10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
14,597 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #134

Jul 122019

Outback

  • 25,000 miles
Battery died less than 2 years old. Car was parked for about a week and when I tried to start it it would not turn over. Took to dealer and they said the battery was dead.

- Saint Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #133

Aug 042020

Outback

  • 33,000 miles
I have replaced the battery twice on my own since I was told they aren't covered under warranty. The batteries discharge on their own when the car is parked. I have to use a battery charger all the time or the battery is dead when I try to start the car. I put the last battery in around Aug 2020.

- Lewistown, MT, USA

problem #132

Mar 012018

Outback

  • miles
During first 3 years of ownership our new car has failed to start many times and emergency service called to jump start vehicle as battery was discharged after power trunk opened without any activation while parked in our garage. Battery discharged several times without trunk activity, simply parked overnight in our garage with everything electrical checked and turned off. Dealer replaced battery 4/20. Battery discharged again a couple of weeks ago (3/06/2021) while having trunk open to clean inside of car. Very concerned as to being stranded again due to safety..

- Greenville, SC, USA

problem #131

Jan 272020

Outback

  • 22,283 miles
Vehicle's battery went dead at about 22,283 miles in Jan of 2020. Battery would keep dying even after proper jumping. Vehicle was brought in to dealership. Dealership advised of software issue draining the battery. I was advised that they did an update and replaced battery. A year later, vehicle is having battery issues again (battery kept dying- multiple times- even after driving to try to "charge" battery). Vehicle was brought into dealership in Feb 2021 at 23,560 miles. Different statements were made by dealership. I was told there was an issue with the vehicle electrical system needing more power than the battery could provide. I was told they had a solution, a bigger battery. When I picked up my car they just swapped out the battery with the same size battery. They didn't tell me (tried to hide it). When I confronted them, they advised that Subaru didn't have a fix yet for the draining of the battery. Subaru says I will just have to keep bringing in my vehicle every time there is an issue with the battery until they come out with a fix. Please note: Subaru appears to try and hide the electrical issue. None of this information was on my service paper work and they only spoke about the electrical system in Feb 2021 after I brought up the issue after reading forums on the internet about people having the same issue.

- Cedar Park, TX, USA

problem #130

Mar 052020

Outback

  • 15,000 miles
My 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5I limited began having dead battery issues at nearly 15,000 miles. The first incident happened while visiting the Cherokee national forest. The car would not start after we returned from a short hike. It left us stranded and forced to walk 4.5 miles to gain cell service to call for help. My car now has 36,000 miles as of 3/16/21 and is on its third battery. This time I bought the best battery I could find and am hoping for the best. Something keeps draining the battery, leaving me in one bind after another. With no help diagnosing the problem at the dealership, what more can I do"?"

- Greeneville, TN, USA

problem #129

Nov 202019

Outback

  • 13,777 miles
Battery appears to drain over a relatively short period of time resulting in: P1604 startability malfunction, B2320 back &side radar low voltage, C1413 antilock brakes voltage malfunction, B2500 power lift gate voltage malfunction, B2A07 telematics battery charge history fault, B1011 battery power supply control malfunction, B1013 ignition power supply failure, and B1014 accessory power supply failure. All is taking place while vehicle is parked in heated garage.

- Sturgeon Bay, WI, USA

problem #128

Apr 182020

Outback

  • 38,436 miles
Battery died twice when car was inactive for one week. Both times had to replace the battery.

- Merrick, NY, USA

problem #127

Jan 122019

Outback

  • 18,301 miles
Battery failure several times after playing radio 15 minutes, after tailgate left up for 1/2 hour. Dealer reprogrammed ECU to increase charging, would not start and dealer said all normal on 1/12/19@ 18,301 miles. I replaced it with the larger capacity battery at autozone. Since then no battery problems. However, I am still afraid to play radio or have tailgate up for a long period.

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #126

Jan 152018

Outback

  • 12,000 miles
Over 4 years of ownership (new when purchased in Feb 2017) have experienced 6 occurrences (first in Jan 2018) of vehicle failing to start due to dead battery. Original battery replaced under warranty in Aug 2019. As of today (03/15/2021) battery is being replaced again by dealer at my cost. No other problems identified by dealer. Vehicle always stationary when problem occurred. Approx 42K miles on odometer.

- Glen Allen, VA, USA

problem #125

Mar 142021

Outback

  • 65,000 miles
We continue to have to change the battery in our Subaru Outback. This last one only lasted 2-3 months.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #124

Aug 012019

Outback

  • miles
The battery dies if the vehicle is not driven for a few days. I have replaced the battery twice in the H last year and a half. The Subaru dealer has checked it out several times and claims there is nothing wrong

- Kalispell, MT, USA

problem #123

Mar 082021

Outback

  • miles
Purchased the car new in May 2017. Bob moore Subaru. I just replaced the 4th battery on March 8,2021. Four batteries in less than 4 years. Service has checked the system before on 3/8/21. Subaru just says it checks out and thats it. How would the owners of the company like to replace a battery every year. How would anyone look you in the face and say- it checks out fine. Are you kidding me. Car is garage kept, perfect condition and drove everyday. It is dead the next day with no signs of being weak. Fob is in back of my house.

- Edmond, Oklahoma. 73013, OK, USA

problem #122

Mar 052021

Outback

  • 12,000 miles
Repeated battery failures. Purchased vehicle certified pre-owned in September 2020 with 11,000 miles on it. Battery has been replaced by dealership twice since then, and vehicle still intermittently fails to start under normal driving conditions, requiring jump-start.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #121

Mar 072021

Outback

  • 80,000 miles
Battery has died 3 times in 4 years, battery replaced after it died the first time in 2018. New battery, only approx. 2 years old, died twice in 2 weeks. All three times the car would not start after I had the back hatch and/or doors open 20-30 minutes, sometimes while cleaning the interior. The third time the car would not start after having the back hatch open approx. 5 minutes after taking some items out of the back. All three times the car was off and in the garage.

- Pendleton, IN, USA

problem #120

Feb 012021

Outback

  • 42,000 miles
The key gets stuck randomly in the ignition after driving around and parking the Outback. Have to play around with the shifter to hopefully get the key out. At this time, it's random and intermittent. It's a concern that it will be a constant problem and one day the key won't come out at all. It seems to be a known problem as Subaru has a tsb 16-112-18R for the problem. The problem started happening after four years of ownership at about 42,000 miles. There has not been any spills or contamination that I know of. It started in February 2021 and has happened about a half dozen times. Https://www.tsbsearch.com/Subaru/16-112-18R

- Sherwood, OR, USA

problem #119

Mar 032021

Outback

  • 65,000 miles
A new battery died after 7 months use. I replaced it. The newer one died in 5 days. I read there is a class action lawsuit about this model draining batteries prematurely. Each time, we went to use the vehicle, stationary, and found the battery completely dead.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #118

Mar 012021

Outback

  • miles
My battery dies often. Battery was replaced about 6 months ago and now it is dead again. I've replaced the battery 3 times in the past two years.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #117

Feb 272021

Outback

  • 19,600 miles
Battery dies after the vehicle is idle more than a week. The original battery lasted three years. The problem continues with the replacement, which is less than a year old. I am the original owner and have driven this vehicle less than 20K miles.

- Bryn Mawr, PA, USA

problem #116

Aug 092018

Outback

  • 5,000 miles
Repeated problem of battery draining, usually when hatchback is opened for approx. 20 minutes, loading or unloading camping gear. This has happened almost half dozen times, and it is both frustrating and potentially dangerous, as I generally camp by myself. Now I have to leave the engine running when I put in or take anything out of the hatchback more than groceries.

- Boulder, CO, USA

problem #115

Feb 212021

Outback

  • 20,000 miles
Vehicle charging system seems to be working only part of the time. The battery has been drained more than once after driving the previous day. It's almost like something has been left on, draining the battery when I know every thing has turned off. Is there something that stays on after you shut the car off long enough to drain the battery ?

- Litchfield, NH, USA

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