NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Subaru Outback. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
I HAVE HAD 3 BATTERIES REPLACED IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS. PERIODICALLY THE BATTERY JUST DRAINS UNEXPECTEDLY AND I AM STUCK WHEREVER THE VEHICLE HAPPENS TO BE PARKED. THIS IS NOT A RESULT OF LIGHTS BEING LEFT ON, DOORS OPEN, RADIO ON, ETC. SUBARU REPLACES THE BATTERIES UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND I NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL GET STUCK BECAUSE OF A DRAINED BATTERY.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK STARTED MAKING A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND VIOLENTLY HALTED THE CAR TO A STOP. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT IT WASN'T DURING A BUSY TIME AND AN ACCIDENT WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. THIS TRANSMISSION ONLY HAD 67,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT CAR HAS HAD. IN 2018 THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER 68,000 MILES. LUCKILY IT WAS FULLY COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED WHEN I BOUGHT IT. LATER THE TRANSMISSIONS WERE GIVEN A WARRANTY EXTENSION WHICH EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 100,000. THE NEWEST TRANSMISSION (THE ONE THAT JUST VIOLENTLY GRINDED TO A HALT ON THE HIGHWAY) CURRENTLY HAS 67,000 MILES ON THAT NEW TRANSMISSION, BUT SUBARU WILL NOT HONOR THE 100,000 WARRANTY EXTENSION BECAUSE THE REMAINDER OF THE VEHICLE HAS 135,000 MILES ON IT. I DO COUNT MYSELF LUCKY THAT THIS DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I HAD MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME AND WE COULD'VE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT.
WE PURCHASED A CAR BRAND NEW IN SAVANNAH, GA AND SINCE HAVE REPLACED WINDSHIELD THREE TIMES. IT HAS A SMALL CRACK AGAIN. ALL OUR REPLACEMENTS OCCURRED AGAINST OUR INSURANCE. OUR COVERAGE HAS INCREASE IN PREMIUMS. PREVIOUSLY, I NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON REGULAR OCCURRENCE. ANOTHER ISSUE - WHEN IT RAINS THE VISIBILITY IS EXTREMELY POOR. DESPITE I BUY THE EXPENSIVE WIPERS TO REPLACE THEM AT LEAST ONCE IN 12 MONTHS UNABLE TO ADJUST/INCREASE THE WIPER SPEED FOR THE HEAVY RAIN MAKES THE DRIVING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. OPTIONAL EYESIGHT WHICH WAS ADDED AS AN OPTION IS SHUTS ITSELF DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN AND IS NO HELP. EYESIGHT IS ALSO UNDERPERFORM WHAT WAS PROMISED BY MANUFACTURER. ALL ABOVE APPLIES FOR VEHICLE IN MOTION.
BATTERY DOES NOT HOLD A CHARGE. DRAINS IN A DAY JUST SITTING IN MY GARAGE. CAN'T GO ANYWHERE FOR FEAR IT WILL NOT START. PROBLEM SEEMS ELECTRICAL MORE THAN THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY TESTED GOOD AT THE DEALER.
WITHOUT WARNING THE SUNROOF GLASS SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING 40 MILES PER HOUR
II WAS DRIVING ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY WITH NO CARS IN CLOSE VICINITY WHEN WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. CRACK WAS ON DRIVER SIDE NEAR EDGE ABOUT 12 INCHES LONG. ON INVESTIGATION, THERE WERE NO NICKS OR PITS IN THE WINDSHIELD, JUST THE CRACK. WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WAS BEING REPLACED, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS WIERD THAT A SIMILAR CRACK DEVELOPED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD AS HE WAS REMOVING THE SHIELD FROM THE CAR.
THE BATTERY HAS A SLOW DRAIN ON IT. I END UP HAVING A DEAD BATTERY ABOUT EVERY 4-6 WEEKS AND NEED TO JUMP THE CAR. I'VE REPLACED THE BATTERY, AND STILL HAPPENS.
BATTERY DRAINS QUICKLY. CHANGING BATTERY DOESN'T HELP.
WHEN YOU SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF THEY KEY GETS STUCK IN ACCESSORY MODE AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY. PROBLEM OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY.
THE BATTERY IN THE CAR HAS FAILED 4 TIMES IN 4 YEARS. SUBARU CANNOT FIND THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND APPEARS TO BE DEFECT IN THE CAR. I AM NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS FROM SUBARU ON WHY IS THIS HAPPENING.THE CAR WAS PARKED AT HOME OVER NIGHT THE OTHER 2 TIMES JUST AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR CAMP SITE. WE STOP THE CAR AND THEN SHORTLY ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. EACH TIME THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN HUNDRED OF MILES. EACH CAMPING TIME WE WERE HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM HOME AND WITHOUT CELL PHONE SERVICE. I HAVE REPORTS FROM SUBARU AND AUTO ZONE ON REPLACING THE BATTERIES.
WE HAVE HAD 2 MAJOR ISSUES WITH THIS CAR: 1- MULTIPLE EPISODES OF BATTERY FAILURE REQUIRING A JUMP START OVER THE LAST YEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS NOT USED FOR A WEEK, BUT ALSO RANDOMLY AFTER A DRIVE. JUST HAPPENED 4 DAYS AGO AFTER A 30 MINUTE HIGHWAY DRIVE- WHEN WE CAME BACK OUT TO THE CAR AFTER 15 MINUTES, IT WOULDN'T START. WE JUMP STARTED IT, AND IT WAS FINE FOR A FEW DAYS, BUT NOW DEAD AGAIN IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAR OFTEN HAS A SHUDDERING AND OCCASIONAL STALL WHEN STARTING IT. MOST WORRISOME, I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER AND AFTER WE EXITED THE HIGHWAY, AND SLOWED DOWN FOR A TOLL, THE CAR LOST IT'S ACCELERATION, DESPITE RPMS REVVING. WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RE-STARTED, AND IT RAN REGULARLY HOME, BUT THIS WAS FRIGHTENING.
I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY TWICE IN TWO YEARS. NORMAL OPERATION DRAINS BATTERY PREMATURELY.
THIS MORNING 7/21/2020 MY BATTERY FAILED FOR THE 4TH TIME IN A LITTLE OVER 4 YEARS. DEAD, COMPLETELY DRAINED ACCORDING TO AAA. FIRST THE ORIGINAL SUBARU BATTERY, THEN A BETTER DELCO REPLACED THAT, THEN ANOTHER BETTER DELCO, NOW ANOTHER. ONLY 27,000 PLUS MILES. I HAVE NEEDED TO HAVE THIS BATTERY JUMPED ONCE BEFORE AND THE PREVIOUS BATTERIES WERE JUMPED A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES. THE NHTSA WEBSITE HAS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT BATTERY FAILURE FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL AND OTHER SUBARU OUTBACKS BUT NO RECALLS. WHY NOT? THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE! I AM TOLD THAT "SOMETHING" IN THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IS DRAWING DOWN THE BATTERY BUT IT CANNOT BE FOUND. THERE IS A FLAW SOMEWHERE. NOTHING WAS LEFT ON. SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS. REALLY
THIS MORNING 7/21/2020 MY BATTERY FAILED FOR THE 4TH TIME IN 4 YEARS. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW ON 2/29/2016-YES LEAP YEAR. EACH TIME THE BATTERY WAS TOTALLY DRAINED. THE ORIGINAL SUBARU BATTERY WAS REPLACED WITH A BETTER DELCO BATTERY, AND THEN ANOTHER BETTER DELCO BATTER 18 MONTHS AGO AND NOW TODAY! STILL WAITING AT THE GARAGE. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE BUT NO RECALLS! SOMETHING IS DRAWING THE BATTERY DOWN WHICH TO ME IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN DO ENOUGH COMPLAINTS WARRANT A RECALL? THIS IS ABSURD. EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED MY SUBARU WAS IN AN UNDERGROUND GARAGE.
THE BATTERY PREMATURELY DIES, TYPICALLY AFTER USING THE RADIO OR OTHER ACCESSORIES FOR ONLY A SHORT WHILE (10 MINUTES) WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE 2 TIMES IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS. IN BOTH CASES, THE BATTERY HAS BEEN TESTED AND SHOWN TO BE FINE.
THE IGNITION KEY KEEPS GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE TO PARK, THE KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AS FAR AS INTERNET REPORTS GO YET SUBARU HAS NOT BEEN CALLED OUT ON THIS. THIS MEANS THAT THE CUSTOMER MY BE REQUIRED TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SHOULD SOME OTHER EMERGENCY ARISE.
FOR A FEW YEARS OFF AND ON WITH THE CAR STOPPED AND ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE PARKING, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN FROM THE ACC TO OFF POSITION OR RELEASE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. OF THE SEVERAL TIMES WE MENTIONED IT TO MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS, WE WERE TOLD IT WAS OUR TECHNIQUE, NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. FINALLY A DEALERSHIP REPORTED THE SHIFT ASSEMBLY WAS NOT RECOGNIZING THE CAR WAS IN PARK THUS WOULD NOT TURN THE KEY PAST THE ACCESSORY POSITION TO OFF OR RELEASE THE KEY. THIS OCCURRED WITH MULTIPLE KEYS AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT YOU CANNOT LOCK THE CAR WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. ALSO, IF YOU CANNOT REMOVE THE KEY AND LEAVE THE CAR, YOU ARE HANDING THE CAR OVER TO WHOMEVER WANTS TO STEAL IT. ONLY WITH LOTS OF TIME, STARTING THE CAR, PUTTING IT INTO ANOTHER GEAR, THEN BACK TO PARK AND TURNING IT OFF AGAIN, WITH LUCK THE ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZES YOU ARE IN PARK AND ALLOWS THE KEY TURN TO OFF AND ALLOWS THE KEY TO BE REMOVED. THE DEALERSHIP WHO IDENTIFIED THE DEFECTIVE SHIFT ASSEMBLY STATED THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF $1100.00.
Passenger side front seatbelt locked up and became non-functional, unable to be used. This left our passenger without a safe or legal way to ride in the vehicle with all other seats being used. The part was replaced by the dealer under warranty
The adjustment of the passenger side side view mirror has malfunctioned. The mirror can not be adjusted properly for visibility of cars to the side of the vehicle. Only the driver-side window is operable. All other windows fail to open from the driver side control. The passenger window will no longer operate from the passenger side either. These windows would have to be broken in order to escape the vehicle in some situations (flooding). My mechanic says that this is a common problem in 2016 Subaru Outbacks. No warning lights were activated. A mirror not able to be adjusted for optimum sighting of other vehicles is surely a safety issue.
MY 2016 OUTBACK ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO HAD A DEAD BATTERY WHILE OUT ON A FAMILY TRIP TO ARKANSAS. JUST TOOK A BATTERY BUMP FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE AND WORKED FINE. THEN THIS FRIDAY IT RAN FINE FOR FIVE HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. SATURDAY MORNING RAN SEVERAL ERRANDS WITH IN A 60 MILE RADIUS SUNDAY MORNING STARTED THE CAR, MOVED IT TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION TO MAKE LOADING LUGGAGE EASIER THEN GOT IN TO GO AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. WAS SUPPLIED WITH A 2AMP HOUR CHARGER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT MIGHT TAKE AN HOURS FOR IT TO BUILD UP ENOUGH JUICE TO START. SAT FOR THIRTY MINUTES, HIT THE KEY AND IT FIRED OFF JUST FINE. DROVE BACK FOR FIVE HOURS STOPPING AND STARTING WITH NO ISSUES, RAN THE CAR BY OREILLY AUTO PARTS AND THEY TEST BATTERY AND SAID IT LOOKED FINE AND THAT IT WAS CHARGING GOOD. BACKED CAR IN GARAGE AND UNLOADED IT AND MONDAY MORNING, IT WAS DEAD, WHILE HOOKING MY CHARGER UP TO IT I NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY WAS WARM. STARTED UP JUST FINE WITH CHARGER ON BUST, NO ISSUES COMING TO WORK, KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED WHEN I GO OUT TO LUNCH.
ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO WE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE REMOVING OUR KEY FROM THE IGNITION AFTER DRIVING AND PUTTING THE SHIFTER IN PARK. OUR 2015 OUTBACK HAS JUST OVER 58,000 MILES. THE KEY WON'T TURN TO THE FINAL "CLICK" FOR REMOVAL. THAT LEAVES THE CAR IN A MODE WHERE THE BATTERY IS STILL ENGAGED AS THE RADIO IS STILL ON. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT GO INTO A LOCKED POSITION, IT CAN BE TURNED EITHER DIRECTION WITHOUT RESISTANCE. I HAVE TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND SHIFT IT INTO DRIVE AND TRY TURNING THE CAR OFF AGAIN. SOMETIMES I ONLY HAVE TO DO THAT ONCE BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES WHEN IT TAKES 20-30 ATTEMPTS TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY. I'M USUALLY ON A FAIRLY FLAT SURFACE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I WAS DRIVING FORWARD OR REVERSE BEFORE STOPPING. SUBARU RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN # 16-112-18R ISSUED 03/15/18 AND REVISED 11/06/18 THAT DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION BUT SUBARU SAYS IT IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE. THEY ADMIT IT'S A FAULTY PARTS PROBLEM BUT WON'T FIX IT IN A RECALL. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE BULLETIN I SHOULD REPLACE "SHIFT LEVER COMPLETE". SOME OWNERS WHO HAD THIS DONE SAID IT'S OVER $500 TO REPAIR, DEPENDING ON THE DEALERSHIP.
WE WERE DRIVING ON I5 NORTH THROUGH WASHINGTON ON A ROADTRIP (GOING ~65MPH), ABOUT TO ENTER A THUNDERSTORM, AND OUR MOONROOF UNEXPECTEDLY SHATTERED, MAKING AN EXPLOSION SOUND. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT AND WE WERE ABLE TO GO TO A NEARBY FORD DEALERSHIP TO HELP US PATCH THE CAR SO WE COULD MAKE OUR 2+ HOUR DRIVE HOME, BUT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, WE THINK IT'S IN RELATION TO THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. THERE WAS LITTLE GLASS IN THE CAR, MAKING IT SEEM AS IF THE EXPLOSION WAS COMING FROM INSIDE. NO ROCK OR DEBRIS HITTING THE CAR WAS NOTICED. HERE'S MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUE FROM AN ARTICLE LAST YEAR THAT REFERENCED NHTSA: HTTPS://WWW.KGW.COM/ARTICLE/NEWS/LOCAL/MY-SUNROOF-EXPLODED-GOVERNMENT-INVESTIGATING-EXPLODING-SUNROOFS/283-C529D7E5-F2C4-488E-AE34-96F781AD5466.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO ALLOW THE REMOVAL OF THE KEY WHILE THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS IN THE PARK POSITION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WITH THE GEAR SHIFTER IN THE DRIVE POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.
THE KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE APPROX 50% OF THE TIME. KEY STAYS IN THE "ON" POSITION WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING. THE CAR HAS TO BE RESTARTED, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THEN FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE KEY CAN SAFELY BE REMOVED. IF LEFT IN THE IGNITION THE BATTERY IS STILL ON, AND A CHILD COULD INADVERTENTLY START THE CAR. THIS IS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS A PROBLEM IN SUBARU SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 16-112-18R DATE: 03/15/18 REVISED: 11/06/18 THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL! THEY HAVE CHANGED THE PART TO PREVENT THIS IN NEWER MODELS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR
IN JUNE 2020 I COMPLAINED THAT MY BATTERY DRAINED TO THE POINT WHERE CAR WOULD NOT START A FEW TIMES CAUSING ME TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. I TOOK CAR TO MY SUBARU DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE BATTERY WAS OK AND ALTERNATOR WAS CHARGING. I INSISTED THE BATTERY BE REPLACED AND IT WAS. THROUGHOUT THE REST OF 2020 AND INTO 2021 I STILL EXPERIENCE BATTERY DRAINING. I TRY TO DRIVE THE CAR EVERY WEEK SO THE BATTERY WILL NOT GO DEAD. THE BATTERY DOES SEEM LOW AS THE STARTER MOTOR SOUNDS LIKE IT TURNS SLOWER THAN USUAL. DUE TO COVID-19, I HAVE NOT BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO SUBARU YET TO HAVE THE CAR EVALUATED. I AM RAISING THE COMPLAINT HERE BECAUSE I AM SEEING ONLINE THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE.
CAR DIES FREQUENTLY, KEEP REPLACING WITH NEW BATTERIES . MANY REPORTED LAWSUITS ONLINE FOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES IN SUBARU OUTBACK 2016. *TR
IN 6 MONTHS, I GOT MORE THAN 10 TIMES OF LOW LEVEL ENGINE OIL LIGHT ON. FIRST TIME, IT WAS ON JAN. 2020, IT WAS 3,000 MILES FROM THE LAST OIL CHANGE. SO I CHANGED THE ENGINE OIL WITH NEW OIL. AFTER 2 MONTHS, I GOT LIGHT ON AGAIN. I REFILLED SOME OIL THEN GOT LIGHT ON AFTER ONE MONTH. I REFILLED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE LIGHT IS ON LATER. THERE IS DROPPED OIL ON THE FLOOR AT ALL. I COULDN'T FIND WHERE THE OIL IS GONE.
SOMETIMES THE KEY WON'T COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN I TRY TO TURN THE CAR OFF (EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS IN PARK). BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ, THIS IS A DEFECT WITH A SENSOR NOT RECOGNIZING THAT THE CAR IS IN PARK. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS PARTICULAR DEFECT. I BELIEVE THE SERVICE BULLETIN THAT ADDRESSES THIS DEFECT IS TSB NUMBER 16-112-18R.
BATTERY RUNS OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON, ESPECIALLY WHEN NOT DRIVEN FAR OR FREQUENTLY. FIRST BATTERY REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP BEFORE 2 YEARS, AFTER 3 INCIDENTS. SECOND BATTERY JUST BEGAN THE SAME PROBLEMS, IT IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. POSSIBLE THAT PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN MINIMAL BECAUSE PRE-COVID THE CAR WAS MOSTLY DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY, ALLOWING ALTERNATOR TO RE-CHARGE THE BATTERY NEARLY DAILY. BUT IF THE CAR SITS FOR 4 DAYS IT CAN RUN OUT OF BATTERY. THIS CAUSED A MISSED SURGERY APPOINTMENT. *TR
SPONTANEOUS CRACK DEVELOPED DOWN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD IN MY 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK WHILE DRIVING. NO OBVIOUS REASON SUCH AS IMPACT WITH STONE OR ROCK WAS INVOLVED- LARGE CRACK JUST SUDDENLY APPEARED. HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHERS HAVING SAME ISSUE, AND SUBARU HAS HAD AT LEAST 3 CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS FILED AGAINST THEM FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. *TR
Several times the battery has been completely drained from something little like the back end opened or door open for a longer period
AFTER APPROX. TWO WEEKS OF INACTIVITY, BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. REQUIRED A JUMP START. TOOK TO AUTO SHOP; BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR BOTH TESTED AS "GOOD". CAR STARTED NORMALLY DURING DAILY USE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEN, AFTER 7 DAYS OF INACTIVITY, BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD AGAIN. CAR STORED ON STREET PARKING. WEATHER TYPICAL FOR SPRING MONTHS IN WASHINGTON STATE (I.E. INTERMITTENT RAIN; TEMPS OF 40-60 DEGREES). ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS SEVERAL SITES WHERE NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS REPORT EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAULTY ELECTRICAL ISSUES. EXAMPLE: HTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-T58701_DS833514 OR HTTPS://WWW.TORQUENEWS.COM/1084/SUBARU-HIT-NEW-LAWSUIT-OVER-OUTBACK-WAGON-DEAD-BATTERY-ISSUE. *TR
THE CAR IS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF. BESIDES BEING ANNOYING, THIS PREVENTS THE CAR FROM BEING LOCKED THUS INTRODUCES A THEFT RISK. EVENTUALLY, WE ARE ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY BUT THERE IS NO CONSISTENT METHOD OF DOING SO. IT'S A MATTER OF TIME AND MESSING WITH TURNING THE CAR ON AND OFF, MOVING THE SHIFTER, JIGGLING THE KEY, OR MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL BEFORE IT COMES OUT. GOOGLE INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARUS SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL. THIS HAPPENS SPORADICALLY AND HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
MY 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK ALL OF SUDDEN HAD WARNING LIGHTS SUCH AS: BRAKE, ABS, AND STABILITY TRACTION CONTROL POPPED UP ON THE DASHBOARD WHEN THE CAR WAS IN PARK ANS WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND WILL NOT GO AWAY. IT HAS MADE MY STEERING WHEEL REALLY HARD TO TURN.
UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION WHEN TURNED OFF. INTERMITTENT ISSUE, APPEARS MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE PROBLEM. APPEARS THAT DEALERS WANT TO CHARGE BIG $$ TO FIX, SUBARU NEEDS TO STEP UP, THERE IS A TSP ON THIS ISSUE
EXPERIENCED REPEATED DEAD BATTERY AFTER NOT USING THE CAR FOR A WEEK. FIRST I THOUGHT I WAS LEAVING LIGHTS ON OR A DOOR OPEN, SO I WOULD CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO GET A JUMP, BUT THE PROBLEM STARTED GETTING WORSE. ON THE THIRD YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, AFTER ONE OR TWO DAYS OF NOT USING THE CAR, THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. GETTING LATE TO WORK AND MEETINGS JUST BECAME UNSUSTAINABLE. THE CAR IS ALWAYS GARAGE KEPT. I ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO TURN OFF EVERYTHING. I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A TOYOTA COROLLA FROM 1998 AND FOR THE 12 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP ONLY EXPERIENCED A DEAD BATTERY ONCE. *TR
THE BATTERY ON OUR 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK KEEPS DISCHARGING AND CAR WON'T START. IT IS IN THE GARAGE. DROVE IT TO THE STORE YESTERDAY. BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY 4 MONTHS AGO, HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES IN 6 MONTHS.
BATTERY IS DRAINED WHILE PARKED.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MY OUTBACK OCCASIONALLY WOULD NOT START, ESPECIALLY AFTER I RETURNED FROM A TRIP. MY CAR'S BATTERY WAS DEAD. HOWEVER, MY WIFE'S CAR WOULD START RIGHT UP. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY INSTALLED A SOFTWARE UPDATE AND A NEW BATTERY. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN. I HAD NOT DRIVEN THE CAR IN ABOUT 5 DAYS BECAUSE OF ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION (I COULD NOT TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION). I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER. AFTER THE DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM AND THEY GAVE THE CAR A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH. SOMETHING IS WRONG--IS IT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM? MY CAR WAS IN OUR DRIVEWAY.
BATTERY WOULD NOT RECHARGE DURING SHORT, FREQUENT TRIPS. BATTERY WOULD NOT RESTART THE CAR. REPLACED.
BATTERY RUNS DOWN OFTEN. I'VE HAD THE BATTERY CHECKED MULTIPLE TIMES AND NO PROBLEM WITH THE ALTERNATOR EITHER. I KNOW IT WILL RUN DOWN DURING LOADING OR UNLOADING THAT LASTS MORE THAN 30 MINUTES, SO I MANAGE THAT SITUATION. BUT IT IS STARTING TO RUN DOWN MORE OFTEN WHILE PARKED. THIS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS.
PARKED ON A CITY STREET AND PRIVATE DRIVEWAY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AND OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY, I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION; AND SOMETIMES THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. DEALER REPAIRED AT A COST OF $535.38 ON FEB 28, 2020. SINCE THE REPAIR, I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR VERY INFREQUENTLY. ON APRIL, 13, 2020, I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND IT WOULD NOT TURN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED AT PEACOCK SUBARU HILTON HEAD (111 DRIVERS WAY SUITE A, HARDEEVILLE, SC 29927) FOR A CRACKED WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED HOWEVER, NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,688.
BATTERY DRAIN ISSUE WHEN THE VEHICLE SITS FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS WILL HAVE A WEAK START. BATTERY WILL DRAIN IF RADIO IS ON WITH CAR NOT RUNNING IN BETWEEN 15-30 MINUTES. MY SECOND BATTERY IS READY FOR REPLACEMENT IN 4 YEARS. TWO YEAR BATTERY LIFE IS UNACCEPTABLE. ATTACHING PICTURE OF WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO TWO SUBARU OUTBACK AT THE SAME TIME. UPON RESEARCH MANY SUBARU OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM
The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery had failed on several occasions after starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the battery warning light intermittently flashed during the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to three separate independent mechanics and had the battery replaced however, the failure persisted after each battery replacement. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where the technician discovered that the radio was causing an electrical drain on the battery which could render the battery defective. The battery was replaced for a fourth time and the radio was disconnected however, two weeks after the repair, the battery failed again and the vehicle was returned to the dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
THE BATTERY OF THE VEHICLE(SUBARU OUTBACK 2016 3.6 R) FAILED SEVERAL TIMES. THE BATTERY DRAINS VERY QUICKLY. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR RAN FOR SEVERAL SHORT TRIPS, THE BATTERY WAS SUDDENLY DEAD. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN DEAD 10 TIMES FROM 2016 TO 2020. *TR
MY WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE NEAR THE WIPER BLADE, WHILE DRIVING WITH A FACTORY WINDSHIELD. THE 6" CRACK FROM THE CORNER ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TURNED INTO A CRACK ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD - AGAIN NO TRAUMA OR ROCKS. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A HIGHWAY WITH NO POTHOLES OR ANYTHING. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED AND IT HAS AGAIN SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED WITH NO TRAUMA (NO ROCK OR BUG IMPACT OR OTHER IMPACTS/DAMAGES) ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BY THE WIPER BLADE. I BELIEVE THAT THE SUBARU WINDSHIELD AS WELL AS THE DEFROST SYSTEM ARE DEFECTIVE. THIS WILL BE MY THIRD WINDSHIELD IN UNDER 3 MONTHS. OTHER SUBARU OUTBACK OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS AND SUBARU CONTINUES TO BLAME IT ON ROCKS. THE SECOND CRACK HAPPENED WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE DRIVEWAY!
VEHICLE BATTERY HAS UNEXPECTEDLY GONE DEAD THREE TIMES SINCE MARCH 2020. THIS IS AFTER A NEW SUBARU BATTERY WAS INSTALLED IN 2019. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH SUBARU OUTBACKS (2016-2020). MY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT REQUIRES SOFTWARE UPDATES WHICH DON'T SEEM TO WORKING. MY VEHICLE HAS 16000 MILES ON IT.
2016 SUBARU OUTBACK - THIS STARTED BACK IN MARCH 2020 WHEN WE REDUCED TRAVEL DUE TO COVID-19. IF THE CAR IS STATIONARY/PARKED AND NOT DRIVEN OR STARTED THE BATTERY WILL GO DOWN WITHIN 7 TO 10 DAYS. AT THAT TIME THE CAR REMOTE WILL NOT OPEN ANY DOOR OR TAILGATE BUT THE SECURITY DASH LIGHT WILL STILL BE BLINKING. THE CAR WAS PARKED WITH THE BUILT IN SUBARU ALARM SET. THE CAR CAN BE OPENED WITH THE KEY BUT THE ALARM IS NOT TRIGGERED AS NORMALLY WOULD HAPPEN. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED. THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF ON THE COLUMN CONTROL. NO LIGHTS ARE REMAINING ON EXTERNALLY OR INTERNALLY WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY/PARKED. THE CAR MUST BE CHARGED OR BATTERY REPLACED (ALREADY REPLACED THE BATTERY ONCE) BEFORE IT CAN BE STARTED. AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN CHARGED AND THE DOOR IS OPENED THE BUILT IN SUBARU ALARM SYSTEM IS TRIGGERED - THE REMOTE WILL NOW WORK AND SHUTS THE ALARM OFF.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. AAA WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS JUMP STARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED 4 TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO COMPETITION SUBARU OF SMITHTOWN LOCATED AT 601 MIDDLE COUNTRY RD, ST JAMES, NY 11780 WHERE THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF AN UNKNOWN VOLUNTARY MANUFACTURER RECALL TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER HOWEVER, THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED A WEEK LATER TO RETURN THE LOANER AND RETRIEVE HIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,270.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026