2016 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

WE HAD A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH OUR CHILD A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND HAD TO SET THE CHILD LOCK ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR (PASSENGER SIDE). THE CHILD LOCK DOES NOT UNDO NOW. AFTER AN INTERNET SEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM/DEFECT FOR MANY OWNERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER SETTING THE CHILD LOCKS FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE NOW AT ALL AND WE DON'T NEED THE CHILD LOCKS ACTIVATED. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING FOR OUR KIDS WHO ARE TEENAGERS TO NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR.

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAVING PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 10/13/2015. I HAVE HAD 4 BATTERIES SINCE INITIAL OWNERSHIP: 1.10/13/2015 2.10/21/2017 (SUBARU REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY) 3.4/14/2019 (PURCHASED BATTERY FROM CSAA) 4.10/28/2020 (REPLACED BY CSAA) IT APPEARS TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED, IN 2018. AFTER ONLY ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, THE BATTERY DIED AND IT WAS REPLACED. IN 2020, HAVE NOW HAD THE BATTERY DIE ON THREE OCCASIONS: 1) AFTER VEHICLE ENGINE IS OFF, RADIO IS ON FOR SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (LESS THAN 20 MINS), HAVING JUST DRIVEN FOR ~5 HOURS 2) 1 WEEK LATER, AFTER DAILY DRIVING, DOORS ARE OPEN FOR ~15 MINS FROM LOADING UP THE CAR - AT THIS POINT WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. 3) 1 MONTH LATER, AFTER RADIO IS ON FOR ~1 HOUR 30 MINUTES, MANAGED TO START VEHICLE 3 TIMES DURING THAT 1.5 HOURS, BUT ON THE 4TH ATTEMPT IT DID NOT WORK. MEANWHILE 6 OTHER VEHICLES, OF VARIOUS MAKES AND MODELS, WHO ALSO HAD THEIR RADIOS ON FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, WERE ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY WITHOUT ISSUE.

MY 2016 OUTBACK BATTERY IS CONSTANTLY GOING DEAD FOR NO REASON WHAT SO EVER. IF IT SITS FOR ONE DAY WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN, THE BATTERY WILL BE DEAD. I CAN SWITCH OUT THE BATTERY AND IT WILL FIX THE ISSUE FOR A FEW MONTHS, THEN BACK TO THE BATTERY BEING DEAD IF THE CAR SITS FOR ONE DAY WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN. IT'S NOT THE BATTERY, IT'S THE CAR! IT'S HAPPENED TO ME MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT.

WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE SHE PULLED IN FRONT OF LARGE F350 TRUCK, HIT ON PASSENGER SIDE. SHE WAS GOING 15 MPH, AND TRUCK WAS GOING 50-60 MPH. THE SIDE CURTAIN AND FRONT AIRBAG ON PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED. HER CAR ALSO HIT A SIGN AND TREE, CAVING IN THE FRONT OF VEHICLE. HER DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SHE WAS SEVERELY INJURED AND SPENT 8 DAYS IN HOSPITAL. LOST PARTIAL DENTURES, ANOTHER TOOTH AND BENT HER IMPLANT WHEN HER FACE HIT STEERING WHEEL. SHE HAD ABOUT 150 STITCHES TO FACE AND HAS PERMANENT SCARING TO FACE AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. SHE WAS WEARING SEAT BELT AND HAS BRUISES TO SHOW FOR IT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. AIRBAG IS MADE BY TAKATA. COULD NOT FIND ANY OPEN RECALLS ON AIRBAG. INITIAL IMPACT WAS TO RIGHT SIDE, AND THEN FRONT OF HER 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK STRUCK TREE AND SIGN. AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED.

VEHICLE'S BATTERY CONTINUES TO DRAIN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKE TO SUBARU FOR WARRANTY SERVICE AND THEY DEEMED THERE WAS NOT AN ISSUE. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY TWICE AND THE SAME ISSUE PERSISTS.

PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 3/2019, STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY DYING IN A FEW MONTHS, EVEN HAVING THE HATCH OPEN DURING CLEANING WOULD DRAIN THE BATTERY. WE WOULD JUMP IT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE BATTERY WOULD DRAIN IN A FEW DAYS WHETHER WE USED THE VEHICLE OR NOT. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED ALONE IN NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT N MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. TOOK THE BATTERY IN TO BE CHECKED AND THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. PURCHASED A BATTERY TENDER AND WOULD LEAVE IT HOOKED UP AND THEN FINALLY THAT NO LONGER FUNCTIONED. HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY. WE WILL SEE HOW LONG THIS ONE WILL LAST BEFORE THE SAME THING HAPPENS. SINCE WE LIVE FAR OUT OF TOWN WE RELY ON THIS CAR TO BE IN TIP TOP RUNNING ORDER FOR ANY EMERGENCIES WE MAY HAVE. NOT THE CASE, SORRY TO SAY, BUT I REALLY EXPECTED MORE FROM SUBARU AND RIGHTFULLY SO. THEY HAVE EARNED AN AMAZING REPUTATION SO SURPRISED THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WON'T FIX IT.

BATTERY HAS DIED TWICE IN THE LAST 5 MONTHS WHEN NOTHING WAS LEFT ON AND THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. IT CONTINUES TO DRAIN EVEN WHEN WE REPLACED WITH A HIGH LEVEL BATTERY

WE PURCHASED A 2016 OUTBACK IN 2019 WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE AND WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF OWNING THE BATTERY FAILED ON US MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE CAR REQUIRED A JUMP IN ORDER TO START. THIS HAPPENED WHEN ON GROCERY TRIPS, OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE IN THE MORNING, AND EVEN MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER WHEN RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT AFTER A BUSINESS TRIP. AFTER SEEING A MECHANIC, PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY AND STILL ENCOUNTERED THE SAME ISSUE. WE SAW A SECOND MECHANIC, AND PURCHASED A NEW ALTERNATOR RECENTLY AND CONTINUE TO HAVE FREQUENT BATTERY FAILURES, SOMETIMES AS OFTEN AS ONCE PER WEEK, REQUIRING A JUMP TO START THE CAR. THIS SEEMS VERY ODD GIVEN THE NEWNESS OF THE CAR, BATTERY, AND ALTERNATOR AND WE BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING DEFECTIVE WITH THE CAR WIRING. THIS MONTH WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE COULD FIND NO ISSUE WITH THE BATTERY OR ALTERNATOR, HIS THOUGHT WAS IT COULD BE DUE TO FAULTY VEHICLE WIRING. WE THEN RESEARCHED AND HEARD THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR OUR MODEL / YEAR AGAINST SUBARU FOR THIS AND BELIEVE OUR VEHICLE IS IMPACTED. THIS HAPPENS VERY OFTEN, WE NOW HAVE PURCHASED A PORTABLE BATTERY PACK SO WE CAN JUMP OUR CAR AS NEEDED AND AGAIN THE ISSUE HAPPENED THIS MORNING.

BATTERY IS DRAINED PREMATURELY. POSSIBLY BY A DRAIN FROM THE ECM. I HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AFTER ONLY 1 YEAR OF USE.