10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 3 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 6 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 16,903 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.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Subaru Outback 2018 windshield cracked & spread in one day. Lower left corner, spreads like a large -??S-??. Approximately 10-?? high & 10-?? in the curve of -??S-??. At driver-??s eyesight.
- Crestline, CA, USA
Departed home and haven drive say 100 yards roughly, car came to a full stop. Car would idle, I could shift into park drive, reverse etc.. There was NO reaction to pressing accelerator. I was stuck. I was in a slow traffic area so I was not concerned. If i was in a a fast speed four lane highway I could have been rear ended and harmed or killed. After say 15 minutes of fiddling with ignition, shifting in various modes, the engine came to life and I proceeded to my destination. The problem happened again say one month later. A duplicate of first incident. I Immediately took vehicle to Gerald Jones Subaru in Martinez GA. Diagnostics and test drive found nothing wrong. Wrote to Subaru headquarters on 9/24/2021 with complaint. To date I have received no reply. This has to be a safety issue with Subaru. I note other folks on internet with same problem so its not just me. Lastly. I note that when i bought my Subaru I also bought same model for my wife. We are both senior citizens (I am 89) and fearful of driving these cars.
- Evans, GA, USA
Windshield has cracked for the second time without any specific incident noted. Just started cracking from the bottom up.
- Grass Valley, CA, USA
My windshield has had a Crack in the lower left side to the lower middle for about 9 months and just recently the right lower side has a Crack about 10 inches. I have not been in any accidents since I have owned my car or have had any thing happen that would make a Crack on it. I cannot afford to replace it.
- Lancaster , NH, USA
Driving home from church Sunday when I heard a loud cracking sound. Sounded like something on the roof, so opened up the cover to the sunroof and saw nothing. When I pulled off to look, I found a long crack in the windshield passenger side running from the bottom of the windshield up to the left just shy of the middle of the passenger seat. There was no one in front of me, so no rock got kicked up and no bird strike. Today the crack lengthened to about the half-way point on the windshield.
- Windsor, SC, USA
Our windshield has cracked three times in the past nine months, each time with no impact to it from rock or other object. The crack starts spontaneously and spreads across the windshield. After replacing it in November 2020, we just chalked it up to bad luck, then it happened again in June. Each time, we replaced it with Subaru factory glass and had the Eyesight safety technology calibrated by the certified technician. Now it's happened again (August 2021). I've read of MANY other Subaru owners with similar experiences, and the Subaru service manager in Athens, GA admitted he sees more cracked windshields with Subarus than other makes. Please advise on how we can resolve this issue and safely drive our vehicle. Thank you.
- Morganton, GA, USA
Placing car in park and attempt to remove key. Key remains locked in ignition. Car remains in the ON position with steering wheel NOT locked and radio/lights ON. I must re-start the car, put in drive, rock gear shift and slam back into Park. This procedure eeds to be repeated until the key can be removed. It is occurring with increasing frequency, at least once per day at this point.
- Hainesport, NJ, USA
The ignition key becomes stuck in the ignition upon stopping the vehicle and placing the gear shifter into "park" and turning the vehicle off. Intermittently the key is unable to be removed from the ignition even though the vehicle is in the "park" position and turned off. Usually after starting and stopping the vehicle and moving the gear shift a few times the key can be removed from the ignition. This problem does not occur every time the vehicle is driven, but lately it is happening more frequently.
- Jefferson, MD, USA
The windshield cracked spontaneously needing replacement
- Saint Louis, MO, USA
The windshield was hit by a small rock while driving on a highway at 65 mph. The rock caused a crack less than a millimeter in diameter. After continuing to drive the vehicle on highways and paved streets for 4 more hours, the small crack expanded to be approximately a foot going across the windshield from the passenger side to the middle of the windshield.
- Manassas, VA, USA
Battery issues, continued changing when the battery isnt drained
- Richmond, VA, USA
The original battery completely died a year or two ago and the replacement battery completely died four months ago.
- Lilburn, GA, USA
The key gets stuck in the ACC selection mode when trying to turn the car off. It will not turn all the way back to turn off the electrical or allow the key to be removed. this has been happening often for a few weeks.
- Lubbock, TX, USA
We were driving along the highway when the windshield began to crack at the edge of the driver's side. We parked the car and went shopping for an hour. When we came back, the crack had doubled in length. I see, and know, there are issues with the windshield for this model year (a friend of mine had his replaced for free a couple of years ago). Need to get on that list.
- Santa Fe, NM, USA
I have had multiple issues over the years with the battery 2017 Subaru Outback keeping a charge and I have required a jump multiple times. My latest issue is over the last 3-4 months I have required a jump and while researching the issue, I came across Chimicles action lawsuit for the same problem I've been having. Please include my information in any database where information is being collected. Feel free to reach out to me if more information is needed.
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
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
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
My new battery was drained to a point the vehicle would not start. I messaged some bible study friends and one was going to come over and jump my vehicle. While waiting I put the car in neutral and pushed it out of my garage into the driveway. The driveway is on a steep slope. Once in the driveway I tried putting the car into park, it would not go into park. In fact it would only go into drive which did not stop the vehicle from rolling backwards. I tried the emergency brake but it is electrically operated and did not work. The brakes were very hard to hold since the hydraulics were not kicking in, same with the power steering. I am a big strong guy so I wrestled the car to turn it diagonally in the driveway as it rolled backwards, trying to prevent it from going into the street and flying into someone's house or vehicle. Once diagonal in the driveway I threw a padlock under the front tire from the drivers seat with my foot on the brake to prevent it from rolling back. At this point it was barely held but stationary so I got out, chalked the wheels with 2X4's until by bible study friends came over and jumped my car. I did not have my cell phone and no one else was around to help me. I litterally thought I was going to have to just let my car roll down into the street and let it go because I had no other options. I called Subaru of America and they directed me to a youtube video that shows once the battery completely dies, there is a special tool you need in order to get the car in and out of park. But it doesn't tell you that if the car won't start and there is enough power to get it into reverse, don't do it without the tool. What if this happened in the mountains or san francisco or any hilly or mountainous location? I believe this is a high potential for life threating injury or loss of property. E-brakes should not be electric in my opinion.
- Lincoln, NE, USA
The data control module failed after only 30,000 miles. It's a 2017 Subaru Outback and because of not driving last year (2020), the 3 year warranty was no longer in effect. We are paying $1500, for a failed part (data control module) that caused two consecutive batteries to drain. The car will not start without jumping it.
- Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Topanga Canyon, CA, USA