2015 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

DROVE CAR TO MONTANA, PARKED IN HOTEL. THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED INTO THE UPPER 20'S. WHEN WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING, BEFORE TOUCHING THE CAR, WE SAW THAT THERE WAS A 6 INCH CRACK STARTING AT BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD ON DRIVERS SIDE. CRACK GREW AS TEMP WARMED DURING THE DAY WITH ONLY DRIVING ABOUT 5 MILES. THE NEXT MORNING THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHICH PROGRESSIVELY GREW THROUGH THE DRIVE BACK TO CA. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY CARS IN COLD TEMPERATURE AND NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. THIS IS A SIGN OF A FAULTY WINDSHIELD. I HAVE READ THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SUBARU OWNERS WITH SAME COMPLAINT, AND THAT REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS HAVE ALSO CRACKED.

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE CAUSED THE BATTERY TO FAIL SEVERAL TIMES IN FOUR YEARS. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED ON JUNE 5, 2015. CAR FAILED TO START ON 9/30/16 AND THE MAIN RELAY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES BY THE DEALER: ON 12/5/16, 2/8/17, AND 1/30/19 (INCLUDING A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON 1/30/19 TO "INCREASE BATTERY LIFE.") THE LATEST BATTERY (84 MO. 490CCA) HAS FAILED RECENTLY ON THREE OCCASIONS: 9/29/20 (TWICE) AND 10/21/20, EACH REQUIRING A JUMP START. ON 9/29/20 THE CAR WAS JUMP STARTED, DRIVEN FOR TWENTY MINUTES, SAT WITH THE ENGINE OFF FOR 30 MINUTES AND DRIVEN FIVE MINUTES MORE, WAS GASSED UP (ENGINE OFF), DRIVEN FIVE MINUTES, SAT WITH THE ENGINE OFF FOR TEN MINUTES AND THEN REQUIRED ANOTHER JUMP START. THE DEALER HAS PERFORMED BATTERY PERFORMANCE TESTS (SOME FAILED, SOME PASSED) BUT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE HAS NOT CHECKED COMPONENTS FOR FAILURE TO SHUT OFF, WHICH COULD LEAD TO BATTERY DRAIN. AS INSTRUCTED, I KEEP THE KEY FOB AWAY FROM THE CAR WHEN NOT IN USE, SO THIS APPEARS TO NOT BE A FACTOR.

THE HORN STOPPED WORKING. IT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A BAD RELAY SWITCH THAT IS IMBEDDED WITH THE DRIVER AIRBAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. I WAS ALMOST WAS IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE HORN FAILURE OCCURED . A VEHICLE MOVED INTO MY LANE AND DID NOT SEE ME AND I WAS NOT ABLE ABLE TO HONK AND ALERT THEM . I WAS LUCKY TO AVOID IT BY AN INCH OR SO.

VEHICLE WILL NOT START/CRANK. BATTERY IS BRAND NEW, ALL ELECTRONICS FUNCTION AND LIGHT UP, YET WHEN IGNITION IS TURNED THE ENGINE DOESN'T TURN OVER. VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 3 WEEKS. A NEW WIRING HARNESS WAS INSTALLED BUT FAILED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SHOWING CODES FOR THE CAM & CRANK SENSORS, INCLUDING CODE P0340, YET ALL SENSORS HAVE TESTED AS OPERATIONAL. I'LL POST AN UPDATE AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM DEALER.

RAPID ACCELERATION - THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE TO OUR SUBARU. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND I WAS THE PASSENGER. WE DROVE INTO OUR DRIVEWAY AND SAT THEIR TALKING WHILE THE GARAGE DOOR OPENED FOR A FEW MINUTES. HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE ENTIRE TIME. SUDDENLY THE OUTBACK SURGED FORWARD AT A RAPID SPEED. THANK GOD FOR SUBARU EMERGENCY ACCIDENT BRAKING SYSTEM THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE WITHIN INCHES OF OUR BACK GARAGE WALL.I REMEMBER MY WIFE SAYING "WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WE WERE JUST SITTING THEIR MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND IT JUST LUNGED AHEAD RAPIDLY. I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN STEP ON THE BRAKE. RAPID ACCELERATION #2 - THIS HAPPENED TWO WEEKS AGO AND I WAS DRIVING WITH NO PASSENGERS. I WAS PULLING INTO OUR GARAGE AND AGAIN THE OUTBACK RAPIDLY SURGED AHEAD. I STOOD ON THE BRAKES TO STOP AND HAD NO RESPONSE. THE EYE SIGHT EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM KICKED IN AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE WITH A PANIC STOP. I AM POSITIVE IN BOTH CASES WE WERE BRAKING THE VEHICLE AND OUR FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. IF SOMEONE IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATES THEY WILL BE INJURED OR KILLED AND I DON'T WANT TO EVER SEE THIS HAPPEN. I FEEL SUBRAU SHOULD SUPPLY ME WITH A FREE LOANER CAR UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. I KNOW THEIR IS NO SAFETY RECALL ISSUED AND THE DEALER WILL ONLY REPLACE THE CONTROL MODULE AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE.

ORIGINAL OWNER, PURCHASED NEW 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK LIMITED IN EARLY 2015. WE HAVE REPLACED BATTERY FOUR TIMES AND HAVE HAD TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE ~ 25 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. THERE IS CLEARLY A PARASITIC ELECTRICAL DRAIN ON THE BATTERY THAT IS WIDELY DISCUSSED IN ONLINE FORUMS BY FELLOW OWNERS BUT NOT ACKNOWLEDGED BY SUBARU OR ITS DEALERS (PRESUMABLY TO MITIGATE LIABILITY RISKS AND AVOID REPAIR COSTS). WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE LOCAL SUBARU SERVICE DEALERS ADDRESS THE ISSUE BUT THEY GIVE US BS ANSWERS LIKE "YOU DON'T DRIVE THE CAR ENOUGH", "YOU MUST HAVE LEFT LIGHTS ON", OR "THESE NEWER CARS HAVE SO MANY NEW ELECTRICAL FEATURES THAT IT IS TYPICAL FOR BATTERIES TO DIE" .... ALL OF WHICH ARE CLEARLY BS AND AN ATTEMPT TO DEFLECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR A FLAWED ELECTRICAL DESIGN THAT CONSISTENTLY DRAINS ALL BATTERIES. MOREOVER, PART OF THE FLAW IS A SYSTEM THAT WAS DESIGNED TO ONLY RECHARGE THE BATTERY UNDER CERTAIN HIGHER SPEED DRIVING CONDITIONS ... WHICH ARE RARELY ACHIEVED WHEN DRIVING SHORTER DISTANCES AT LOWER SPEEDS IN CITY APPLICATIONS. EVEN WHEN DRIVING THE CAR REGULARLY, MULTIPLE TIMES PER WEEK THE BATTERIES ALL EVENTUALLY DIE WELL SHORT OF THEIR INTENDED LIFE NEEDLESSLY REQUIRING JUMP-STARTING, TRICKLE-CHARGING TO TOP OFF BATTERY AND/OR REPLACEMENT (WE ARE ON 4TH BATTERY FOR THIS VEHICLE). SUBARU SHOULD SHOW ITS "LOVE" BY STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS AND ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX DESIGN PROBLEMS THAT ARE AFFECTING SO MANY CUSTOMERS.

MY 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK -- HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN AND UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO THE STEVENS CREEK SAN JOSE DEALERSHIP WHEN TAKING MY CAR FOR MAINTENANCE, BUT THEY SAID THE BEHAVIOR IS AS INTENDED.

SERVICE TECHNICIAN REPORTED A NOISE AND LEAK FROM CATALYTIC SYSTEM. HINT OF EXHAUST PRESENT IN DRIVER COMPARTMENT AT LOW SPEED AND STOPS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BACK-UP CAMERA VIEW WAS BLOCKED BY THE SUNLIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GLARE WAS EVIDENT WHETHER THE SUN ROOF WAS OPENED OR CLOSED. THE GLARE PREVENTED THE DRIVER TO SEE CLEARLY WHAT WAS BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SUBARU OF SAN BERNARDINO (645 AUTO CENTER DR, SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92408 (877) 501-8065) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT OFFERED NO SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED STARTING FROM WINDSHIELD WIPER HEATER LOCATION ON PASSENGER SIDE UP AND OVER TO MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD APPROXIMATELY 2 .5 FEET IN LENGTH. THIS HAPPENED WITH THE SO CALLED IMPROVED WINDSHIELD FROM SUBARU. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY , NO STONE CHIP/IMPACT DAMAGE NOTED. AT THE TIME WHEN I TURNED ON THE WINDSHIELD HEAT I HEARD A CRACK. THE WEATHER OUTSIDE WAS COLD ABOUT 40 F.THE TEMP INSIDE THE CAR WAS WARM. THIS IS DANGEROUS SINCE THE WINDSHIELD IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE CAR AND HELPS TO CONTAIN THE AIR BAGS DURING AN IMPACT. THESE WINDSHIELDS APPEAR TO BE TOO FRAGILE OR THIN FOR SAFETY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.