Alternator/generator/regulator Problems of Subaru Outback

I left my home to go get gas a few minutes away. After I filled up at the pump, my car would not start. I tried several times, and asked a gas station attendant for help. He said it sounded like the battery or alternator. I was able to get the car into neutral, and he pushed my car back into a parking spot so I could call someone for a jump. However, within the few minutes of trying to start my car and being pushed, the battery drained so quickly that the car was completely dead and inoperable. I could not get the car back into park, and the electronic parking brake didn't work either because there was absolutely no electricity left in the car. This could not have been have been any longer than a 5 minute timespan. The parking spot I was in had a slight slope to it, so since I couldn't put the car in park or use the emergency brake, I had to keep my foot pressed on the brake pedal until someone arrived to help me. I could not get out of the car to even check under the hood. Luckily I had a passenger that could get out and assist, especially since I couldn't open any windows either. When help arrived, they were able to jump the car so I could drive back home. Had I been alone though, I would have been completely out of luck - I would have been stuck in the car pressing the brake, or risk getting out and having the car roll away. It was an incredibly dangerous situation - I cannot believe the power could drain so quickly to the point that I couldn't even park the car. I purchased a new battery afterwards, but I'm not even sure that was the problem. I've never seen a battery drain so quickly - it almost seems like more of an electrical issue with the car.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Something (electrical issue?) is draining the car battery and needs a jump if not driven within a day or two. We replaced the battery twice within a year thinking we had a defective battery, but problem still persists. We took the car to a mechanic thinking it could be the alternator, but that was not the issue.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Battery failure after 6 months under normal use. No periods of leaving headlights on overnight, etc. Had just driven about 90 minutes, turned car off to run into a shop, returned and car wouldn't even crank. Aaa tested it and the alternator. Alternator was �good� but battery reported �fail�.

This car is less than 3 years old, 28000 miles and the battery has been replaced 3 times and the alternator once. The battery died again on 4/26/21 and won't hold a charge and so I will be taking it in again and they will probably just replace the battery again. There is obviously something else wrong.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Battery needed charge repeatedly then died about year 3. We replaced with larger800 amp battery. But at 2 year it starts failing the same. Battery tests ok and alternator tests ok and no lights or doors left open. But whenever car is not driven at least an hour without stopping it loses about . 1 volt per day -when driven just shorter distances. Testing daily with multimeter eter confirms this rate. Car requires constant battery minder attached at night. Took it to advance auto today and they confirm with test no battery or alternator problem exists!.

The battery keeps dying. Subaru tested the battery it's fine. Told me to get a battery tender or to drive for an hour or so every couple of days for the alternator to charge up. In less than a week the car battery had to be jumped 5 times. Started 4/15/2021 thru today 4/21/2021.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

My Subaru 2018 Outback has had one episode of the battery dying while under normal use while stationary. I had only the electrical system on (no gas) for approximately 20 minutes while listening to music, using the bluetooth phone function for approximately 10 minutes, and with the fans on. I was subsequently unable to start the car after completing these activities. There was no indication that the battery was low prior while driving, and no errors were on the dashboard indicating any alternator or battery issue. I had to seek assistance from strangers to get my car jump started. The issue has not recurred but I have been trying to not place strain on the electrical system since, fearing being stranded.

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.

I've had recurring issues with my battery dying. I've reported previous issues on here to show that it is recurring. I don't drive that often because I'm working remotely right now but drove 90 miles in a single trip on Friday, Jan. 22. On Saturday, Jan. 23 my vehicle wouldn't start because the battery was dead. I now carry a battery jumper because of previous issues so I jumped the vehicle and drove about 50 miles. On Sunday, the vehicle started fine so I drove my 90 mile return trip. The vehicle was not used much but I made sure it would start each day and took a short trip in the middle of the week. Yesterday, February 2, the battery was dead again. Instead of jumping it, I'm going to have it towed to the dealership so they can troubleshoot. They have troubleshooted it twice before and have not been able to find the source of the battery drain. All interior lights are in the off position and I have not used anything but the driver's door which I made sure is closed and locked upon exiting. I have a claim going with Subaru consume affairs. This week the lows will be in the negative numbers and I don't think I should have to stand outside and jump my own vehicle in that weather because of a faulty batter/alternator/lemon vehicle.

Purchased the automobile with about 7,200 miles on it with extended warranty. Battery failed at 8,000 miles. We replaced it with a new premium battery from aaa. . New battery worked for 8 months then drained overnight. Aaa recharged it and said alternator worked. When driven or backed up after recharging, automobile beeped constantly for approximately 1/2 mile and stopped while in motion. Beeping stopped when vehicle stopped, but started again when vehicle moved forward or backed up. Left with Subaru dealer overnight. Battery was completely drained this morning when service technician tried to start it. Service tech said they could not diagnose problem. Per my internet research, this seems to be a common problem. Subaru should fix it, but seems to be dragging their heels on this issue. Our Subaru is unsafe and not driveable in its current condition. Please investigate and provide assistance. The vehicle has been stationary when the battery drained. The beeping occurred when the vehicle was in motion on a highway and city street. It restarted when the vehicle resumed motion. The beeping continued while the vehicle was going straight or turning while in motion. It stopped when the vehicle stopped. Steering did not feel normal. It was a little sluggish and less precise than normal.

I have a 2016 Subaru Outback purchased September 2019 last year replaced the battery, yesterday the car would not strat. Jump it got it to the shop and they showed the battery, & alternator were good. I sreached and seen several complaints the are the same on 2016 to 2020. We need a recall. ## #vpic# 1 - check digit (9th position) does not calculate properly #vpic#.

Parasitic battery failures: multiple events between July 2018 and January 2021. Battery & alternator were consistently found to be working correctly. Battery was replaced three times. One event had excessive battery percolation. The problem was caused by an after-market hum speed & location monitoring device placed in January 2018 and partially removed in October 2020. We did not know about the hum attachment to the obdii port. The problem was finally fixed when an astute mechanic recognized that the failures were likely due to the remaining hum part attached to the obdii port. Logical it would draw down the Outback undersized battery, which is well documented. Advice to owners: do not attach after-market devices to your Outback. Remove connections like phone jacks as needed when the car is parked. And, if you have an unexplained dead battery problem, check the obdii port & remove any foreign devices or have your mechanic do so.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The vehicle has less than 12000 miles on it. Battery keeps dying. We carry a jumper cable and a battery charger all the time. Dealer refused to change the battery in June 2020 (in fort collins, colorado), dealer simply charged the battery. We don't know if it is an alternator problem, a battery problem, or other electrical systems components that keep draining battery when the vehicle is parked. This had made the car most unreliable. This is an ongoing problem, persisting for over the past 8 months.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

We purchased a 2016 Outback in 2019 with relatively low mileage and within the first few months of owning the battery failed on us multiple times and the car required a jump in order to start. This happened when on grocery trips, outside our house in the morning, and even multiple times in the middle of winter when returning to the airport after a business trip. After seeing a mechanic, purchased a new battery and still encountered the same issue. We saw a second mechanic, and purchased a new alternator recently and continue to have frequent battery failures, sometimes as often as once per week, requiring a jump to start the car. This seems very odd given the newness of the car, battery, and alternator and we believe there is something defective with the car wiring. This month we had an independent mechanic look at the car and he could find no issue with the battery or alternator, his thought was it could be due to faulty vehicle wiring. We then researched and heard there is a class action lawsuit for our model / year against Subaru for this and believe our vehicle is impacted. This happens very often, we now have purchased a portable battery pack so we can jump our car as needed and again the issue happened this morning.

I have had repeated problems with my battery dying. It started slowly, at the beginning of the pandemic, I didn't drive for a couple of weeks. When the service guy came out to jump it, he said that I should can drive it at least once a week. I've been doing that and I'd only occasionally had to jump it. Now with 10 months of ownership and under 6,000 miles, I have to jump it every day. When I took it in, dealership said battery and alternator were fine. If battery is fine, must be electrical. Either way, very unhappy with this defect in my new car.

Second time battery was drained. Alternator is ok. It is driven every week including highway miles. Dealership says there are no issues with the car. It had been parked in driveway 1 1/2 days. Previously had a problem with radio changing volume by it self and horn honking without touching the center of driving wheel.

Vehicle was stationary. Car will not start unless charged. Bought new battery in February 2020. Worked for a time, but car will not start again. Keep getting battery charged to run. Have had battery checked. It is good as is alternator. Must charge battery each time I want to drive car. The problem started in September 2020.

Battery suddenly went dead shortly after driving when it should be charged. After investigating, I found that the ecu cycles the alternator off and on to try to increase fuel mileage. This has twice resulted in battery failure, not starting and leaving me stranded. I've had to buy new batteries twice in five years.

The battery has been replaced twice. The first battery was replaced after only having the car for less than a month and less than 6,000 miles. I'm having to replace the battery again after only 8,000 miles. The vehicle was parked in my driveway and had only been sitting for a day. I've taken the vehicle to two mechanics. The first mechanic determined that the electrical wiring in the doors was faulty. That wiring was replaced. The second mechanic checked the alternator, but said that the system was fine (was not able to recreate the problem or determine any problem).

Battery runs out for no apparent reason, especially when not driven far or frequently. First battery replaced by dealership before 2 years, after 3 incidents. Second battery just began the same problems, it is only 2 years old. Possible that problems have been minimal because pre-covid the car was mostly driven on highway, allowing alternator to re-charge the battery nearly daily. But if the car sits for 4 days it can run out of battery. This caused a missed surgery appointment.

After approx. Two weeks of inactivity, battery was completely dead. Required a jump start. Took to auto shop; battery and alternator both tested as "good". Car started normally during daily use for several days. Then, after 7 days of inactivity, battery was completely dead again. Car stored on street parking. Weather typical for spring months in washington state (I. E. Intermittent rain; temps of 40-60 degrees). Online search reveals several sites where numerous customers report experiencing the same faulty electrical issues. . Read more...

At 35 months, the original battery in my Outback suddenly died and would not start the car. I can jump start the vehicle. After jumping the vehicle and driving around for 30 minutes, things seemed ok & the car started 2 hours after being driven. The next morning however, it was totally dead. Subaru service told me I needed to drive it at highway speeds for at least 45 minutes. So, I jumped it again and drove the vehicle for 2 hours at highway speed. Shortly after I returned from this trip, I had the battery tested at an auto parts store. I was told battery and alternator were ok, but it still needed charging. The car did start about 6 hours after returning from this trip. However, the next morning the battery was totally dead. I'm currently trying to work through this with a Subaru dealership, and have an appointment in 2 weeks. In the meantime, will try to keep the Outback in service with a trickle charger, and jump starts as necessary.

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.

I believe there is a parasitic draw on the electrical system of my 2017 Outback (which I purchased in 2016). It has died repeatedly and randomly since I purchased it, failing to start after being parked for a few hours. More times than not now, it has happened when I'm in the backcountry (such as 05/28/2019), sometimes away from cell service. Initially, I brought it into the dealer and they were unable to find anything wrong, so I have continued to monitor it. Sometimes, it is "just" a dead battery that can be jumped (like 10/21/2018), but on occasion, the car will start momentarily but then the entire electrical system will shut down immediately (03/08/2020). Sometimes it is so drained that the car fob won't even work. Each time I take it to the shop (dealer or midas), they cannot diagnose any issue - "the alternator tests well, but something is draining the battery. " I have even purchased a new battery, which was supposed to last 5 years, and it failed in under a year. I keep my interior lights off and do not have anything extraneous plugged into the car, yet the problem persists - it happened twice yesterday (5/29/2020). I have recently learned that this is a well-known issue for Outback owners on various online forums and I hope that Subaru is able to do sometime to correct this problem - the reason I bought this vehicle was to have reliable transportation, which, unfortunately, it most certainly is not.

Vehicle would not start. After jumping the battery vehicle started, aaa performed roadside testing and determined the battery and alternator are working properly and are sufficiently charged. Car would not start for unexplained reasons. Previous service history leads me to believe there is an ongoing electrical issue with this vehicle. Previously the airbag light would frequently illuminate. Dealership stated it was due to electrical interference and that nothing was wrong.

Vehicle starting becomes slower for about 1 week and then it will not start at all. I then got a boost from a service garage in the first instance and drove the car to my selling dealer 40 km. Away. They did all the testing, battery, alternator and it did not show any codes. They only did diagnostic work and no actual repairs and gave me the print out just in case it happened while we were on our 5 month vacation in florida. This happened at 25,000 km on the odometer in September of 2017. It is now January 15, 2018 and I am in florida. The car has 33,000 km. On it the exact same thing happened, with a slow to turn over for about 1 week and then failure to start. I tested the battery with a load tester and it tested as "bad" on the guage. We then boosted it to start and tested the voltage from the alternator which was 14 volts and the battery tested 12 volts. After a few minutes of run time we turned it off and it failed to start again. After boosting again I drove it less than 1 mile to my house and let it run while I called the roadside assist and got the phone number of the nearest Subaru dealer, who informed me that roadside assist would bring it to the dealership and they would test it. If the battery was bad then they would replace it. After 15 minutes I returned to my car in the driveway and turned it off. I then attempted to start it several times and every time it started correctly. My wife then drove it 15 km. To get groceries and it restarted every time that she left the stores. I then did another load test on the battery and the needle never wavered from the green area of the guage. It leaves you wondering when you will be stranded in the wilderness or the side of an interstate highway. Thank you for any help that you may offer.

Over the past year my mechanic has put in two new batteries in my car. My 2011 Outback has a problem with starting, this was back when I had 80,000 miles on it. The connectors where fine and he cleaned them. The issue still has not been resolved, he can't seem to figure out what is causing it. There is no problem with the alternator. The passenger rear brake light has been replaced three times in four years of ownership, again no cause for the problem. I've taken it to authorized Subaru dealerships and the original one I purchased from to no prevail. Today I write with the issue of my cvt. The fact that I received a one year or 100,000 miles from date of year made is or which ever comes first is complete crap. Today I started experiencing issues with the car wanting to what I describe as stalling out. I was going down my road which was slushy from snow/rain but mainly wet from the rain that came. Subaru told me there is nothing wrong, and won't do anything till something brakes. So if the problem which has plagued almost fifty thousand Outbacks causing 'stalling" like manuals when the clutch isn't engaged and being told it needs to brake?? this is not safe to owners. This is not safe to other motorists. This is deaths waiting to happen, this needs to be addressed and made a recall. Only in the united states can a manufacturer get away with such things as this. I'm heading into winter in new england, last thing I need is for my car to fail in a storm, medical situation etc. . And be stranded because the automaker isn't taken full responsibility. Snow blows don't stop on a time, is it really necessary to continue to neglect the problem ?? which should be a recall which is failure on the government for not forcing the issue.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

1st incident 1/10/2014- leaving a stop light car would not accelerate and vdc, cel and brake light flashing. Sat on the side of the road for about 1/2 hour. Husband came to pick us up and tried starting the car. The car started and was able to drive w/o further issue. Check codes and had misfire cyc 1,2,3,4. Local mechanic could find nothing wrong cleared codes. Husband noticed both drl lights were blown. Replaced both and when the key was turned on (not started) heard a loud squealing electrical noise from the area of the alternator/power steering pump where the electrical harness is bolted to the top of the engine. Started the car and it drove fine for about 2 weeks. 2nd incident 1/14/2014 - pulling away from a friends house vdc and cel lights come on. Turn off car and sit for about 20 minutes. Start car all warning lights gone and car drove fine. Husband checked codes and found misfire cyc 1,2 only 3rd incident 1/30/2014 - leaving stop light and vdc light comes on and car will only go about 3 miles per hour enough to get it off road and engine stalls. No cel this time. Sit for about five minutes start car and it drives fine and all lights gone. Replaced the battery and had mechanic clean out the abs brake sensors. Subaru America and our dealership where we bought the car are aware and can find nothing wrong.

I bought my Outback in March 2010. I noticed my dash lights flickering early in my ownership, but I thought they flickered because maybe I went into a shadow and a sensor caused them to go off and on. The feeling the car is going to stall has happened before, but it was and would only happen every now and again. On a recent trip, January 8, 2012, it did it every time I slowed down for 4 or 5 traffic lights . That really got my attention. I thought maybe my brakes were catching so I took it into my dealer on January 12, 2010. They told me the brakes were fine. After I thought about it, I decided the "catching feeling" actually felt more like l had not depressed a clutch when slowing down and the car was going to stall. The only problem with that theory is that I have an automatic I spoke to my-son in-law about the feeling that the engine is going to stall when I slow down at a light. He mentioned that he had noticed the flickering lights last winter when he drove my car. He explained to me that it was not normal for the lights to do that. He told me to have the alternator checked out. I took it back to the dealer on January 27, 2012. They ran three different diagnostic test and everything checked out fine. I am so afraid the car will cut out on me and I will lose control on the road. I thought I was the only one having this problem, but after my son did an internet search he found a lot of people having the same problem. From the complaints I read most people have a manual transmission.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.

After alternator replaced, noticed the following sequences of electrical outages: rear power outlet, seat heater switches, radio dial illumination light, key-in-ignition alarm, door ajar lighting, seatbelt off lighting.

See all problems of the 1997 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The battery was dead and the alternator failed. Nlm.

See all problems of the 1998 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Alternator failed.

While driving vehicle sputtered and stalled. Consumer couldn't shift the vehicle into drive, and couldn't remove the key from the ignition. Dealer has replaced the alternator and the battery, but the problem still occurs.

See all problems of the 2004 Subaru Outback 🔎.