2017 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

I am having issues with my 2017 Subaru Outback on battery drain. 37,000 miles. I've had to replace the battery 2x (2019 and again today) and a failed battery right after getting it fixed by Subaru services. The battery drains much quicker than required.

As I am slowing down by pushing the brake pedal, the vehicle will attempt to accelerate. It will increase speed by about 2 miles per hour and the RPM increases when this happens.

The battery frequently goes dead, just a few days after the last drive. We don't believe any lights were left on, etc., but perhaps there is an unknown current drain. This happened at home, so it wasn't dangerous, except for the need to jumper to another vehicle. It could be dangerous if we were stranded away from home. Not reproduced by a dealer or service center. The battery was replaced once, already. No warning lights or symptoms before the failure.

I'm the 2nd owner of a 2016 Outback. I bought it with 28k miles on it in 2017. It now has 33k. However - I drive daily...just not far. There is zero excuse for my battery dying at 30k. I called Subaru - and they initially to me to 'buy the battery (Sunday) and we'll cover it. Upon meeting with Subaru mgnt - looking for my money back.....I'm then told "you're out of warranty last week". Something is very wrong with this electrical system and Subaru dealerships - as Subaru is walking away from it. I got stuck with the new battery bill - but Subaru is stuck with a major problem - one that'll come back to bite them hopefully!!! SHAME ON SUBARU.

I drove my Outback for 10 minutes. I stopped to run an errand that took 30 minutes. I then tried to start the car and it wouldn't start. All the lights on the dash turned on. I then tried several more times. It still would not start. Then I waited several minutes and it started. I drove it home. I have since tried to start it several times and it has started. The car has slightly less than 20K miles on it. This has never happened before. It was a very hot day - nearly 100 degrees and I was quite panicky that it would not start. I was worried I would be stranded. There was never any indication before that something like this might happen. I am going to call the dealership tomorrow.

The ignition key becomes stuck in the ignition upon stopping the vehicle and placing the gear shifter into "park" and turning the vehicle off. Intermittently the key is unable to be removed from the ignition even though the vehicle is in the "park" position and turned off. Usually after starting and stopping the vehicle and moving the gear shift a few times the key can be removed from the ignition. This problem does not occur every time the vehicle is driven, but lately it is happening more frequently.

Our 2017 Subaru Outback has had multiple incidents of “ Sudden Dead Battery “ in the Mornings. We have had the Car Checked out at CarMax where we purchased it and we’re told the Service Tech couldn’t determine the Cause and we should take it to a Subaru dealership which we did…. The Technician could not Identify the Cause either but suggested a New Battery which we chose not to do… No Service Representative acted ignorant to the facts that this is becoming a Known issue on a National Scale with Multiple Lawsuits being Filed for the Same problem… We now Carry a Battery Jumper and Always have the concerns that the Car will not start.. So far, the Battery continues to go Dead at various times after being parked overnight so I can jump start it from home… I read another complaint that mentioned the multiple lights/ warnings and Displays coming on the dashboard- We have experienced that same scenario… we see flashing lights and information that do not show during Normal Driving operation.

At 15,000 miles my battery died while on vacation (July 2019). We were far from the main road. We were lucky to see a motorist who helped us jump start the car. I replaced it with a new battery. The battery died two weeks ago at 37,000 miles. Something is draining the battery but Subaru will not acknowledge it. This defect can have serious consequences for people who get stranded in remote areas and far away from towns and population.

In October of 2020, I awoke to find that my 2017 Subaru Outback's windshield had cracked during the night. I assumed it might have been struck while I was driving the previous day and then it subsequently cracked as temperatures dropped. A Subaru-recommended company replaced the windshield with an OEM windshield. However, on July 18 of 2021, the windshield cracked again. Thus, not even a year passed before the windshield cracked a second time. Once again, I assumed the windshield might have been struck while driving. After getting a quote on replacing the windshield a second time, the crack spread an additional 12" after the vehicle was parked outside for 4 hours. This time, I photographed the crack. The windshield is scheduled to be replaced on 7/27 so it will not be available for inspection after that date. My concern is that the windshields on this vehicle crack VERY easily in response to impacts that I didn't even notice. The cracks then spread very easily. These cracks obstruct drivers' visibility, which presents a safety risk. Replacing the windshields is very expensive because of the safety features require calibration.

My wife contacted me thru text this morning (Monday the 19th, 2021) asking if I remember seeing the windshield cracked (starting on the passanger side) on Saturday, as thats the last time the vehicle was driven. She had just got in the vehicle to go to work, when she saw it. I told her no and couldn't figure out how it even happened as there is no damage of any sort that would of caused it. Where it started to crack, its not just cracked but deeply separated about half the length of the damage. To the point your fingernail can fit in easily. It craked a bit further later in the day.