Electrical System Problems of Subaru Outback - part 2

I purchased this car may 28th 2025 and had it over the weekend and check engine light came on and took it Monday once shop opened and came back for catalytic converter and O2 sensor I letted the dealership know about it and said its not much that I can fix it but I figured would say that since was a as is car and just had to come up with money. . . Only thing month later it stalled on me and had to take to a shop to see what it is and came back for transmission but that shop told me the car never should have been sold I never try to let them know about that its been sitting since July when that happened I been trying to talk to consumer protection services but noone willed to help but since last year was so rough I just wanted to try again once year is up.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Subaru was not willing to cover the cost to replace their faulty gear shifter. My key gets stuck in the ignition. This problem has been confirmed by a dealership. No warnings happen, it gets stuck. This is a safety issue because I have to leave my keys in my car (unlocked) and come back for them when the car decides to recognize that it is in park. This is a know issue and Subaru wiped its hands of me and said deal with it by yourself.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

My 2018 Subaru Outback has a defective head unit that poses a serious safety hazard. Subaru has already acknowledged this defect in this exact make/model/year and issued an extended warranty, but my vehicle was denied full coverage because the warranty window expired. The defect causes the head unit -power on/off by itself. -force phone connections even when bluetooth is disabled. -place dozens of calls on its own while I am driving (call random number, hang up, call number, hang up, etc). -randomly connect to nearby devices. -emit loud, unexpected noises. During a recent 4-hour family trip with my [xxx] son, the head unit repeatedly dialed contacts and hung up on them uncontrollably, forcing me to pull over on the highway. This is a clear safety risk, as it distracts the driver and requires emergency stops. At Subaru customer advocacy’s request, I took the vehicle to a Subaru dealership twice and paid nearly $200 for a formal diagnosis, which confirmed the known delamination defect and the need for replacement. Despite this, Subaru refuses full coverage and is offering only partial cost assistance, while other owners with the same defect have received full coverage. This is not normal wear-and-tear. It is an acknowledged manufacturer defect that is creating dangerous driving conditions. I request NHTSA’s investigation into Subaru’s inconsistent response and the safety risks of this defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Eye sight goes out shortly after reconfiguration (has happened several times), brand new battery has been drained causing complete shut down, has been in shop for six weeks and dealership cannot find reason for this happening and has replaced battery and driven the car waiting for a replica to happen. My research leans toward dcm/ecm/parasitic battery drain issues but there does not seem to be a recall for these electronic issues.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The radio has cracks or striations on the screen that are causing the panel to make calls, dial a phone, change the radio station. . . Etc. Complete random beeping and it is distracting when driving, the touch screen has become defunct and the comp[uter does all random things, it does what it wants, when it wantys! I am afraid it is a danger! and please lookl into this, there are many Subaru owners complaining of the same thing. They are saying that the screen is :dellaminating" that is what they are calling it. That I why I am making a formal complaint. Thank you! ps. . . By the way, I was not calling mom, it did it on its own!!.

Purchased 2019 Subaru Outback June 2019. Have had multiple batteries replaced. Approximately every year at least the battery fails and I am left stranded. January 2021 the fuel pump was not working properly and they said that was from low drain on the battery but that when the car went to sleep, the draw was normal so they didn’t do anything. February 5, 2025 I was in for an oil change and everything was working well. March 17, 2025 battery going dead again. I got a jump and drove to the dealership. They said that they replaced the dcm and installed the new battery. It is now may 27, 2025 and my car will not start again not even with the jump. Called the dealership and they said I have to pay for a tow which is 45 miles away and I am not under warranty any longer so I will have to pay for it. He also suggested that I call my local tow company and get them to try to jump it.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I'm the original owner, purchased may 2017, and have had to replace the battery five times. Online research indicates that the root cause is phantom draining caused by the dcm apparently searching for a no longer existent 3g signal. Subaru has not addressed the issue directly and has instead issued a technical service bulletin to aaa affiliates to advise their customers to go to dealerships for larger batteries, group 47, with higher cold cranking amps which will also require new battery trays, hold downs and an adjustment to the car's computer. My dealership in carlsbad, CA informed me the cost might exceed $650 and would not be covered by Subaru. I strongly believe this is an issue that Subaru must address on their dime.

Battery draining fast. Installed new battery last month. Car is dead and had to be towed to dealer. Dcm issues. System prematurely drains battery because system is trying to connect to 3g even when car is off. There should be a recall. Not just an extended warranty that Subaru may not accept for rebuilt titled cars.

Every few days of car not being used battery is being completely drained. We replaced 3 new batteries with a span of a 1 year.

I am on my third battery for this car. It apparently has a known software issue of a parasitic battery drain that destroys the battery, leaving me stranded.

The drivers side window frequently will not roll up. Has happened multiple times and dealership says they reset it but still does not work properly. In inclement weather conditions this is a serious safety issue. Most recent information is below.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Car will lane correct when it's not needed. And all warning lights will come on in car when it's very hot. Cannot access touchscreen - because it constantly glitches as if it's being touched passenger side window continues to roll up and down when you click auto control on window and will not stop. I am afraid to drive because of these electrical issues.

Thermo control valve. Check engine light on. Eyesight adaptive cruise control automatic emergency braking blind spot warning forward collision warning lane departure warning lane keeping assistance x mode dealership would not honor repair even though there is recall it does not cover VIN 63400 miles vehicle inspected by manufacturer code p2682 check engine light is on and eyesight warning.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Car screen is malfunctioning. Starts doing own things and can cause huge distraction to the driver. Beeping noise, blinking, calling and dialing phone numbers, raising volume. Becomes unresponsive and impossible to operate.

Repeatedly dead battery caused by a parasitic drain from a faulty dcm fuse, and an alternator programmed from the factory to not fully charge the battery.

Subaru settled a class action lawsuit regarding faulty battery and dmc component that drains the battery continuously. My dealer just replaced my battery and dcm under warranty (I'm assuming the warranty is a result of the lawsuit). However, this does not ultimately remedy the problem. The new dmc will continue to draw on the battery causing future reoccurring issues. Subaru needs to make good on this problem in a permanent way.

The navigation screen that controls apps, radio, navigation and phone has delamanated and now has a mind of its own. If my phone is connected it will actually start making random calls while driving, radio sound changes, screens will switch on tjeir own while driving. It started a a year ago. I just thought it was a periodic glitch. It has progressly gotten worse. I saw there was a class action suit and didn't inform?.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start as intended. The contact inspected the battery and determined that the battery needed to be charged. The contact stated that the battery needed to be recharged every three days due to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. Additionally, the contact stated the failure was persistent. The contact stated that the dealer had replaced the battery with a genuine Subaru battery three months prior to the failure. However, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,879.

The contact's husband owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start intermittently, but was able to be jump-started. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to advance auto, where the contact was informed that the battery and the alternator were in good condition. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Parasitic battery drain when vehicle is turned off. The dcm module in these vehicles will not shut off properly and continue to drain the battery. Subaru has firmware on the vehicle that will not fully charge the battery when driving to save fuel. The vehicle has had 6 or more instances over the past two weeks where the car was undriveable unless jumped from another vehicle or a boost device is used.

For our 2020 Subaru Outback, we are on our 3rd battery at only 49k miles. The car died again today. Thankfully aaa was able to jump it after a friend tried unsuccessfully. We suspect all of this battery drain, failure and replacement has been due to the known data communications module (dcm) issue on recent Subaru’s. I have an appt w the dealer in santa monica tomorrow morning to have it diagnosed.

Yesterday, my car would not start due to a dead battery. This happened last week, as well. Both times, my husband used a battery charger to enable me to start my car. I have had this issue multiple times in the past, as well, and previously replaced the battery in 2022. I am also aware of a previous class action lawsuit, and several customer complaints about parasitic drain and poor battery performance in the 2015 Subaru Outbacks. Continuing to replace the battery is not only costly and bad for the environment, it doesn't solve the problem. There is some flaw in the electrical design of this car and Subaru needs to address the root cause. I am very concerned that I am going to be stranded somewhere in unsafe conditions, or not have my car available to me when I need to get to a critical appointment or respond to an emergency. This is unacceptable.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Parasitic battery draw - when left completely unattended for about 10 days, the battery is drained, leaving driver stranded and in need of a car jump. Has occurred twice on a new battery installed in late Nov.

2nd time car won't start. First time was 6m ago, pulled battery, tested, bad, replaced battery. Getting ready to charge battery, if bad, will tow to Subaru dealership. Last time, Subaru tested, said nothing wrong. If your car won't start, how do you function. Went on line and you can't believe how many people suffer with this. Seems like the same drain on the system, from starlink, lights, not shutting down like there supposed too.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Screen is delaminating. Becoming unresponsive at times. Making ghost touches, phone calls, opening apps, messing with gps. Seems unsafe when it could be going haywire and especially using gps trying to navigate traffic.

The steering warning light came on and my steering wheel stiffened. Luckily I was able to make it home, but when I went back to crank it. The light was still on and it would only move forward of backwards; because I wasn't able at all to turn the steering wheel.

I purchased this vehicle in may 2024 within 2 months of purchase the eyesight function malfunctioned. I took it back to the dealership where I purchased it and they attempted to diagnose it at cost of parts and I ended up paying a few hundred dollars for that repair. That didn’t work and they offered to attempt something else but this was just guessing. Then a few months down the line I receive a post card in the mail for a ‘warranty extension’ on the exact issue I am having. I take it to the Subaru dealership once and they had me return a second time saying they couldn’t diagnose it at that time because the lights that appear on and off weren’t appearing for them. Returning a second time they said they were able to diagnose the issue but the warranty only covers 75%. The remaining 25% that’s left to me comes to $1098. 34. The issue I have with this is being it is a safety concern. The features eyesight provides are to be additional safety features. The biggest one being the cruise control that has gone out on me while using it. Going high velocity down the freeway using it and it shuts off completely, luckily I it hasn’t caused an accident and there hasn’t been anyone behind me when it happens and no one to close in front of me but this has happened on multiple occasions to myself, my boyfriend and most recently a friend when we went out of town when I didnt think to inform her of it. We no longer use the cruise control being it is scary and a risk to our safety. I have escalated to Subaru of America who says that it is a warranty extension to care for their customers but the representative I spoke with denied it being a known issue. He says the warranty expired in 2016 for my vehicle but Subaru extended it as to care for the customers. With that in mind I do not think I’m the only one with this issue and concern or else why would they put this extension out if they’re no just trying to be compensated and avoid a recall for the issue.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The radio has what looks like water spots under the screen, this causes the infotainment system to go crazy, no hands free and I’m afraid it won’t show the backup screen while it is like this.

First battery --original to the car lasted about 3. 5 yrs. Replacement lasted less than 2 yrs and was particularly weak in cold weather conditions. Third battery purchased in June 2024 and it was totally dead by oct 2024 and was replaced. The oct 2024 battery began to start slowly in Jan 2025 and today, Jan 12, 2025 failed to start. It was totally dead but was restarted with an emergency starter. I don't drive long distances often and most trips are short --3-5 miles almost every day. This seems to fit in with the electrical problems described for 2016-2020 Outbacks.

Battery fails repeatedly even after several battery replacements and dealer fixing the software at a hefty cost, presumable to make sure the battery is charging. My insurance company (state farm) dropped my roadside assistance coverage after repeated requests to get help to start the car. I continuously dread and fear that the car will not start after a drive to the grocery store. I dear not think about using the car to take a trip away from home. I bought jump starters and now take one with me every time I consider driving this car. God forbid it drains outs before I get back to the house to recharge it, which has happened and ended up bigging a stranger to jump start my car. It is a shame that this reputable company can sell a car that has this problem, that could be easily fixed which seems to be not a problem for other manufacturers.

I drive 2. 5miles to work, Tuesday [xxx], I was turning into the parking lot and my car just cut off. I couldn't use flashers, restart it, put it in park or anything else. I called my husband to come help. I thought maybe the battery cable might have come loose. It was dead. I couldn't get out, if I let my foot off the brake it would roll backwards, going into the road and I didn't want it to hurt anyone. It started smoking from the drivers front side of engine. I called my husband back and said please hurry. It took approximately 7 minutes for him to arrive. I was on the phone about the smoke when he drove up behind me. He told me to get out of the car it's on fire. He tapped my bumper to keep my car from rolling backwards. I jumped out, called 911. He had sandbags in the back of his truck. He put them under the back tires so it couldn't roll into the traffic. A lady stopped that had a fire extinguisher and [xxx] attempted to put the fire out. It was getting quite large. We couldn't open the hood, he could only spray it in the wheel area up front. He had to get back the fire was getting big. The car then exploded. It was so loud, fire and smoke. I went into work and asked to be let off for that day. I smelled like smoke and my lungs hurt. I inhaled so much smoke. My daughter got me a breathing treatment setup to help with breathing. The fire department came and put the fire out. They were so kind. No police showed up, so we only have a fire department report. The tow truck showed up and took my car away. When we got home we notified our insurance agent. :engine failed, if I had been on a busy street I would have been hit. The car just stopped where it was. Yes our insurance adjuster said it could be looked at by anyone. :yes my safety and the ones around me were put at risk. My lungs are still suffering. :no it's not been reproduced by anyone I know of. :no, there was no indications that pointed at something being wrong. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informati.

Battery not charging. Battery from 09/2024. Unable to turn vehicle over. After charging battery, it has happened again.

The head unit on the vehicle has an issue where it bubbles and it’s causing the touch screen to spaz out, change sources, etc creating a terribly distracting driving experience and you are unable to turn it of. The screen flashes, the radio changes stations, it messes with the navigation rendering it useless, etc. It’s a known issue and Subaru settled a class an action lawsuit related to it for 2018 models but has not issued recalls to for any year models. They should fix the issue on all models. It has been going on for months.

The battery drained within a year. Battery functioning issues.

My battery continues to die leaving me stranded every winter for the past several years. It is a known issue I believe with the wiring/ fuse for the trunk hatch door. Subaru only offers a new battery - so every year I replace the battery and then end up stranded somewhere again.