2020 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the vehicle failed to start-up after multiple attempts. The contact had the vehicle jumpstarted and the engine resumed normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where she was informed that the failure was caused due to the vehicle not being driven enough. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

I have had the battery be completely drained overnight for no apparent reason. Last year I took the car in 3 or more times for the dealer to diagnose. They gave me a new batter and said it was the parking break draining the battery. This year (almost a year later) the battery is again being drained. When the roadside assistance came to jump it he said the battery (after the jump) was only 3.9 volts which is much lower than anything like interior lights being left on would do. i'm worried that they haven't fixed this mysterious drain on the battery. And I see that there has already been a class action suit against Subaru of America (SOA) has been battling an issue with drained batteries on the Outback and Ascent SUVs. The original lawsuit from 2020 against SOA alleged the SUVs had defective electrical systems causing premature battery failure. A second lawsuit in 2021 against Subaru claimed defective electrical components in the Subaru Forester, Outback, Ascent, Legacy, and WRX vehicles.

The screen has gone out on several occasions since we purchased the car new. Most recent while using navigation the entire screen went blank and there was no voice or direction diagram. The screen did not return until the next day. Most recent the battery went dead for no reason while parked in line for a funeral. Embarrassed we had to abandon the car and ride with others. We returned later and had to jump start the car to get it home. (This incident was September 1, 2022.) we had to charge the battery for five hours before the charger showed it was charged sufficient to use. I took the car to Battery Wholesale and they advised they could not determine the batteries worthiness because the electrolytes were too low and the battery needed a hard charge to bring it up for testing.

We bought the car new in October 2020. In Nov 2021, the battery died while we we were stopped at a busy intersection. The auto start-stop system was on. We were lucky with a near miss accident with a driver than came up behind us. We had it towed to the nearest Subaru dealership who couldn’t find anything wrong. However, when we picked up the car the next day, the battery was dead again. They replaced with a new and better battery according the service center manager. Now August 2022, we find ourselves having to jump the battery 3 times in the last week when the car wouldn’t start. We have gone to another Subaru dealership who is telling us nothing is wrong. I’m fearful of finding myself in the same situation as last year.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk and then stalled. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving; however, the failure reoccurred that same day. The contact veered to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to her residence; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Engine Control Module (ECM) was malfunctioning. The dealer reset the warning lights; however, the failure had recurred more increasingly. The vehicle was then towed to a second dealer, Subaru of Pembroke Pines (16100 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027) where the fuel pump and high-pressure fuel pump were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer then replaced the Engine Control Module (ECM). The vehicle was not fixed and remained at the dealer since July 12, 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and followed up with the dealer. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 9,846.

Battery ran down too quick. Replaced battery in 5/2021. Supposedly did some adjustments to the electrical system. Worked okay until recently when the dead battery problem has begun again.

Blind spot warning does not turn on when there is actually a vehicle truly in the blind spot. Visibility in new cars via windows is blocked and insufficient, and the blind spot warning does not activate at the right time. Drivers could easily cut someone off with less than a foot in front of the car in the blind spot, because there is no proper warning. Warning only turns on when vehicle could hit another car when switching lanes. Not before when visibility is limited by vehicle structure and mirrors. Also, touch screens are a huge hazard in cars. Having to look at a touch screen in order to control air or other items is a huge safety hazard. Tactile controls and buttons are much safer. Not to mention touch screens and screens do not work during heatwaves. Car sitting in temperatures above 80 degrees, have major issues with computer screens working. Forward collision and driver monitor warning is also a hazard. Forward collision warning occasionally turns on when there is fog or smoke. Additional warnings distract drivers from actually looking at the road. Driver monitor warning turns on when looking through turns, causing drivers to be distracted and look at why the vehicle is beeping at them instead of paying attention to where they are driving.

On multiple occasions, the center console has gone black and I have no control over any of the car's functions (e.g. climate control, navigation, radio, ability to turn on/off safety features, etc). This had been happening for several weeks before the more concerning incident. The auto-stop/start at a red light failed to work. The car shut off, but wouldn't restart for several seconds. Eventually it restarted and I was able to get it home Because I was afraid to drive it, the car sat in my driveway for aprox. 2 weeks before I could take it to the dealership. By then, the battery was completely dead and I had to get a jump start from AAA. I drove the car straight to the dealership. For at least 45 minutes after that jump, the center console wouldn't come back on. Because I had no means to turn off the auto start/stop feature, I had to put my car into park at every red light to avoid it shutting off. I don't know when it actually came back on, as that happened at some point after I dropped off my car at the dealership for service. Although the dealer did see that the center console wasn't working, they couldn't tell me why it happened. In addition, they were not able to reproduce the problem with the auto start not working. They indicated the battery checked out fine. (This is also the 2nd battery I've had in this car as the first died for unknown reasons - they indicated they thought a rear light was on, but that light is never turned on) Because almost everything happens via that center console, that is a major failure if that just randomly goes out. Failure of the auto start/stop could strand me in traffic. My car is available for inspection.

Under warranty had to jump battery 3 times to start vehicle one time 300 miles from home Subaru put in new battery last week battery volts always below 12 volts. Put vote meter on battery after 30 minute trip read 11.9 volts had my wife step on gas volts drop to 11.5 volts . Repeated experiment again same result . Concern this winter will get stranded in cold wearher.at same time as this test I pulled my 1999 Subaru out of garage put meter on at idle read 13 volts upon acceleration read 13.5 volts dealer tells me he got 14 volts don't believe he is honest.many people on line having same prolem.

I received notice of this recall in February 2022 and nothing has been done. Meanwhile I fear that my car is experiencing the problem that it addresses. What good is a safety recall as serious as this one may be if the manufacturer is not going to promptly address the problem?