10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
11,229 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 2018 Subaru Outback:

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

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #71

Jul 242020

Outback

  • 20,750 miles
We were getting ready to leave to the store and got in the car and tried turning it on and when we inserted our keys and tried turning on the car-the car would not start and all we could hear was a clicking clacking sound coming from inside the hood. We tried starting the car again and we encountered there's the same issue, the vehicle would not start at all. We went in our other vehicle straight to the dealership to let them know that our car of 2 years would not start at all and they informed us it might be a battery issue and that we should call roadside assistance for further help. We asked if our battery was under warranty and they said they didn't know it all depended on the mileage and we informed them that our car was a brand new 2018 model with under 21,000 miles. They again said if it was a battery issue best bet was to replace with them and that it would be for a fee of $200 or more.

- Hawthorne, CA, USA

problem #70

Jun 152019

Outback

  • 12,000 miles
11/16/2018 dead battery for no known reason 6/15/2019 dead battery for no known reason

- Stratford, CT, USA

problem #69

Jul 282020

Outback

  • 17,000 miles
Second occurrence of the problem in less than a week. Replaced original battery on 7/24/2020 (see complaint number 11341827). Battery drains for no reason, leaving battery dead and car inoperable. Car was stationary on driveway. Could not start it, so checked battery which was dead 0 volts.

- Darien, IL, USA

problem #68

Jul 242020

Outback

  • 16,500 miles
Battery drains for no reason, leaving battery dead and car inoperable. Car was stationary on driveway. Could not start it, so checked battery which was dead 0 volts.

- Darien, IL, USA

problem #67

Jul 122020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 42,000 miles
Battery drains for no apparent reason while parked overnight in driveway.

- Elizabethtown, KY, USA

problem #66

Jul 092020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 27,765 miles
The touch screen on my radio/head unit intermittently freezes. Was told by dealership service it is likely due to bluetooth, and tethering interference because they both try to connect. Dealer reset the radio, and I have not connected the bluetooth at all after the reset. Yet again same problem. This has been replaced once due to the recall and class action lawsuit. It still has issues. There isn't any real time frame when it does this just randomly turns non-responsive on the main touch screen. There have been multiple time this has occurred, and have been to the dealer 2 or 3 times now.

- Fargo, ND, USA

problem #65

Jul 052020

Outback 6-cyl

  • 5,800 miles
When I park my car in the garage on Thursday July 2nd and close the garage with no problem. On July 4th my wife open the garage and got a chair from her car Acura rdx and watch the fireworks on the drive way. Later on put the chair back in her Acura and close the garage. Sunday afternoon I had to go to the garage and get tools to fix the bathroom sink and saw the Subaru Outback hatchback open. I then found the subraru Outback battery dead and the hatchback all scratches. My wife only has her Acura car fob, the other subraru hanging on a closet door. My subraru key fob is in my work computer briefcase. Definitely nobody touch the subraru fobs. However, I only drive the subraru Outback to work ( vanpool meeting location) about 4 miles from my house and usually about 5 minutes one way. The car unable to startup after the incident.

- Costa Mesa, CA, USA

problem #64

Jul 062020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 42,800 miles
My 2018 Subaru Outback has been having issues with the battery and the car not starting. It seemed to have stemmed from the liftgate working improperly and draining the battery. It happened about a year ago, but self-resolved after resetting liftgate and jump starting car. Recently, about two weeks ago, it started having issues with the liftgate and battery again and was left stuck at a shopping center parking lot until I was able to get roadside assistance with a jumpstart. I brought it to Subaru in fairfield, ca, where they diagnosed it as a liftgate issue that was draining the battery. They reset the liftgate and then charged the battery and sent me on my way. Today 6/6/2020, my car had difficulty starting again, took a few tries to start, though there were no issues with the liftgate. I brought it to Subaru fairfield, ca again, where they said there was a battery failure, I was out of warranty for a replacement, and would be charged for a new battery even though they said that they know that there is an issue with a number of recent Subaru owners with battery issues. Doing research online, it seems like it is a very common issue, leaving owners stranded randomly and needing a jump start, and that battery replacements are not fixing the problem, as the electrical draining issue is still there.

- Fairfield, CA, USA

problem #63

Jul 032020

Outback 6-cyl

  • 19,000 miles
The head unit has failed and frozen several times. When this happens, functions like smartphone integration, navigation, and backup camera stop working. This occurs when vehicle is in motion. Functionality returns after car rests for several hours. Dealer has been unable to fix the issue with software updates.

- Potomac Falls, VA, USA

problem #62

Jun 202020

Outback

  • 18,000 miles
Car would not start, clicking noises came from the fuse panel located inside vehicle to the left of the steering wheel which we never had heard before, no prior indication of low voltage or battery discharge. Eventually red battery icon displayed briefly on instrument panel. Unable to start, had to get a tow, jump unsuccessful.fortunately car wasparked at home in the garage. Lights were not left on nor were doors or liftgate ajar.

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #61

Jun 122020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 23,000 miles
Battery is completely draining without cause and requires jump start. Car battery drains after not driving for a little as 3 days. Vehicle was parked in a garage and on the street. Subaru maintenance verified that no lights were left on. States battery is good and I just have to start and drive everyday.

- Alameda, CA, USA

problem #60

Oct 012018

Outback 4-cyl

  • 1,500 miles
Parasitic battery drain - premature battery failure rendering vehicle inoperable. Vehicle can not sit or idle for less than day without battery fully discharging, requiring jump start or roadside assist. Battery has been replaced twice in less than 3 years and less than 10K miles on 2018 vehicle purchased new (through dealer-- under warranty). Battery replacement has not cured defect, and vehicle continues to fail. Vehicle has not been in accident, and is used customarily.

- S Portland, ME, USA

problem #59

Jun 032020

Outback

  • 21,585 miles
Vehicle was stationary at home in my garage. Battery was drained. Aaa had to be called to boost. Brought to dealer on June 3, 2020. They checked battery. Battery tested fine. Situation occurred again on (Sunday) June 7, 2020, again at home in my garage. Dealer is closed on Sunday. Will call on Monday to discuss problem. No electrical accessories were left on to cause this problem on either day.

- Farmington, NY, USA

problem #58

May 152019

Outback 4-cyl

  • 10,000 miles
1. defect in windshields or framing area. I've had 4 windshield crack in the bottom right and have replaced 3 so far since I bought it. Adding my name and car to the complaints saying the windshields in their Subaru vehicles are defective and are spontaneously cracking, and breaking, sometimes 'within weeks or a few months of purchase.' I usually notice upon returning to my car in the morning to leave for work or returning from being away from it all day. My car insurance has covered all but $100 of the bills over the span of 2 years, luckily. But my time is valuable. 2. radio/multimedia screen sometimes doesn't come on when I start the car and won't work until I turn the car off and back on later. 3. chincy material, seems to dent veeeery easily, does not live up to high standards and durability they rave about. I'm not sure what all has dinged my car but it is way more frequent than any other car I've owned. I usually notice walking up to it from being parked. Could be from driving down road though. 4. battery life is short. Car was not run for 5 days and battery was dead. Claims to be an outdoorsy car so why would it be set up to kill the battery so quickly? my dealership updated the software and gave me a bigger battery to help "fix" that issue.

- Caledonia, MI, USA

problem #57

Jun 012020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 0 miles
Something in the car is constantly draining the battery. No lights or other systems are on but when the car sits for a couple days without starting, the battery drains. We have replaced the battery twice and it keeps happening.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #56

Jun 042020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
Battery was dead in May 2020. Purchased new battery 5/28/2020. New battery was dead 6/4/2020. New battery had lasted only 7 days.

- Stevensville, MT, USA

problem #55

Jul 192019

Outback 4-cyl

  • 13,808 miles
Battery had to be replaced within a year of owning the car as it would not start and could not be recharged. Since replacement I have had a few times when the car wouldn't start again.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #54

May 182020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 16,000 miles
My relatively new Subaru failed to start, and had no electrical power at all. The oem battery would not charge with a home charger, but was able to start with a jump from aaa. At Subaru of bend, they stated the battery had not failed, but that Subaru's are programmed not to charge the battery below 40 mph. They installed a software change that removed that "feature" since we use the vehicle primarily, but not exclusively, for around town driving. This non-charging is a safety issue since the failure to start occurred without warning, nor would any reasonable person expect a car not to charge the battery when driving predominately on local trips. There was no warning of this "feature" and if the car failed to start in a remote location, this could be a safety issue. We do drive the vehicle to trailheads in the national forest and wilderness area's, and Subaru advertises its products, such as the Outback, and being suitable for back roads driving.

- Sisters, OR, USA

problem #53

May 202020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
Dead, drained battery- no response from car, unable to even open with key fob. Car parked in garage at home.

- Jackson, NJ, USA

problem #52

May 152020

Outback 6-cyl

  • 15,500 miles
This model has severe battery drain issues. I have had to repeatedly jump or charge the battery after just a short period of the lift gate or side doors being open. The lights are turned off but they still drain the battery. This is unacceptable in an "outdoor" vehicle. You cannot tailgate, use the lift gate to make a tent, keeps doors open when unloading. Subaru gives you an under-powered cheap battery and has the drain issue. I cannot use the car as marketed. I finally got fed up with the issue so far and purchased my own larger battery. Soa has agreed to pay for this, but the underlying issue needs to be corrected. I suspect on the lift gate there is power continually flowing to it when open so it is ready to close when you push the close button. This need a kill switch. My behavior with this car is no different than other cars in the past and their batteries did not die. This is not user error, but a bad design. The web is full of similarly frustrated owners. I'll put the last date I had to call aaa, but this has happened repeatedly since I have owned it. Even an hour of the lift gate open seems to severely drain the battery. My parents have a 2016 and I don't think they have this issue? this is a safety issue if you get stuck somewhere in the wild with a dead car.

- Escondido, CA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »