What 290 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Subaru Outback Wilderness

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that vehicle was consistently burning out the headlight bulbs. The contact stated that within 3-years he had replaced the driver's and the passenger’s side headlight bulbs 7 times, and following one failure the passenger’s side headlight housing was replaced. The contact stated that the bulb in the new housing was blown. The contact stated that a headlight bulb had blown while driving at night at an undisclosed speed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who determined that the wiring and electrical system was working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621986

Headlights keep burning out in less than a year.

NHTSA ODI 11477824

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BULBS IN THE HEADLAMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED QUITE FREQUENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MILLER SUBARU (1592 NJ-38, LUMBERTON, NJ 08048) HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 175,000.

NHTSA ODI 11326323

TL* THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK COMPANY VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FITZGERALD SUBARU (11407 ROCKVILLE PIKE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20852, (301) 230-9000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE KNOCK SENSORS AND THE PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BODY AND HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,763.

NHTSA ODI 11097761

THE REAR 3RD HIGH BRAKE LIGHT LEAKS EVERY TIME IT RAINS. THIS HAPPENS BOTH WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY OR MOVING. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS EVERY TIME THAT IT RAINS FOR ABOUT THE LAST 6 MONTHS. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON FORUMS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11016060

BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING ON A DARK RURAL ROAD. WE WERE TOLD THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE OUR AUTO WHICH WAS MADE THE SAME YEAR AS OTHER RECALLED AUTOMOBILES OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. HOWEVER IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED PROPERLY.

NHTSA ODI 11002811

THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS BOTH BURNED OUT. SUBARU SAID THE ISSUE ONLY AFFECTED SOME OF THE OUTBACKS BUT OBVIOUSLY IT AFFECTS MINE AND WAS NOT COVERED.

NHTSA ODI 10960297

IN LESS THAN A YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE FOUR DIFFERENT DIRECTIONAL/RUNNING/HEAD LIGHTS. THIS IS EXCESSIVE, EXPENSIVE, AND AWKWARD TO DO. (THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS REQUIRE REMOVAL OF THE FRONT TIRES TO REACH THE ACCESS PANEL!) I KNOW THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE WITH EARLIER YEAR'S OF OUTBACKS.

NHTSA ODI 10957627

THE LEFT/RIGHT HEADLIGHTS, FRONT/REAR RUNNING LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE BURN OUT AT A VERY RAPID RATE. TO DATE, I HAVE REPLACED ALMOST EVERY NON-LED LIGHT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR AT LEAST ONCE. BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE (FOUR BULBS). COMPLICATING MATTERS, SUBARU CHARGES OVER $150 DO CHANGE A SINGLE HEADLIGHT IN THEIR SHOP. THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE REQUIRES COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY OF THE FRONT END TO ACCESS THE HEADLIGHTS. LIGHTS THAT BURN OUT SO FREQUENTLY ARE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DURING THE WINTER IS NOT THE TIME FOR BULBS TO BURN OUT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH SUBARUS--THE 2011 OUTBACK HAS LIFETIME BULB REPLACEMENT. WHEN I CONTACTED SUBARU ABOUT MY ISSUES, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO ISSUE WITH THE 2012 MODEL YEAR. THESE ISSUES HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 2011. I HAVE SELECTED A GENERIC DATE THIS MONTH BELOW.

NHTSA ODI 10954027

HIGH AND LOW BEAM BULBS CONSTANTLY BURNING OUT. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR 4 YEARS AND I REPLACE A LIGHT BUILD IN THE HEADLAMPS EVERY 4-6 MONTHS. USUALLY WHEN ONE GOES OUT ANOTHER WILL FOLLOW. EXAMPLE I REPLACED HIGH BEAM THEN 4 DAYS LATER THE LOW BEAM. GREAT VEHICLE BUT I HAVE REPLACED MORE BULBS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS OF THIS CAR THAN THE LAST 4 PAST OWNED VEHICLES COMBINED. BULBS USUALLY BURN OUT WHEN GOING FROM LOW TO HIGH OR VICE VERSUS. DEALER CLAIMS EVERYONE WITH SAME MODEL SPANNING DIFFERENT YEARS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM IT DOES NOT MATTER BRAND OF BULB. I PURCHASED EXPENSIVE BULBS WITH A 1 YR WARRANTY FREE REPLACEMENT IF THEY BURN OUT KNOWING I WILL ONLY GET A FEW MONTHS OUT OF THEM. I WILL STILL HAVE THE HASSLE OF REPLACING THEM BUT ATLEAST I'M DONE BUYING THEM. SUBARU SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. WITH ALL THE AIRBAG RECALLS I DOUBT THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT HEADLIGHTS. NHTSA PLEASE HELP US DEALERS SHOULD FIX THESE VEHICLES BEFORE RESELLING THESE FAULTY VEHICLES!'

NHTSA ODI 10946813

MY HEADLIGHTS ON MY OUTBACK ARE CONSTANTLY GOING OUT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN OCTOBER OF 2015 AND I HAVE REPLACED MY HEADLIGHTS 9 TIMES. I LIVE IN ALASKA WITH VERY LITTLE DAY LIGHT AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS HAVE MY HEADLIGHTS ON, REGARDLESS OF WHERE I LIVE. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER FOR THIS YET BUT I CAN SEE IT HAPPENING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ODI 10938860

THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS ARE CONSTANTLY BURNING OUT ON MY 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, APPROXIMATELY EVERY 3-6 MONTHS OR 3,000-6,000 MILES. ONE SIDE BURNS OUT RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER. I CANNOT SAY IF THE HEADLIGHT BULBS BURN OUT WHILE DRIVING OR STATIONARY; I DRIVE MOSTLY IN DAYLIGHT THEN NOTICE THE OUTAGE AT NIGHT. REPLACING THE BULB INVOLVES REMOVING THE TIRE AND HAVING A MECHANIC OR DEALERSHIP PERFORM THE WORK. WHAT SHOULD BE AN INFREQUENT SIMPLE TASK IS GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE! I AM PRIMARILY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY AS THE BULBS COULD EASILY BOTH BURN OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 10925263

2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. TWO SEPARATE ISSUES. FIRST: BOTH HIGH BEAMS INOPERATIVE. CAUSE: DEFECTIVE DLR MODULE. SECOND: CONTINUAL HEAD LIGHT BULB FAILURES. LEFT AND RIGHT, HIGH AND LOW. NO CAUSE OR CURE FOUND BY OUR LOCAL SUBARU DEALER. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT, WOULD YOU BELIEVE, NIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 10909564

2012 SUBARU OUTBACK LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILURE. OUR 2012 OUTBACK BLOWS HEADLIGHTS CONSTANTLY. THEY LAST APPROX. 3 TO 5 MONTHS BEFORE THEY FAIL. ON A LONG TRIP WE LOST BOTH LOW BEAMS LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME AND HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH HIGH BEAMS AND FOG LIGHTS ONLY!!! ALL FUSES HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND ARE FINE. OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO GO OUT. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION!!! MANY OWNERS HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING OF THIS FOR YEARS. NHTSA PLEASE DO A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS!!!!

NHTSA ODI 10872549

IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A HEADLIGHT 4 TIMES. ON THE 4 CARS I OWNED/LEASED PRIOR TO THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A HEADLIGHT EVER.

NHTSA ODI 10818049

THE HEADLIGHTS OF MY OUTBACK HAVE BURNED OUT AT LEAST 4 TIMES. THE DEALER CLAIMS THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10560704

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT PROJECTOR BULB WAS NOT SHIELDED. WHEN THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE BEAM APPEARED TO BE VERTICAL WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER'S VISION TO BE OBSCURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THEY WERE UNABLE TO SO AND THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AROUND WITH DUCT TAPE OVER THE LIGHT TO PREVENT GLARE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

NHTSA ODI 10490731

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE DRIVER THEN TURNED THE LIGHT SWITCH TO OFF AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED INTO HIS DRIVEWAY WITH THE SWITCH STILL TURNED TO THE OFF OPTION AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 4,100. UPDATED 08/01/12*LJ THE SUBARU TECHNICIANS STATED THE CONSUMER MA HAVE ACCIDENTALLY TURNED OFF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, WHICH WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE, BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. UPDATED 08/02/12

NHTSA ODI 10464052