2015 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

PARASITIC BATTERY FAILURES: MULTIPLE EVENTS BETWEEN JULY 2018 AND JANUARY 2021. BATTERY & ALTERNATOR WERE CONSISTENTLY FOUND TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY. BATTERY WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. ONE EVENT HAD EXCESSIVE BATTERY PERCOLATION. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY AN AFTER-MARKET HUM SPEED & LOCATION MONITORING DEVICE PLACED IN JANUARY 2018 AND PARTIALLY REMOVED IN OCTOBER 2020. WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE HUM ATTACHMENT TO THE OBDII PORT. THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY FIXED WHEN AN ASTUTE MECHANIC RECOGNIZED THAT THE FAILURES WERE LIKELY DUE TO THE REMAINING HUM PART ATTACHED TO THE OBDII PORT. LOGICAL IT WOULD DRAW DOWN THE OUTBACK UNDERSIZED BATTERY, WHICH IS WELL DOCUMENTED. SO: ADVICE TO OWNERS: DO NOT ATTACH AFTER-MARKET DEVICES TO YOUR OUTBACK. REMOVE CONNECTIONS LIKE PHONE JACKS AS NEEDED WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED. AND, IF YOU HAVE AN UNEXPLAINED DEAD BATTERY PROBLEM, CHECK THE OBDII PORT & REMOVE ANY FOREIGN DEVICES OR HAVE YOUR MECHANIC DO SO.

I HAVE THIS ISSUE WITH MY MUFFLER. TSB 09-66-16 REAR MUFFLER SHELL RIGIDITY ENHANCEMENT THIS BULLETIN ANNOUNCES A CHANGE IN THE PRODUCTION PROCEDURE FOR THE REAR MUFFLER ASSEMBLY. SPOT-WELD LOCATIONS SECURING THE OUTER SHELL PORTION HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO IMPROVE OVERALL RIGIDITY. A GAP MAY DEVELOP AT THE SPOT WELDED SEAM AS A RESULT OF REPEATED THERMAL SHOCK (HEATING / COOLING) WHICH OCCURS DURING NORMAL USE. THE GAP DOES NOT CREATE AN EXHAUST LEAK. IN SOME CASES, A RATTLING SOUND FROM THE MUFFLER MAY DEVELOP.

TL* THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF AN OBJECT MAY HAVE IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING A CRACK. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS IMPACTED BY ANY OBJECTS. THE CRACK STARTED OFF AS A LITTLE LINE HOWEVER, WITHIN MINUTES, THE SMALL LINE WENT HORIZONTAL ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE PASSENGER'S TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. DON MILLER SUBARU WEST (5822 ODANA RD, MADISON, WI 53719, (608) 442-3200) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

DRIVING DOWN STRAIGHT STRETCH OF FREEWAY ON THE INSIDE LANE AT 65-70MPH IN WET BUT SATISFACTORY CONDITION, MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY VEERED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH CENTRAL ISLAND. NO PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE IS VERY GOOD CONDITION AND MECHANICALLY SOUND. ALTHOUGH THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS DAMAGED AND DEFLATED, IT DIDN'T DISINTEGRATE AS I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED IF IT HAD BURST AT HIGH SPEED. I HAVE EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT TIRE PUNCTURES IN THE PAST AND IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THAT. THERE WAS A STEERING COLUMN RECALL FOR 2016/17 OUTBACKS WHICH MY VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF. COULD THIS BE AN UNDERLYING STEERING ISSUE?

TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED BACKWARD. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND HIT THE BRAKES. NOTHING HAPPENED.I DIDNT WANT TO HIT THERE GARAGE OR MY SON IN LAWS CAR SO I SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. I HIT THE BRAKES AND AGAIN NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR HIT THE NEIGHBOR BUSH AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO REST WHEN IT HIT THE NEIGHBORS HONDA RIGHT DOOR. I THEN PUT IT DRIVE AND PULLED BACK ONTO MY DAUGHTERS DRIVEWAYS AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME STOPPING THE VEHICLE. IT DID APPROX. $2200 DAMAGE TO MY SUBARU OUTBACK SENDING IT TO THE COLLISION SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS.

BATTERY DISCHARGING/NOT PROPERLY CHARGING. REPLACED WITH NEW BATTERY IN 2017 AT DEALER'S RECOMMENDATION. NEW BATTERY CONTINUES TO NOT STORE CHARGE/DISCHARGE, INCLUDING WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AT A STORE OR A PARKING FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME. THIS POSES SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS, AS I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN AND WHERE MY CAR WOULD NOT START. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN EXCESS OF 20 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS, AND I AM FORCED TO FREQUENTLY REPLACE THE BATTERY AND TO ALWAYS HAVE A JUMP STARTER IN THE CAR.

MULTIPLE DEAD BATTERY ISSUES (APPROX 10 OVER 3 YEAR PERIOD); NO PROVOKING EPISODES (NO LEFT IN COLD FOR PROLONGED TIME; NO LIGHTS ON

WINDSHIELD CRACKED IN THE LOWER DRIVERS SIDE CORNER. THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED DUE TO UNKNOWN REASONS AND BLIND SPOT WARNING STOPPED WORKING FOR NO REASON

I TOOK THE CAR INTO PAUL MOAK SUBARU ON 10/14. THE CAR WAS BUCKING UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION. WHEN PULLING THRU A STOP LIGHT, OR MOVING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE CAR KICKS BACK AND FORTH AND I DON'T KNOW IF ITS GOING TO KEEP GOING OR STALL. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. PAUL MOAK SUBARU SAYS " THIS IS DUE TO AN INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE CVT TRANSMISSION AND THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS $9,319.59." THIS IS ALMOST THE SAME AS WHAT I OWE ON THE CAR. I KNEW OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY SUBARU PROVIDED FOR THE TRANSMISSION BUT I'M OUTSIDE THE MILEAGE PORTION. I REACHED OUT TO SUBARU NORTH AMERICA ON 10/27/20 BUT THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT HELP ME DUE TO THE MILEAGE. I DRIVE APPROX 750 MILES A WEEK ON A SALES ROUTE THUS THE HIGH MILEAGE. 90 % OF THE MILES ARE HIGHWAY AND ARE DOCUMENTED FOR TAX PURPOSES. I LOVE MY SUBARU BUT CANT BELIEVE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON A 5 YEAR OLD CAR. I HAVE A FAMILY OF 4 AND AM SCARED TO TAKE THEM IN THE CAR IN THIS CONDITION. I HAVE TO DRIVE IT IN THIS CONDITION UNTIL I CAN SAVE THE MONEY IT'S GOING TO COST TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION. SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED, ROLLED TO A STOP, AND WOULDN'T START UP AGAIN. THIS RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I PUSHED THE HAZARD BUTTON BUT THE OTHER DRIVERS ACCOUNT OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. THE CAR HAD ITS EPB REPROGRAMMED AND SUB RELAY REPLACEMENT DONE ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEM WITH THE CAR STOPPING UNEXPECTEDLY. I WAS KNOCKED OUT BY THE ACCIDENT, SO I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO SURMISE WHAT THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN. IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE 30 SECONDS FROM THE TIME IT STOPPED UNTIL WE WERE HIT BY 3 CARS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS.