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 #254

Nov 092021

Outback

  • miles
My battery is constantly dying. I upgraded the battery to a much larger one yet it keeps dying. If the car sits for more than three days it dies. If the car is driven for a very long time then it will stay working for about three days, then die. Today it is dead. It was dead yesterday. I jumped it yesterday, drove it around, restarted it to make sure, drove it around some more and then parked it. Today it is dead. The battery voltage is fine (a bit low, perhaps) at 12.8V, when charging at 14V. If I jump the car in my driveway, run it for a while, it essentially does not charge the battery. It is almost like the car is designed not to actually charge the battery unless you drive it a lot, which seems counter-intuitive. Engine RPMs doesn't seem to affect the charging ability even though it should. I have one after-market device installed: a remote car starter, built and installed by Subaru. Otherwise, this is a stock, 2017 Subaru Outback. All interior lights are switched off, the head lights are left in the Off position, yet the car continually dies. When I do drive it on a daily basis, it usually is fine. However, I did have it die one time while doing a bunch of errands. Basically, drive 10 minutes, stop, run the errand, drive 10 minutes, stop, run the errand, etc. After the fourth or fifth errand the car was dead. As this is a continual problem I have a lithium power pack designed to jump the car, so that provided the rescue I needed. But I should not need this type of rescue!

- Wilsall, MT, USA

problem #253

Sep 042021

Outback

  • miles
Battery totally dead. No sounds or lights came on. The battery tested 500 miles before and was good. The car was functioning 7 hours earlier and then was totally drained the next morning.

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #252

Nov 032021

Outback

  • miles
In five years, we have needed 3 batteries. On two occasions we were stranded. Car would not start. Dealer changed battery on first occasion. New garage had to replace twice. The first occasion was during a service where battery was tested and failed. Third occasion found me stranded in a parking lot. There were no warnings. Car just failed to start without a jump. Something seems to be draining the battery and a solution has not been found. Car has approximately 41,000 miles. Doesn't feel reliable at this point. Thank you.

- Clayton, CA, USA

problem #251

Nov 032021

Outback

  • miles
I am experiencing frequent battery drain and have already had to replace the battery once since purchasing the product as a new vehicle. I'm now on my second battery and experiencing the same battery drain issue. This issue has left my family stranded.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #250

Oct 262021

Outback

  • miles
2 battery failures-?? First failure 15 Mar, 2018 (4,381 miles) and the second of which was 26 Oct 2021 (16,237 miles). Batteries were completely drained. The first battery actually failed when I attempted to start the vehicle. Instead of engaging the starter, the accessories light went out along with a strange audible sound. Because of this I had the vehicle towed to the dealership where they replaced the battery. Second-??.went to start the vehicle and battery was completely dead. No accessories-??nothing. Jumped vehicle and drove for about 30 minutes. Noticed that window controls were not working correctly on the drivers control panel for the drivers and front passenger windows.

- Arvada, CO, USA

problem #249

Oct 252021

Outback

  • miles
Battery is draining at a faster rate than expected. Replaced 2 batteries with 3 year warranties in 5 year time.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #248

Oct 182021

Outback

  • miles
Battery Dies often if vehicle not driven for couple of days, or short trips

- Rockford, IL, USA

problem #247

Oct 192018

Outback

  • miles
2017 Subaru Outback: The vehicle has become completely unreliable due to battery drain issues that result in battery failure. The battery has been replaced and upgraded and it continues to have issues. My children and I have been left stranded many times over the years. The dealer has tested the battery multiple times and the alternator, all tests have come back normal. The dealership has not offered other alternatives or have they been willing to do further investigations on the issue. There seems to be an electrical issue in the vehicle that has not been addressed by Subaru.

- Bellingham, WA, USA

problem #246

Apr 032021

Outback

  • miles
Battery prematurely dies. I have replaced it 3 times in the short life of the car. It's especially a problem when I'm running errands and make several stops, turning.off vehicle. It struggles to start and maybe by 4th stop, it doesn't start and I'm left stranded. There is something draining the battery and it's not reliable.

- Holland, TX, USA

problem #245

Sep 292021

Outback

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" - The battery failed and car was inoperable. this happened after 2 years of purchase. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Me and family including children were left stranded in cold outdoors until help arrived. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - Yes the battery problem was reproducible and Dealer confirmed the issue and replaced the battery that was under warranty. The replaced battery also failed after 2 years and they replaced again with similar battery, which is prone to fail at any moment, according to my experience. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - The dealer inspected the battery and found unusable. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" - Intermittent lock-outs and needing jump starts. Then it failed totally. Second battery was a sudden failure. One morning the car was found inoperable. Upon towing to the service center, they discovered the battery was dead.

- Hillsboro, OR, USA

problem #244

Sep 302021

Outback

  • miles
Car has 22,000 miles on it and we are on our third battery. Just replaced second battery last week. Hopped in car to go run errands and car is completely dead. Second battery was bought in June 2019, third September 2021. Taking car to Subaru next week to have it diagnosed. Battery was dead with in three days.

- Mesquite , NV, USA

problem #243

Apr 252021

Outback

  • miles
Original battery died while away from home, replaced with new battery which then also died 5 months after installation. I do not feel I can safely use the vehicle with my family for fear of battery drain/dying while we are away from home. No warning lights or other indication anything is wrong. No aftermarket parts installed. Took car to Firestone for diagnosis and they said that alternator is working fine, no other issues identified.

- Fort Mill, SC, USA

problem #242

Dec 202019

Outback

  • miles
I have to jump-start my vehicle several times a week, sometimes multiple times per day. The battery drains dead in minutes, even after an hour long trip. I have about 42,000 miles on my car and I'm on my third battery - about to purchase a fourth battery. I also had to purchase a jump box to store in my car due to being stranded several times with a car that does not operate. I leave all cabin light switches set to the OFF position, I do not use the trunk lift if the car is not running, I do not leave the headlights on, and I drive roughly 4 days per week. This is unacceptable, and dangerous - Subaru brands these cars as adventurous and outdoorsy, but I have been stranded in dangerous snow storm and I'm sure others have as well. There were never any system or dash warnings - it just fails to start without warning.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #241

Aug 262021

Outback

  • miles
After purchasing this vehichle in December of 2019 it has required 2 new batteries up to January of 2021. That means this car is on it's third battery. Both instances ended up stranding my spouse. Subaru could not diagnose the problem and just replaced the battery in each instance. Even after I communicated that the issue is out of the ordinary and there may be an issue with the electrical system, so replacing a battery is not the solution. They just claimed the car needs to be driven more frequently. This same problem just occured again today, 8/26 and required me to jump start the car. There are no other warning lights or messages. I'm convinced there is some sort of eclectrical draw on the car's system after it is turned off that is causing this, but Subaru refuses to address it.

- Plymouth, MA, USA

problem #240

Feb 152017

Outback

  • miles
I have had issues with battery drain since purchasing the car. On 6-7 occasions the battery died through no identified cause. Once it was in the mountains where we went skiing for the day and returned to the car and the battery was dead. The other 5-6 occasions, I did not use my car for durations ranging from a few days to 3 weeks and when i went to use it, the battery was dead. It should not lose charge for that short of a duration of non-use. I took it to the dealer for an electrical and battery inspection and they found no issues. They refused to replace the battery since they said it was fine. I decided to replace it on my own dime due to the issues. But even after replacing it with a brand new battery, the issue has persisted. I've had to purchase a portable charger that i carry with me at all times because I am nervous of it dying and being stranded like it did on the mountain especially because I have small children.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #239

Aug 152021

Outback

  • miles
The battery have prematurely drained on me twice in the last two years.

- West Salem , WI, USA

problem #238

Aug 092021

Outback

  • miles
Battery kept on dying. The latest happened after I drove it daily for 3 days, so it's an active car and no unattended light to cause drain. It's a well maintained, low mileage (17,800 miles) car and I'm the original owner. When battery died 2 years ago, Subaru admitted malfunction and replaced the battery. Since then I had multiple jump starts wasting time to call roadside assistance, missed school/ meetings and I'm afraid deadly risk if I'm off road to call for help.

- Studio City, CA, USA

problem #237

Aug 092021

Outback

  • miles
I am having issues with my 2017 Subaru Outback on battery drain. 37,000 miles. I've had to replace the battery 2x (2019 and again today) and a failed battery right after getting it fixed by Subaru services. The battery drains much quicker than required.

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #236

Aug 032021

Outback

  • miles
The battery frequently goes dead, just a few days after the last drive. We don't believe any lights were left on, etc., but perhaps there is an unknown current drain. This happened at home, so it wasn't dangerous, except for the need to jumper to another vehicle. It could be dangerous if we were stranded away from home. Not reproduced by a dealer or service center. The battery was replaced once, already. No warning lights or symptoms before the failure.

- Boxborough, MA, USA

problem #235

Feb 072020

Outback

  • miles
I'm the 2nd owner of a 2016 Outback. I bought it with 28k miles on it in 2017. It now has 33k. However - I drive daily...just not far. There is zero excuse for my battery dying at 30k. I called Subaru - and they initially to me to 'buy the battery (Sunday) and we'll cover it. Upon meeting with Subaru mgnt - looking for my money back.....I'm then told "you're out of warranty last week". Something is very wrong with this electrical system and Subaru dealerships - as Subaru is walking away from it. I got stuck with the new battery bill - but Subaru is stuck with a major problem - one that'll come back to bite them hopefully!!! SHAME ON SUBARU.

- St. Petersburg, FL, USA

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