2019 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

Battery dies on a consistent basis and appears to be a trickle drain on the battery. After reading numerous online forums this appears to be a consistent issue that has not been addressed by Subaru of America. It appears the drain is caused by the DCM fuse being faulty. I have recently had the vehicle inspected by an authorized Subaru dealership with no issues noted. While this issue does not create any immediate safety concerns, it could place individuals at risk if they found themselves in remote and/or dangerous locations with no ability to start their vehicle. According to online forums this issue has been observed by multiple Subaru dealers. There are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of this issue other than a dead battery.

Cracked windshield (2nd incident in less than 18 months). Windshield cracked without any impact with rocks or other objects. This is an OEM windshield that was installed and calibrated at Sheehy Subaru Springfield, VA. This windshield easily cracks or is damage (impacts blemishes) by minor/small objects, which is unreasonable. This latest incident that I am reporting is a hair line crack, about 14” in length that runs from the edge of the windshield to the middle; there was no impact; this appears to be a temperature change like crack. It adversely affects visibility. This is a very expensive repair $1,500 for OEM and calibration.

2019 Subaru Outback, 3.6R limited, approx. 3.5 years old with around 36000 miles, when I noticed small bubbles forming near the upper right hand corner of the infotainment touch screen. Shortly thereafter, the number of bubbles increased, the radio would change stations on its own, sometimes turn on by itself, and the navigation would not work. Took it to the dealer and was told I would need a new info system at my expense and they were on back order.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the head unit had delaminated, and the GPS unit was inoperable. The contact stated that the radio volume increased to high independently. Additionally, the GPS made phantom calls. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the GPS unit was delaminated and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the part was on backorder. The manufacturer was contacted and offered to assist with the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

There is a persistent battery issue that, after repeated periods of short-trip-driving, results in a dead battery. There is a parasitic drain on the battery. We've had the battery replaced twice, and the issue still continues. We're worried that this will leave us stranded somewhere with a vehicle that won't start.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, he noticed that the front windshield was cracked. The crack began on the passenger’s side and went towards the middle of the windshield. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

I had a sudden dead battery in January 2023. My mechanic replaced it, and told me that Subaru had a service bulletin about a parasitic drain issue. In October, my battery died again, so my mechanic kept the car for several days, discovered that it would drain after charging, so he pulled all the fuses, individually, based on his hunch from the service bulletin, and found that the Starlink fuse was the problem. (I believe it’s DCM #9). So, he pulled it, and replaced the battery again (under warranty) as it had been totally drained. He talked to Subaru, who said the fuse is back ordered around the country, and he will notify me when the part is available. He estimates it will cost about $600 to fix. My car seems fine, now, except I’ve also lost the hands free phone capability and had to buy a phone holder in the meantime, to be safe and legal. And I always have jumper cables in my car so I don’t get stuck somewhere. It seems to me that Subaru must be aware of this problem, and I think they should pay for replacing this part, as it is a very expensive fix.

The hood popped open at 35 mph causing loss of sight. I was in traffic and luckily was able to pull the car off the road. I am taking it to the dealer as soon as I can get an appointment. There were no warning lights or messages prior. I will secure the hood with something before I drive it to the dealer. If I had been driving on the Interstate I am sure the hood would have smashed into windshield. I consider this a very dangerous problem.

I have a 2019 Subaru Outback. I bought it used in June 2023 and all warranties have expired. My battery has been drained multiple times. I have to get it jumped to start the car. There is a long Reddit thread that explains that a fuse powering the Subaru Starlink system (its version of OnStar) drains the battery even when the car is off. See --> [XXX] My dealership has pushed back that my problem is the DCM fuse--they say the radio unit is draining my battery. Their only solution is to find either (1) a used radio or (2) order a new radio which costs $1500 and it on a 6-12 month back order. I've contacted Subaru of America for help and I am awaiting for one of their specialists to contact me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

At this point I dont know what to do. This has been a reoccurring problem since I initially purchased the car. - Electrical Issues have been a problem since the day we purchased the vehicle. Initially thought it was our toddlers fault. Raised multiple times at multiple dealerships. I have yet to find a service center that can tell me why my car will not start other than they can tell something is draining the battery. No warnings. Safety is of concern, because one never knows when the issue will occur. For example, brand new battery died in parking lot of my kids school. - Fuel pump issues - took car on drive from LA to Las Vegas, with child. Car struggled to maintain speed. Exited in Barstow, CA. Parked at a Midas, which was closed, and was stranded with a toddler. After 3 hours of waiting in parking lot, was able to get car started. Drove to closest hotel. The following day, was able to get car back to midas where it was determined the fuel pump broke. Safety was at risk as my 3 year had to sit in 110 degree weather heat. Subaru did tow the car back to the closest dealership and fixed the fuel pump, and reimbursed me for the rental car. Car was in shop for over 2 weeks. Was not reimbursed for hotel or midas diagnostics.