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.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the windshield cracked while being parked in a shaded area. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the windshield was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred and spread. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
While driving on a smooth city street the windshield cracked out of nowhere. No bumps or pot holes were hit or run over when it happened and nothing landed on the windshield.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that she noticed that there were cracks on the windshield after a rock had struck the windshield. The windshield had previously been replaced twice by an auto glass company for the same issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The temperature outside was below freezing and I was running the defrost on the highest temp. There was a loud pop and I thought maybe something had hit the windshield, but there was nothing. Then a few days later I noticed a crack emerging just above where the wiper rests. It proceeded to move up, then out in a T, then curl around and meet itself, it has just continued to spread. The dealership (Rogers Subaru, Lewiston, ID) traced the cracks with a pen but was not able to find any damage aside from the crack.
I was driving on paved road, clear conditions, no other traffic, sunny, temperature around 10 F. Without warning, my front windshield cracked. There was no impact of any kind. The crack starts about 6 inches to the right of the driver's side A-post, about 6 inches above the dashboard. It extends horizontally about 2 feet and then curves down to the dashboard. There is no immediate hazard, but clearly any compromise to the front windshield represents a potential hazard. I am currently working with the dealership to resolve the issue.
Car windshield cracked with no reasons on a high way. The dealer has inspected the vehicle and confirmed the issue. Safety of the passengers at the front is at risk. Car is within three years.
We purchased our 2019 Subaru in 2018, before the New Year from the showroom floor. We will now have had to replace the windshield twice. Once in October 30, 2019 in which the dealership said that it was too no fault of Subaru, and now today February 22, 2022, the windshield is cracked again from the passenger side towards the middle. This has been a costly expense for us as we are retired. The little round spot you see is from the light of the flash.
Purchased new 2019 outback in 4/09/19 then on 12/31/2020 the battery died and a new battery had to be installed/ mileage:14135 then on 2/22/22 the battery died and a new battery had to be installed/ mileage: 22710 Dealer verified and installed new battery each time. No warning beforehand.
Spontaneous crack of the front windshield, unsafe to drive for fear of collapse into car or during a collision.
I purchased this car in July 2019. Three times the windshield has cracked without any explanation or cause. Three weeks ago, I replaced the second cracked windshield at my own expense. Three weeks later -- just yesterday, Feb. 17, 2022 -- the brand new windshield simply cracked. All three times the crack has appeared in roughly the same place. There was no road debris or anything else that came into contact with the windshield.
Windshield cracked spontaneously without impact. Upon further investigation, this is a common issue observed with Subaru on multiple models from previous and current years. There has been a couple of class action lawsuits against Subaru in other states for the same issue, and both cases were ruled in favor of the plaintiff and the court deemed these windshield defective. My concern and question is, why is Subaru still using parts/models that aren’t safe and getting away with this?
Came out of Home Depot on Sunday February 13, 2022 to find large crack in our 2019 Subaru Outback windshield on drivers side for no reason. This spontaneous cracking happened on this same vehicle on Feb.20, 2021 on the previous windshield but on the passengers side and I reported it to NHTSA ID # 11397305. Had it replaced last year and now same issue with spontaneous cracking. Clearly these Subaru OEM windshields are defective and they are very expensive not to mention extra cost of eyesight recalibration on them. I am attaching photos but hard to get whole crack accurately as it originates from the very edge of the windshield and radiates across.
The battery dies often. Liftgate opens spontaneously. Dealer replaced battery, issue persists. Vehicle is available for inspection; it isn't going anywhere right now! Battery failed 3 times in 2 weeks, and is dead right now. The vehicle is useless. No warnings. This has been a problem for the last year.
Once in a while when I back up out of my driveway the brakes slam on but there is nothing behind me. My windshield cracked and I have to get a new one.
The windshield has cracked from the outer edge while sitting in the driveway. There was no initiating damage from where the crack started. I see online that there are concers with the integrity of the windshield and am concerned.
Front windshield developed an 8" crack in one day that continues to grow. Crack is near one front-facing camera, leading to concern that safety features related to the camera may not be effective. Dealer acknowledges a number of complaints about windshield cracking, but will not cover in this case due to it failing a "pen-head" check. In 40+ years of car ownership, I've never seen a crack just take off like this, even from a rock chip, leading me to believe there is a design or manufacturing issue
Battery keeps draining. We jumped it two days ago and already it's dead again. We've checked all lights and other systems for user error--it's not us, it's the car! I'm scared to go anywhere remote for fear of getting stranded, especially now that it's winter in New England!
Sudden Acceleration Defect has occurred several times with last incident Friday 21Jan2022. Each time I have had the brake pedal engaged, yet vehicle fails to stop, and accelerates on it’s own, causing me to go through stop signs with potentially dangerous outcomes for pedestrians, other vehicles, barriers. Dealer appointment rescheduled for Monday 24Jan2022. No inspections to date. No warnings- the first time I thought I may have caused it by accidentally touching the accelerator, but now I know that is not the case. First occurrence was in Dec 2021, exact date not known, happened in a parking lot.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that his vehicle was parked outside of his residence, and there were no issues with the vehicle. The following day while driving the vehicle he noticed that the windshield was cracked. The contact stated that no object had struck the windshield to cause the crack. The contact stated that the vehicle was still drivable however, he was concerned that the windshield might eventually shatter while driving. The local dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could be repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.
I am leasing a 2019 Subaru Out back which has a battery drain issue. The most recent incident occurred on Jan. 21st 2022 when the battery failed after having been at the dealers for the 2 days prior to fix this problem. This was the fourth time the battery has gone dead in the past year. I have read articles that say the electrical system is draining the battery which is inadequate to handle the demands. I don't know that Subaru has a solution to this problem. Being left in a parking lot or remote location is a dangerous situation during these Winter months.
Has seemed to have low battery for many many months At least 5 times we have had to jump start Rear hatch was beeping and did not want to close or respond to any buttons Passenger side window would not open or close with driver side buttons Took to dealer, battery failed and they replaced it I picked it up next day and still felt slow to start like battery was drained Now dealer stated I may have to pay for further diagnostics regarding battery drain
CRACKED WINDSHIELD
In Feb, 2021, I went to start my car in the garage. It was totally dead. It had just been in for 6 month svc 2 weeks earlier. I called dealership, they sent a tech to my home to get the car started. He said it was totally drained, left and came back later with a jumper system and got it started and drove it to the dealership. They installed a new battery and the tech said they were having trouble with original equipment batteries but this one should not have the problem. Now, Jan, 2022, the car is dead again. I am 79 and the sole caregiver to my wife who has dementia and cannot talk. At this moment, I have left a message for dealer service manager but have not received call back after 5 hours. It is just like the information posted on line about this Subaru issue.
Parasitic Battery Drain left battery dead and unable to start vehicle. This was caused by a defective DCM (Data Communication Module). This problem first surfaced within weeks of new car purchase and took about 6-months and several visits to dealer to remedy. I also replaced the oem battery with a new upgraded battery at my own expense. Recently the problem reoccurred as the DCM module again failed and created a parasitic drain. This has probably damaged the new battery which is only a year old as it was completely discharged. The dealer again fixed the problem but as before was initially skeptical that it was caused by user error or letting vehicle sit too long between use; both of the most problematic failures occurred when the vehicle was left parked for 2-weeks at parksleepfly hotels while on trips and returned to find dead battery.
I own a Subaru Outback 2019, and am based out of Chicago. The car was parked outside during a snowfall. After snowfall I went out to clear the snow off my car, and turned on the defoggers of the car to help clear out the snow on the windshield. After brushing off the snow I noticed a huge crack on the lower part of the windshield across the windshield wiper deicer. There was no other probable cause for the crack. I believe it is the change in temperature when from using the defogger which has caused the windshield to crack. Subaru dealership denies that it is possible, and claims that I was somehow responsible for the crack.
Windshield cracked overnight in garage without any driving or other incident Crack is over 12 inches long
There have been numerous problems associated with battery drain and improper function of the vehicle's automatic lift gate. Starting with the first dead battery situation on 12/25/21, there have been a total of 6 dead battery situations with this relatively new, certified pre-owned vehicle. Two new batteries have been provided through a AAA membership, but neither new battery has addressed the situation. The vehicle was taken to its place of purchase (Kendall Subaru of Eugene) on 02/02/22 to have a battery charge test conducted which was described by the dealership as the first and only course of action for the problem. The car passed Subaru's battery charge test and continued to have battery problems. Other than dealing with numerous dead batteries, improper function of the lift gate has also caused frustrating and unsettling conditions. For example, sometimes the automatic lift gate function on the vehicle's trunk won't work and the trunk will stay open. After force-closing the trunk, sometimes a loud beeping noise persists during driving of the vehicle for seemingly arbitrary and lengthy periods of time. Following is a list of dates when battery problems with this vehicle have occurred: 12/25/21; 12/27/21; 1/25/22; 3/21/22; 4/4/22; 5/22/22
I have a large crack that started below my field of vision on the passenger side.
Front windshield spontaneously cracked while parked in a parking lot. No trees or overhead objects fell on windshield. Crack developed from bottom middle of windshield & cracked out in 2 directions.
I have had battery failures in the last 34 months 3 times. I have reported this problem before. The dealer replaces my battery and gives advice about not driving enough. not keeping my fob the proper distance from the car. This is casing me to be concerned about safety issues. I know there is a class action 2020 for this problem but subaru needs to solve this issue. It is a computer on wheels and I realize that uses a great deal of electrical power but you should not be stranded because subaru refuses to solve their issues. My next step is to contact subaru but I doubt they will take any action. So I guess next step is to change cars. Its a shame as they charge a great deal of money for this car. I owned the first outback when it came out and had no problems. I am extremely disappointed in their cars now.
Windshield on 2019 Outback cracked without being chipped. This is the same as many, many other owners are complaining about. Lower passanger side of windshield cracked while setting at wifes work. Subaru knows about this defect and will not fix .
Battery Drain....3 different times, car will not start, kills the battery 89 year old lady left to call for help with starting the car.
The battery of my Subaru Outback appears damaged. My car's battery has died or shorted two times over the past two days. It had to be jump started for it to work, only for it to stall again. This puts I and my passengers at risk because the vehicle could've stalled while in motion. This problem has been confirmed by an independent service provider, the towing company. There were no warning signs or symptoms prior to this problem.
2019 SUBARU OUTBACK Purchased new 10/10/2018. December 13, 2021 Original Battery Dead Replaced by Firestone cost $164.51 - 53,931 miles. June 8, 2023 Dead Battery - Towed to Firestone - Replaced Battery. December 28, 2023 - Dead Battery Vehicle wouldn’t start - Recharged Battery. January 7, 2024 - Dead Battery Vehicle wouldn’t start - Recharged Battery. January 9, 2024 - Firestone Tested Battery - Could not diagnose problem cost $37.99. January 12,2024 - Subaru Dealer performed Battery Draw Test Cost $170.00 - Concluded DCM (Data Communications Module needed to be replaced) - 88,009 miles. February 1, 2024 Currently still waiting on DCM Back-order to arrive at the Subaru Dealer. Cost to replace DCM $800. Subaru has many class action lawsuits on its 2015 - 2020 Vehicles over dead battery failures but is not offering a recall replacement of the DCM causing the failures. Also, the reimbursement for a dead battery has expired leaving owners of these vehicles to replace this DCM part on their own expense. Without replacing this part leaves the owner waking up every day not knowing if their vehicle will start.
Abnormal draining of battery when I dont drive for a couple of days leaving me stranded due to my medical immobility. This has been ongoing for the past six months. . Several instances of where I have had to jump start it only to find the battery dead in a few days Have alerted dealer on issue and will need to be checked when I take it in for the Fuel Pump recall for which I was put on a waiting list as they did not have the parts in???? A very annoying problem with the battery even had to have it jump started thi evening. Unrelable
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact noticed that the windshield was cracked from the middle going upward. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the windshield needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
We left our Outback at the airport and went on a 4 day vacation. When we came back on December 5,2021 the car would not start and the battery was in a deep failure. The battery had approximately 32,000 miles on it and was the original battery. Took home, put on charger and on December 7, 2021 the vehicle still would not start and had to be jumped. The Subaru dealer replaced the battery under warranty with a larger cranking battery. Fail Code L0XXF4Q-3J8KGD1. A month later and less than 1,000 mile later, the battery failed again. It was jumpted and taken to the dealer. They said they found no problem and replaced it with a "courtesy" battery as a ONE TIME only fix. I had to buy a portable jumper because I'm afraid the car will fail again. There are many instances on the Subaru website of other owners having this problem due to electrical failure. I did notice that my "welcome chime" only turns on some of the time, which leads me to believe that the vehicle is not shutting down properly every time.
I purchased my vehicle in the summer of 2019 and within that same month my windshield got hit by rock and needed to replace it. Again, yesterday, the same thing happened.
2019 Subaru Outback. Two failed batteries in the space of one year. The first was on 2/11/21 with 21,520 miles on the car. We were on vacation in Florida and the local dealer (Bert Smith Subaru) in St. Petersburg confirmed that the battery failed and installed a new one. On 11/28/21, newer battery died. Local Dealer (Dean Team Subaru) performed a battery test, confirmed that the battery was bad and replaced it (with the same type of battery, 36000 miles). Being repeatedly stranded with a battery that is not working is a safety issue. We have a concern that there must be a larger electrical issue or that something is draining these batteries. We also have a concern that the battery is large and powerful enough for the vehicle. I have read of many Subaru Outback owners with similar issues.
Battery is persistently dead , have brought to Subaru dealership replaced battery 1 month after we got it Nov 2021 , and then checked again and told “not driving enough to charge battery “ we have to jump battery at least twice a week
The battery failed for no apparent reason. After getting it jumped, it would fail to keep a full charge. Starting the car, it was always a gamble as to whether it would start-up or not. This lasted a month or so until the car battery was completely dead. I then had a tow truck come from my insurance to replace the battery.
I have had 3 windshields crack for no apparent reason in the 2.5 years that I have had the vehicle. All had to be replaced. Average costs to replace was $950. All started with the smallest cracks only to spider across the windshield within minutes.
Battery is failing more than 10 times during the course of the last 9 months.i bought the car brand new in 10/2021 It is a common issues on the same year. 50k miles. The battery will die if not driven everyday. Brand new battery with the same issues. It’s draining the battery while turned off bc the electrical system is too much.
I have a 2019 Subaru Outback. The Navigation unit is having Ghost touches making it impossible to focus while driving the car. The Unit Ghost touches every button on the screen while driving and when a mobile device is connected it automatically makes calls to the contacts with the Ghost touches. Many users have reported these issues.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, a crack had formed on various parts of the windshield due to minor rocks hitting the windshield. The contact stated that each crack obstructed her vision while driving. The contact had the windshield replaced by the dealer after each failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
Windshield cracks at the smallest pebble. I have needed 3 windshields in this calendar year. I have driven for 52 years and have never had any issue with windshield damage until this year with my Subaru Outback.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the battery was inadvertently drained, and the vehicle would not start. After recharging the battery, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who indicated that the battery was not faulty. The battery was recharged but the rear hatch door would not open while pressing the open button on both the key fobs, the driver’s side seat panel button, or while attempting to use the hatch button at the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the only way to open the rear hatch door was by using the emergency release inside the hatch space. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000
The windshield has cracked for the fourth time. We were driving and suddenly a 12 inch plus crack developed from the moulding on the driver's side. I have never had to replace a windshield on any car i have owned. This car has had 4 replaced in less than 4 years. 2 times i was able to see a tiny chip and two times i could not tell why the glass had failed at all. Regardless, this is an unacceptable default in the materials. I have spent over $4,000 on these windshields. I am stunned there is not a recall on these.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated the vehicle was parked in his garage overnight and the next morning he discovered a crack at the base of the windshield. The contact looked around but could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who took pictures of the crack and submitted a claim to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer rejected the claim. The contact stated that the crack had extended to 75% of the windshield. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 24,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 40-50 MPH, the steering wheel felt loose, causing the vehicle to drift from the lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.