NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Subaru Outback. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Touch screen began to get bubbles underneath factory glass and is causing spontaneous touch-activation and inability to use touch screen. This also affects navigation and other issues. Might cause an accident.
Battery keeps dying. Replaced the battery and it’s already dead again.
My radio and navigation screen started getting bubbles under the screen. Now the screen goes crazy constantly changing radio stations and changing information on maps. The screen is suppose to be a touch screen and nothing works. It randomly calls people if you're connected to Bluetooth, changes to different apps, goes to different destinations on maps and changes setting features.
The car battery was completely dead (no warning light or anything) after ~3 years and 45k miles. When we replaced it, the new battery died within 2 days and less than 150 miles. The mechanic who replaced our battery said that the new one was also completely dead.
Two dead batteries in 5 days. Dealer is looking at it this week.
Battery died following limited use.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, she noticed there was a crack on the front windshield. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,593.
I had a driver-side mirror damaged in a small crash. The wiring harness for the mirror was pulled from its location. The mirror was replaced, and the wiring harness was not to my knowledge. Since that repair, the vehicled dynamic cruise control, called Eyesight has failed more than 50 times. I have had the vehicle at the dealer 2 times. They concluded yesterday the unit checked out. I drove it for 5 minutes, and it failed again. I believe it could be related to them not replacing the wiring harness. They believe it may be related to a new windshield, which I find it hard to believe. They recalibrated the Eyesight with the non-OEM windshield. Subaru technicians believe it is related to the non-OEM windshield, and I am having a brand new windshield replaced with the OEM windshield. Which I also believe is inferior because of cracks in my orginal windshield.
Under 50,000 miles all 4 wheel bearings needed to be replaced. Under 50,000 miles all 4 struts needed to be replaced. The door key would not work , the dealer had to fix the mechanism. The passenger window stops working suddenly, the dealer has to reset it all the time. The car braked in the middle of highway two time, I was lucky that no one hit me in the back. Under 65,000 miles control arm broke and did $8,400 damage. Car would not let me in on one of the parking, dealer could no help. Subaru from India was able to unlock the car and make it active again. Car lane keep assistant is like drunk driver. The dealer told me, that I need to buy a newer car. I have been to dealer every month.
First of all, I took my car in for an oil change 2 months ago, and they found nothing wrong with my car. However, yesterday, I attended a meeting away from my home. I was in the meeting in the morning for 2 hours. When I returned to my car, without any previous warning whatsoever, it would not start. My car is only 3 years old. I tried to open the hatch to get my jumper cables, but it requires electricity, I also wanted to roll down my windows because it was so hot, but they also only work with electricity. So I could do nothing but call for help. I was lucky that I wasn’t stranded on some remote place where there was no phone signal. I would not feel comfortable going somewhere on my own in my car, until I know exactly what is causing this problem because I don’t think it is safe — and I could be stranded. I had to have my car jump started again this morning. So tomorrow morning, I am taking the car in to have the battery checked. On December 10, 2019 I took my car in to a Subaru Dealership because I had, had another problem with my Subaru Outback, where I opened my back hatch on two separate occasions, but I could not get it to close (in the rain). I believe I called StarLink for help. However, somehow, by random actions just turning the car off and on, and pushing the “close” button on the back door, it finally worked, but I still don’t understand how or why. I ended up stranded at a grocery store and an airport when this happened. When I took it in to get checked at a Subaru dealership, I was told they could find nothing wrong with it.
The windshield cracked itself without being hit by anything. The crack grows visibly once in a while.
I will be on my FOURTH windshield in less than a year. Cracked for no reason four times!
Travelling on the freeway and tapped brakes to disengage the adaptive cruise control due to slowing traffic ahead. The anti-lock brakes came on and the car came to a complete stop even though I had only tapped the brake and taken my foot off the brake. After coming to a stop the car was still running, but the transmission was completely out and the car wouldn't move. Was disabled on freeway until the Highway Patrol came and pushed me off the road.
Three cracked windshields, according to the service personnel the windshield on this vehicle is thin, Subaru was aware of it, but has done nothing about it. Subaru cover the cost of the first windshield and the part that was not covered by insurance on the second one. Now it’s out of warranty and I’m sure the windshield will be out of pocket and it’s well over $1000. The first crack was for no apparent reason, but the second and third one did appear that there was some type of chip in the windshield. I question if the glass is thin how safe can it be?
Starlink Infotainment System has malfunctioned. I took the car to Bert Smith Subaru in St. Petersburg, FL and the assessment notes the screen has started to delaminate rendering the touchscreen and system inoperable. The dealer estimate to replace the unit was $2862.79. My 2019 Outback 2.5 Limited is equipped with the Harman Gen. 3.0 Audio and Navigation head unit. This is the same unit that was part of a class action involving 2018 models which resulted in Subaru issuing an extended warranty that covered replacement of the unit. I submitted a complaint to Subaru of America asking for the same coverage of an extended warranty or replacement of the head unit. (Case #220617-169688)Subaru offered to pay $2,000 toward the cost to replace the unit. I feel they should cover the entire amont since this is an obvious defect.
My windshield is constantly getting cracks and chips. When I tried to get the most recent crack repaired, the windshield cracked, forcing me to get a replacement. When the windshield got replaced, another crack appeared 24 hours later, rising from the bottom (near the car frame), towards the top of the car. This crack nearly doubled in size within 48 hours. I will be spending about $1500 total on two new windshields within a month. This is not what I would expect of Subaru. I've owned many cars in the past, and have never had to replace windshields at this rate.
The head unit of the vehicle has malfunctioned causing the following: - Touch screen is non-responsive - Rearview camera is blurry/difficult to see out of making backing up dangerous - The entertainment unit has deleted paired phones making connecting a phone impossible The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer and they recommended ordering a new head unit.
The drivers' seat mounting frame began to fail. This was noticeable because of a squeaking/creaking sound from the seat. The authorized dealer I went to confirmed this was the problem and there is a technical service bulletin from Subaru indicating this is a problem component. Because my car was only a few months out of warranty, I had to pay nearly $1,000 to have this part replaced. I believe driver's seat mounting components are an essential part of the safety of the vehicle but Subaru has not recalled this part which is known by them to fail prematurely.
Minor rock caused major windshield damage where the crack line continues to creep across the window.
The windshield of my Subaru Outback just cracked spontaneously and it needed to be replaced. Subaru of America is not paying for the replacement even if it is not my fault that it cracked. They said it is out of warranty but there is an ongoing class action suit against them about this
AFTER 4 DAYS OF NOT DRIVING ..THE BATTERY IS DRAINED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. BATTERY TESTED BY MECHANIC AND HAS NO PROBLEM. MUST CARRY JUMPER CABLES OR A BATTERY CHARGER
Windshield loud pop then cracked feom bottom up.
My 11 month old was able to reach underneath the headrest and scratch at the styrofoam. Chunks of styrofoam came out and she ate the styrofoam during a 4-hour car ride. The next day I found styrofoam in her stool.
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.
Windshields have severely cracked three different times with no apparent reasons - twice while driving and once while sitting in the garage overnight. First two times were replaced with OEM windshield, just happened for third time so I am researching options. Cracks are major and in drivers sight-lines. Not sure if they could be affecting the automated safety features cameras. Each replacement requires safety systems recalibration and opportunity for error.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while pulling into her residential garage at 3 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated while the contact had her foot depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle hit the back wall of the garage, the hood crumpled back to the radiator, which was punctured, and the front bumper was creased and dented. Additionally, the passenger-side front door was unable to be opened. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
My windshield cracked in February 2022 while parked and was replaced with a new Subaru windshield under warranty in February 2022. After having the windshield replaced, it cracked again in May 2022, with the crack propagating from the same spot at the base of the wiper blade on the driver's side windshield. The windshield glass failed. It was available for inspection at Safelite and Subaru upon request. Disagreement between myself and Subaru and Safelite as to cause. The main crack is a stress crack, which started from the base of the windshield and propagated towards the center of the windshield. There is a small radial fracture, which seems to be around a jog in the main fracture, possibly where there was a local stress field change in the glass around the intermittent tip of the propagating fracture. Subaru and Safelite claim it is an impact fracture because of the small radial/conchoidal fracture. However, a) I did not witness an impact while driving when the crack initiated, b) the same type of conchoidal/radial fracture can occur due to localized stress field changes in the damage zone ahead of a propagating fracture tip, 3) and the main fracture can then continue to propagate through the damage zone, as it seemed to do in my windshield. The fracture deviates slightly at the radial point, suggesting the radial nature is due to a local stress field change rather than an impact. Furthermore, the intersection of the crack with the molding at the base of the windshield is in almost an identical location to the February 2022 crack, which occurred while my car was parked and had no impact. Even if there was a minor impact, the crack propagating at the same location at the base of the windshield is statistically unlikely unless there is an issue with the glass. Safety of myself and others was put at risk by reducing visibility. No warnings or other signs of failure occurred prior to the windshield failure.
While car was parked overnight the windshield cracked. The windshield was not cracked and there were no signs of any damage when I left the car 12 hours prior. The next morning it was cracked with no sign of any debris or solid matter that may have caused it. I am happy it did not happen while driving. I have an appointment to get it fixed May 10, 2022 at 10 am. I was told by an independent service provider that the wind shield was cracked but had no signs of being struck by anything. He told me he had multiple customers who had similar stories about their windshields. He suggested I check for a recall. There is not a recall yet, but there has been a lawsuit that ruled against Subaru. (see link) https://www.torquenews.com/1084/new-ruling-subaru-cracked-windshield-lawsuit-now-adds-25m-cars
Electrical system issue causing premature battery drain/failure.
The audio unit is malfunctioning, it constantly makes distracting intermittent tone sounds, continuously flashes and changes between AM, FM, Sirius and Bluetooth modes, makes random autonomous phone calls, touchscreen doesn't respond to touch, sound will randomly spike at high volumes. All of this makes it extremely distracting to safely drive the car. This has been happening since last June 2022. We leased this vehicle new then purchased it when the lease was expired. Diablo Subaru in Walnut Creek, CA advises the part is on back order and none are in stock. They admitted that a different customer dropped off their 2019 Subaru Outback now over 45 days and they don't have the replacement audio unit for it and they know of several other customers with the same problem of year,make & model. Subaru of America offered to pay $1,700 towards the $2,700 repair. Our car has 34k miles on it.
Battery drained. Will not hold a charge. From what I’ve been reading it seems there is a problem in the electrical system that is draining the batteries of these cars.
Window cracked for no apparent reason. No chip or star. Crack is originated from bommot black area and went up to middle. Then across both left and right side
THE COMPONENT IS THE REMOTE AND THE BUTTON INSIDE THE CAR THAT CONTROLS THE HATCH. *WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK BUT STILL RUNNING, THE RELEASE BUTTON WON'T OPEN THE GATE. *WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND NO DOOR IS OPENED, THE GATE WILL NOT RELEASE.* SOMETIMES THE REMOTE WON'T RELEASE THE GATE. *THE SAFETY ISSUE IS IT REDUCES AN EMERGENCY EXIT. *I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SET FOR WED. APRIL 27, 2022 FOR ANALYSIS AND REPAIR. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR.* I MENTIONED IT WHEN I HAD IT IN FOR a separate REPAIR, BUT WAS TOLD THERE WASN'T A PROBLEM. *THERE WAS NO SIGN OR SIGNAL OF ANY ISSUE FOR THE CAR.
The battery died for no apparent reason. I have since discovered that there are/has been class action lawsuits against Subaru for this very reason. This has the potential for putting family members at risk by stranding them. There were no signs or warnings before this occurred, and the dealer told us there was nothing wrong.
At about 35,000 miles the car would not start. Had the battery checked and was told it was fine. Subaru garage could not find a parasitic drain. Replaced the battery and the car still would not start reliably. Took the car back to the Subaru garage and they had it for 5 days and at first said the DCM needed to be replaced then they back tracked and said the car was fine and they could not find anything wrong with it. Subaru garage told me to contact Subaru and they would give me a $500.00 "gift card" and I could bring it back and they could put in an AGM battery and a battery tender. The car would not start a total of approximately 8-10 times unless it was kept on a trickle charger. I did not want to have to rely on plugging my car in all the time. We sold the car because we could not have an unreliable vehicle.
The car was purchased as a certified used vehicle in January of 2022 and has been driven under 10,000 miles at this point. Last weekend, after returning to the car where it was parked, a crack extending from passenger side of the windshield near the edge all the way to the middle of the windshield had appeared. Nothing hit the car. It had not been there earlier that day. The car had not been exposed to any excessive heat or cold. The repair is over 1000$ and I was sure there had to be other people with this experience- I was not surprised to find a class-action lawsuit for this very problem already filed against Subaru. I am 100% sure this is Subaru's fault and I believe they are obligated to reimburse us the cost of the repair.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.
My windshield cracked on its own (without any object hitting it) under the passenger side plastic that covers the lower aspect of the windshield. The crack extended upwards and towards the driver's side. I'm concerned the crack will start to obstruct the driver's view and that it will be dangerous for passengers inside. Subaru America was contacted by phone and then a few weeks later we were given Case #220504-132599 (through an email from Kris Drechsel at Subaru America). Subaru of White Bear Lake, MN (Greg Nichol) inspected it on June 21st and determined the crack was NOT caused by a rock chip or any other object and the crack started from the bottom (under the plastic) and extended upwards (gave us a different Case #220621-171862). We were told someone from Subaru America would contact us about next steps. They never contacted us.
My windshield cracked as I was driving,a pop type noise. The cracks are at the bottom area in the middle of the windshield in a T slight Y shape.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, or while the vehicle was parked, the Infotainment system and screen made abnormal sounds with the screen flashing. The contact stated that the Navigation and Bluetooth also malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a malfunctioning audio unit that needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the repairs were not completed because the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000. The contact stated that the failure mileage was actually 43,000. The issue with the display causes a distraction while driving. The dealer was contacted several times but with no remedy. The dealer only states that they are waiting for the parts but has no provided an ETA.
Battery keeps dying, replaced once already battery keeps draining, Simmons Rockwell Subaru of Elmira NY stated that the battery on the subaru won't last a week if the car isn't driven.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would erroneously turn to either the right or left causing the vehicle to pull in either direction. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
The windshield cracked without any reason
The battery has continued to discharge and today it was dead. Accepted a jump to start however I'm not sure it will hold a charge. I understand that battery drain is a common problem. I am also on my third windshield and this seems strange, unon investigating a see where other owners have reported windshield problems.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery was drained. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was jumpstarted and taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to an authorized dealer. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The key fobs were inoperable. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a low charge and the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Starling system that also controls the hands free voice control for phone and navigation has a data control module that is trying to connect to an out dated relay or 3g phone tower. Because the system cannot connect the car continues to loop itself in its programming to keep trying. The continuous retrying eventually drains the battery causing the car to not start. The fix within the Subaru Outback forum has a fix to remove the data control module fuse. When this fuse is remove the hands free calling and navigation is also disabled. Repeated attempts for Subaru to replace or update the starlink system is not acknowledged and it’s claimed that Subaru does not recognize that there is an error in the starlink programming or system that causes a battery drain.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up intermittently. The contact stated that the failure had recurred three times however, she was able to restart the vehicle by jumpstarting the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that his wife had parked the vehicle, and when she returned observed that the windshield had cracked in the middle of the windshield starting under the rearview mirror. The contact's wife drove the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed that an impact had cracked the windshield. The contact said his wife observed that the crack had spread when she arrived at the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED SPONTANEOUSLY. IT SURROUNDS THE SUBARU EYSIGHT SYSTEM. I SUSPECT IT COULD BE A FLAW RELATING TO THIS EYESIGHT CAMERA. THERE ARE APPARENTLY 2 LAWSUITS ABOUT DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS IN THE 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK THAT ARE PENDING.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026