What 1,029 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Outback

Replaced battery 3 months ago due to battery dying repeatedly after vehicle would sit for a short amount of time. Old battery was less than 2 years old. Problem has persisted even with the new battery. This issue risks leaving me stranded anywhere I park the car, including in the middle of the highway if the car were to die there. Looking online this appears to be a common issue with this model and other owners have reported a parasitic drain from the circuit containing the Starlink/DCM module (I have not confirmed this myself).

NHTSA ODI 11527100

Car dies unexpectedly leaves you stranded when you lease expect it. Died on 9/1/22, 9/16/22, 9/25/22, 9/26/22 - took to dealer and issued a new battery. Most recently died on 5/24/23.

NHTSA ODI 11523776

I own a 2019 Subaru Outback. In the past month, the battery drained in <15min while the car was turned off and locked (happened twice during a quick lunch and a grocery run). Dick Hannah Subaru Vancouver has diagnosed a chip malfuction (the chip keeps running while car is off and drains the battery). Autozone has verified independently that the battery itself is perfectly fine. It happened again while I was out hiking this past weekend and I almost got stuck in the wilderness which can be very dangerous. AND, I couldn't start it the next morning either! What is worse, Subaru of America has no ETA of the replacement chip due to shortage. So far, Subaru of America has not approved my request for free repair, free loaner vehicle, and extended warranty, despite multiple phone calls. I am extremely upset about their level of customer service and willingness to acknowledge the issue. In my opinion, there should be a recall as this can put consumers in a dangerous situation of being stuck somewhere.

NHTSA ODI 11521453

Display screen for radio, navigation, status has failed and is flashing on/off. Radio, navigation and other functions are not operable. First occurred in Fall 2022, dealer examined and diagnosed in Jan 2023. Repair replacement parts are indefinitely unavailable. There is not a committed schedule to repair/replace. This appears to be a widespread problem/defect with no known schedule to deliver parts for repair. The result is a vehicle that is dangerous to drive at night with flashing lights at this display panel. I write about this to add to the field of data and information about this problem with this model vehicle. Any assistance in expediting manufacturers attention to this is appreciated

NHTSA ODI 11519710

My car which is a 2019 Subaru ourback started having main computer display showing bubbles which then started randomly activating a touch and activating different menus of the car July of 2022. This pretty much renders the the main computer display useless which controls many of the car controls, through which the rear view camera is displayed and through which the phone connects for hands free calling. Because of the random touches, we can no longer pair a phone with the car as it would randomly call people due to the random activation of the touch sensors on the car. After researching this, I found out that this is called delamination and has been affecting all prior model years for which, apparently there is a nation al recall up to but not including my year car. I went to the Subaru dealer ship who informed me that up to a 1/3 of the cars they are seeing are there for the same reason. They asked me to contact the Subaru of America. After multiple visits to the dealership and the dealership sending pictures to the Subaru of America, I got an Email with a voucher for 1200$ towards replacement of the computer system. The problem is that I have been waiting since October of 2022 with a defective computer and there are no parts available for repair. Subaru can not even tell me when they may have a part and there is not intention of even giving a timeline. I am now driving a card who's computer is constantly activating touches which is one very distracting and is not doing any of the function that it is supposed to. The rear view camera is as if I was looking though fog and limits visibility. Doing a google search proves that this is a widespread problem. I am contacting you for help in resolving this issue and possible helping others with the same issue please.

NHTSA ODI 11518765

Vehicle battery goes dead for no reason. It's been replaced several times. Left stranded several times when car started went shopping, wouldn't start to go home. This has occurred more than 5 times, portable battery charger was purchased.

NHTSA ODI 11518287

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the battery drained. The contact replaced the battery; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file the complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

NHTSA ODI 11515742

Starting December 2022, I've had a problem with my 2019 Subaru Outback - the battery goes dead when parked for as little as 24 hours. I have had the battery replaced twice - first by AAA in mid-December, 2022 and then by my local Subaru dealer in early February, 2023. Each time, the car seems fine for 4-6 weeks, then the problem starts again. Each time I take it to a Subaru dealer, they tell me they have found a different problem with the electrical system causing a "parasitic draw" on the battery while shut off. In February, Koeppel Subaru in Queens performed an ECM programming update at the same time they installed a new battery and told me that would fix the problem. But this past week, the problem resurfaced. I then visited Premier Subaru in Branford, CT who examined the car and they have told me I have a faulty DCM component, which will cost me over $900 to replace despite me having the Subaru Gold + Extended warranty. They keep telling they've found the cause of the problem (different each time) but it never seems to get fixed. Googling my car's problem, a lot of Subaru Outback owners are having dead battery problems and there seem to be a couple of class action lawsuits regarding getting Subaru to pay for replacement batteries. But those lawsuits seem to only address the symptom (dead battery) of a bigger problem - there is a design flaw in the Subaru Outback that is causing this "parasitic draw" on the battery when the car is not in use. It's a flaw that Subaru is not addressing by having a recall. It seems to me to be

NHTSA ODI 11514745

Battery keeps draining when off. It has left me stranded and needing to call for help several times. The battery checks out fine and will charge, but drains overnight. There is no warnings or low battery indicator.

NHTSA ODI 11513825

Vehicle would not start after turning off the motor! This has happened 3 times until it would not start at all, which left myself and young girls stranded for 2 hrs until AAA arrived! The battery is good but something is draining the battery!!! Will take to Subaru dealership to diagnose the problem!

NHTSA ODI 11513742

Battery drain, if you don't drive the car everyday, car will not start due to electrical parasite. My wife works overnight at a hospital and found car's battery dead after working late shifts. Frequent needs a jump after shift. Dangerous area where she works. Dealer indicated nothing wrong with car and blamed car started for discharge. Looking onsite, many experiencing same unsafe issue. Just purchased new battery and still discharge.

NHTSA ODI 11513074

Trunk popped open and will not close. Power rear gate latch control needed to be replaced. Couldn’t fully open or close trunk while driving or even after stopped

NHTSA ODI 11513090

My 2019 Subaru Outback is used primarily for short-interval driving within my village. On the initial instance during the summer of 2022, the car would not start and did not have enough battery voltage to crank the engine. Lights and electrical components were non-responsive. After recharging the battery, the condition resolved. On January 2nd of 2023 the car was once again experiencing a dead battery condition. My assumption was that the battery was approaching end of life and I replaced the battery with a new one. Once again the condition resolved. On February 27th 2023 the car again experienced a dead battery condition and would not start. The battery was less than 2 months old. After recharging the battery the condition resolved. I took the battery to the place of purchase for testing, and the battery tests normal. The car is available for inspection upon request. The safety of my family members that drive the car are at risk of being stranded at any moment if the car will not start. I have not had a dealer or independent service center perform a diagnosis. However, an independent service center informed me that this was a common problem with Subaru vehicles ranging from model years 2016 to 2019 and was related to a Subaru technical service bulletin (#11-174-17R) addressing potential battery discharging after repeated periods of short-trip-driving resulting in a dead battery. The newly purchased battery has been inspected by the place of purchase and deemed as functioning properly. There was no indication or symptoms prior to failure.

NHTSA ODI 11512008

Screen of Harman Kardon stereo developed bubbling that at first only impaired visibility of the display. Visibility of the backup camera video became reduced as the bubbling progressed. Soon the unit began experiencing electrical issues like not responding when the screen was pressed or acting like it had been pressed when it had not. Trying to use Apple CarPlay will occasionally result in the entire system freezing the rebooting. Audio using Bluetooth connections will skip. I took the car to the dealership and they confirmed they have seen this issue multiple times before and the screen may be overheating and shorting out.

NHTSA ODI 11510267

I own a 2019 Subaru Outback Touring. This is the second Subaru Outback I have owned. In Aug of 2022, my windshield cracked out of nowhere. The crack came up from the center and spread out across the windshield. I had it replaced at the Subaru dealership in which I bought the car. Everything seemed fine until 12/23/22, when we got some heavy rain and I get in my car only to see water steadily dripping inside via the vehicle the left A-pillar on the front drivers side. I return to the dealer where it turns out that there was a problem with the brand new factory-brand windshield that was replaced in August, and it had been slowly leaking water into my car over those 4 months, resulting in massive damage to the airbag system, electrical system, among other things. These damages came to over $10,500. The water had gathered under my carpets and padding and started growing mold. All of this needed to be replaced. This was the third time I had to replace a windshield on the two Subarus that I have owned. Due to this, I have been without a vehicle for over 60 days now. It has caused me incredible stress, time out of work, and money. I am a caretaker for my paraplegic father who has also suffered due to my being without a vehicle to care for him, run errands, and food shop for him. Throughout my research, I have come to learn that this is a known problem in the Subaru brand vehicles yet they choose to ignore it and do nothing about it. I am not comfortable driving my car any longer, which still has electrical issues and unfortunately, I am losing trust in Subaru as a brand. It is unfortunate that they will not address this and fix this issue because I believe it is damaging their reputation. I have not been left in a good position here, with a junked car that is only 3 years old, 40k miles, and that I owe $15,000 on still, and I now need to find a new vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11510159

Today is Monday February 20th 2023, The car (2019 Subaru ) will not start if it's not driven daily or if a door is left open for longer than 20 minutes (i.e. cleaning, loading/unloading) because the electrical system is faulty and draws too much on the battery when the car is off. We already replaced the battery and the issue continues. Subaru is aware and I hope they issue a recall soon to repair this broken electrical system. It's a serious safety hazard when your car is unreliable, for example it's frightening to be a stuck in an unfamiliar area. So far I have had the nicest people jump start the battery. But it's already caused many losses by causing me to be late to work and doctors' appointments. These are real life scenarios in which so many of us have been affected by this faulty system. Subaru, please provide a recall with a lasting solution.

NHTSA ODI 11508229

Bought a new car battery and a battery charger because the car is often dead.

NHTSA ODI 11508020

Several models of Subarus from 2017-2020 have a known parasitic drain that kills the battery frequently. My Subaru Outback (2019) battery has died four times in one year. This occurred more recently in December and the dealership replaced the battery and updated the software, saying it would fix the problem. It happened again (now in February) after I was out of town for a week. Anytime you don't drive every day, this will happen, and Subaru has admitted that there is no fix. There is a class action settlement that did nothing but pay for a couple replaced batteries, no fix, and even that is limited to lower miles and for a certain time. That doesn't begin to cover the cost of having to sell my car, buy a new one at a higher price, when a 2019 outback with low miles should have lasted me at least ten years. They should do a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11507281

I was out of the country for 4 weeks. While week 2, my daughter tried to start outback but the battery was dead. I have 2019 Subaru Outback, total mileage now is 16,400. I don't see why this car's battery die just little after 3 years. We called AAA to start the battery, few days later after driving few hours a day, again my car's battery is dead. The same goes to my remote key.

NHTSA ODI 11503865

Ever since this car was new it has always dragged while starting. Like the battery was weak but, its my first subaru so figured it was the style of starter. After a couple years the battery got weaker and weaker until it died. Replaced battery and it started doing the same thing. Now, the car is 4 years old and this is our 3rd battery. The alternator charges 14.6 volts which is perfect. But, sitting overnight the battery is constantly being drained. If i put a charge on it and remove it from car it holds the charge. So, it isn't the batteries plus, we had the battery and alternator tested and those aren't the problem. The vehicle constantly drains the battery while sitting overnight. After a few days it won't start at all. Subaru says there isn't a problem. I have a sickly parent living here and he has to go to the hospital regularly and we need that vehicle to work properly. Is there anything we can do about this.

NHTSA ODI 11503566

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, or while the vehicle was parked, the Infotainment system and screen made abnormal sounds with the screen flashing. The contact stated that the Navigation and Bluetooth also malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a malfunctioning audio unit that needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the repairs were not completed because the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000. The contact stated that the failure mileage was actually 43,000. The issue with the display causes a distraction while driving. The dealer was contacted several times but with no remedy. The dealer only states that they are waiting for the parts but has no provided an ETA.

NHTSA ODI 11502417

Has seemed to have low battery for many many months At least 5 times we have had to jump start Rear hatch was beeping and did not want to close or respond to any buttons Passenger side window would not open or close with driver side buttons Took to dealer, battery failed and they replaced it I picked it up next day and still felt slow to start like battery was drained Now dealer stated I may have to pay for further diagnostics regarding battery drain

NHTSA ODI 11502007

With less than 7000 miles on the odometer, our Outback2019 radio system component started to malfunction and rotate thru channels. Sheehy Subaru of Springfield performed system update, but no change. The entire component was ordered but is now on back order. It is now almost 4 months and we don't trust other possible related components of the system (e.g., GPS) to function properly to feel safe driving this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11500812

The battery dies after 3 days of parking inside my garage. The battery passed a test. This is the third time the issue has taken place.

NHTSA ODI 11498799

This model of vehicle has persistent electrical issues resulting in the vehicle dying or being unable to start. Replacing the battery does not resolve the issues. Placing the keyfob in Faraday cages to prevent drain also does not resolve the issues. Charging the battery to full before using the vehicle temporary delays the issues but 3-10 days later the vehicle will die again. The vehicle has undergone examination by a Subaru certified maintenance dealer and they insist no issue can be found and the vehicle passes all checks. Most recently the vehicle died within a few days of getting a complete check out and passing all tests. This affects safety because a vehicle dying from electrical failure may cause an accident due to an absence of power steering, braking, etc. The vehicle may also strand motorist in compromising environmental conditions such as extreme cold, heat, etc.

NHTSA ODI 11497248