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.
2017 Subaru Outback complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2017 record →
DRIVEN THE 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK IN THE MORNING TO WORK AND PARKED IN A COVERED PARKING GARAGE. NOTICED A BIG CRACK ON THE UPPER MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN GETTING BACK TO THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AT NIGHT TIME.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE TO CHANGE THE BATTERY IN OUR SUBARU OUTBACK. THIS LAST ONE ONLY LASTED 2-3 MONTHS.
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
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.
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 BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP TWICE SINCE THEN, AND VEHICLE STILL INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO START UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, REQUIRING JUMP-START.
SUBRAU OUTBACK WINDSHIELDS ARE PRONE TO CRACKS IN THE CENTER TOP AREA. SMALL ROCKS WILL CAUSE DAMAGE 100% OF THE TIME IN THIS SAME AREA. REPLACED ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD AND CURRENT WINDSHIELD EXPERIENCED CRACKING IN THE SAME LOCATION.
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.
MY CAR WINDSHIELD ALL OF SUDDEN STARTED CRACKING 2 WEEKS AGO AROUND FEBRUARY 17TH.2021. MY CAR ALWAYS PARKED ON MY DRIVEWAY. CALLED LOCAL DEALER WAS TOLD IT'S GOING TO COST US $1200 TO GET IT REPLACED.
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.
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
NUMEROUS TIMES OVER PAST TWO MONTHS, WHEN AT SLOW SPEEDS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STALLS CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP. AT LEAST ONCE, WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC, A CAR BEHIND HAD TO DO AN EMERGENCY SLOWDOWN TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION. TWO SUBARU DEALERS HAVE CHECKED THE VEHICLE BEING UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. YET, ON SEARCHING THE WEB, THIS COMMON CONDITIONIS IS CLEARLY DESCRIBED IN NHTSA FILES.
I HAD JUST ENTERED THE GOLF COURSE PARKING LOT AND HAD TURNED RIGHT TO ENTER A PARKING SLOT. MY SPEED WAS LESS THAN 5 MPH. MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, HIT THE CONCRETE PARKING BLOCK AND JUMPED OVER A 1 FOOT HIGH WALL WHICH WAS 3 FT. AWAY FROM THE BLOCK. THE CAR ENDED UP ON A DOWNSLOPE AND THE REAR WHEEL FORTUNATELY CAUGHT ON A RETAINING WALL. I WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS ONE WITNESS TO THIS TERRIFYING EVENT WHICH OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 4TH AT ABOUT 8:10 AM IN A PARKING SPOT THAT I HAVE USED AT LEAST 50 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD CITY HIGHWAY 90 IN OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (55MPH) AND MY WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED ABOUT SIX INCHES FROM FROM THE DRIVER SIDE NEAR WHERE THE FRAME MEETS WITH THE CAR OVER. I DID NOT GET HIT BY ANYTHING. IT WAS LIGHTLY RAINING, I HAD MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE ABSOLUTE LOWEST SETTING. IT WAS ABOUT 47 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND I HAD MY DEFROSTER ON SPLIT WITH MY FEET SET TO 70 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
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.
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 ?
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.
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.
BATTERY DIES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY PARKED IN GARAGE OR IN PARKING LOT. THE ORIGINAL BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THIS STILL HAPPENS. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 TIMES.
SLOWING DRAINING BATTERY, INCREASINGLY HARDER TO START OVER A FEW DAY, AND EVENTUAL DEAD BATTERY REQUIRING JUMP START. BEEPING SOUND (AS IF LIFT GATE WAS OPEN) OCCURRED ON LAST START BEFORE BATTERY DIED.
DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSES BATTERY TO DRAIN PREMATURELY AND REQUIRES JUMP STARTS IF VEHICLE IS NOT FREQUENTLY OPERATED.
FOR NO APPARENT REASON MY OUTBACK'S WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THE CRACK STARTS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND EXTENDS UPWARD ABOUT 14 INCHES AND SIDEWAYS ABOUT 10 INCHES. IT OCCURED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AT A SKI AREA. IT WAS SNOWING AND ABOUT 28 DEGREES.
I PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK 3.6R LIMITED ON DECEMBER 27 2016, FIRST BATTERY WAS REPLACED IN DECEMBER 2019, SECOND BATTERY DIED IN FEBRUARY 14 2021. CAR HAS 30000 ORIGINAL MILES
ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 23, 2018 AND WENT OUT TO MY VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED (STATIONARY) IN MY ENCLOSED COVERED GARAGE TO FIND A GIANT CRACK THROUGH MY WINDSHIELD WITH NO DISCERNABLE CAUSE.
AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM RUNNING ERRANDS NOTICED WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANYTHING HITTING THE WINDSHIELD DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING HIT DURING THE TRIP
I HAD BACKED MY CAR UP TO THE FRONT OF THE GARAGE. I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. AS I TRIED TO PUT MY CAR IN PARK, MY VEHICLE CATAPULTED INTO THE GARAGE WHICH WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND IT. I BELIEVE MY CAR EXPERIENCED "SUDDEN UNINTERRUPTED ACCELERATION". MY CINDER BLOCK GARAGE PARTIALLY COLLAPSED AND NEED TO BE COMPLETELY RAZED.
1) WINDSHIELD CRACKED OVERNIGHT WHILE PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. 2) THE ADVANCED COLLISION DETECTION/ LANE TRACKING SYSTEM CALLED EYESIGHT FAILED WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. 3) BATTERY HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED AND REQUIRED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. CAR WAS PARKED IN AB ENCLOSED GARAGE MOST OF THE TIMES WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED. 3) CURRENTLY, A FLAT TIRE INDICATOR IS ON EVEN THOUGH ALL TIRES ARE PROPERLY INFLATED. NOTE: EXCEPT FOR THE WINDSHIELD CASE, THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THE ONLY REMEDY PROVIDED WAS A BATTERY REPLACEMENT.
BATTERY DRAIN, ON 2ND BATTERY AND IT KEEPS DRAINING.
BATTERY KEEPS DYING WITH NO APPARENT REASON. HAS BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES WITH ONLY 52,000 MILES. NOW BATTERY IS DEAD AGAIN AFTER ONLY 68 DAYS AFTER LAST REPLACEMENT.
ON CURVY MOUNTAINOUS ROADS AT OR BELOW POSTED SPEEDS, THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM BRAKES ENGAGE DANGEROUSLY (E.G., TRAFFIC) AND UNEXPECTEDLY. THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM IS INCORRECTLY SENSING HILLSIDES AS HAZARDS. THE EYESIGHT ALARM IS SIMILARLY TRIGGERED ON STREET INTERSECTIONS.
THE WINDSHIELD IS CRACKING AND IT SEEMS TO BE WITHOUT ANY REASON. THERE IS A VERY TINY DINK THAT CAN BE SEEN, BUT THE CRACK IS SIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO THE SLIGHT DINK. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO MY NOTICING THE CRACK.
VEHICLE WILL NOT START. BATTERY GOES DEAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 20 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR.
BATTERY DRAIN ISSUES LEAVING MY CAR STRANDED. MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES, TOO MANY TO COUNT. FIRST OCCURRENCE IN FEB OF 2018 LEFT ME STRANDED OVERNIGHT AND CLOSE TO 24 HOURS IN A REMOTE LOCATION IN NORTHERN NEVADA. A NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES LATER, SUBARU REPLACED THE OEM BATTERY (IN FEB 2019). I'VE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES OVER THIS PAST YEAR 2020 IN REMOTE LOCATIONS IN WYOMING AND COLORADO THAT HAVE LEFT ME STRANDED.
THE BATTERY KEEPS DYING OVERNIGHT. I HAD TO CHANGE MY STOCK BATTERY PRE-MATURELY AND IT JUST DIES OVERNIGHT. THIS IS GIVING ME STRESS AND COSTING ME A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME. LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A PARASITIC DRAIN THAT MAKING THE BATTERY GO DEAD EVEN AFTER ALL LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF
THIS IS THE SECOND BATTERY FAILURE ON THIS CAR WITH LESS THAN 28000 MILES. FIRST ONE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, LESS THAN 1 YEAR AGO.
WINDSHIELD KEEPS BREAKING CRACKS COME UP FROM THE BOTTOM NOT FROM ROCK CHIP. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TIME WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE IT IN THE TWO YEARS WE HAVE OWNED IT.
KEY GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION LATELY WHEN I TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND IT TAKES AWHILE BEFORE IT'S RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION. I HAVE 52K PLUS MILES NOW ON MY 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.
LARGE CRACK APPEARED TODAY FOR NO REASON. NO DAMAGE TO CAUSE IT.
SUDDEN BATTERY POWER LOSS MULTIPLE TIMES
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS RUSTING FROM INSIDE. ISSUE WAS INFORMED TO SUBARU IN 2018 AND IN JAN 2021 THE ISSUE HAS GOTTEN WORSE.
BATTERY DRAINING RAPIDLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY.
WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED FROM STONE CHIP. HAD TO BE REPLACED AND EYESIGHT SYSTEM RECALIBRATED. SECOND WINDSHIELD WAS INSTALLED. HAS 2 STONE CHIPS. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO HAVE A WINDSHIELD REPLACED PRIOR TO OWNING THIS CAR.
BATTERY WON'T START FROM PARKING LOT, FOR A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW EVEN WHEN IT WAS ON IT'S FIRST YEAR. WE HAVE TO JUMP START AND ALSO REPLACED IT COUPLE OF TIMES NOW BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS OFF FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, IT WOULD FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD REPLACED THE BATTERY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUES TO OCCUR. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN EVERY DAY IN ORDER FOR IT TO START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER CERTIFIED INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CAME OVER TO HER RESIDENCE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS ABLE TO START. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE STARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 4,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT FULLY RETRACT ALL WAY BACK AFTER USE, WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO GET STUCK INTO THE DOOR CAUSING DOOR JAMS AND DENTS INTO THE DOOR FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER CAPITOL SUBARU (920 CAPITOL EXPRESSWAY AUTO MALL, SAN JOSE, CA 95136) WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE OR REPAIRED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,300.
IF THE VEHICLE SITS UNUSED FOR 2-3 DAYS, THE BATTERY IS COMPLETELY DRAINED AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. I'VE HAD THE ISSUE HAPPEN EVEN AFTER 24 HOURS BEFORE. THE BATTERY EITHER HAS TO BE DISCONNECTED IF I AM NOT GOING TO BE DRIVING FOR A FEW DAYS, OR JUMPED. I ONLY NOTICED THIS ISSUE BECAUSE, DUE TO COVID 19, EIGHT MONTHS AGO I STOPPED DRIVING MY CAR EVERY DAY. I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW BATTERY TO REPLACE THE OLD ONE AND THE ISSUE STILL OCCURS.
THE REAR HATCH AFTER USE IT APPEARS TO BE CLOSED. IT DOES NOT INDICATE IT IS NOT LATCHED OR CLOSED AND DRAINS THE BATTERY AND THE CAR DOES NOT START. THE BACK UP INDICATOR DID NOT ALERT ME THAT THERE WAS A CAR COMING ACROSS BEHIND ME.
2 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE BATTERY WAS DESCRIBED AS, "COMPLETELY DEAD." 1 YEAR LATER, AGAIN, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND AAA REPORTED THE BATTERY AS, "COMPLETELY DEAD," AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ON IN THE CAR. A NEW BATTERY WAS PLACED IN THE CAR AND 24 HOURS LATER, AAA REPORTED THE BATTERY AS, "COMPLETELY DEAD," AS THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAVE GONE THROUGH 3 BRAND NEW BATTERIES IN 2 YEARS, YET THE CAR CONTINUES TO DRAIN THE BATTERY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. UPON RESEARCH I FOUND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST SUBARU FOR OUTBACK VEHICLES FROM 2016-2020 DUE TO THIS EXACT PROBLEM, YET SUBARU, "REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM."
THE CAR BATTERY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY DEAD TWICE WHEN PARKED IN AIRPORT LOT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. ONCE THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD IN THE HOME GARAGE WHEN IT HADN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. EACH TIME THE BATTERY HAD TO BE JUMPED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AT OUR EXPENSE THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE WE ASSUMED WE LEFT AN INTERIOR LIGHT ON. WE ARE SAD TO DISCOVER THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT SUBARU WILL NOT FIX.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2017 Subaru Outback → · Every Outback year → · How the figures are calculated →