Exterior Lighting Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

Halo light is out and it does not show on dashboard. Halo light is part of headlight system. It is part of daylight running lights. Unable to replace light without replacing the entire headlight.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

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?.

Headlights produce a distracting shadow. It looks like something is crossing the road in front of you. In addition, as a driver, it focuses your attention on the shadow instead of the road. It's a common complaint online and definitely a real safety concern for motorists.

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.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Headlight lenses fill up with water on interior of lenses causes headlights to distort lighting and reduced visibility.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Headlights appear to be adjusted too high from the factory, causing considerable distress to other drivers who are blinded by my bright led headlights shining directly into their cabin. At night, oncoming drivers are flashing their lights at me constantly, thinking my brights are on. In fact, it's difficult to tell when my brights are on because the headlights are aimed so high that the brights make little difference in terms of sight distance. I asked the dealership to check the lights and all they were able to tell me is that "it's a common complaint. " numerous online forums provide instructions for adjusting the headlight angle downward.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The driver's side daytime running light has failed. This light is an led designed to last the life of the car and cannot be repaired. Unfortunately, there is no indicator light inside the car to notify the driver of the failure. In hazardous weather conditions, it may appear as though the light is functioning based on the dashboard lights, but it is not. Regrettably, replacing the bulb is not an option and this poses a potential risk to the driver and others during inclement weather or low visibility situations. The dealership has inspected the vehicle and confirmed that it cannot be repaired. To resolve the issue, the entire unit must be replaced, which will cost over $1000. This model has experienced numerous instances of failure with the driver side daytime running lights, indicating a widespread safety concern that the manufacturer has yet to address in this particular year. Previous years have been recalled for the same issue.

The radio and head unit is glitching and automatically doing crazy things. The lighting is also affected on the head unit. The radio volume will turn up loud for no reason. It is intermittent. The dealership says it’s bubbling and head would have to be replaced. . But back ordered parts and 3,000 dollars. I’ve googled and this is a well known issue with 2019 Subarus, but it’s a safety issue if you are driving and volume/screen is not controlled.

I have had 3 dead battery issues with this car. Something is draining the battery while the car is off.

Low beam headlights are aimed too high from the factory. I have asked the dealer to adjust them, but there are only two options for aiming and the lower position only casts light about 20 feet in front of the vehicle. During nighttime driving my car is consistently blinding oncoming traffic as evidenced by oncoming traffic flashing their high beams regularly.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Automatic braking system has almost caused a rear-end collision 5 times, because it thinks a shadow is an object. We’ve brought the car to the dealership but they told us twice that they can’t replicate the problem. That doesn’t change the issue. I don’t want to wait until we have a collision and have to go through physical therapy and repairs to address this. Front headlights are blinding other drivers causing them to flash their brights at us regularly on the freeway and local roads which then blinds us and causing us to slow down and break. The dealership say that the lights can be adjusted but this is a serious risk to us and something that happens every night. It’s stressful to drive the car anticipating this all the time. We’ve replace the starter last year and having issues again. The car struggles to start. Last year they said this was a known issue and also replaced the battery. But it’s happening again. This indicates a more complicated issue in the electrical. I don’t want to have to replace the starter every year.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Both front headlights cast a tabbed rectangular shadow into driver's field-of-view creating two potentially dangerous disruptive shadows/dead spots at certain longer distances and in open flat terrain areas. These tabbed rectangular shadow/dead spots often tricks the driver into falsely responding/over-reacting unnecessarily. The dead spots in the driver's field-of-view can be potentially dangerous while driving at night and around turns/corners where the led headlights automatically track and follow based on the steering inputs by the driver. These projected tabbed rectangular tabs often startle my wife and or I often tricking our eyes into seeing what appears to be an object darting out in front of the vehicle.

This vehicle has severe cvt problems. It shifts back and forth with a clunk on level roads at a steady speed. I have a 2015 murano with over 80,000 miles that does not display this type of behavior. I am driving a loaner which is a 2023 Subaru with the same engine and transmission as mine and it has none of my safety problems. The additional safety problems are: very poor resolution on backup camera and incorrect guidance lines; we are a hands free state and my voice command will not properly make calls; built in nav is horrible and android auto doesn't work; adaptive headlights don't work; lane centering hugs the left side of the lane to a degree that I have to pull to the right if a vehicle is passing me; auto rear braking does not work properly. The rest of the items are more of a nuisance than safety oriented. I have owned over a dozen Subarus without having any issues.

I purchased a new 2021 Subaru Outback onyx edition xt in may of 2021. The headlights have been a continual problem and I cannot get a solution from the dealer. They are way too bright. It’s a safety hazard to oncoming drivers. I also believe it’s a personal security risk to me from angry drivers. And there's nothing I can do about it because I don't have my high beams activated. The headlights need to have two separate intensity settings, one for low beam and one for high beam, but they do not. Currently, the low beam and high beam use the same intensity led. The switch between high and low beams does not change the intensity or brightness. It merely activates a motor that moves a metal plate. The plate acts as a shutter that changes the angle the lights shine so the driver has a broader field of vision. The intensity of the lights do not change. The high beams are always on even when not activated. No wonder oncoming drivers are flashing their high beams and getting angry. I have voiced my concerns to the Subaru dealer who checked my headlights and said they were properly aimed. I have voiced my concerns on the Subaru forum and found many other drivers are experiencing the same problem. Some people on that forum suggest re-aiming the headlights so they point lower. This does not solve the problem. Doing so limits visibility to a very short distance ahead of the vehicle creating a different safety issue, not being able to see objects, animals, or people in the roadway. Fmvss no. 108 requires 2 intensity settings for motor vehicle headlights. Subaru has not provided that and is in violation of that federal regulation. I am requesting that nhsta exercise whatever regulatory authority it has to enforce this requirement including issuing a recall on the Subaru steering responsive headlights. . Read more...

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

My 2017 Subaru Outback has moisture forming inside the passenger side headlight. Temperature does not appear to be a cause. The concern is freezing and light distortion affecting the night time auto headlight dimmer. There are no apparent cracks and front end has not been in any collision. Issue was noticed at least two months ago. Dealer is talking to manufacturer.

I purchased this Outback and did not test drive at night (assuming I'd never have issues with headlight functionality). Upon driving at night, however, there are safety issues with the low beams. As others have mentioned, there are two shadow artifacts near the top of the field of vision that move from side to side. They are distracting (almost looks like an animal darting across the road) and dangerous. Secondly, the cutoff line with the projector headlights on low-beams severely limits field of vision. I have to slow way down going around curves and down hills, as I can only see about 20 feet in front of the vehicle. I tried adjust the headlights up higher, but that just causes on-coming drivers to constantly flash me. I owned a 2015 Outback before this and had none of these issues. . Read more...

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The innermost taillight located on the liftgate melted the taillight housing and burned the socket in which it sits. This could have started a fire putting the safety of those in the vehicle and on the road at risk. The problem has not been inspected by a dealer or any other party. The taillights are available for inspection and the bulbs as well. There was no warning. The problem was noticed because the bulbs burned out and needed replaced. They have been replaced by me with led bulbs to reduce the risk of fire or more damage. The problem was discovered on 8/23/2023. It is unknown when this problem started.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I'm a first time Subaru owner but am now challenging my decision to buy a Subaru. While driving at night on dark roads in pennsylvania, it was quite obvious and strange that the top half of the windshield was black while the bottom half was clear showing the lights on the road. This was quite annoying and disruptive while driving; we did not notice such on a well-lit road. I googled and found out that many Subaru owners experienced the same issue. I've been driving for over 55 years and have never experienced such an issue. I called the dealer and he never heard of such but did read the comments on the web link I shared with him. It's truly unsafe and disturbing while driving on darker roads. Please advise as I'm considering trading in this wonderful car, taking a loss, and buying something that doesn't disturb me while driving at night. I don't need a potential accident at this point of my life. Safety first. . . I've attached the url to those comments from other Subaru owners. . Read more...

When the headlamp selector is in automatic mode, automatic high beams are also enabled by default. The issue is that the automatic high beam headlamps do not function well at all. They defeat the high beam selection if any ambient light is detected and are far too sensitive. As a result, if there are streetlights, city lights, or even snow on the ground, the high beam headlamps cannot be turned on while in the automatic mode. It’s got to be pitch dark, and even then it takes some time for the high beams to come on after selecting them with the switch. This presents an immediate safety concern in the inability to use high beam headlamps. The owner’s manual (p 574) says this feature can be disabled, but Subaru refuses to change this setting citing legal requirements and safety concerns (that one may use the high beams to blind oncoming traffic). Their proposed solution is to temporarily disable the system on every drive by turning the headlamp selector from auto to on, however this is only a workaround and does not solve the underlying safety issue. If a driver has not previously thought to change the headlamp selector to on, their high beams are likely unavailable for use. I’ve attached the response from Subaru north America. I’ve had several conversations with premier surbau of fremont, most recently with devin in service, who has said they refuse to modify the setting.

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the headlights were very dim while driving at night. Additionally, the contact stated that a black square shadow would appear in the illumination of both headlights which also impaired her vision while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who found no defect with the vehicle. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer for further assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Vehicle was on highway in stop and go traffic when brake was applied. Auto stop-start feature engaged which turned engine off. On release of brake the auto stop-start feature failed to restart vehicle. Engine tried and failed to turn over and all console lights flashed on and off continuously. Ignition was turned off and attempted to restart car unsuccessfully. Four way hazard light button was activated and showed on dashboard as on. However, hazard lights on outside of vehicle were not on causing cars behind to not realize car was immobilized. Hazard lights malfunctioning on an immobilized vehicle on the highway is extremely unsafe.

Issue with low beams. I live in a rural area with limited street lighting. Low beam visibility approx. 15 ft. Or less. Once or if I would observe an object or person on the roadway my stopping distance would be limited. A hooded shadow from the lighting limits the visibility. E mailed Subaru who suggested I have the dealer could help with my problem. They adjusted the lights. Now I have oncoming traffic flicking their high beams.

This is not about my car, but instead many different cars. When a cars lights are set to it's parking lights or running lights position, often located on the turn signal stalk, at night it appears to the driver that their headlights are on, when in fact only the "parking lights are on in front. This is a problem, but not what I'm reporting. When in the parking light position (at night), it appears the headlights are on because there's some light out front and the instrument cluster is lit up as well. Here's the defect in design, the brake lights are not on, completely dark at the rear of the vehicle, so drivers are driving on the highway thinking their headlights and brakes lights are on, when they're not. When the parking light position is active, it should include the brake lights. Can't imagine how many rear-enders are because of this design flaw. Rotating light switch on turn signal stalks often get unknowingly rotated out of auto or the headlight position when the turn signal is repeatedly used.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.

On Dec. 20, 2022, my Outback totally stopped working while sitting at a red light, causing traffic to be forced to maneuver around my car. A kind policeman put out flares until the tow truck arrived. I could not shift into park, nothing electric would work, except the radio continued to play and the flashers worked until it all died. I could not turn the radio off and the seat would not adjust. The electronic screen flashed on and off until it went totally black, after about an hour. This vehicle only has about 21,000 miles on it and was under warranty until 3 weeks prior to the incident. Every time I took it to the dealership, I explained that the electronics had glitches. They always said it was fixed but it never was right. The tomtom navigation system was totally unreliable from day one; the screen went blank and the radio would not work at all, as well as all the screen functions, without warning. The screen would read out that I should keep my hands on the wheel, although both hands were on the wheel. Over and over it had problems which were not resolved.

Display screen for radio, navigation, status has failed and is flashing on/off. Radio, navigation and other functions are not operable. First occurred in fall 2022, dealer examined and diagnosed in Jan 2023. Repair replacement parts are indefinitely unavailable. There is not a committed schedule to repair/replace. This appears to be a widespread problem/defect with no known schedule to deliver parts for repair. The result is a vehicle that is dangerous to drive at night with flashing lights at this display panel. I write about this to add to the field of data and information about this problem with this model vehicle. Any assistance in expediting manufacturers attention to this is appreciated.

Driver-side daytime running light (drl) failed after only 3 years. Drl is made up of led bulbs integrated in the headlight assembly, and not able to be repaired or replaced. Entire headlight unit required replacement; estimated at ~$500, plus additional labor at Subaru dealership service center. There was no warning lamp, message, or other symptoms to indicate a problem with the headlight. It was discovered only when viewing front end of car in a reflection. This poses a threat to occupants’ and others’ safety due to decreased visibility during operation. Exorbitant cost of parts and labor poses a significant hurdle to repair. This problem was inspected and verified by dealer service center. Dealer described the issue as “weird,” and stated “that should not happen; I’ve never seen that before. ” by the time I retrieved the vehicle following headlight assembly replacement work, the dealer service center had reportedly taken in 4 additional customers’ vehicles in for the same complaint. Dealership waived all charges associated with parts and labor to repair, despite being out of warranty, due to fact that led drl failed well before its projected useful life. Faulty headlight assembly was retained by dealer service center and sent to Subaru corporate for further inspection.

This car is equipped with adaptive headlights. When the headlights are turned on, each projects a rectangular shadow. These shadows move when you drive and look like animals coming across the road. Apparently, Subaru says this is normal operation. The dealer noted that it is an issue but Subaru has no remedy. This is a safety issue as your eyes automatically follow the shadows as it seems like there is something running across the front of the vehicle. An investigation is requested as this is a major safety issue as it distracts your eyes from the road ahead.

While driving the vehicle at night with auto diming feature there is a line across the top of the windshield, and it is exceedingly difficult to see through the windshield above that line. When the lights are automatically dimmed the line is extended downward about a third of the windshield. It is difficult to see thru the windshield above this line. Extremely dangerous.

The car's battery is draining fast and the car's electric system stopped working after I replaced the battery three times. The car is currently inoperable.

The headlights on this vehicle are obnoxiously bright! I get flashed by oncoming drivers constantly at night. I even get flashed by pickup trucks. I'm not sure if it's the main headlamps or the fog lights. It does seem like the fog lights have really poor beam control. When driving on a country road at night I can tell the fog lights are lighting up the tops of trees by toggling them on and off. I passed an oncoming car just like mine a while back and I could finally understand why I get flashed all the time. They are really blinding. I tried to bring it up with Subaru of America and the guy on the phone literally laughed at me and just told me to not use the fog lights. They don't seem to care at all about all the safety issues the current generation Outback has. Very unprofessional. Subaru doesn't appear to welcome feedback at all.

This is the same issue we are seeing with our other Subaru where we come out to drive and the battery is dead. We would jump the battery and be able to drive for the day and the next day the battery is dead in the morning. I replaced the battery several times over the last few year and the battery would die with a less than 2 month old battery. I was driving around in both cars with jumper cables permanently. After taking it to the dealer, the battery was in great condition, the alternator was charging properly and there is a known electrical issue with this model and year that is part of a class action lawsuit. I had to replace my rear gate module electrical unit because it was going on and off in the night and draining my battery. I will be looking to get re-eimbursed for this company issue.

I have issues with the headlights on my Outback. They are very bright to the point that I get flashed on a regular basis by other drivers thinking I have my brights on. Just this morning coming to work I passed someone on the ohio turnpike and they must of been blinded by my lights because they then got right up behind me and started following me with their brights on. These lights are a danger to other drivers and it makes me worried for my safety because of the actions of other drivers if they think I'm not turning my brights off. I told the dealer service department where I bought my car and they didn't take me seriously. I found a forum on line where other Subaru drivers complain about the headlights and it goes back a couple years.

Battery drained by approx 50 % in a 12 hour period preventing car from starting. No lights, radio or other electrical feature could be activated. This is the 3rd occurrence of this feature since I purchased the vehicle on 9-28-2020. Supposedly Subaru dealer, patrick motors, worcester, MA replaced the battery in 2020 at that time.

About three years ago; there was a recall for the headlights. Subaru did replace the headlights, but I have replaced the headlights two additional times since then. And I currently have a headlight out a marker light out. I also last year had all of my marker lights burn out.

My Subaru has 12,ooo miles on it and in the past week has died on me. When you try to start the car and depress the brake, the brake locks and you cannot push it anymore, in addition, the battery does not turn over. On the first occasion, we tried to jump start the car but the battery read as normal activity and the car would not start after that. The car just started up for no apparent reason the following day. Thankfully we were at home when this happened and we have a 2nd car. The second time, same thing with the brake when we tried to start car and no turnover with the battery but and the car still will not start on the following day but this time it looks like the battery has died. Taking it in to Subaru dealership where supposedly the have never heard of these problems before!.