2018 Subaru Outback complaints

The infotainment system in the car has suffered from screen delamination, which is apparently common with these models. This has left the touchscreen both non-responsive to touch as well as randomly selecting items on the screen, rendering it unusable. This is a safety issue because the only way to deactivate Reverse Automatic Braking and the rear parking sensors is through the touchscreen. Being able to do this is essential when connecting a trailer or attempting to reverse with one attached. Subaru is aware of the problem and was subject to class action litigation related to it, ultimately being required to extend the warranty on the units as a result. However, the warranty extension was inadequate and left several thousand units in the field which would eventually require replacement. Note that a similar issue on the 2019 models resulted in an 8-year / 150,000-mile warranty extension on the units, yet prior models were only required to have a 4-year / 80,000-mile extension.

Arriving at my childhood home, I followed the driveway to the left to park in front of the garage door. With my foot on the brake and slowly rolling to a stop, the car suddenly accelerated and jolted forward making contact with the garage door and the frame of the garage. This caused damage to the house, garage door and the front of the car. Thankfully there was no other car in the way or a pedestrian! Only the house and car were damaged. This was sudden and there was no warning or prior occurrence to make me aware of the problem. We spoke to the dealer service manager and at first he said he never heard of anything like that. After further conversation he admitted that another car had a similar issue. They kept the car for two weeks and couldn't repeat the issue. We then went on line and found there are several class action lawsuits against Subaru for the same thing - unexpected and sudden forward acceleration! But when contacting Subaru corporate for assistance in resolving this, they claimed they never heard of any class action lawsuits or problems such as this. We need help dealing with Subaru. They are playing with us.

This is the third time my windshield has cracked in the last three years.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera failed to display a rearview image, comprising the back over prevention system. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rear-view camera. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 39,000.

I have recently experienced an issue touchscreen delamination, which I understand has affected other Subaru owners as well. While my vehicle is no longer under the standard warranty, I believe this issue stems from a known defect and not normal wear and tear. More importantly, it has created a significant safety concern. Calling people on accident and in my case call 911 by mistake. The touchscreen issue is interfering with my ability to safely use backup camera and vehicle settings.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that at the time of the purchase, the contact was shown a fraudulent Carfax report that displayed that the vehicle mileage was 35,000 and a fraudulent title that displayed that the vehicle mileage was 30,870 on issued date 04/25/24. The contact stated that upon retrieving the vehicle Carfax report personally later, it was discovered that there was a mileage and title information discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 35,000, and after the contact retrieved the vehicle Carfax report personally, it was discovered that the mileage was 166,000.

Halo light is out and it does not show on dashboard. Halo light is part of headlight system. It is part of daylight running lights. Unable to replace light without replacing the entire headlight.

Sunroof's glass panel exploded/shattered unexpectedly due to unknown cause(s)/reason(s) while driving vehicle. No external item(s) contacted sunroof glass panel.

The radio has Cracks or striations on the screen that are Causing the Panel to make calls, Dial a phone, change the radio station...ETC. Complete random beeping and it is distracting when driving, The touch screen has become defunct and the Comp[uter does all random things, It does what it wants, when it wantys! I am afraid it is a danger! And please lookl into this, there are Many subaru owners Complaining of the same thing. They are saying that the screen is :Dellaminating" That is what they are calling it. That I why I am making a formal complaint. Thank you! PS...By the way, I was NOT calling mom, It did it on its own!!

The radio malfunctions. it beeps constantly. it randomly changes inputs it won’t tune. the screen is severely dirty on inside so can’t clean it; thus making back up camera look smudged.

The touchscreen is completely malfunctioning and unusable. It started off as a one off incident during a very hot streak in the summer of 2024. I wrote it off and a fluke because of the temperature. 9 months later and the screen is constantly going haywire with ghost touches. Every feature that is controlled through that screen fails. Even using the controls on the steering wheel fail to work when the touchscreen is nonoperational. This system is so integrated into the systems of the vehicle that it is a safety concern. Subaru is aware of this issue and offered an extended warranty. However, if the system didn’t fail during that extended time, you are out of luck.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while reversing, the display screen image was glaring and cloudy. Additionally, the infotainment screen failed to function properly and made beeping sounds, distracting the contact while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the infotainment screen had delaminated and that the head unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

Star system is malfunctioning. I cannot access the control panel because of delamination. This causes difficulty viewing backup camera and driver distraction.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the cruise control was inoperable. The contact was unable to connect to the radio or Bluetooth. The failure had progressed over time. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that another unknown local dealer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was due to a previous crash. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.

The radio touch screen is defective. It does not respond to touches and does things on its own (ghost touches). Subaru and Harman Kardon are aware of the problem and even extended the warranty but unless your unit failed within the warranty window you're out of luck. The problem is this -- these units are now an integral part of vehicle functionality and a malfunctioning unit is a serious safety issue.

My sunroof on my subaru outback 2018 exploded while going north on the 5 from sea world drive to balboa exit. thankfully my cover was on and debris didnt fall on my while driving. Saw online many subaru outback owners have had similar issues. i want to file a claim and have the manufacturer pay for the damages

The navigation screen that controls apps, radio, navigation and phone has delamanated and now has a mind of its own. If my phone is connected it will actually start making random calls while driving, radio sound changes, screens will switch on tjeir own while driving. It started a a year ago. I just thought it was a periodic glitch. It has progressly gotten worse. I saw there was a class action suit and didn't inform?

Replaced windshield at dealer using factory glass on 8/7/24. Daughter came out of apartment on approximately the 18th of December and the windshield had a horizontal crack from side to side. She did not have anything hit the windshield and there were not dings or stars in it. It appears to be a stress crack from either a defective install or glass.

The Head Unit, which is the center built-in touchscreen of the 2018 Subaru Outback, began glitching after 5 to 6 years after this vehicle was purchased. It would not register actual touches, and then it would register touches that did not occur, it became so severe that while driving, the radio would change on its own, navigation/GPS application would become unusable, and other distracting actions would occur without any way of fixing them. After some online research, matching photos of the screen showing bubbles underneath, and similar reports we have found including a class-action lawsuit against Subaru, the vehicle was taken in for official diagnosis of Delamination. Subaru Of America (SOA) agreed to pay $1000 of the approx $1500 cost to replace the Head Unit, and recommended we reach out directly to NHTSA to report a safety concern to have a potential recall started. This issue is a dangerous distraction and safety concern, and it seems to be a common occurrence with these Head Units. There were numerous incidents before getting the screen repaired where it caused driving distractions with the erratic movements and changes on the screen, which could cause an accident. Please recall these so no one ends up in an accident or ends up having to pay for this faulty part. Thank you for your time.

Had my recalls completed and started having jerking on my way home from the dealership. Didn’t have any issues prior and I drove 2 hours to the closest Subaru dealership. Had transmission serviced and still doing it. Read the fuel update and head unit updated could take a bit longer to learn and could cause jerking but still happening 3 weeks later. Transmission was serviced last week. The shop to do it stated didn’t notice metal shavings nor sounds in the transmission or the oil and suggested it be the computer problem with the recall fixes.

Spontaneous sunroof glass explosion

I folded my rear seats down to gain more cargo area room, upon unloading my cargo, I proceeded to fold up my rear seats. Both rear seats folded up and locked, except the driver's side rear seat locked into position but would recline backwards and not stay locked. I have owned this vehicle for seven years and have only had passengers in the rear about a dozen times, and to my knowledge never used the recline feature. The rear seats have been folded down numerous times to gain cargo volume and folded back up. I looked at side drivers side latch and it moves freely back n forth and will not lock like the passenger's does. I pulled on the recline leaver and it has tension on it. I tried pulling on both releases together to no avail. I found this issue on the internet which shows the latch. I feel the is an unsafe condition for a rear driver's side passenger as the seat rocks back n forth. This is link: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The upper portion of the Information touch screen appears to have delaminated resulting in the Information system to randomly change settings on its own. For example, if an iPhone has been connected to the system, it will randomly initiate a call from the phone’s contact list. If a hands free call has been initiated, if will randomly disconnect and switch the call back to the iPhone. It will change radio stations, increase / decrease the volume. The issues present a distraction to the driver as the Information System failure mode is erratic resulting in the Driver to take intervention to correct the issue. Researching online Subaru forums, Customers have reported similar failure modes. In some cases, it appears Subaru has covered the repair costs via an extended warranty. In many cases, it appears the Owner bore the full cost of replacing the entire Information system. I have reached out to Subaru’s Customer Support about the issue on January 12th, 2025. As of today, have not received a response. The attached photo shows the delamination. The bubbles in the upper third are between the overlay and the touchscreen.

I was slowly backing out of a parking space, with no cars coming in either direction, and the car had a loud warning sound and my driver airbag deployed and exploded in my face. The car filled with smoke. I was only halfway out of the parking space when this happened, I was able to pull forward and park safely. I did not hit anything and there was no damage to the car whatsoever. Consequently all of the electronics in the steering column no longer work. Cruise control, stereo volume, mode changer etc.. My husband was able to tuck the airbag into the steering column and tape it, so we could drive home.

Radio intermittently switches channels, touch screen does not comply with commands. Radio has not responded to reset commands.

P225 65/R17 Multiple Sensor leaks, false TPM readings, on/off TPM signals.

My 2018 Subaru Outback has an infotainment display that has a Delaminating Screen issue, where the screen that controls so many aspects of the car's functionality (to include safety) is now becoming increasingly harder to see.

The screen that controls everything in the car is delaminating and it prevents the driver from being able to see the back up camera properly and is a distraction to drivers. This is a known issue with this year vehicle. Subaru won’t replace and only offered me 750 to get it fixed which means I would still have to come out of pocket $900 for a known defect. They are aware of the issue and have replaced some vehicles at no charge.

1. Unable to remove key from ignition switch while vehicle is in park. 2. Infotainment system turns itself on when car is started; playback skips on Pandora app. 3. Circular windshield crack appeared spontaneously.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the infotainment system screen operated independently and an unknown notification alert sounded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the head unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.

The infotainment screen has delaminated rendering it unusable and will intermittantly interrupt the backup camera while moving. This is the second screen already with this issue in my vehicle

The radio headunit which houses the backup camera freezes. When this happens, the backup camera does not work. Vehicle was brought to a Subaru dealership, and confirmed that radio unit freezes, and diagnostic did not improve system. Radio unit requires re-manufacturing. I have contacted Subaru and they refuse to address the problem. There is also documentation that talks about a recall on the Harmon Kardon unit we have.

The head unit on my 2018 Subaru Outback is pressing random buttons all over the screen by itself. It would constantly make the button noise as I drive leading me to lose track of the directions that was being provided from my Apple Maps. It would also disconnect me from CarPlay leaving me with no sense of direction as to where I should be going. I have gotten this fixed before at a Subaru dealership and they ended up replacing the head unit for me, however this is the second time it’s happening and there is obviously a serious problem with the all the units.

DSM drawing too much power from battery when car is parked. DSM drawing 0.151k ohms to 0.017. Have complained to Subaru of Santa Cruz about this 3x. First they said it was the battery under recall and replaced the battery. Second time they thought I was leaving the key fob in the car (The fob is kept with me not in the car ). Third time they said the DSM is pulling too much power from the battery. Subaru has an extended warranty for the DSM for 2016-2018 outbacks but does not include my VIN number. This power draw and dead battery has put me in San Francisco late at night without a functional car. I did not have this independently evaluated before Subaru did a "jump box replacement" for $775.73.

The infotainment system screen has delaminated causing the screen to jump between sources, the backup camera to randomly not display . The problem started last month and is worsening

In past 3 years after not being driven for 3 days the car would not start. We had the battery charged and replaced twice . When I spoke to another Subaru owner I was informed of a lawsuit against Subaru concerning parasitic battery draw by the Starlink system. I contacted Subaru of America and was told there was no recall but I am entitled to extended warranty on the T 16 DCM unit (a fuse for Starlink). They said I would be responsible for any charges to fix the issue. When I called my local Subaru dealer they said I may have to pay for diagnostics even if it was the DCM fuse as the problem. I feel Subaru knew about this problem and should fix it without charge.

The head unit of the stereo/info system is malfunctioning. The screen is delaminating from the face of the LED touchscreen panel, which causes the unit to experience "phantom touches." These cause the screen to constantly change displays, zoom in/out of navigation software, and change audio settings & inputs, and disconnects phone calls or switches them from my speaker to my phone (forcing me to pick up the phone to correct the problem). It has rendered my hands-free interface with the entire vehicle essentially useless, which is a safety concern as now my attention is pulled away from driving to attempt to correct the problem. Additionally, the screen is constantly shifting & changing displays which is quite a visual distraction. This is a known problem & has been reported numerous times to Subaru. I've taken the vehicle to the dealer for them to inspect. Their suggestion was that I replace the unit for a cost of $2,526.16. At this point, it is very difficult to operate the vehicle safely, without near constant distractions from the problem with the unit.

The touchscreen is delaminated. The delamination makes the backup camera useless. This is a possible danger to me and anyone behind me- turning to look reputedly behind and at the sides doesn't help when cars are moving parallel to me. The 'media' switches between radio and CD, FM and AM, and switches into HD mode at random. There's no way to turn it off, so the beeping is a distraction while driving. The Subaru dealership is well aware of this issue. A replacement part was ordered in September 2023 but the part is yet to be replaced.

When I bought my car I had issues with the Head unit the screen would got out and I would have no backup camera or radio.The dealer had the car for Two months before I called Subaru to see if they could get my me unit.It was taken care of.Now the problem has come back the screen freezes, jumps goes dark (I have video) I can’t use the bluetooth to call anyone. I call Subaru of America about this and they say make an appointment with the dealership and we will go there when they know what’s happening…..

In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutral.

The car's display panel which I use to carplay to navigate google map randomly calling people on my contact list and randomly make commends such as play media or search maps as if I touched the panel screen to commend. The incidents happened while I was driving which caused me lost google map and almost lost control of the car since I tried to cancel the phone calls I didn't make. This is safety concern, please require Subaru to fix the panel. thanks

Ghost touches on the radio making radio inoperable. Prevent rear view camera from activating.

When traveling on hwy at hwy speeds with cruise control on set for 70 mph and car in front is traveling 60 mph as am I. The road curves the car no longer identifies a car in front of me and accelerates to 70 mph, when the road becomes straight again and I am getting close the system slams on the brakes. When I'm going 70 mph and approach a car going 60 mph the car slows to keep a safe distance. As I change lanes the car begins to accelerate. As I am passing the slower car, if on a curve and the car identifies a car in another lane and slams on the brakes. This has caused road rage from drivers approaching from the rear in the passing lane thinking I'm braking to slow them down for no reason. The Dealership told me to turn my cruise control off on roads nort straight! This has happened since the car was new. This occurred on a recent trip across country on hwy US 40.

Touchscreen on radio system is delamination causing the system to cycle through sources, ie: fm, am, sxm, and Bluetooth. This causes distractions while driving. Dealership is aware of issue and stated it was common. No warnings before malfunction. Malfunctions started a few months ago.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed all 4 wheels showed signs of cracks on the rims and spokes. The low-pressure tire warning light had illuminated. In addition, all tires required air frequently. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

Sterio and Navigation screen has formed bubbles and what appears to be a film under the screen and has also started delaminating. The screen is now rarely usable as it appears to have a mind and hands of its own as it makes its own selections on the screen and no longer allows me to control it. This is very dangerous as the Subaru touch screen offers setting adjustments that are being changed while on the road, without my control. It is my understanding that Subaru will not replace this unless you pay $2k+ out of pocket even though SEVERAL incidents are reported. Unfortunately, I am not in good standing to purchase another car right now so I will have to continue driving this car and praying that whatever settings that car adjusts during that drive won't have a negative impact.

2018 Subaru Outback headunit is "delaminated" causing phantom touches on the headunit's touch screen. While driving, the headunit will act as if something is pressing random buttons, changing radio stations, opening/closing maps, going through settings panel and changing car settings, ultimately distracting the driver usually at highway speeds. Many other Subaru owners are reporting the same issue on the forums: [XXX] [XXX] Subaru is reporting the fault as "regular wear and tear" and charging customers $1200+ to replace the headunits. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Reported to local Subaru Dealer there was a problem with the Parking Brake. While parked at red light, when I attempted to release the parking brake, it would NOT release, and had great difficulty getting to release and proceed. (This is in Traffic). They tested it and claimed it was ok, no problem. Fast forward, several weeks and I started the car, put it in Drive. Car would not move forward. Subaru sent Tow service. At dealership service manager says some debris had filtered down into the parking brake mechanism. I am Not a mechanic. This is what I had told them weeks earlier, [What I suspected]

CVT Transmission failed and shut off engine. 2018 Subaru Outback Limited with only 56,500 miles. On 5/19/24 at approximately 11:30PM, my family and I (5 members) were driving northbound on an interstate highway, when all of a sudden, the engine and transmission completely shut off with all warning lights flashing on the dashboard, while travelling at speeds of 65 miles per hour. When pressing on the accelerator, vehicle would not accelerate, rather the vehicle was decelerating. Fortunately, not many vehicles were on the highway at that time and our vehicle had enough momentum to move right towards the shoulder of the highway and came to a complete stop. When engine turned on and shift to D or R, vehicle does not move. Vehicle is at Subaru dealership being inspected and hopefully being repaired under warranty, which was extended by Subaru of America. SUBARU NEED TO FIX THIS, IT IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT.

We have replaced the battery 3 times now in less than a year. The battery keeps dying, which is so bad it is ruining the battery such that it has to be replaced. My pregnant wife and child have been stranded several times. Subaru sent a class action lawsuit notice, but when we went to the dealer they claimed they knew nothing about it. They tested the battery and said nothing was wrong. Doing some digging it seems that numerous others have had this same issue. It is an issue with the alternator and the DCM causing parasitic battery drain. Subaru is doing nothing to fix the issue.