10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
14,916 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2017 Subaru Outback:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #206

Dec 092019

Outback

  • miles
- I have been stranded multiple times waiting on a jump because the battery has drained and died for no apparent reason. - OEM Battery on my 2017 vehicle was replaced under warranty at the end of 2019. At the end of 2020 (one year, and less than 10,000 miles later) I was stranded in a parking lot waiting on a jump after sitting in the car with the radio on for 45 minutes. I took the car to an auto parts store for testing and it "failed." - In May of 2021 I went to get in the car after 3 days of not driving it and the replacement OEM battery was completely dead. To the point that it wouldn't even unlock the car doors using the key fob.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #205

May 152021

Outback

  • miles
Battery completely drained. Replaced with new compatible battery that drained completely again in two days. Can jump start but otherwise no power to anything (locks, dash, etc). Nothing left on in car to drain battery.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #204

May 192021

Outback

  • miles
subaru battery drain problem for my 2017 outback

- Saratoga Springs , NY, USA

problem #203

May 132021

Outback

  • miles
The battery keeps needing to be replaced. The battery dies in 1.5 years or less. This is not good. The dealer says they gave me a bad battery and the system looks fine, but this has happened twice now, Something is wrong with the system.

- Haddon Heights, NJ, USA

problem #202

May 152021

Outback

  • miles
Car on battery 3... Should not be Problem somewhere

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #201

May 022021

Outback

  • miles
Car on battery number 3...should not be. Something wrong.

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #200

May 172021

Outback

  • miles
The electrical system regularly drains the battery. I have replacement the factory battery TWICE with an aftermarket high end battery and the issue still occurs. Car will be completely dead.

- Santa Cruz , CA, USA

problem #199

Nov 102020

Outback

  • miles
Car will not hold a charge. Have seen dealer and called Subaru of America. Problem remains unresolved.

- Bettendorf, IA, USA

problem #198

Oct 222018

Outback

  • 34,378 miles
I have had to replace battery twice. Battery from factory had a bad cell and it wasn't quite 2 years old. Dealership replaced it in macon, ga. Less than a year I was at a service place for oil change. Car wouldn't start and had to replace battery. Dates: 10/22/18, 7/15/2019

- Mcdonough, GA, USA

problem #197

Mar 022021

Outback

  • 55,023 miles
Premature battery failure. Fourth battery replaced by dealership 3/21/21 since purchased new 9/15/2016

- Lexington, SC, USA

problem #196

Jul 042020

Outback

  • 35,000 miles
Vehicle suffers from unknown electrical problems that cause frequent battery drain, without something obvious like a dome light being left on. Despite battery replacement, dead batteries are a common problem leading to not being able to start the car in potentially unsafe areas (off hours, far away from assistance, etc). Seems like a new car shouldn't have to replace its battery this frequently.

- Redwood City, CA, USA

problem #195

May 102018

Outback

  • 3,000 miles
Battery has fully drained at least five times. Took it to dealer and they "found nothing". I have purchased a mobi power cell for jumping this Outback.

- Saint Paul, MN, USA

problem #194

Jan 012018

Outback

  • 20,000 miles
Rear backup camera remains on after shifting from reverse to drive. Screen has severe burn in with "Z" pattern across entire display. Making it un-viewable.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #193

Jun 072020

Outback

  • 2 miles
Battery drain is unusual. Battery life shortened severely as a result

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #192

Apr 262018

Outback

  • 23,144 miles
I am on my 4th battery in 4 years. The battery goes dead very quickly and the service department can't tell me why. There also seem to be other random electrical issues that go crazy at random times. The cruise control when trying to set the speed higher will go lower. The windows will occasionally not roll all the way up.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #191

May 012021

Outback

  • miles
I bought my car in 2016. I had a job that made it necessary to drive 44 miles daily five days week. Now I have retired and do not drive every day. My car battey would not hold a charge. I bought a new one, it can't stay charged either. Something in the car is draining the battery. I turn everything off and still cannot hold a charge over 1 day. This is happening to a lot of Subaru Outback owners. Years 2017 to 2020. My car is a 2017. I have had to buy a charger and must leave it attached to the whenever I'm not going to drive for a day or two. I have a $40,000 car and I cannot trust it.

- Soldotna, AK, USA

problem #190

May 102021

Outback

  • 32,000 miles
Sometimes the battery goes dead for no reason. This has happened multiple times in the last 2 years, with the most recent event occurring today (May 10, 2021). It could occur after I haven't driven it for a day or in the midst of a road trip after I've stopped for lunch and it won't restart. I have replaced the battery 2 times since purchasing my car (used) in 2019.

- San Leandro, CA, USA

problem #189

Apr 292021

Outback

  • 52,000 miles
We have experienced multiple, ongoing battery drain incidents, replacing the battery twice in one year (most recently). We are left stranded repeatedly and must jump the car for it to start. I understand this is an ongoing issue with this model and others. The incidents happen seemingly randomly. It is working fine, then you go back to get in it and it won't start. Sometimes, when you are attempting to start it, the back hatch will make a sound/motion. We have been stranded more times than I can count! after 4 years of this, we are beyond frustrated. I do not feel safe on the road by myself. Most owners have taken to keeping a battery jumper with them at all times. Ridiculous.

- Longview, TX, USA

problem #188

May 102021

Outback

  • 47,000 miles
My battery has seemed weak for over a year. On a routine service, I had asked Subaru of Santa Fe to inspect my battery. It checked out as good. Yet, every time I started the car, it would seem like the starter was laboring with a drained battery. Of late I have had to jumpstart the car a few times, even. I took it for inspection today to auto zone, to see if I needed a new battery. They checked it and said the battery was fine and did not need replacement. I looked up the internet to see if others had similar problems. Sure enough, I discovered that there is a legal suite regarding an identical issue for the same year mske and model car as mine. The battery has never died while the car is in operation or moving, but only when the car is started. This could be a safety issue if the vehicle is stranded in a remote or unsafe location. To my knowledge,

- Los Alamos, NM, USA

problem #187

Apr 212021

Outback

  • 60,000 miles
The car drains battery rapidly overnight. The idle current is about 2 amps which is abnormal

- San Jose, CA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »