot find anything wrong with it. I called Subaru and they told me I have ice build up! that is not it! I called them again this week and they said they don't have a recall notice for my issue. This car is great for safety and driving 95% of the time so it is dangerous to hit a patch of ice and have it slide. It is really bad when they roads have started to melt and you have partial pavement and partial ice. I put the date down of the last occurrence but it has been happening for 4 winters.
Happens when stationary. When you pull into a parking spot and put the car in park, the key will not turn all the way off and cannot be removed. Subaru dealer diagnosed it as �faulty shifter assembly�. This would be from the manufacturer as no work has been done in those areas of the car since purchased brand new from Subaru dealership in 2016. Causes the key to become stuck in the ignition and unable to remove when put in park.
Key sticks in ignition when parked and turning off the vehicle. Key turns, but not to the point where it reaches the position of removal. It often takes several starts and turn off's to achieve removal of the key. Often requires very firm forces of the shift lever in the park position to achieve release of the key.
I can't remove the key from the ignition after putting the car in park and turning it off (it won't turn all the way to the off position). Restarting the car and turning it off again frequently doesn't help.
My car has 55,000 miles. Recently, I am not able to remove my key from the ignition. I am able to stop the engine but I am not able to turn off all the electronics. I have to stop and start, back up or pull forward (which I am not always able to do) the car a number of times to get the key to come out. My daughter also has a 2016 Subaru Outback. She had the same problem at about the same mileage, had the ignition switch replaced for $600. 00 and is now having the same problem again 1 year later. This problem is common enough that Subaru put a technical repair bulletin out on it TSB #16-12-18r but has not done a recall.
About once a week for at least the past year, the starlink screen freezes in either a blank screen or the screen giving choices between cd, fm, etc. Music will play but none of the buttons will work. I have discovered that if I hold down the on/off button for about 15 seconds or so, it will beep and go back to normal. It happens when the vehicle is first turned on and is stationary.
Noticing when I park my car the key won't release from ignition switch when car lever is set in "p" position. As I push in and turn the key from start to lock the key will stay acc position won't go into lock.
Key stuck in ignition upon parking the car. Vehicle was stationary (in parking position).
The front passenger window does not always fully close. Sometimes when I'm closing it, the window goes all the way to the top and then goes down about halfway and stays there. The only way I am able to get it mostly closed is when I am at a stop, I have one hand on the window lock button and the other on the window close button. I hold down the close button until the window is almost all of the way up and then hit the window lock button so that the window remains shut most of the way. By the time I restart the car, I unlock the window lock button and am able to close the window normally. The window not closing occurs at a stop or when the car is moving.