Electrical System Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

The 2018 Subaru Outback 8" starlink infotainment system is beeping, switching between the screens, try to disconnect my phone, changes radio stations doesn't recognize when I touch a button on the screen. That it is a distraction while driving as it is one annoying, two I try to get it to stop eventually just have to turn it all off so then I drive with no navigation screen or radio. I am well aware this is a widespread known issue affecting 2018–2019 Outbacks and legacies, this has been an ongoing issue for the last 6 months in my vehicle.

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The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while coming to a stop on several occasions, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the battery was functioning properly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,249.

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Sunroof exploded outwards while driving.

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I bought my 2026 Subaru Outback 3/20/2026, I plugged in my fixd sensor into the obdii port of my new car and there was nothing available. I made an appointment with austin Subaru to check why the obdii port was not working and my assigned rep told me that they were having issues with all of their 2026 Subaru Outbacks, I signed in for my appointment on my arrival 4/7/2026 and the following day I was notified that I had missed my appointment. I called the rep. And requested a call back but that did not happen. I was at the dealership no more than 15 to 20 minutes while they tried their equipment and I was told that it was not working and that I should come back at a later time. I think that they might be hiding something.

April 3, 2026: my 2025 Subaru Outback premium (VIN [xxx] , 2,052 miles) suffered simultaneous failure of multiple safety-critical systems due to corrosion on a can bus pin in the driver door wiring harness (Subaru part #xxx) at its dash harness connection, caused by water intrusion into the cabin. Trip start: eyesight, collision avoidance, blind spot, and lane assist all offline; brake indicator illuminated with no brake engagement. Minutes later, airbag warning activated. Dealer service advisor described the dash as "lit up like a christmas tree. " while reversing through a 3-point turn on a commercial drive used by heavy trucks, I lost steering at single-digit speed. 60 seconds further would have placed me on an inclined high-traffic road near a freeway interchange. Vehicle was towed by Subaru from the failure location. Confirmed by authorized dealer driveway Subaru of moon township (invoice #680646, warranty claim). Subaru ssm4 scan recorded 17 unique dtcs across 10 control systems, including c1460 brake booster abnormality; u1131 lost comm power steering control module; u0151 restraints control module; u0122/u1122 vdc; u0126 steering angle sensor; plus multiple eyesight faults. Dealer documented moisture on both a-pillars, driver kick panel, standing water in cupholders and center console. Prior intermittent symptom: passenger seatbelt alarm on empty seat, two occasions in prior months, consistent with past-status u0151 on scan. Dealer cleaned the corroded pin but did not identify or seal the original water ingress point. Vehicle remains in dealer possession. Subaru of America customer advocacy case #xxx-xxxhas declined repurchase/replacement, stating vehicle is "operating safely as designed. " I dispute this conclusion: the ingress source is unremediated and recurrence risk has not been addressed. Repair invoice, full dtc scan, soa correspondence, and owner statement available on request. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated after starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment system inadvertently reset or went blank, causing the reverse automatic braking (rab) system to become inoperable. The rab system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

Was doing 55-60 mph in left lane of highway. Suddenly and without warning the car is decelerating, cannot accelerate any more, all warning lights suddenly flashing on dashboard. I was able to get over to the far right emergency lane, turn car off and put on hazards and started calling Subaru roadside assistance. While doing so I suddenly saw smoke coming out from under the hood. I got out of the car and continued my talk when the smoke suddenly turned to flames from under the hood and I called 911. Within 3 minutes of dialing for assistance, my car was completely engulfed in flames and it was burned to a crisp by the time the fire trucks put it out. My insurance company retrieved the car from wherever it was towed and has assigned it to someone to investigate.

This car is a very well-maintained, low-use vehicle with regular oil changes and routine maintenance performed on schedule. Early in this drive, I noticed an unusual hissing sound as I approached a stop. When I tried to brake, I realized my brakes didn't seem to be responding. I pressed the brake pedal harder and realized that with 50-100 pounds of pressure (guess), I could slow the car down. As I came to a stop, the engine died. I restarted the car, and it died again immediately. After the following restart, I realized I could manually keep the rpm up in neutral while at stops, and press with significant force to get the car to stop. Had I not been comfortable two foot driving or understood the issue, this surely would have resulted in a crash of some sort. The car indicated a check engine light, loss of traction control, a flashing brake light, and a flashing cruise control light. I took the car immediately to a local shop where they identified the problem as a vacuum leak at the brake booster. The plastic piece that the hose clamps onto had cracked off, leading to this problem. This make and model does not seem to have a check valve downstream of this component.

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Hvac system heating to dangerous levels and still radiating heat into the cabin even after hvac system was turned off. To mitigate, direction was changed to feet. Temperatures of over 100 degrees f were observed for sustained periods. Issue is intermittent, however it was reproduced consistently when it was cold outside (cold being cooler than 55 degrees f). I set the temperature to 65 degrees f with the ac on and recirculate, however it didn't make a difference. When this bug happens, it puts out a lot of heat and the only way to get it to cool is to drop it to the lowest cool setting ~60 degrees. I took it in 3 times to the dealer and they said they were unable to reproduce the issue, and while it has been intermittent, I was able to frequently reproduce the issue when it was cold outside, including yesterday, 04/19/26. It does not appear to happen when it's warm outside, although it hasn't been consistently warm to be able to conclude that at this point. What is certain is that the system does not appear to be functioning as designed (which is what both the dealer and Subaru of America (soa) claim, soa just restating the dealer's comments). Both lafontaine Subaru of commerce township, michigan and Subaru of America have at this point ignored the issue despite me bringing it up consistently.

This my [xxx] mother's car, she would have panicked had she witnessed this incident. Upon starting vehicle in morning after cleaning off light dusting of snow, the driver's side mirror started to smoke for almost a minute with an electrical and plastic burn smell. I was able to video some of the smoking and took a picture afterwards that seems to show a burn mark at the bottom of the mirror housing. This short caused a 10 amp fuse to blow which also took out interior lights and the ability to lock/unlock the car with the remote. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by anyone other than myself. I found a user on [xxx] with similar experience that a Subaru garage diagnosed as a short in the approach light module [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the touch screen on the radio failed to properly operate. The screen was delaminated, causing unintended operation of the radio, distracting the driver. This failure caused the back over prevention to become inoperable, and the hvac defroster options were inoperable. The touch screen and the functions were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electrical system failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

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Battery completely dead after 4 days of not driving; this is after I purchased a $210 brand new batteyr from autozone. Looks like there is potential class action lawsuit based on the parasitic draw by the dcm unit. I need this repaired at Subaru's expense.

2025 Subaru Outback onyx edition purchased 3/2025. Approximate mileage at time of incident 7000. On 2/10/25 around 6am car is remotely started with Subaru app from iphone on flat gravel surface. Car was in park. Go out car not there moved almost a car length down a hill left turn then over an embankment into a ditch where it finally rested still running in park when found it. Why or how is this possible when done this before no issues. Took to dealership checked visible damage snapped bumper back in get hood and grill shutters checked by body shop. Stating no malfunction and said safe to drive until we did that. One week later the car is started and all sorts of lights appear on dash took back to dealer additional problems found in front end and underneath. Told us we could still continue to drive it with lower core support damaged. Why did lights come on week later no airbags deployed when hit ditch. No notification or contact on app when crash happened and how was the steering affected when vehicle was in park. So many questions no definite answers yet? definitely a major safety concern. Left with new vehicle damage at this mileage and we feel we are not at fault.

My 2024 Subaru Outback has twice become inoperable while stopped at a traffic signal. In both incidents, the engine was off while stopped, but the vehicle remained powered on and would not restart. The vehicle also would not properly power down. The car could not be safely driven or moved and required towing both times. This created a serious safety hazard because the vehicle became disabled in active traffic and could not be restarted or properly shut down. After the first incident (on [xxx]), the Subaru dealership replaced the battery. Approximately 4 weeks ([xxx]) later, the exact same failure occurred again. The dealership has now had the vehicle for approximately three weeks and states they cannot replicate the issue. No cause has been identified and no repair has been made. During one of these incidents, my [xxx] child was in the vehicle while we were stranded in traffic. This appears to be a repeat electrical / ignition / operability failure affecting the vehicle’s ability to restart or properly shut down after stopping in traffic. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru outback. The contact stated that when driving approximately 30- 40 mph, veering off the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost power, but had immediately regained power. The failure had occurred 3 - 4 times total. The last time it occurred, the vehicle took a bit longer to regain power. After pulling into the desired parking lot, the contact checked the battery. When touching a wire connecting to the battery, it sparked and caught fire. The contact immediately grabbed some snow nearby and threw it onto the wire to put out the fire. There was no fire report filed. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. The contact had noticed that the instrument panel would flash with several warning lights; however, it would illuminate quickly and intermittently. The vehicle was then scheduled to be towed from the parking lot, but it had not been taken to the dealer after the incident. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph on the highway, the contact was alerted by the message “eyesight technology failure”, before the battery shut down, causing the steering wheel to seize, forcing the contact to come to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The check engine, air bags, and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that several other unknown warning lights and alerts were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was jump-started, and the contact was escorted by a tow truck operator to the nearest dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 37,168. The VIN was invalid.

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While driving, the head unit, which gives you access to many of the safety features like auto braking etc, blanks out and goes completely dark. It happens without notice and is random in nature. On this particular vehicle it has happened at least four times. It does come back on but it is not immediate and the amount of time that it is out is variable. This can happen regardless of where you are driving and is very concerning because when the head unit is dark and not working you lose control over a lot of the important functions in the vehicle and it makes you doubt whether those systems are working properly.

The car repeatedly drains the battery after being left for a short time (a day or 2). This has now happened at least four times and has destroyed multiple batteries. I have taken it to the dealer and complained multiple times. They check for software updates and sell me a new battery and then the same thing happens again. Because of this, the car is essentially unusable because I can't trust it to run. The problem seems to come and go, though that may simply be due to having a new battery for a while. There doesn't seem to be any indication before this problem occurs.

My Subaru has some kind of electrical issues I was driving and car stopped would start again I had to towed to arts repair shop they said was starter put new starter in 400 dollars later says it wasn't starter some kind of electrical and they dont do that electrical service they recommend carlins automotive geico would not tow again I pd out of pocket they had it 2 days said could not figure it out put electrical meters on find nothing so decided to look at fuses again replaced #13 fuse said it started and thought was fixed (carry 15a fuses with me) picked up that day drove it stopped and drove got it home next morning taking older client and standed again, im [xxx] I take of seniors that dont have family I see no recalls kept reading said updated 2024 an 2025 electrical issue with engine everyone stumped could this be the recall on it or issue (you look look im not only out of a car clients are left without me no fuses work now. The service center said could be this or that I can't go on guesses im on limited income when you turn it on it tries to start stops try restart nothing no sound all lights on dash come it but no nothing to try and start Subaru never given me no problems at all please help I found the electrical issues on your site information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Sirus xm advertisements, whilst driving, taking over display, despite opting out of all possible options, disablement and never purchasing the satellite radio service or wanting it in vehicle. I paid for the car, now I have to be subject to distracting advertising that requires user input even though I already have carplay open with driving directions. Advertising should be optional and there must be a way to opt out and it should not be forced or require interaction while car is operational (assuming it is opt in, which it most certainly was not in my case). Everywhere else in the world you can buy a car free of in-vehicle advertising, without being pushed to get satellite radio from a monopoly. . Why is USA different?.

Unprompted intermittently while operating the vehicle pop up advertisements will appear on the infotainment system advertising sirius xm radio. This is very distracting as it requires focus to be taken off of the road to bypass the ad to return to normal radio screen functions.

I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my Subaru vehicle’s infotainment system. The system displays unsolicited, full-screen siriusxm promotional pop-ups while the vehicle is in motion. These ads override the current display without warning. Most recently, a siriusxm trial offer appeared and took over my entire screen while I was driving over 60 mph on the highway at night. The sudden change in brightness and the complete obstruction of the display were extremely distracting. It required my attention to dismiss, creating a dangerous situation at high speed. This is not a one-time occurrence. These ads have appeared multiple times, and I have no option to permanently disable them. I did not consent to advertising in my vehicle, much less advertising that interrupts the display while driving. A vehicle’s infotainment system should never display promotional content that interferes with safe operation, especially while in motion. This behavior poses a clear distraction risk and compromises driver safety. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate this issue, as manufacturers should not be pushing advertisements that override critical vehicle interfaces during active driving. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I experienced two serious electrical failures within a few days that caused the vehicle to stall without warning. At Nov 29, 2025, after parking for about 20 minutes, the car would not start. Symptoms included: • very weak clicking from the starter • dashboard flickering and dimming • unable to shift out of park without manual override • jump-start did not work even though power was delivered the vehicle was towed to the Subaru dealer. The dealer reported: • battery “low but fine after charging” • alternator “normal” • starter “normal” • no warning codes on Dec 2, 2025 the vehicle had been released without repairs. Only a few minutes after leaving the dealer, the car stalled in live traffic during an auto stop/start event. Symptoms: • immediate loss of all electrical power • all warning lights flashing erratically • hazard lights did not illuminate externally • gear shifter locked again • vehicle would not restart on battery • Subaru roadside assistance jump-started the vehicle with auto stop/start disabled, it was barely drivable and returned to the dealer. This appears to be a serious electrical or charging-system failure, possibly involving: • intermittent alternator failure • voltage collapse during auto stop/start • bcm or power distribution fault the vehicle can stall unpredictably in traffic without warning, creating a significant risk of collision. This is not normal battery discharge — the battery was fully charged at the dealer minutes before the second failure. I am filing this complaint because this issue is dangerous and the dealer cannot reproduce or diagnose it. A formal investigation or recall may be necessary.

Recently, in my 2023 Subaru Outback, I have been having pop-up ads for sirusxm take over my infotainment screen. The ad appears in the center, does not allow the user to interact with the screen - including air conditioning control and traction control selection - and will not go away until I acknowledge the ad. It has appeared when I start the vehicle and while I am driving. I contacted Subaru of America; they first told me to contact siriusxm. I asked why I was being told to contact siriusxm for a pop-up ad in my Subaru - of course siriusxm wants to advertise to consumers, but why would Subaru allow them to display ads in my car whenever they chose? I own my car outright; it is neither a lease nor do I owe money on it, so I should control what sort of media is presented to me and when, and I definitely shouldn't have third party ads appearing in my car at random times without my consent. I was persistent with the Subaru of America representative, and then they claimed they would push an over-the-air software update to my car to resolve the issue, but that has not happened. Now I read that other people have been having this same issue, so I am very disappointed that Subaru would first tell me to call siriusxm and second pretend like it was a software fluke, but I later read that hundreds of other consumers are having similar problems.

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Sirius xm ads are popping up on infotainment screen caused me to become distracted while operating my vehicle. I had to remove my eyes from the road to find the button to close the ad, then click on the ad to remove it from my screen. It has popped up twice in the last two weeks.

Ignition key not releasing after turning engine off. Put shifter in park, foot on brakeii, turn ignition key off. Key will not release. Have to cycle multiple times to get key released.

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The contact owns a 2023 Subaru outlook. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the starlink system failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact was informed that it was a known failure; however, there was no fix available. In addition, the contact was informed that there were more than 44,000 consumers experiencing the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 24,200.

Since purchasing this Subaru in 2017 there has been multiple incidents where the car battery drains overnight. Causing the car not to start due to a dead battery.

Immediately stop every single traffic light.

I purchased my car on [xxx]. Since then I have now had two incidents where I was driving on the expressway and the computer completely shuts down. Engine is still active but the dashboard goes black, air conditioning turns off, turn signals don’t work etc. I brought it back to gerald Subaru of naperville and they told me the first time that they had not done the factory reset when they first got the vehicle. They explained to me they fixed the issue and it would never happen to me again. It happened again to me yesterday on the expressway. I was put in a very scary, very unsafe situation that I never thought I would be in because I bought a Subaru, the “safest” car on the market. Come to find out my service paper work states that gerald Subaru did not do a “factory reset” when I brought it in the first time. They claimed I said the engine light turned on and then the dashboard turned off, which is not accurate and I have an email and photo to prove that. I would like answers as to why my brand new 2025 Subaru Outback is failing. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While the lane keeping assistance is on the car will follow the exit lane beside the lane I’m in and jerk over into it. There has been a car beside me when has happened but I caught the steering wheel before a crash. Also if a car is turning in front of me sometimes, not always, the brakes will jam on when I’m not even close to the car that is turning but I would be going around the car after it has turned almost all the way. There has been no crashes or injuries yet.

The clock spring (steering roll connector) component has failed, confirmed by the resulting complete loss of the horn function. Safety hazard: the component failure has resulted in the loss of the electrical connection to the driver's airbag system, rendering the primary airbag inoperable. This creates an unreasonable, life-threatening risk in the event of a collision. The problem has been diagnosed based on common failure patterns for this vehicle platform and confirmed via manufacturer correspondence. The problem first occurred on or about [input approximate date] with the simultaneous failure of the horn and subsequent inoperability of the driver's airbag. The manufacturer, Subaru of America (soa case #251013-1700910), was contacted and acknowledged the concern but refused to cover the repair under a goodwill adjustment, citing an expired warranty, despite the component's direct link to the critical airbag safety system.

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The dcm (data communication module), also referred to as the starlink telematics module, has failed. This failure is causing a continuous parasitic battery drain, which rapidly depletes the vehicle’s battery even after charging or replacement. The component remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. The failure has resulted in repeated battery drain and loss of vehicle operability. I have experienced a dead battery approximately 4–6 times between September 2025 and present, and the condition has worsened to the point where the vehicle cannot remain running or operable without the battery dying within approximately 5 minutes. This creates a safety risk because the vehicle can become inoperable without warning, increasing the likelihood of being stranded in unsafe conditions or unable to use the vehicle in an emergency. Yes, the issue has been diagnosed and confirmed by a Subaru dealership, which identified the dcm module as failed and requiring replacement. The failure is consistent with a parasitic battery drain caused by the dcm. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Subaru dealership. I have also contacted Subaru of America and opened a case requesting assistance with the repair. The primary symptom was repeated battery drain and failure to start beginning around September 2025. The issue progressed over time, with multiple instances of a dead battery, and has now worsened to the point where the battery drains within minutes, preventing normal vehicle operation. There were no consistent warning lights directly identifying the dcm as the cause prior to diagnosis.

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Head unit / radio has delamination and causing buttons to randomly press and cycle until it freezes. This is a know. Issue and Subaru has extended the warranty for a but , but if issue occurs after this the owner is on their own. It is a safety issue when electrical systems just randomly start going off. Should be covered.

I purchased a replacement battery in 2023. In August of 2025, the battery died, requiring a jump start. A local auto parts store checked the battery and it tested within acceptable limits, showing around 513 amps. A private shop confirmed this, and cleaned the battery terminals and cables. The battery functioned well until around November 2025, when it again died requiring a jump start. The battery again died in December 2025, about one month later, requiring a jump start.