2019 Subaru Outback complaints

The Radio has what looks like water spots under the screen, this causes the infotainment system to go crazy, no hands free and I’m afraid it won’t show the backup screen while it is like this.

Noticed a huge crack in my windshield this morning before leaving for work. Definitely some sort of stress fracture. Not from any kind of impact or rock chip. It was not there yesterday. This is a huge safety issue due to the suddenness and size of the crack right down the center of the windshield and then branching off to both the driver side view and the passenger side. Difficult to see while driving to work and very worried that the crack will continue to expand. I’m contacting the dealership where I purchased the car in June of 2024.

Car screen is malfunctioning. Starts doing own things and can cause huge distraction to the driver. Beeping noise, blinking, calling and dialing phone numbers, raising volume. Becomes unresponsive and impossible to operate.

Screen is delaminating. Becoming unresponsive at times. Making ghost touches, phone calls, opening apps, messing with GPS. Seems unsafe when it could be going haywire and especially using GPS trying to navigate traffic.

The infotainment center not working. It makes ghost options. Examples: calls people arbitrarily. Changes radio stations out of the blue. Maps goes nuts when try to use navigation. Screen has bubbles. SOA has only offered to front 1/2 the cost of the fix when even the dealership advised this is a defect/ known issue. I probably haven’t even listed all the issues but it makes the radio/navigation/ starlink service unusable at this point unless I pay out to fix with no real assurance this will not occur again

Subaru settled a class action lawsuit regarding faulty battery and DMC component that drains the battery continuously. My dealer just replaced my battery and DCM under warranty (I'm assuming the warranty is a result of the lawsuit). However, this does not ultimately remedy the problem. The new DMC will continue to draw on the battery causing future reoccurring issues. Subaru needs to make good on this problem in a permanent way.

PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN. I JUST BOUGHT THIS USED SUBARU OUTBACK IN JULY 2024. SINCE THEN, (WITHIN 8 MONTHS) THE CAR HAS HAD A DEAD BATTERY TWICE, IN 11/24 AND 2/25. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR JUMPED STARTED BY AAA SERVICES. THIS IS MORE THAN AN INCONVENIENCE NOW. IT HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF MY CAR WON'T START IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY DIAGNOSED A 6 DAY BATTERY DRAIN TIME. SEE UPLOADED INVOICE. THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT REGARDING THE DATA COMMUNICATIONS MODULE (DCM) PREVIOUS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS ONLY REIMBURSED FOR COSTS OF BATTERY REPLACEMENTS, DIAGNOSIS UP UNTIL 2023. THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED

The Infotainment system has been glitching repeatedly with each drive I take; I am unable to operate any functions. This interferes with CarPlay. I reported this to the dealership and they informed me I would get a notice of recall in the mail. That was almost 2 months ago.

The head unit on the vehicle has an issue where it bubbles and it’s causing the touch screen to spaz out, change sources, etc creating a terribly distracting driving experience and you are unable to turn it of. The screen flashes, the radio changes stations, it messes with the navigation rendering it useless, etc. it’s a known issue and Subaru settled a class an action lawsuit related to it for 2018 models but has not issued recalls to for any year models. They should fix the issue on all models. It has been going on for months.

I feel unsafe driving my car. My car could break down in the middle of nowhere at night, or worse. 2019 Subaru Outback **2023** October 2023 - Battery drain begins; neighbor/Darrel jump-starts repeatedly. - **First battery replacement** (Advance Auto Parts). - Driver-side window switch/trunk latch malfunctions. - Subaru of Kennesaw fails to diagnose drain; advises "electronic reset." - Trickle charger purchased as temporary fix. **2024** - **[XXX]** - **DCM replaced** at Subaru of Gwinnett (confirmed drain from DCM). - Car breaks down hours post-repair; **second battery installed**. - Case opened with Kelly of Subaru of America (no resolution). - **July 2024** - Dashcam installed (later blamed by Troncalli Subaru for drain). **2025** - **[XXX]** - Car taken to Cumming Subaru for battery drain. - **Third battery installed**; dealership blames dashcam (issue predates installation). - **[XXX]** - Denise (Customer Advocate) opens Case promises update (none received). - **[XXX]** - Barb (Executive Inquiry Specialist) promises update by Feb 21 (no follow-up). - **[XXX]** - Troncalli Subaru (Stephanie) claims car is ready but provides no diagnostic details. - No communication from Subaru executives (Thomas Doll, Jeff Walters). ————————- DCM Settlement: I believe there was class action law suit, and Subaru does not honor the extended warranty. 3+ repairs, 30+ days out of service. - **Subaru’s Negligence**: Note shifting blame and lack of follow-up. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO TH

Parasitic battery drain when vehicle is turned off. The DCM module in these vehicles will not shut off properly and continue to drain the battery. Subaru has firmware on the vehicle that will not fully charge the battery when driving to save fuel. The vehicle has had 6 or more instances over the past two weeks where the car was undriveable unless jumped from another vehicle or a boost device is used.

The center console screen begins developing subsurface oil spots at 100,000 miles. these cause glare, inhibiting visibility, and phantom touches, inhibiting use of the system. this loss of ability to control the primary information system in the vehicle produces safety issues in distractions to the driver and inability to access vehicle information such as the map. I recently had a low fuel warning come on while traveling, which takes over the whole screen; because the screen was causing phantom touches, i could not dismiss it and continue using the map to navigate to a gas station. i risked being lost in winter in deep rural wisconsin, as my phone didn’t have signal and my car was my only local map this is a well known issue on Subaru owner fora, and the company refuses to recall or even warrantee the problem since it happens just after the 5y/100k mile turnover. mine began a month ago, at mile 101,086.

Parasitic battery draw - when left completely unattended for about 10 days, the battery is drained, leaving driver stranded and in need of a car jump. Has occurred twice on a new battery installed in late Nov.

This is a recurring issue that has started significantly impacting my infotainment system. The screen malfunctions by pressing random buttons, hanging up calls, changing the radio station, and repeatedly attempting to connect and disconnect Bluetooth. When this happens, there's nothing I can do to stop it because the screen is entirely unresponsive to my touch. It's not only frustrating but also dangerous and very distracting while driving.

Infotainment unit delamination. Plus radio stations skip stations constantly and phone through infotainment unit is messed up. Unit turns on and off. Then sometimes it is fine.

Battery not charging. Battery from 09/2024. Unable to turn vehicle over. After charging battery, it has happened again.

Navigation Screen/STARLINK Multimedia screen malfunctions due to bubbling. Screen must remain turned off. Cannot use navigation and cannot use hands free phone. If I try to use any function the screen automatically scrolls through various function including randomly launching functions such as dialing numbers on my phone. I took the car to the dealer and they said it is "common" but not a recall and not covered by warranty because my car is now out of warranty

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery was power was draining abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be jumpstarted on ten occasions and the battery was replaced. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to a parasitic draining. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

Delamination of the infotainment system. It delaminated and causes screen haunting. Which while I’m driving touches random things on the screen, which include vehicle safety settings, changing them at random. Also, it changes the radio, and disables the driver from being able to control volume which further distracts driver and puts driver at risk. A car that once had car play which allowed hands free phone calls, now puts people on hold, ends call, starts calls, and changes navigation directions, at no notice. The car was seen by the dealer, and confirmed as an issue, the dealer in turn asked for 2200 dollars to repair this problem.

First battery --original to the car lasted about 3.5 yrs. Replacement lasted less than 2 yrs and was particularly weak in cold weather conditions. Third battery purchased in June 2024 and it was totally dead by Oct 2024 and was replaced. The Oct 2024 battery began to start slowly in Jan 2025 and today, Jan 12, 2025 failed to start. It was totally dead but was restarted with an emergency starter. I don't drive long distances often and most trips are short --3-5 miles almost every day. This seems to fit in with the electrical problems described for 2016-2020 Outbacks.

Ongoing for several months. Battery will have parasitic drain that is causing me to have to jump start the car frequently. There are no warning lamps or light. I have not gone to dealer as I read on the internet it is a DCM module that costs several hundreds to fix. Apparently this is a widespread issue and this should be covered by Subaru because of defective equipment. Thank you.

I own a 2019 Subaru Outback. I have had to replace the windshield four times, every time it was replaced with Subaru Glass, as recommended by Subaru. The windshield cracks at not centered, they appear from either the top or bottom of the windshield with not impact site. I have asked for them to review the framing and have been continually told it is fine. The windshields have all cracked within a two year period. The last one which occurred a couple days ago appeared after the car going through a pot hole on the street.

The battery drained within a year. Battery functioning issues

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The computer control system showed low tire pressures. While the passenger’s seat was occupied, there was an abnormal dinging sound detected. The message that the seat not activated message was displayed. The contact stated that the battery drained, and the vehicle failed to start. The starting system had drained the battery. The contact had Triple AAA check the vehicle, and the DCM made an abnormal popping sound. The ABS, radio, and CD warning lights were flashing. The transmission, GPS, and undercarriage messages were illuminated. The computer screen had burned out and was inoperable. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle abruptly stopped without driver input. The steering wheel became inoperable and was uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the DCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000. The VIN was not available.

Infotainment head unit is delaminating. This issue causes "ghost touches" where the system randomly selects options or changes settings without user input. The delamination appears as bubbles or dots behind the screen that cannot be wiped off. This is a safety issue as these "ghost touches" make selections, changes, and phone calls on the infotainment system while driving.

The surface of the interior touch screen display on my 2019 Subaru Outback Touring that controls the radio, navigation, phone, vehicle settings and information, and rear backup camera assistance developed bubbles and presses buttons on its own. It toggles between apps, calls people, changes radio stations, adjusts volume, discontinues map routes, removes backup camera footage, and beeps at random and while driving. As a driver or passenger I am unable to control these functions because the touch screen is not functional. The safety of myself and others has absolutely been put at risk: a once reliable backup camera is no longer consistently functional; the route I set in the driveway disappears, reappears, and changes destination locations while I'm driving; at times the screen toggles and beeps quickly, will not stay turned off, and creates an unavoidable visual and audible distraction. Phil Long Subaru inspected my vehicle, confirmed that this is a known issue with United Radio part #AL58A, and quoted the repair at over $1600. Subaru of America has not issued a recall despite two class action lawsuits for this issue and an existing recall for the same issue on earlier models. SOA offered a one time credit of $1200, which leaves me on the hook for $500 for their defective manufacturing, and no guarantee that the replacement part has been modified to address the issue or extended warranty on the part in case this happens again. There were no warnings, messages, or symptoms of

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the front windshield cracked without impact during colder temperatures. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the control panel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the control panel independently blinked on and off. Additionally, the contact stated that there were bubbles on the outer surface around the control panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. In addition, the contact stated that in March 2024, the control panel was replaced due to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,500.

The infotainment system or head unit has gone haywire! The car calls random people from my phone book and hangs up, plays the radio changing channels every 5 seconds switching to the map and then to settings and changing dash from Mph to Kph and so on and so forth. This is dangerously distracting and there is no way to turn it off. I have to disable my phone to drive the car. None of my buttons on the screen work. Unfortunately no warranty and the cost is almost $2,000 to replace the unit…but will it just happen again in 4 years? Completely unsafe for my teenage son to drive and I thought I was buying the safest car on the road at the time. This is unsafe and unnecessary….we would be happy if we had a way to just turn it all off!

The head unit is delaminating making navigation, bluetooth connection, radio inoperable. The screen flashes through different screens which is a safety hazard. I filed a claim with Subaru Care and they offered only $500 assistance on a $1600 repair for a 2019 with about 78,000 miles.

Right rear safety belt would not retract while installing a car seat with it. Seatbelt was pulled all the way out and it would not retract. Vehicle was taken to Subaru dealership. Dealer stated seatbelt had been over extended. I manually pushed belt in and pulled it out several times, and it finally retracted and started working. If belt doesn't retract it cannot be used. There was no reason for the belt to fail. Belt on left side of vehicle was used and retracted without a problem.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the display screen malfunctioned and flashed off and on. During the failure, the back-up camera became inoperable and created a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V935000 (Visibility). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 85,000.

This vehicle, and many others as I've read in forums, experiences uncontrollable radio station and apps changes automatically and will not stop. Why it's not safe: The radio screen flashes between several screens on it's own. It changes stations, it changes to different apps, then the screen locks and you cannot reset it. It also beeps with every change, over 100 beeps per minute, like a morse code message. Imagine that on a 9-hour road trip. It is a major annoyance and distraction as the driver is constantly focused on trying to get this radio/equipment to work properly. It forces your attention off the road. And it will not stop! It changes radio stations, if powered off, it turns itself on. And Subaru refuses to acknowledge the issue, or offer a replacement. They pretend they never heard of the issue, yet its easily found in forums. For $1000 I can get a different OEM radio, from the same manufacturer, and who knows how long it will be before it happens again? We (subaru owners) need help with this and a recall. I can't tell you how many times I've drifted out of my lane trying to make the beep beep beep stop after hour after hour! Navigation and apps are useless, as the radio will change them to different input sources without notice, and all day long. Yes, this is a safety issue. You cannot just turn it off. It turns itself back on. Even if you turn down the sound from the radio, the beep beep beep of the apps changing cannot be silenced. It only occurs when the vehicle

Battery drainage, I’ve had to replace my battery 3 times within 1 year time frame (10/13/23, 10/15/14 & 11/24/24). This is making my vehicle inoperable and unable to drive.

Infotainment unit failed. Battery died and was replaced with a larger capacity battery. Shortly after, the infotainment head unit became inoperable with ghosting of buttons. Then, the car would not hold a charge again and a bypass box for the digital communication center is being installed today under a recall. The ghosting/inoperable infotainment center remains non-functional and is apparently a separate issue? It randomly beeps and selects buttons, which is distracting. Unit has to be shut off to avoid this.

Battery goes dead after not using car for 4 days. Subaru said the battery that came with the car was not strong enough. There was a lawsuit, but i missed the date to buy a new battery. I bought a strong battery, but problem happed again. Based on many forum messages, there is a parasitic battery drain while car is off. Problem is tied to Starlink Fuse. Also saw a new lawsuit on the fact that Starlink is trying to connect to 3G network, which no longer exists. Subaru is not fixing this problem. Google Subaru 2019 Starlink battery, it is all over the place.

DCM battery drain and bad head unit display. The class action law suit does not cover the fix for the battery drain problem. Just a new battery. My is the battery continues to drain. I cannot afford to replace the problem DCM. I had to pull that fuse as a fix. I now do not have fro t speakers or Bluetooth. My CarPlay maps no longer tell me where I need to turn. Causing me to looks at the display more frequently. This is not good in busy areas. The other issue is with the head unit. When it gets warm and humid, the display doesn’t work. It clicks all over causing issues with CarPlay, Bluetooth and the radio. This is due to moisture getting in the display. Again causing problems and distractions. This will cause accidents if it hasn’t already. There are a lot of complaints out there for this as well as the DCM battery drain.

Head unit delaminating after Data Control Module repair in 2023. Head unit is entirely inoperable and poses a safety risk to driver by turning radio on and off, switching stations, raising and lowering volume level, and affecting the eyesight periodically. Head unit can be turned off after multiple attempts, however powers back up on its own continuing the previously mentioned issues.

See attached document for complaint.

To the CA Automotive Repair Bureau, [XXX] complaint, In 2022, I bought a new Outback at Albany Subaru. In October 2024, my car has 33,000 miles and I've had all of my 3,000-mile oil changes, inspections, and Warranty repairs done by Albany Subaru. I pay $100 for each repair that's covered under Subaru's extended Warranty. In 2023, the car's Dashboard Computer/Radio Head Unit was repaired, I drove the car for a few days, but the Head Unit was defective, so Subaru changed the Head Unit. This cost me (3) three trips to Subaru, which is 7.8 miles from my home, UBER costs, and three $100 Warranty payments. I'm a small business owner and had to pay employees extra to remain at work so I could drop off and pick up my car. Most times Subaru didn't give me a loaner car. Weeks later, I was driving up a hill and could not correctly steer my car, I thought I might crash, so I stopped driving my new car. I only drive on paved roads and I bought my Subaru because of Subaru's quality and safety reputation. I returned my car to Albany Subaru. My car's Steering or front end seemed loose and not right. Subaru told me I needed an alignment. I paid for an alignment. I drove my car home, but again, the Steering didn’t seem right, it was still loose and shaking. A day later, I returned my car to Subaru and they readjusted and tightened the Steering Box. Subaru called me at home and stated I needed an oil change, an alignment, and (4) four new tires, and brakes, which I agreed to the oil change. Th

This morning, while stopped at a red light, my foot on the brake, my car suddenly revved and jolted forward. Luckily, no one was in front of me, and I quickly put the car in neutral and pressed harder on the brake pedal. The car was then ok. I see that there is a Class Action Suit filed by the law firm of Berger Montague, since many other owners of Subaru have had this complaint. You need to have Subaru recall these vehicles ASAP.

Rccd email. nhsta david chin on 04 envoy vin and smog cali fraud.. ended case sold vehicle to pick a part. did not sur dealer. purchased 1 month later Carmax Ontario california 2019 subaru outback. nhsta states moonroof and pedestrian braking for ev and hybrid u5 engine. this outback has no moonroof nor is it an ev or hybrid. owned by enterprise rent a car and subaru santa monica prior as grey in 2019 then tungsten metallic 2019-2020. unsure of vehicle history accident reported 2022. subaru of america and san bernardino states aftermarket bolt installed carmax has the vehicle for $1400-1750 in repairs they did not notice @ sale [XXX]. to me [XXX] [XXX]. they are currently repairing radiator cooling system suspension. and i believe the vehicle has never gone a 125point inspection and may have other issues elsewhere. the battery is caved in indented bulging out on plastic and subaru and carmax both say it meits their specifications as it holds a charge. and will not replace it. the electrical system flickers lights. and carmax allowed me to drive the vehicle for 3 weeks 2000 miles. ynknowing the suspension and right tire wobble before and after carmax alignment. stating the vehicle was safe and operable as subaru of san bernardino stated it may be dangerous and american tire depot san bernardino showed and said the same as subaru of san bernardino suspension defects that carmax never noticed before or after sale and said the vehicle was fine. been to carmax 10 times over 3 week

Battery dies multiple times per week. I have already had the battery replaced under the Subaru Battery Settlement, but it is still dying regularly. This is absolutely a safety issue.

Delay from time accelerate until car moves. This has happened 10 or more times.

After driving approximately 240 miles since our last stop, we stopped for gas. The car would not start. It sounded like it was trying to turn over but couldn't. Even when we let up on the start button the vehicle was still trying to start until we hit the button again (this is not normal). All battery functions were still working. The car only had about 38,500 miles on it. After trying multiple times to start it and googling, we suspected a fuel issue. We had the car towed to a local Subaru dealer. The dealer confirmed the fuel pump was the problem and replaced the part. More research revealed a fuel pump recall for certain production dates of the 2019 Subaru Outback, but ours is not currently part of the recall. We contacted Subaru and reported the issue. They opened a case for it. When we picked up the car, Subaru had paid for the repair. In hindsight, we are lucky the car did not stall while driving on the interstate at 70mph as that could have caused serious issues and injury to ourselves and/or others. There were no warning lights or other symptoms on that day. There had been some starting issues approximately 1-2 months earlier, but we had replaced the battery and thought that fixed it. We asked for the part but the Subaru dealer where the repair was made kept the part. In addition to the safety concerns, this incident also resulted in personal financial burden as we were around 600 miles from home enroute to a vacation destination and had to uber to a car rental place,

BATTERY failures and being stranded due to parasitic loads from DCM.

A crack in the windshield suddenly appeared with no apparent cause starting at the very upper edge about a third of the way across from the driver side and traveled about half way down and then turned to the right for about eight inches. It is available for inspection upon request. As of this date it has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. It has been reported to insurance representatives, but not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There was no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

Continues issue with windshield cracks, cracks will spread over night across the windshield. car windshield will be replaced for a fourth time on [XXX]. I initially replaced it with in a year of purchase in North Carolina and will replace for a third time here in San Diego at the dealer Kearny Mesa Subaru address 4797 Convoy St. San Diego, CA 92111 phone number 858-278-7100. Kearny Mesa has replaced my windshield for the last two times, first time was in spring of 2022, second time was in February 2024 and now again for a third time tomorrow [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The computer I think it's a starlink system has gone haywire and does not work at all to a point to where you cannot use it. Touch screen will not respond or goes from one thing to the other on its own. Totally unusual.

Parasitic drain cause by the CAN system, which causes the battery to randomly die, batter has been replaced, alternator and starter have been tested. When the battery has low voltage this also shuts down the cars safety features like forward Collision and cruise control. The head unit in the car is also malfunctioning, causing it randomly turn on and off while driving, button s being pressed on their own which is a huge distraction while driving. Subaru has not been willing to assist.