2017 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

VEHICLE DIED WHILE IN A HOSPITAL PARKING LOT AND WAS JUMP-STARTED. BATTERY REPLACED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. CAR COULD ONLY SIT 2 - 3 DAYS BEFORE NEEDING A JUMP START. TOOK CAR TO STL SUBARU DEALER. THEY UPGRADED THE CHARGING SOFTWARE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE TWO-WEEK-OLD BATTERY WAS BAD. WHEN CONNECTED TO THE CAR, THE OVERNIGHT VOLTAGE DROPS ON THE BATTERY WOULD BE FROM 0.4 TO 0.5 VOLTS. THE BATTERY WAS TYPICALLY DEAD WITHIN 3-4 DAYS. WHEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE CAR, THE OVERNIGHT VOLTAGE LOSS ON THE BATTERY WAS MINIMAL. THIS INDICATED THE CAR HAD UNSUSTAINABLE CURRENT DRAW EVEN WHEN "TURNED OFF." RETURNED TO THE SUBARU DEALER, NOTING THE CAR DISPLAYED EXCESSIVE CURRENT DRAW WHEN TURNED OFF. THEY REPORTED WAS THAT THE FACTORY DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE HAD INDICATED NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR OR IT'S ELECTRONICS BUT THAT THE BATTERY WAS BAD. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP DISAGREED BUT REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH ANOTHER NEW. THE OVERNIGHT DISCHARGE CONDITION CONTINUED WITH A NEW BATTERY. I PLACED THE CAR IN "PARKED AND LOCKED" CONDITION AND MEASURED THE CURRENT ACROSS EACH FUSE IN BOTH THE ENGINE AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. 2 PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FUSES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT CURRENT DRAW WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND LOCKED, SERVING A POWER WINDOW AND THE CIRCUIT LABELED "ACC" WHICH INCLUDES THE CAR'S HEATING, COOLING AND DEFROSTING. I REMOVED THESE FUSES AND THE CAR CAN NOW SIT UNUSED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. REPLACING THE FUSES RETURNS THE CAR TO THE OVERNIGHT BATTERY DRAIN CONDITION. I NOW HAVE A CAR WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING PASSENGER WINDOW AND NO HEATING/COOLING OR DEFROSTER. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE CAR CAN PASS THE STATE SAFETY INSPECTION IN THIS CONDITION. TO ME, THIS PROVES THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE BATTERY BUT RATHER UNSUSTAINABLE CURRENT DRAW FROM THE CAR'S ELECTRONICS WHEN PARKED AND "TURNED OFF." THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT A DEFROSTER.

IN JANUARY OF 2020, CAR WITH44659 MILES UNEXPECTEDLY WOULD NOT START, REQUIRING A AAA JUMP, AND THEN PURCHASE OF NEW BATTERY. 11 MONTHS LATER, ON 2/1/2021 CAR WITH 55153 MILES WOULD AGAIN NOT STOP. AAA HAD TO JUMP START. WE DROVE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO CLAIMED THAT BATTERY WAS NOW FULLY RECHARGED, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. WE PURCHASED AND NOW CARRY AN EMERGENCY BATTERY CHARGER WITH US OUT OF FEAR OF THIS OCCURRING AGAIN.

COMPLAINTPURCHASED VEHICLE ON 8/15/2017. STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT HAVE PERSISTED CONSISTENTLY. INCIDENTS INCLUDE RADIO FREEZING, RADIO UPDATES AND PROBLEMS STILL PERSIST, FULL RADIO / SCREEN REPLACED, LIGHTS ON THE CPNSOLE PULSING DURING A HIGHWAY NIGHT DRIVE, NOTICE FROM STARLINK THAT MY SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING AND I RECENTLY JUST HAD MY BATTERY REPLACED FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN 43 MONTHS OF OWNING THIS AUTO. MOST RECENTLY I COULDNT START MY CAR AND WAS STUCK AT THE SOUTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON. HAD TO GET THE AUTO TO FLAGSTAFF SUBARU TO GET THE BATTERY REPLACED. NO ONE MENTIONED THAT THIS ISSUE WAS RECURRING AND WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. WHEN I GOT MY CAR BACK TO LAS VEGAS, I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE LAS VEGAS SUBARU DEALER ON APRIL 8, 2021. THE CAR WAS PICKED UP BY ME ON TUESDAY AP 13, 2021. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID AN UPDATE AND THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED. THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL IF THAT IS EVEN REMOTELY CORRECT AS THERE IS A NEW BATTERY (AGAIN THE 4TH BATTERY) IN THIS VEHICLE AND WHO KNOWS WHEN AND WHERE I WILL GET STUCK NEXT. THE TIME PERIODS BETWEEN INCIDENTS ARE AS LITTLE AS A FEW MONTHS AND BEYOND. I LITERALLY JUST READ AN ARTICLE TODAY ABOUT THERE BEING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS VERY SAME ISSUE FOR 2016-2020 SUBARU OUTBACKS. NO ONE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OR AT SUBARU NATIONAL 800 NUMBER MENTIONED THIS TO ME. AFTER THIS 4TH BATTERY INCIDENT, I DID MAKE A COMPLAINT TO SUBARU'S NATIONAL OFFICE

THE BATTERY FAILED LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. COMPLETELY DIED ON NOVEMBER 6,2019. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WOULD NOT START.

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, I'VE ARRIVED AT MY CAR AFTER A REASONABLY SHORT TIME AWAY - EACH TIME OVERNIGHT, PARKED IN MY GARAGE - TO FIND MY BATTERY FULLY DRAINED. I WONDERED IF I HAD LEFT MY LIGHTS ON, AND IF THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. I FOUND THAT THE CONTROLS FOR MY HEADLAMPS WERE IN THE OFF POSITION. NEXT, I WONDERED IF I HAD LEFT A DOOR AJAR, OR AN INTERIOR LIGHT CONTROL SWITCH IN THE ON POSITION. I NEVER FOUND A DOOR AJAR. I NEVER FOUND AN INTERIOR LIGHT SWITCH ON. I TAKE MY CAR INTO FARAWAY CORNERS OF THE WILDERNESS ON OCCASION. I CANNOT RISK BATTERY DRAIN WHEN I RETURN TO MY CAR AFTER A DAY OR TWO OF ADVENTURE. TO BE SAFE AFTER THESE INCIDENTS, I REMOVED THE LIGHTBULB FROM THE "WAY BACK" OF MY SUBARU OUTBACK. I DID THIS TO AVOID ACCIDENTALLY DRAINING THE BATTERY IF I LEFT THAT LIGHT ON (EASY TO GO UNNOTICED). FURTHER, I KEEP EACH OF THE OTHER INTERIOR LIGHT SWICH CONTROLS IN THE OFF POSITION. I CHANGED THIS FROM THE "ON WHEN A DOOR IS OPEN" POSITION THAT I USED TO KEEP THE SWITCHES IN, AGAIN TO ENSURE THAT I DON'T ACCIDENTALLY DRAIN THE BATTERY. DURING MY NEXT MAINTENANCE VISIT WITH MY SUBARU DEALER'S MAINTENANCE TEAM (AN OIL CHANGE, I BELIEVE), I DISCUSSED THE BATTERY FAILURE WITH THE TECHNICIAN. I ASKED THE PERSON IF THERE WAS SOME WAY SET A SOFTWARE CONTROL SO THAT NO LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED WITH THE ENGINE TURNED OFF FOR MORE THAN SOME SET PERIOD OF TIME (FOR INSTANCE, 10 MINUTES, OR A HALF HOUR). THE TECHNICIAN SAID THERE WAS NO WAY TO SET THAT FOR THE CAR. I REGULARLY CHECK TO ENSURE THAT I'M NOT LEAVING MY FRONT SEAT, OR MID-SEAT LIGHTS ON SINCE MY BATTERY HAD DRAINED ON THOSE OCCASIONS. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED, HOWEVER, IF THE PROBLEM WAS SOME ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH MY CAR, RATHER THAN MY OWN POTENTIAL MISTAKE. MORE AND MORE, I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL BATTERY DRAIN ISSUE.

MY 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN. WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF PURCHASING MY NEW VEHICLE IN 2017 THE BATTERY DIED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR TWO DAYS. NOTHING WAS LEFT ON TO DRAIN THE BATTERY, SOMETHING WITHIN THE PRE-DESIGNED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED DRAINING MY BATTERY. THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN PERIODICALLY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS UNTIL I DECIDED TO PURCHASE AN OPTIMA RED TOP BATTERY AT MY OWN EXPENSE SINCE SUBARU DID NOT PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, WHEN BUYING A NEW VEHICLE I DO NOT EXPECT THE BATTERY TO DIE RIGHT AWAY.

PURCHASED NEW VEHICLE FROM TETON MOTORS IN JACKSON, WY. BATTERY WAS REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD BATTERY AS IT FAILED SO QUICKLY. STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH CAR STARTING DUE TO DRAINED BATTERY ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER AND WE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD LEFT LIGHTS ON IN THE CAR. WE TURNED OFF ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS TO TRY TO ENSURE THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. DURING ROUTINE SERVICE WE WERE INFORMED THAT BATTERY WAS BAD AS IT WOULD NOT HOLD CHARGE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED US INSTALL A TRICKLE CHARGER AS MY WIFE DOES NOT DRIVE THE CAR VERY FAR FOR WORK. SO WE PAID TO REPLACE BATTERY AND INSTALL TRICKLE CHARGER IN EARLY 2021.

WILL NOT START WITH KEYLESS IGNITION. FIRST TIME 2018 WHEN BATTERY APPEARED DEAD AND COUKD NOT BE JUMP STARTED IN OUR GARAGE AND COUKD NOT UNLOCK DOORS OR EMERGENCY BRAKE AND COULD NOT BE JUMPED, CAR TOWED AND NEW BATTERY INSTALLED. ONE WEEK LATER SAME THING AGAIN DEAD BATTERY IN OUR GARAGE AND CAR TESTED BY SUBARU FOR MORE THAN A WEEK AND NO CAUSE DETERMINED. THIRD TIME APRIL 1, 2021 BATTERY DEAD AFTER THREE SHORT STOPS AND DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MILES AND RADIO COULD NOT BE SHUT OFF AT FIRST. TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID BATTERY AT ALMOST FULL CHARGE AND DUGGRSTED USE KEY FOB AND PRESS START AND IT WORKED.

THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN CIRCA 125MILES/MONTH. THE BATTERY IS USUALLY DRAINED BEFORE USE, AND MUST BE CHARGED. IT IS TYPICALLY OK UNTIL THE NEXT USE, WHEN RECHARGE MUST RECUR. THIS MEANS THAT THE COMPUTER IS ALWAYS RESETTING ITSELF. THE RESET CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO FAIL STATE INSPECTION. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRENT PROBLEM SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN FEBRUARY 2017.

WHEN MY CAR SITS IN GARAGE FOR A WEEK, THE BATTERY DIES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SUBARU DEALER AND THEY SAY THERE IS NO PROBLEM. BUT I CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION ON THE 6 TIMES I HAVE HAD TO USE ROAD SERVIC FINALLY I BOUGHT A TRICKLE CHARGER TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM.E FOR A BATTERY JUMP START AND THE RECEIPTS GOING TO DEALER.