Blind Spot Detection Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

Blind spot warning system fails on occasion to detect/warn of vehicle (most notably, semi truck and trailers) in blind spot on the right side of car when traveling on interstate highways. Also when I'm completing my passing of the said trucks, the left side blind spot monitor will activate to indicate a vehicle to my left when there is no lane for a vehicle to pass by me from the left. (video evidence is available). The dealer has on two occasions been informed of these incidents, on 12nov24 @15890 miles and 27may25 @22217 miles. The dealer mechanic/technician has stated that they could not duplicate this phenomenon while test driving, nor could they find any error codes or malfunctions in the system. Dealer has stated the car is operating properly and is "safe" to drive. Dealer has not and refuses to escalate this problem to the manufacturer. These incidents have occurred since new as of nov2023 to present may2025.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The Subaru front camera incorrectly detected a hazard. The automatic braking system engaged and locked the steering. I skidded off the pavement, causing damage to the car. At the time of the accident, the blind sight warning lights flashed on the dash signaling that they were disabled. I was going very slow in a driveway. No personal damage just property damage and damage to the car. I have let the insurance company know about the issue and the collision center. I have had periodic instances where the warning signals of blind sight disabled have come on the vehicle. I informed Subaru in August 2024 about the issue at my last maintenance appointment. There is also a software update required on the vehicle. I asked Subaru to update the software in August 2024, but I was told by a service technician that it was not possible to update . I had to make a separate appointment for the software update as it took a long time.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The car has been to the dealership five times for electrical/computer issues. First the main dash ui computer screen would occassionally lock up and freeze shutting all safety systems off. (cruise control, lane holding, blind spot warning, etc. ) then the battery failure issues started - basically four times the car when parked and sitting overnight for approximately one week - will not start and the battery is completely dead. This is a know Subaru issue with earlier models and even involved a class action lawsuit. Subaru has not fixed the issue in newer model cars and continues to deny it is an issue. This is gross negligence by continuing to make unsafe cars with the same flaw and nof fixing the issue.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

After completing an ota software update the screen would not load and entered continuous buffering disabling all environmental and safety functions.

Parasitic drain cause by the can system, which causes the battery to randomly die, batter has been replaced, alternator and starter have been tested. When the battery has low voltage this also shuts down the cars safety features like forward collision and cruise control. The head unit in the car is also malfunctioning, causing it randomly turn on and off while driving, button s being pressed on their own which is a huge distraction while driving. Subaru has not been willing to assist.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

My 2016 Subaru Outback has gone through 5 batteries since purchase in 4/2016. The reason for my contact with you is that the navigation function “eyesight” has been problematic for at least two years and began with the third of five batteries. The function stops working randomly at any hour of the day and in all conditions. This year it went off and on in excess of 300-400 times. Each time it stops, cruise control, lane warnings, etc. Are off. This can be harrowing with highway driving. On the three occasions I took it to the dealer the past two years they could not find a cause. After I replaced the battery again recently, they reset a dcm whose warranty had been extended by Subaru and that I brought in myself. There have been a number of parasitic drain tests, some finding a drain, others not on the batteries when the car was returned to me, the navigation system went off only once that same day but I presume it will go off in the future. I do not find the car or system reliable. The problem appears to be exceedingly hard to diagnose. Since these are the types of systems used with automatic and self driving car functions, I thought it important that you be made aware of the hazards these systems present.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning system stopped working. It was safer to drive on the highway when it was working. I had it looked at and I was told that the sensors are known to fail. It is an expensive replacement and not under warranty or recall.

My 2019 infotainment systems has begun delamination from the outer glass on the back side. It is causing ghost operations of the systems. Access to my safety features are through the system.

My entire infotainment system, including the "eyesight" sensors regularly shut off, or won't turn on upon vehicle start. Happens to the radio and other parts of the infotainment system too. It's been happening since about September 2023. I purchased the car in March 2023.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I previously reported the deteriorating state of my head unit (which controls all features relating to the screen in my vehicle--including the backup camera). The head unit spontaneously "delaminated" in early August and now has a persistent "ghost touch" that has escalated to the point that the car now rapidly cycles through screen movements and features--all while making a persistent beeping noise that cannot be turned off (even if you adjust the volume knob down to zero). This is distracting beyond belief, and renders the car virtually undriveable. This is known issue to Subaru, and a class action lawsuit has been filed, but they appear to want to wait to see if they lawsuit is successful before they rectify the issue with owners. They have told me repairs would run close to 4k and the parts to fix the car are backordered for over a year. In the meantime, the car essentially cannot be driven, as loud and random beeping coupled with a constantly zooming and moving screen is highly distracting. The backup camera is also intermittently affected by the screen's delamination, rendering it unuseable.

Eyesight driver assist went out rendering safety features inoperable. Touch screen also blanked out so unable to adjust a/c, navigation,radio etc. Car had been on long distance all hiway drive and at 7 hours systems failed. Weather was in the 60s, overcast and it was in the afternoon. Pulled into rest stop and turned engine off then restarted but still failed. Drove 2 more hours and next rest stop systems came back after letting car sit off for 10+ minutes.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

On July 28th, my touch screen (head unit) in my Subaru Outback suddenly delaminated overnight. From that point foward, all systems connected to the head unit have been either unusable or intermittent--often dangerously so. My backup camera and blind spot indicators are randomly unusable; the gps system turns itself on and off in use (and half the time, screen itself cycles through "ghost touches" and is unable to be directed in any way); my car calls random people through the bluetooth system while driving, which is a major distraction, and starlink is unusable. Internet searching has revealed a proposed class action lawsuit against Subaru for the known issues with their head units; the 2018 models were recalled, but as mine is a 2019, I have been told I'm ineligible for support with repairs and would need to pay 3k out of pocket. I can't sell the car with the level of defects it currently has, and driving the vehicle is at best irritating and at worst, dangerous (depending on how the head unit behaves that day). I purchased this car because I wanted to have a backup camera, blind spot indicators, access to gps support, and more.

Svrd disabled.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

No matter what Subaru does the infotainment system which controls the safety systems crashes randomly and weekly. Disabling all the eyesight safety features.

Blind spot warning does not turn on when there is actually a vehicle truly in the blind spot. Visibility in new cars via windows is blocked and insufficient, and the blind spot warning does not activate at the right time. Drivers could easily cut someone off with less than a foot in front of the car in the blind spot, because there is no proper warning. Warning only turns on when vehicle could hit another car when switching lanes. Not before when visibility is limited by vehicle structure and mirrors. Also, touch screens are a huge hazard in cars. Having to look at a touch screen in order to control air or other items is a huge safety hazard. Tactile controls and buttons are much safer. Not to mention touch screens and screens do not work during heatwaves. Car sitting in temperatures above 80 degrees, have major issues with computer screens working. Forward collision and driver monitor warning is also a hazard. Forward collision warning occasionally turns on when there is fog or smoke. Additional warnings distract drivers from actually looking at the road. Driver monitor warning turns on when looking through turns, causing drivers to be distracted and look at why the vehicle is beeping at them instead of paying attention to where they are driving.

Unknown battery and blind spot issues.

Eye sight blind spot warning indicator on each side view mirror does not function intermittently: blind spot warning indicator light does not light up when cars are in blind spot. Eye sight rear cross traffic warning camera does not function intermittently in reverse gear: screen turns black or camera shows cross traffic and sound alert does not sound.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

On my 2015 Outback limited my srvd off warning light is on and I have lost its function. I have not been in any kind of fender bender, it was taken to a state licensed shop and was told and have read in its manuel it is a dealer repair issue. I have read other posts regarding same issue and the run around the dealer mechanics give to it’s customers. My car is available for inspection anytime if I do not incur a service charge!.

The main computer system that controls the eyesight system, cruise control, lane departure, all hvac controls, navigation, etc. Shuts down (goes black), and reboots randomly. When this occurs, all of the functions and controls associated with the computer system are lost. Cruise control drops out and the built in safety features are disabled. It is distracting to the driver and requires the driver's attention to reset features that were lost. It is a known problem by Subaru and has not been fixed on my vehicle for over a year now. This complete computer blackout event occurs almost every time I drive the vehicle.

The touch screen control panel randomly crashes and reboots, disables safety features while being rebooted. Happening every other day.

I've experienced problems with the center infotainment screen about 2 months after purchasing a 2022 Outback wilderness edition. It seems to happen when I use apple carplay (as this is the only way I listen to music and must plug in my phone using the usb to start carplay). The infotainment screen has a long lag time to respond to clicks on the center screen, will freeze, and crash the system suddenly. The most extreme effect of this is that when the infotainment screen crashes/freezes, the eyesight safety features of the car such as lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, forward crash warning also stop working. I'll see all of the dashboard signals and notifications on the dashboard screen indicating the features are disabled. Additionally, I'm unable to control the ac when the screen crash happens. This happens while the vehicle is in operation and the vehicle user manual doesn't provide any troubleshoot options. Sometimes the screen will remain on after I've turned the car off. I can only hope the screen will shut off and restart after I've completely shut the car off to "fix this". There have been many times I've had to keep driving without the eyesight safety features or ac when the screen crashes. I've tried to update the infotainment screen myself with the supposedly "over the air" updates Subaru offers. It says my system is up to date even though I've found online Subaru service bulletins saying there are new software versions released. At my first six month dealer service, I asked about released updates and the service manager denied the newest updates can be installed on my car (which is still less than a year old). I brought my vehicle to another Subaru dealership with this issue and they said they are aware of it. The service manager also said that the software update only fixes about 20% of vehicles that have this issue and a full replacement of the center screen unit is likely needed. Why has the NHTSA not directed Subaru to issue a recall?.

When passing semi’s on highway they are not detected by the blind spot detection (the light on the mirror does not turn on). It does not pick up the semi even when I am only halfway passed the semi. The blind spot detection does work when passing cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles on the highway. I reported this issue to the dealer (cleobay Subaru, killeen,TX). They tested the vehicle and told me they did not experience any issues. I immediately left the dealership and went out on the highway and still experienced the same issue. I believe this is a significant safety issue. Thank you for you time.

Windshield cracked causing a problem with "front eyesight collision" right side does not see large vehicles in right lane. Left side works fine.

(adas) r wave radar sensor/blind spot warning sensor. No warning for the stationary object (tree) behind my vehicle causing a collision. A report will be made to the Subaru dealership once the vehicle is repaired by the collision center. Insurance adjusters have reviewed. No warning lights, or any signs of any issue until the blind spot sensor failed to properly warn me of the stationary object.

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.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Purchased the vehicle new and from the beginning the passenger side blind spot detection has been inconsistent in alerting for vehicles in or approaching the blind spot. Had it checked when new and on 11/2/21 and the dealer reported it was operating according to specifications and no fault codes were shown. The dealer did not test drive the car. In a recent test of about 100 miles, about 20% of the time the bsd failed to either detect, or detected too late, a vehicle that was being passed or one approaching from behind on the passenger side. Remarkably it seems to fail more often when passing a semi. It caused a near miss at night when it was difficult to see through the deeply tinted windows and when the bsd failed to recognize a vehicle squarely in the blind spot as I tried to merge into the right lane. An internet search found at least one post which matches the experiences I have had. The driver's side bsd works fine.

Complaintpurchased vehicle on 8/15/2017. Started having electrical issues that have persisted consistently. Incidents include radio freezing, radio updates and problems still persist, full radio / screen replaced, lights on the cpnsole pulsing during a highway night drive, notice from starlink that my system was not working and I recently just had my battery replaced for the fourth time in 43 months of owning this auto. Most recently I couldnt start my car and was stuck at the south rim of the grand canyon. Had to get the auto to flagstaff Subaru to get the battery replaced. No one mentioned that this issue was recurring and widespread problem. When I got my car back to las vegas, I took the car in to the las vegas Subaru dealer on April 8, 2021. The car was picked up by me on Tuesday ap 13, 2021. I was told that they did an update and that the problem would be fixed. There is no way to tell if that is even remotely correct as there is a new battery (again the 4th battery) in this vehicle and who knows when and where I will get stuck next. The time periods between incidents are as little as a few months and beyond. I literally just read an article today about there being a class action lawsuit for this very same issue for 2016-2020 Subaru Outbacks. No one in the service department or at Subaru national 800 number mentioned this to me. After this 4th battery incident, I did make a complaint to Subaru's national office.

Returned to car found front windshield cracked. No event occurred to my recollection to cause this.

My battery dies often and doesn’t seem to hold a charge as long as a typica new car I’ve had to jump it 6 times in the last 8 months- regarding the side marker lane assist- it has been diagnosed as a loose sensor and had been re adjusted by dealership multiple times but end up failing again a couple weeks later.

My car was parked and I discovered about a foot long crack in my windshield. There does not appear to be a reason for cause, no chips in my windshield or accidents with the car. It's mostly garage kept and has less than 12000 miles over 14 months of ownership.

I had backed my car up to the front of the garage. I came to a complete stop. As I tried to put my car in park, my vehicle catapulted into the garage which was directly behind it. I believe my car experienced "sudden uninterrupted acceleration". My cinder block garage partially collapsed and need to be completely razed.

Tapped the accelerator. The car suddenly lurched backward. I put it in neutral and hit the brakes. Nothing happened. I didnt want to hit there garage or my son in laws car so I swerved to the right. I hit the brakes and again nothing happened. The car hit the neighbor bush and eventually came to rest when it hit the neighbors Honda right door. I then put it drive and pulled back onto my daughters driveways and had a difficult time stopping the vehicle. It did approx. $2200 damage to my Subaru Outback sending it to the collision shop for two weeks.

Passenger side on windshield got cracks about 2 feets when we are driving on i5 near sacramento city 6/26/2020 driving toward la.

Windshield cracked in the lower drivers side corner. The windshield cracked due to unknown reasons and blind spot warning stopped working for no reason.

The battery in my 2018 Subaru Outback has been replaced three times since I purchased it. I am the sole owner. The original battery was replaced within seven months of purchase due to continual battery drainage. The dealership replaced it with the same type of battery and I was not charged. When I went into the dealership expressing concern with the second battery also having to be jump started frequently when the battery was barely two years old, I was told that is the typical life of a battery for the newer electronic vehicles and because the area I live in has excessive heat, that also lowers the battery life. I have had to jump start my vehicle so many times, I stopped taking my vehicle on long trips for fear of being stuck somewhere. In August of 2021, during a cross- states road trip, the battery died mid-trip. I jumped it and had it replaced at my own cost, but not at a dealership. They gave me a 5-year warrenty on the battery. When I took the car into the dealership and had them run diagnostics, they told me that, "yes, there was some kind of power draw, but then it couldn't be duplicated, so we don't know what the problem is. That will be $117. 00. " I think Subaru makes great products and my dealership has wonderful employees, but there is currently a class action suit going on, and I wanted to support those who are filing. Subaru needs to acknowledge and fix the issue. And reimburse me the $117. 00 plus the $169. 56 for my third battery.