Body Problems of Subaru Outback - part 2

The rear passenger side child lock will not disengage. The child lock is engaged when the dog is in the back seat and disengaged otherwise. The lock was engaged once and will not disengage. If adults are riding in the back seat and there is an emergency, they are limited to the driver's side to exit. If the driver's side child lock mechanism fails, they will be forced to rely on someone to open the door from the outside. I feel this is a massive safety concern and could be potentially dangerous.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I have bought 2 Subaru vehicles. . . Brand new off the lot. Both my 2017 Subaru impreza and now my 2022 Subaru Outback wilderness had brittle windshields from the factory. . I had 4 cracks within the first 2 months of owning this Outback and I'm probably going to have to pay to have my windshield replaced. The replacements are always strong, safe and reliable. Why is my 41,000$$ car come with an unsafe windshield that cracks with small pebbles?. Hopefully nothing bigger ever hits it. Subaru makes plenty of money from us to supply us with a quality windshield. And I see there is already a pending windshield lawsuit for earlier models. . This year and model should be included!! the situation. . I bought a brand new Subaru and they refused to sell windshield replacement with the vehicle and now this happens. . 4 cracks within 2 months!! unsafe. Thank you so much for your help!.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The automatic liftgate fails to latch and requires extra steps that most car owner would not know to temporarily resolve the issue. My situation has been difficult to replicate. The liftgate will open but not close. It will also close but not open. It will also latch but not securely. This evening, the hatch opened but failed to close. It also latched but found out at 55mph that it was not properly secured when my dog leaned against it. It did not open but the light turned on like a door was opened. This has been a known issue with many other Subaru owners as well. The answer always seems to hold the button for 10 seconds to reset but this does not work every time.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The power rear lift gate mechanism frequently does not work. Even when car is unlocked the rear lift gate refuses to open just giving a 3 beep warning. The back can be manually opened but not by me as it is extremely hard to lift. Sometimes the gate only opens partially, or only closes partially. After my husband manually moves the gate it does not close fully and does not lock so we have no guarantee objects from inside the vehicle will not fall out while moving. Additionally, if my dog is in the car and the gate is inoperable I cannot get him out. Today it only opened part way and I accidentally walked straight into the edge of the gate almost knocking me out! this is a problem that comes and goes - it worked today in walmart parking lot but not when I arrived home. The dealer said to bring it in when it doesn't work, but then it works when you get to the dealer and he says there is no problem!!.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Plastic trim on my front driver side door is falling off. The plastic that is clipped and taped at the bottom of the door.

The glass sheet on the vehicle’s sunroof spontaneously exploded while I was driving on the freeway. Some broken shards fell onto myself and into the cabin as the interior pull cover was in the open position at the time of the explosion. Luckily no additional passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the incident. I was in shock as I heard and felt the explosion. As broken shards were falling onto me and into the cabin, I thought I was a victim of an intentional freeway shooting or an unlucky recipient of a stray bullet. After realizing I was unharmed, I immediately drove my car to a trusted Subaru dealership for further investigation of the damage. At the time, the dealership did not have the appropriate personal on site for an investigation, however a service associate took photos of the damage. The service associate also observed and noted the position of some glass remains still in tact on the sunroof frame - some broken edges were positioned at an outward angle in relation to the vehicle. This is an indication of an outward explosion rather than an impact from outside of the vehicle. I am currently waiting for the dealership’s response to have the car brought back in to complete the investigation w/ the appropriate personal.

The front subframe is rusted through on the driver's and passenger side. I am arranging to have it replaced now so it may not be available for inspection in the near future. A collapse of the subframe would obviously be a serious safety issue. I am a fairly competent amateur mechanic and found this issue myself. I've seen several instances of this discussed in online forums. This is the communication I exchanged with Subaru of America: from myself to soa: ?hi, I'm the owner of a very well maintained 2011 Outback. I was doing an oil change today and was looking to touch up what I thought was some surface rust on the front subframe. I was pretty upset when I saw that the front subframe was rusted through on both sides near the rear control arm mounts. This is obviously a safety issue. I know there have been issues with subframe rust on Subarus in the past and the company has replaced them. What can Subaru do to remedy this issue with our Outback? the reply from soa: dear mr. Kelly, thank you for contacting Subaru of America, inc. We apologize for the delayed response. I am sorry to hear of the concern you are experiencing with your Outback. Subaru did issue a recall for much earlier, 2000-2002 models. This involved vehicles that may have been manufactured with improperly applied paint to the rear suspension subframe. The front subframe was not affected. Your 2011 ouback model is not affected by any warranty extensions, recalls, or service campaigns pertaining to this concern. Please know that we do track known issues through those publications. While we are always looking for ways to help our customers, your vehicle is currently outside of our warranty parameters for offering any type of repair assistance. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Sincerely, amber anglin Subaru of America, inc. Customer advocacy department 1-800-subaru3 (1-800-782-2783).

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

In may, returning from va, we noticed an odd noise coming from the right front side of the car. Then the noise stopped. Driving a week later, at about 40 mph, I again heard the noise and as I approached a yellow light and began to slow to a stop, the vehicle pulled sharply to the right. I was able to regain control, drove slowly home, called our repair shop and brought it in for evaluation. The front subframe had rusted out due to the air conditioner condenser dripping onto it. Our mechanic would not let us drive the car without repair, it was too dangerous. The subframe could have dropped at any moment. No inspections other than that of our mechanic were done. I took photos of the subframe that had been removed which are attached. It is not available for inspection as far as I know. The car sat at the mechanic's for a month waiting for parts from Subaru before being repaired.

Front windshield has a straight line crack running down from the top to the middle. I just got the car for 3 months with 2k miles. It was parked in my garage overnight and this morning I found a straight line crack about a 2 feet wide across the windshield. I know there's a class action lawsuit and this issue is very common. I hope we can win this fight. This is unacceptable.

I noticed a crack in my front windshield for no reason, it looked like it had come up from under the hood on the drivers side and bent over to the passenger side. I had not hit any construction debris etc. Within 4 days of a full replacement my front windshield was shattered again! when the car was just sitting in the driveway. This crack spread out into three “legs” and got large and I had barely driven the car. I’ve owned lots of cars and I’ve never ever had a cracked windshield before- let alone two within 8 days!.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I purchased this car in July 2019. Three times the windshield has cracked without any explanation or cause. Three weeks ago, I replaced the second cracked windshield at my own expense. Three weeks later -- just yesterday, Feb. 17, 2022 -- the brand new windshield simply cracked. All three times the crack has appeared in roughly the same place. There was no road debris or anything else that came into contact with the windshield.

Windshield cracked spontaneously without impact. Upon further investigation, this is a common issue observed with Subaru on multiple models from previous and current years. There has been a couple of class action lawsuits against Subaru in other states for the same issue, and both cases were ruled in favor of the plaintiff and the court deemed these windshield defective. My concern and question is, why is Subaru still using parts/models that aren’t safe and getting away with this?.

Car back door won't open, despite 3 new batteries. Remained locked so that couldn't remove equipment from back--dangerous. Have been through 3 batteries in 26,000 miles. . . . All that the car has been driven since it's purchase, new, in 2017.

When opening the sun roof cover I heard a "ping" noise like a mouth harp or piece of metal being flicked. Took it into dealer and they found the roof reinforcements (most likely part number: 53700an03a9p) had come loose and detached from roof structure. They are waiting on suburu to agree to re-attached it (been two weeks).

Noticed rust bubble in the inner and outer paint of the driver front door pillar December 2021. Noticed it was getting substantially worse and reported it to Subaru July 2022. They said there was no pinhole in the rust and would not be covered. Showed it to Subaru again in 2023, and said it is not covered under their 5 year rust plan. It is now January 2024, and the paint as well as base metal is peeling from the door. It is clear there is damage to the base metal, and represents a weakened location in the door/frame/pillar structure should there be a rollover accident. Bought this car for its safety reputation. Online forums have noted that Subaru has replaced doors for this same premature failure of the door in the same location on multiple vehicles.

Passenger lower side windshield cracked while driving, it started as a tiny crack but the next morning the crack line was 16 inches long. I contacted Subaru because the car is under warranty but they said they will not cover it. The whole windshield had to be replaced.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Rock hit windshield and cracked windshield, from a small rock cracking the windshield and leaving this much damage if it was a bigger one it could have gone through and hurt us. This will be the second time I’ll have to repair the windshield.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I have a 2017 Subaru Outback. It rained hard Monday night into Tuesday. When I got in my car Tuesday am to take my kids to school, there a small crack, maybe 3 inches, there was no crack previously. As I drove my kids to school we watched the crack grow larger and larger. There was no debris or anything near the windshield when we got it. It seems to me that a windshield should be able to withstand a hard rain. I googled it and it seems that Subaru's have problem with their windshields and it doesn't seem right. Thank you.

Windshield developed a large crack for no apparent reason. There is no sign of an impact from an object. Vehicle was parked outside when outside temperature dropped overnight. Crack over 6” long appeared the next morning.

Windshield continously cracks. The windshield is prone to cracking. Within two years I've had two windshield cracks.

While driving on 9/14/21 at about 40 mph, we heard a loud crash and the sound of broken glass. I pulled off the road shortly after to inspect my vehicle and found that the sun/moon roof had literally exploded. The shade was closed and no broken glass entered the passenger compartment. Upon closer inspection, the remaining hole in the sun roof (measuring approx. 14 in. Wide by 8 inches deep) indicated that the force breaking the glass had come from the inside rather than the outside as the rim around the hole was convex rather than concave. Also there was very little glass resting on the outside surface of the closed shade inside the cavity, with the majority of it on the roof toward the rear of the vehicle. I am now in discussion with both my insurance company and the dealer that I bought the vehicle from. I did take 3 pictures but am unsure how to send them with this report.

Subframe or cradle Subaru oem # 50527aj01a is a vital safety component (see dealer's written comments below) and as designed and installed completely supports the weight of the engine and transmission - rust and corrosion per mechanics at 3 different garages (mickey's, weber, ganley Subaru) advised vehicle is unsafe to drive due to subframe corrosion and imminent failure. Corrosion of sub frame and its welds are very extreme for low mileage 102,000 quoting ganley Subaru dealer in north olmsted, ohio in writing (vehicle originally purchase there by me the current owner): "a damaged sub frame puts everyone in the vehicle at risk. During a collision the subframe is responsible for absorbing and evenly distributing the forces from impact. If damaged the sub frame cannot distribute the impact causing a complete collapse of the vehicle. " I called Subaru customer service/advocacy department on October 22, 2021 and was told there were no recalls or warranty on this part and I would bear the complete cost of repair and replacement almost $5,000. 00 for subframe and steering rack and pinion. I have pictures and video's I also have requested the dealer return the subframe to me after repair and replacement. Picture attached is just one small length of the subframe the entire length of which on both the driver and passenger sides and on both sides of the frame show complete failure due to corrosion.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The front windshield (driver's side) cracked out of nowhere. Now there's a large crack that runs from the driver's side through the middle of the windshield. There were no visible chips on the front windshield prior to the incident.

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a clunking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was pulling to the right while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the sub frame had fractured due to severe rust. The subframe was replaced and the failure was remedied. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,800.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The Outback had a complete loss of power, cause still not identified. In the process of attempting to get to my portable power unit I discovered a significant safety concern that could result in the death of any rear seat passengers. If there is no electrical power there is no means of unlocking the rear passenger doors. The mechanical door handles do not work. I checked the child safety locks and they were not engaged. In the event of an accident/ front end collision that damaged the battery the occupants of the rear seats are trapped. If they needed to vacate the car for any reason they could not. Parents can not get to their children. Please investigate and make Subaru modify the back doos so the mechanical handle will operate when there is nor electrical power.

We bought the car from the Ford dealership. After nearly owning it. The windshield crack in a place where no rock or vandalism could have happened. It started underneath the windshield wiper and has scaled across the whole windshield within a week. I contacted my bumper to bumper warranty and they don’t cover replacements. I looked up and their is a current lawsuit on suburu for this exact reason.

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 75 mph, the sunroof suddenly exploded and the glass shattered onto the shade guard. The contact stated his wife veered to the side of the road, where she inspected the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated his wife was able to drive to her destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 134,900.

Our vehicle has factory-installed child safety locks incorporated into the rear passenger doors. The safety lock on the rear passenger-side has failed in the "engaged" position, and cannot be disengaged using the small black switch in the door. Consequently, the only way the door can be opened is by using the outside handle. We see this as a serious safety issue, since in an emergency egress situation, the only way a passenger in the right rear seat can exit the vehicle is if someone opens the door from the outside. Looking on online forums, there are many incidents of this same problem. However, Subaru has not chosen to correct this problem for cars that are outside of vehicle warranty.

During heavy rains, the vehicles leak water into the driver's side wheel well. Numerous times back to the dealer and the vehicle being piece by piece all seals are being replaced. As per numerous blogs on Subaru forums, an indication of a faulty windshield seal could be the issue, but the dealership refuses to replace or reset the windshield seal. Bought the car on June 28, 2021, and have been to the dealership 3 times for the same issue. The dealership is replacing seals on the skylight and door but as of yet no resolution. At the time of this complaint, the vehicle has been at dealership for 3 weeks with no resolution.

Three windshields have now cracked beyond repair and needed to be replaced with barely 33,000 miles on the vehicle. The first replacement was done in July 2019 when the car was barely six months old. The second replacement was done in April 2021, barely two months ago. That third windshield cracked the second week of June 2021. It is currently scheduled for replacement.

Windshield seemingly cracked without any provocation/collision. Crack occurred while vehicle was parked away from traffic, and requires windshield replacement.

Sunroof glass exploded out while driving on highway at 70 mph. Happened at 7 a. M. 5/10/2021 in mechanicsville va. Nothing hit the vehicle and it was about 63 degrees outside. I haven't used the sunroof in weeks. It made no since. I googled and saw where this has been reported to have happened to them on their Outback and some other vehicles too. I thankfully had the inside cover panel slid forward so none of the glass came down on me. I took the car back home but as I drove slower, the glass kept coming apart. At first it was a square area about 6" x 4" missing when I first stopped and the rest was all shattered like little squares but in place. Then as I drove home at a slower speed on the side roads, it continued falling in onto the headliner slide cover.

A 12 inch crack in the windshield appeared after I heard a loud sharp sound. The vehicle was in motion traveling 55 mph on a four lane highway (briley parkway) in nashville, tennessee.

2016 Subaru Outback. A four-inch wavy crack on the left bottom of the windshield; a week later another crack of about 6 inches appeared. The cracks occurred with the Subaru car in motion on a highway.

Bought brand new, in 5 months the windshield had a cracked windshield, not the impact strike spider type, but from the drivers side edge, straight line crack 2 feet long. The second time a crack, straight line type from the passenger edge. The vehicle was in motion both times, 50 miles an hour, no other vehicles around. While driving with the crack, the crack would get longer. Never scene anything like it.