2019 Subaru Legacy Complaint Log

Due to a dead battery issue in 2025, I bought a new battery. A year later, the car wouldn't start & I finally got it jumped. Ran fine for 3 weeks, then wouldn't start again. I brought car back to the Interstate battery shop, who tested the alternator, which was fine, but he said the battery was appearing low. After researching this problem, I discovered there's a known issue that the battery dies due to a parasitic draw. Subaru knows there is a problem but refuses to correct the issues. The dealer I bought the car from neglected to tell me there was an existing issue and will be happy to charge me $500+ to diagnose. This is a major defect on Subaru's part, and all future buyers should be aware of it!

Unintended acceleration, on 2 occasions. First occasion, car was in DRIVE waiting at a traffic stop and the engine radically increased it's RPM from idle to over 6000 RPM, remaining there. Braking control maintained the automobile's position. Shifting the car into neutral caused RPM to increase further. The car was shut off, restarted, and seemed to function normally. On the second occasion, which occurred later the same day, the car was off and then started, and while still in PARK with my foot on the brake immediately jumped to over 6000, remaining there. Once again the car was shut off, restarted, and seemed to work normally. It was taken directly (and slowly) to the manufacturer's service center at my local Subaru dealership. They have not been able to re-create the problem as of this date.

I am reporting a safety issue with my 2019 Subaru Legacy that hesitates and nearly stalls when accelerating from a stop and is now undriveable due to stalling and shaking. I bought the car new from AutoNation Subaru Carlsbad in 2019. It has about 65,000 miles and I have driven it less than 2,000 miles since its last dealer visit in August 2025. Since around August 2025, the car has intermittently lost power under light acceleration from a stop or low speed, especially while pulling into or through intersections. Pressing the accelerator sometimes produces very little power, the engine feels like it may stall, and traffic behind me must brake or go around me, creating a risk of a rear‑end collision in intersections. In August 2025 I took the car to AutoNation Subaru Carlsbad and reported that the symptoms seemed like a fuel pump problem (my independent mechanic agreed). The dealer kept the car for about two weeks, experienced the hard‑starting/turn‑over issue, but did not test or replace the fuel pump. They performed other services, charged me $1,956.21, and returned the vehicle without fixing the safety issue, even though they later acknowledged the fuel pump is covered under an extended warranty. One day after picking the car up, the same hesitation and loss of power recurred in an intersection. On November 26, 2025, the car again became disabled: it cranks, briefly starts roughly, shakes, and then stalls, and will not stay running. I believe this is a defective low‑pressure fuel pump or related fuel system component, similar to known Subaru fuel pump defects that can cause stalling and loss of power. No crash or injuries yet, but there have been near‑misses due to unexpected loss of power in traffic.

Constant battery issues. I've replaced the car battery 3 times and the car seems to be suffering from "parasitic battery drain". It took a long time to diagnose the issue and I've been to the Rye Subaru dealership 2 times already and they are still trying to fix the issue. This is my daughters car and I'm constantly waiting for a phone call to have the car jump started. She works the night shift and I'm worried about her getting stranded at night.

CVT failed at 85,000 miles. It started slipping and squealing and had to be replaced by the dealership. The car was never driven rough, in mountainous terrain, etc. Very disappointing.

The entertainment system got bubbles and stopped working only after 50,000 miles.

If the car is not driven every day the battery dies due to a parasitic draw. Subaru knows there is a problem with the DCM from these years but refuses to correct the issues which there are 3 that are known. Dcm constantly searches for 3g network that is no longer killing the battery, Subaru changed the recommended cold cranking amperage of the battery well after manufacture, and won't test without a new battery being installed, and they expect the consumer to pay for both the testing and battery, to meet certain epa standards they altered the function of the alternator so it doesn't charge the battery until the engine is warm and won't fully charge the battery.

Parasitic drain on battery leaves the car dead and unable to start with out a jump. Battery is only six months old. Replaced old battery because of this same issue.

My husband was driving on [XXX] and the hood of the Subaru flew up, cracking the entire windshield, damaging the exterior of the roof and interior of the roof, the whole hood and frame where the hood meets the car. The car was driven but escorted by local PD to body shop. Less than 48 hrs before the incident, the car was at Paul Miller Subaru for a routine oil change. They were the last people to touch the hood of the car. Paul Miller Subaru has been an absolute nightmare to work with and is avoiding all contact. We are out of a vehicle entirely and they did not even offer to give us a loaner. They were incredibly defensive and rude and all of our friends and family that have leases or cars with them are pulling out of them for their safety and lives. Subaru Customer Advocacy and their Quality Assurance team went out to do an inspection on the vehicle after I opened up a case with them. Case # [XXX] 1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783) Ext.119109. They reported that the the secondary/safety latch was "damaged and destroyed by an outside source". The technician at the dealership destroyed the latch during the oil change. The body shop also confirmed the cause of the incident as well. Our vehicle is currently being repaired so the old/destroyed parts would be available for inspection if needed. My husbands safety was at risk because if he was going faster, or if there was a car infront or behind him when he came to a full stop after the flew up, it would have been fatal. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. They first appeared once the hood flew up. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The Starlink screen becomes uncontrollable and begins changing screens on its own making driving very distracting and losing all control of vital functions such as radio, gps and phone. I have no control over it. I have video of the incident but cannot figure out how to upload it. I k low previous year models were recalled for the same situation and I believe there is a class action lawsuit.

The radio/ starlink system begins changing screens on its own thus losing all control of critical functions such as phone and gps. There appears to be marks behind the glass of the screen which are not able to be cleaned. There are recalls for this issue on the 2018 Subaru Legacy and there needs to be one for the 2019 Subaru Legacy and other affected Subaru models.

On the beginning of a trip the screen, Infotainment system started jumping, and shaking. We had been using the system for guidance while driving in unfamiliar area. The screen then started randomly selecting buttons while we were still trying to use directions from the screen. Then it called a contact on my contact list 8-9 times, and I had to keep hanging up in order so it would stop. Finally I had to shut down the entire screen. We lost control of the Infotainment and then after I had to turn it off, I tried several times again to turn it back on with no luck. The screen would not respond and continues to be completely frozen. As I have discovered this is a common problem that Subaru dealers have heard about from thousands of customers. Subaru needs to issue a recall.

Radio is delaminating and causing random calls and radio changes while driving. Serious safety issue. Subaru covered a portion of the replacement but entire cost should be covered due to it being an obvious manufacturer defect.

Battery dies over and over again. I drive every day, I never leave lights on, and I am having to purchase a battery over and over again.

My vehicle light is on keeps saying oil at temp as well as other lights are currently turn on. I took it to subaru location was informed my transmission was bad. But the car drives well just have a bunch of lights.

We had to replace the car’s original windshield due to a stone hitting it on the highway- just bad luck and something that happens from time to time. Since then, we’ve had TWO replacement windshields spontaneously crack without any impacts in the span of 3 weeks. Subaru has a major problem. These windshields are not supposed to be disposable, and no one has time or money enough to replace windshields on a weekly basis. There is clearly a defect in the windshields, their mounting, or something that needs to be corrected. This represents a major safety issue for drivers.

The Subaru models from 2019 have a known parasitic battery drain problem. My car will have a dead battery after a week not driving it, or even just 2 days in winter. The problem is confirmed by Subaru but not addressed in any way.

The navigation screen has delaminated and no longer works. You can see where there are layers of screen that are discolored and has a matte finish underneath and the entire screen is erratic and works only 10% of the time. I cannot answer calls through the car any longer and I have to try to navigate long trips from my phone as this function of the car is down. It's a serious problem and puts me and others on the road at risk every time I have to use the car as I travel by myself and I struggle to navigate the roads without this system. The car has a mere 70,000 miles on it and has been well cared for. I bought the car new and this issue is serious. There were no warning signs other than it erratically works less and less. I have researched the issue and see there are so many with this same issue that I wanted to add to the list. I cannot find a second hand part as the demand is too high. The car is available for inspection and I haven't had it to the dealer for this issue. It has been inspected by an auto repair shop and agrees the component needs to come out and be replaced. Please help!

Vehicle is equipped with Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist which includes reverse automatic braking. Vehicle was reversing towards a parked vehicle on the street and the RAB feature failed to apply the brakes and the vehicle collided with the parked vehicle. I am extremely disappointed that the safety system in this car failed to work as advertised/expected resulting in damages to both cars.

On 3/1/24, I had my original windshield replaced with Subaru dealership due to a crack. I paid out of pocket. On 4/21/24, the windshield cracked again for no reason. I don't recall anything hitting it. I took it to the Subaru dealership on 4/22/24, and they took no responsibility even though it was still under warranty. They claimed it was due to something hitting the windshield, but they did replace it for free because we were "loyal customers". On 4/30/24, it developed a substantial crack again. I remember some small pebble hitting the windshield but not hard enough to cause it to crack. I was DONE with Subaru so I took it to Safelite to get it replaced on 5/10/24. Again paying out of pocket. This is my third windshield replacement in less than two months. I feel that the Subaru brand windshield is defective. It cracks easily for no reason. I've never had this happen so frequently with any of my other cars I've owned.

Multimedia component is not working correctly and it could cause an accident due to trying to change/control the component over and over again. It has a mind of its own. I turn it off and it turns on by itself. It switches radio stations by itself. The screen changes apps all by itself. I can't correctly use any of it anymore. I try using my phone and even though I don't want it sent to audio on the car it switches to it and then the conversation cuts in and out. I've tried resetting it a million times but it's useless anymore to even do that. I haven't brought it to a dealer as of yet. I looked it up and seen there are other complaints with this same issue. I received a letter for reimbursement if I changed it out but I didn't do that because I was able to reset the system at the time. I feel Subaru should be responsible for this as they know it's happening to vehicles and they've reimbursed for it.

UNKNOWN. A very small pebble flew up from the road onto the lower passenger's side windshield, creating a small chip, approximately 2 mm, in the glass. Within 10 minutes, the glass started to hairline crack leftward by about 4 inches. I parked the car and checked a few hours later, and the crack was deeper and over a foot in length. It continued to grow with the car was parked, and was about 18 inches when I left work several hours later. I marked the end point of the crack on the inside glass when I arrived home to see if the crack would stabilize in size. The car was parked overnight and the crack has continued to grow in length and appears deeper this morning. What should have been a small chip, that would have been easy to repair, has become a major crack in the glass, one that continues to grow and is obscuring visibility as a result. My cost estimate to replace the windshield is over $1,000. It's my opinion the glass is as weak in my model car as in other Subarus that have this known glass issue where the repairs were covered under warranty.

catalytic converter plugged at 56,000 miles. cause the catalytic converter to get red hot and melt o2 sensors. this caused the cel to eliminate and make the safety features turn off. I plugged an obd2 reader in to the car and diagnosed the problem. I had to replace the entire catalytic converter assembly under the as well as all of the o2 sensors.

Battery replaced last year at dealer under battery class action lawsuit. Car was stored using a battery tender from May through January and put back into service with regular use several times a week. Today car failed to start. Have appointment with dealer tomorrow. A battery is not a permanent fix and does not instill confidence that you will not be left stranded. Subaru is aware there is a problem with their Starlink system and the use of 3g. The system keeps attempting to make contact using the defunct 3g network thereby draining the battery and stranding the vehicle.

Main infotainment display delamination, this causes a safety concerns, as the screen can become irresponsive, and even black out during reverse making the backup camera, nonfunctioning. The other safety issue at risk is that because of the delamination it causes "ghost-clicking" on the screen, and makes the screen irresponsive, veering the drivers attention away from the road, potentially causing accidents as the main display controls all radio and bluetooth, and navigation. There are no indication or warnings from the manufacturer that the vehicle could be a risk to drive. When I called Subaru of America, I was told by the agent that they could not assist, when I brought up, based on my research this was a known issue, Subaru of America offered to pay $600 towards the replacement of the head unit. The head unit dependant on the dealer and labor time can vary from $1400-2200 for the repair.

Parasitic Battery Drain due to DCM fuse problem

My Legacy has a battery drain issue. I was told by the dealer it is a DCM. I have already replaced my battery and the car is dead with a new battery installed. This dead battery issue has left me stranded which I feel is extremely unsafe. If I can’t find someone to jump me, I could be left stranded again and New England weather is nothing to joke about.

Keep burning oil. I’m being told it’s normal and I know for sure it’s not leaking.

There is a recall for this issue in Subaru vehicles through 2018 but our 2019 Legacy has the same issue. The head unit very soon after purchase (brand new from dealer) started to delaminate and not respond to touchscreen interaction. Now it is so bad that it is as if the head unit is possessed. It changes radio and settings randomly, cycles the screen, makes random phone calls if a phone is connected, changes navigation (Android Auto) on its own and suddenly it's navigating you to Mexico... Even if we aren't using the screen it is dangerously distracting because it is constantly glitching. We are out of warranty so the dealer wants us to pay for this repair on our own. We want to see the recall expanded to include 2019 and later model years. According to numerous reports online, I know we are not the only ones. We also have issues with this vehicle's battery draining unusually fast but that is not as critical an issue as this head unit problem.

I am a first time Subaru owner and I have an issue with the windshield. November 2023 had a large crack in the windshield and an actual piece of glass came into the car from the inside. I had the windshield replaced by Gerald Subaru of North Aurora Illinois. In January of 2024, as I was pulling out of my garage, I noticed another crack in the new windshield. I had not driven the car in a week and was actually out of state for 2 weeks in December. My car is garaged and do not recall anything hitting the windshield. Went back to Gerald Subaru and they found an extremely small chip up near the top of the windshield. I have reached out to Subaru both by phone and by email and thus far there has been no response. I truly feel these are defective windshields.

Vehicle was using the self driving feature of the Subaru Eyesight system. With the system engaged, the vehicle is supposed to accelerate and apply brakes accordingly as to keep a distance from the vehicle in front. Today, that system failed. The vehicle, with the Eyesight system engaged, accelerated right into the vehicle in front. There was no warning. The vehicle will be go for repair on 12/5/23. I have used the Eyesight system since purchasing the vehicle in 2019 with no issues, except for today. Luckily, I was driving at a very low speed but this safety concern can cause catastrophic injuries if it is not fixed.

The "infotainment system" screen is delaminating. I can not see my surroundings when in reverse. The system is paired with my mobile telephone and randomly calls persons in my contact list without my requesting it do so. The radio can not be turned off and it consistently makes noises as if it is attempting to scan different radio stations. These defects first appeared at 34,000 miles, well below the 36,000 mile warranty period.

Parasitic battery drain from the DCM that is known by Subaru but proper long term repair is not offered easily. Please force them to do the right thing!! This should be a covered fix offered to every affected vehicle.

Starting in late October 2023 I began having multiple dead batteries despite replacing the battery and having the battery tested on several occasions and it tested fine. Frustrated with the inconvenience I decided to google the problem and discovered information on the car’s DCM searching for the 3G network which no longer exists. The constant search, even when the vehicle is off causes the battery to die. I am a caregiver and my clients depend on me to be at their homes when I’m scheduled to be there. They depend on me to use the bathroom, to be fed, to be kept safe, to be transported to doctors appointments and other places among other things. My regular mechanic as well as a mechanic at Anchor Subaru both confirmed the DCM was causing the battery to drain. There was no warning at all.

Battery's keep dying we've went through 3 in the last 6 months,we've been told it's a faulty dcm module ,I put the latest date this happened in the date below

Subaru Starlink system constantly drains battery, leaving driver and passengers stranded. The Starlink is constantly looking for a 3G network, and my area has updated all 3G networks to 5G. After shutting car off, the Starlink will continuously search and drain battery so it will not start. The only temporary fix is to remove the fuse and disable the module. The Starlink is supposed to help in the case of an emergency, but it cannot help if the battery is dead. dealerships have acknowledged the problem but will only offer a fix for the replacement of the module for a sum of about $ 1,300.00.

Touch screen driver information system has random display and audible warnings. Audio and navigation display cannot be controlled and does random radio channels and map displays. The screen developed bubbles under the front panel that appears to activate the touch sensor for the display. This condition is very distracting to the driver and might cause unsafe vehicle operation. The display changing and beeping during driving causes an unsafe situation. It also impacts the ability to use and see the rear view camera as the display is distorted due to the delamination/bubbles. This problem was identified by many Subaru Legacy and Outback owners in 2018 which led to a recall and warranty extension for repairs. The radio/nav display is manufactured by Harmon. It was widely reported in 2019 and the problem persists. Subaru contends that the display bubbles are caused by liquid contamination of the display, but this has not occurred in our vehicle, and dealers will not accept responsibility for the defective displays.

Car wont start after having a new battery (only 2 months old) put volt meter on battery and reads 5.76 volts. Put 2 amp charger on it for an hour and car starts and voltage meter shows 12.26 volts after i shut it off. This is clearly an electrical problem that Subaru is trying to put off as a battery issue. This car only has 22 thousand miles on it and it is unreliable.The dealer says there is nothing wrong but anybody that knows anything about cars will disagree.

The windshield of my vehicle randomly cracked from the driver’s side at the base of the windshield to about halfway across. Nothing hit the windshield whatsoever. I just heard a low sounding pop and discovered the crack.

Stereo head unit has white spots all over screen. Radio skips stations, calls numbers on my phone when connected to the car, touch screen does not work properly not allowing to turn it on or off or stop random skipping of stations or activity. Unable to see back camera when in reverse due to multiple spots on touchscreen.

Infotainment system screen began bubbling. Then it started randomly selection icons by itself. Then it got to the point where it is unusable and constantly is making selections on its own. I can’t even make selections if I want to. Whole screen is effected. Subaru of America is aware and my dealer first denied knowing it was an issue but later admitted to me they have gotten several complaints of the same. Dealer ordered a replacement over a year ago and I have still not gotten a replacement because they keep telling me it is back ordered and that they put a rush on it. Still nothing in over a year. This problem also causes the battery to drain while parked. I had to put a brand new battery in and it still drains. A year or so after that, Subaru sent out a notice that they will reimburse for that issue. I don’t have any paperwork left from my replacement costs. Again, dealer denied knowing that the battery drains and later admitted they knew.

After my 2019 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited sat outside on a level blacktop parking lot for one week (05-03-23 to 05-10-23) without moving, both passenger side tires were discovered completely deflated. The tires were Goodyear Eagle LS-2 size 225/50R18 95H (front passenger DOT M678 JR2R 1819 and rear passenger DOT M678 JR2R 1719). The tires were original to the car when purchased new by myself at Jenkins Subaru in Bridgeport WV on 09-23-19 with 26 miles on the odometer. The tires had 32,515 miles on them and were rotated 6 times. Sever dry rot on the tires sidewalls was the reason given by the Goodyear technician, Goodyear Service Center, 149 Green Bag Rd, Morgantown, WV, 304296-1748, for complete deflation. It was also recommended that the remaining divers side tires be replaced as they were also displaying sidewall dry rot (front drivers DOT M678 JR2R 1719 and rear drivers DOT M678 JR2R 1819). All four tires were replaced with new Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires (2 on 05-10-23 and 2 on 05-12-23).

While at a red light, and with foot firmly on brake pedal, the car suddenly began to rev and lurched forward. All the dash indicator lights (Brake, Engine, Lane Departure, etc.) lit up. I was able to keep the car from hitting the vehicle in front of me and managed to put the car in "park" until the light turned green, at which point I put the car back in "drive," pulled into USPS parking lot, collected myself, then drove to my local mechanic (~.25 miles). Braking to turn into mechanic's location the vehicle again revved and was difficult to slow, but I managed to do so, park, and left for them to examine. Later, and on local mechanic's advice, drove (without incident) to Subaru dealer in Milford, NH to drop off for them to investigate amid recent trend in unanticipated acceleration problem and pending class action lawsuit.

Frequent battery charge draining requiring external charging/jump starts

Power steering stopped working. I see online this problem was reported with other Subaru vehicle 2019 models and a recall was made but for some reason my car is not included. I believe this is the same issue of faulty equipment.

Infotainment system touchscreen failed and it became unstable. Bluetooth connected to phone failed, gos failed Yes Yes No

Fuel Pump failed. Available for inspection upon request. Vehicle shut down near a busy intersection. There were no warnings, just failed while leaving a restaurant.

2019 Subaru Legacy battery drain. The car would not start, it was jumped in February 2023. In March, the car would not start and it was jumped and taken to the Subaru Serramonte dealer, a claim was filed for the extended warranty and the battery was replaced at no charge. In April 2023, the car would not start, it was jumped and taken to the dealer, the battery was replaced at no charge. In June 2023, the car would not start, it was jumped and taken to dealer where it is now not jumpable and the dealer says the electrical system is draining the battery through the On Star system. There is a 2-month back order on the part, at which time the car is not usable. The dealer claims they cannot disconnect the On Star system due to safety issue.

The radio, which is also impacts screen, is defective. It is available for examination. The radio jumps stations with beeps, the sound can’t be eliminated by turning down the volume. It indiscriminately jumps from satellite to FM. It will hold a station for a while but then it jumps around. I get a few seconds of a music or talk station and then it jumps. It is a safety hazard since the beeps distracts the driver. It doesn’t recognize AppleCarPlay that is used for GPS navigation. The screen when it manages to show the menu, does not respond to touch so you can’t use GPS or access other vehicle processes such as clock, brightness, etc. I can’t use the phone for navigation while charging only seeing turn-by-turn directions, no map. The dealer has ordered a replacement radio but it is back ordered. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than Dan Perkins Subaru in Milford, CT. No warning indicator, it just started exhibiting the jump problem. The experience started gradually and would go back to working order. It got worse over several months, first appearing 7 months ago. Internet search shows this is an issue with several Subaru models and years.

I have owned my car since January 2019. I replaced the battery in November 2022 because the car wouldn't start after being left home for a week with no one driving it. In January 2023, I had to replace my battery because the car wouldn't start after not driving it for a weekend. I was told the battery was faulty. Now, on March 1, 2023, my car won't start again since no one drove it yesterday. The fob won't even open the doors. I have heard that there is a lawsuit open over my car make, model, and year because of a battery drain problem.