10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
23,389 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #269

Jul 082022

Outback

  • miles
Since we've owned the car it has gone through 3 batteries and the blind site and lane assist go on and off all the time. Windows lock. Dealership said there is nothing wrong with the car. My mother is 80 and we have kept the car in the garage most of the time unless it's a grocery trip. She has called my uncle twice this year to boost her because the car wouldn't start. We keep the car on a slow trickle charge and it doesn't make a difference. How are we suppose to sell this?

- Montrose, PA, USA

problem #268

Sep 012022

Outback

  • miles
I have replaced the battery 3 times in 6 years. I see there is a class action lawsuit that I want to join or receive compensation.

- Highlands Ranch, CO, USA

problem #267

Aug 302022

Outback

  • miles
The battery has died multiple times from minor power draw. For example, opening the windows when the engine was off or briefly charging and iPhone with the key in auxiliary. I have replaced the battery at my own expense and this continues to happen.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #266

Apr 162016

Outback

  • miles
My 2016 Subaru Outback has required 3 battery replacements between Jan 2020 and July 2022. I have been stranded with a dead battery on 4 separate occasions beginning around April/May of 2016, leaving me unsafe and vulnerable until help could arrive. AAA provided battery jump service twice and strangers helped twice. AAA has provided the 3 battery replacements and I have retained those receipts. Each time they confirmed that this is a highly unusual and likely due to an electrical issue and at some point they will no longer replace the battery under warranty. I have talked to the Subaru dealership about this issue 3 different times and had them test the alternator twice and each time they assured me there were no problems with my electrical system and that my driving habits were the problem. This is objectively false since I have now been informed that Subaru knew full well that the 2016 Outback model I purchased had this exact battery drainage problem due to a defective electrical system. the batteries failed without warning and despite the fact that I charged it at least weekly overnight when not in frequent use. the first battery failure occurred around April or May of 2016 just a few months after i purchased it new.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #265

Sep 012022

Outback

  • miles
Battery drains very fast. Speakers stop working, window won-€™t go up, audio system freezes

- Camden, NC, USA

problem #264

Sep 072022

Outback

  • miles
Replaced battery. Two and a half years after replacing battery, I had to replace the battery again. No warning, just didn't start one morning. Battery was dead.

- Broomall, PA, USA

problem #263

Dec 212018

Outback

  • miles
Car failed to start five times. No cranking. No lights. No nothing. Four times required roadside assistance, jumper, from State Farm Insurance. One time, after a five-minute rest, it started with no problem. Three times battery was replaced. 12/21/18 @ $144.12----3/8/22 @ $167.38----9/16/22 @ $172.78

- Fort Bragg, CA, USA

problem #262

Aug 152022

Outback

  • miles
Battery discharges too quickly, leaving me with a car that won't start. I've already replaced the battery once - to the tune of over $300 because I needed roadside assistance - and I'm looking at having to do it again. I've been stranded multiple times and have had to find someone to jump start my car. I just ordered a $200 car jumper so I don't get stranded again.

- Georgia, VT, USA

problem #261

Jul 292022

Outback

  • miles
This incident occurred on Friday July 29, 2022 @ 5pm. I was pulling into a parking space while my foot was on the brake I proceeded to put the car in park when the car suddenly lunged forward into the concrete patio of the Market/Store. I was in disbelief at what just happened. I would happily make my car available for inspection. I want to find out what is wrong with the car. I believe this could happen again and I am fearful for my life and the lives of others. I was so lucky that the table and chairs were roped off that evening for some reason. People could have been sitting or walking there at the time of this incident. This incident has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer or independent service center. I brought the car to the Subaru dealer for them to do a diagnostic test and any other things needed to give me some answers & repairs. I was told no issues were found. They also told me they would like to have my car for a week so they could drive it & do more test. I asked for a loaner and they said they could not do that. I can-€™t afford to rent a car for a week. And I feel they will come back to me with the same answer of not being able to find an issue. I have had this car for almost 3 years and I park by putting my foot on the brake and then shift into park. There was a malfunction! What it was I don-€™t know. But I do know something went very wrong with the vehicle. There was never any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to this failure.

- Austin , TX, USA

problem #260

Jul 232022

Outback

  • miles
Hello, Since February, we have replaced our battery 3 times. Eventually we discovered from a mechanic that the car had a parasitic draw that will drain the battery if the car is not driven every day. We put the battery on a trickle charger every night just in case. Two days ago, the car would not start after sitting in a parking lot for two hours. The AAA guy's first question was "is that a 2015 or 16"". When asked why, he responded "This happens all the time because the computer keeps self-checking and it drains the battery." So now we have a car that could leave us stranded at any time, and based on the number of lawsuits against Subaru for electrical drainage of batteries of their vehicles from 2015-2020, we have a terminal issue that Subaru is well aware of but refuses to acknowledge. This is unacceptable. Doesn't this qualify as gross negligence under some consumer law" Maybe instead of producing commercials with dogs driving their cars, they stand by their customers and fix their mistakes.

- Rathdrum, ID, USA

problem #259

Jul 112016

Outback

  • miles
The battery keeps going dead for no obvious reason(s). The battery was tested at an auto repair shop and was determined to be fine but, nonetheless, continues to go dead.

- Southbury, CT, USA

problem #258

Jul 052022

Outback

  • miles
My 2016 Subaru Outback has some kind of an electrical malfunction such that the battery drains rapidly. I have had to replace the battery in my car four times since purchase in 2016. I am now on my fifth battery in six years of ownership. Most recently, my battery died today 7/5/22, and required replacement.

- Upland, CA, USA

problem #257

Jul 022022

Outback

  • miles
Dead battery. Replaced battery twice since owning vehicle. Will not start even with trying to jump.

- Kiel, WI, USA

problem #256

Apr 202022

Outback

  • miles
I-€™ve had my Outback for almost 6 years. I-€™m on my third battery. Recently in the past 3 months the battery I-€™ve had since 2/21 keeps going dead. It will not hold a charge and goes dead at inconvenient times. I live 30 miles from Reno and driving there for a meeting after which I try to start my car and it-€™s dead. I can start it with jumper cables and then I drive home. With normal driving the battery has gone dead three more times recently. I-€™ve taken it to Les Schwab and they-€™ve checked their battery and its good and so is my charging system. This last time I took it to the Subaru dealer and they said there is nothing wrong with the car. So why is my battery failing me and leaving me stranded? I make sure that no lights are on, doors open and everything is off, but I still have a dead car that I have to use a jump to start. I-€™m afraid to go someplace with a car I can-€™t rely on to start. I have about 75,000 miles on my car. The battery draining issues are very difficult to fix when Subaru says there is nothing wrong with my car. I get no warning when the battery will just go dead and I can be stranded.

- Carson City, NV, USA

problem #255

Oct 012019

Outback

  • miles
The battery constantly drains until dead when not driven for as short of time as one day. My wife has been left stranded at home and work multiple times and had to rely on strangers for assistance. The problem was inspected and confirmed by mechanics here in NC. Multiple car care businesses confirmed that the problem is not with the battery itself but that 2016+ Subaru Outbacks have this problem and for which Subaru of America is under lawsuit for. There were no warnings. The problem was identified as persistent in the fall of 2019 while it was not driven as frequently, but the car battery drained unexpectedly on occasion before then. We purchased a new battery once, but we do not have the invoice.

- Lillington, NC, USA

problem #254

May 222022

Outback

  • miles
I-€™m on my third battery. Since date of purchase the car has a battery drain issue that cannot be resolved. Minimal electoral use while the car is not running causes the car to not turn over. It is a safety issue because this car could leave me stranded.

- Chesterland, OH, USA

problem #253

May 162022

Outback

  • miles
Battery drains quickly. Car will not start when it has been unused for as little as a day.

- Midland, MI, USA

problem #252

Feb 282022

Outback

  • miles
Experienced intermittent starting problems, with other odd warning light behaviors, including unable to turn them off to try again. I know another 2016 Outback owner that was given a new battery at no charge. I paid $203.60 for new battery on 03/02/2022

- Wolcott, CT, USA

problem #251

Apr 222022

Outback 4-cyl

  • miles
I bought this used 2016 Subaru Outback about a year and a half ago from McCords Vancouver Dealership. I've had the battery dying problem ever since I got it. I have had to call AAA for jump starts. I took the car into my mechanic because the "change warning light" had been on when I turned off the ignition the night before, and it was still blinking the next morning when I came out to start the car. He suggested that I go to Costco to get the battery replaced because it was down to only 22% efficient. They declined for several reasons. It wasn't the battery fault, it was the car! I am 92 years old and disabled. I can't get stuck on a freeway with a dead battery. I am still looking for someone to fix it. I bought this car because I assumed that a newer car would be more dependable. Boy was I wrong! I have already spent a lot of money trying to fix it. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Central Point, OR, USA

problem #250

Apr 232022

Outback

  • miles
2016 Subaru Outback, original owner, the battery constantly drains in this car. I have come out to a dead battery many times, and have had to jump and service my battery several times a year. I have had my battery replaced at least once as well. This seems to be a constant issue, and after reading up on other owners of same and similar models, it looks like it is a software and electrical system issue. I am looking into the class action lawsuit, but think that this should be a recall and repair of these systems, as I must jump and service my battery several times a year. Thank you.

- Great Neck, NY, USA

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