2017 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

OUR 2017 OUTBACK HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY DISCHARGING. THE CAR WOULDN'T START IN FEBRUARY 2020. SINCE WE HAD A LONG TRIP PLANNED, WE REPLACED THE BATTERY. THAT SEEMED TO WORK FOR A WHILE, BUT THE CAR SEEMED TO STRUGGLE WITH STARTING SOME MORNINGS. I NOTED THAT THE BATTERY WAS ONLY AT 11.5 VOLTS AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED $130 "PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN TEST", BUT IT DIDN'T SHOW ANY PROBLEMS. I INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A RECALL TO REPROGRAM THE CAR TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WASN'T AWARE OF IT AND THANKED US FOR BRINGING IT TO HIS ATTENTION (AND TO BE "GENEROUS" HE WASN'T GOING TO CHARGE US FOR THE RECALL!). WE THOUGHT THAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE SOLVED. IF WE DON'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS, THE BATTERY IS DEAD, UNDER 11 VOLTS. SO, IT IS A RITUAL FOR US TO HAVE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY IF IT HASN'T BEEN DRIVEN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. WE ALSO CARRY A SPARE 12V BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE ALONG WITH JUMPER CABLES. EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS, THERE IS RANDOMLY A "FAN NOISE" NEAR THE REAR AXLE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE "PARASITIC DRAIN" IN ACTION. THERE ARE LAWSUITS FILED OVER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I DO HAVE A CELL PHONE VIDEO THAT HAS THE SOUND DOCUMENTED, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE I CAN'T UPLOAD IT. IT CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.

BATTERY DIED AT 22928 MILES AND LESS THAN 2 YEARS. DEALER REPLACED, BUT 18 MONTHS LATER, AND SEVERAL JUMP STARTS, WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. NOW, OUT OF WARRANTY, WE SPENT $673 TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE CIRCUIT BOARD THAT WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY.

BATTERY HAS DIED AT LEAST 5 TIMES. ENOUGH TO WHERE I BOUGHT MY OWN JUMP START BATTERY. THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO JUMP IT WAS JUST OVER A YEAR OLD, SO I BROUGHT IT INTO SUBARU AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. FROM THAT POINT ON WHEN THE BATTERY DIED I HAD IT JUMPED BY A TOW. NEARING THE END OF MY LEASE THE VEHICLES BATTERY WAS DATE DECEMBER OF 2018. I ATTEMPTED TO HAVE IT JUMPED THIS MORNING, 11/7/2020, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS COMPLETELY DEAD THIS TIME. WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO HAVE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE JUMP THE VEHICLE, I HEARD THE TAIL GATE TRYING TO ENGAGE AND THEN IT FAILED TO START. IT SEEMS LIKE THE TAILGATE WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY TRYING TO OPEN OR CLOSE, BUT IT WASN'T USED WHEN I GOT HOME.

ASCENT DEAD BATTERY ISSUE. PARASITIC POWER DRAW THAT DRAINS BATTERY SIGNIFICANTLY WHEN PARKED OR SHORT USE. SUBARU TESTED BUT WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE FAULT. I KNOW NEED TO USE A TRICKLE CHARGER ALL THE TIME WHEN PARKED. 2 BATTERIES IMPACTED IN THE 8 MONTH COVID19 TIMEFRAME AND IN UNDER 36K MILE USE. NEITHER REPLACED BY SUBARU.

THE CAR BATTERY WAS FOUND TO BE DEAD AFTER SITTING FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS, ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BEFORE BEING REPLACED ON 1/8/2020. AFTER BEING REPLACED THE SAME PROBLEM KEPT HAPPENING. THE NEW BATTERY WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE WHERE IT WAS TESTED AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. SINCE BEING REPLACED THE SAME CONDITION KEEPS HAPPENING, AT LEAST 4 MORE TIME , MOST RECENT AS 11/3/2020. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE SAT IN OUR DRIVEWAY FOR 2 TO 3 DAYS NOT BEING USED

BATTERY ISSUES ARE NON STOP! BATTERY DIES ALL THE TIME. WE HAD A NEW 2016 OUTBACK PREVIOUSLY, THAT HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE IT WOULD JUST DIE. WE TRADED IT IN FOR A NEW 2017 OUTBACK AND IT'S EVEN WORSE. BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED (NOT SURE HOW MANY TIMES), AND ISSUE IS STILL THE SAME. LEAVES US STUCK/STRANDED IN RANDOM PLACES, AND BACK HATCH WILL SOMETIMES BEEP NON STOP EVEN THOUGH IT'S COMPLETELY CLOSED. WE HAVE TO KEEP AN EMERGENCY JUMP KIT WITH US CONSTANTLY. THE BACK HATCH WON'T OPEN WHEN BATTERY IS DEAD/LOW, WHICH IS CRAZY THAT THERE ISN'T SOME TYPE OF OVERRIDE TO THIS. I HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS BATTERY ISSUES FOR THIS VEHICLE AND I'M BEYOND SHOCKED THAT THIS HASN'T BEEN FIXED/ADDRESSED BY SUBARU. WE ARE FED UP WITH THE BATTERY DRAIN, AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN SO WE CAN (HOPEFULLY) PROACTIVELY START OUR VEHICLE (HAVE ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS OFF, RADIO OFF, AIR OFF - ALL SYSTEMS POSSIBLE TURNED OFF). EVEN THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK. WE SPEND EXTRA MONEY ON GAS JUST TO RECHARGE THE CAR BY DRIVING IT MORE MILES THAN WE WANT TO. I'M GONNA BE DONE WITH SUBARU AFTER THIS.

KEYS FREQUENTLY GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSES THE STEERING COLUMN TO BE UNABLE TO DETECT WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO PARK. THE ENTIRE GEARSHIFTERHAD TO BE REPLACED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THIS IS A FREQUENT COMPLAINT FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND IT SEEMS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED.

PREMATURE BATTERY FAILURE. REPLACED TWICE IN LAST 14 MONTHS. DOES NOT HOLD CHARGE PROPERLY. SEEMS TO BE EITHER UNDERPOWERED OR HAS UNIDENTIFIED DRAIN ON BATTERY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GARAGE, WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT CALLED A WINDSHIELD REPAIR SHOP AND HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED REMOTELY AT HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,800.

REAR DOOR (TRUNK) DOES NOT STOP CLOSING OR DOES NOT OPENING NOR BY BUTTON ON THE FRONT PANEL, NOR BY REMOTE. BATTERY IS GETTING DISCHARGED AFTER I STOP AND CLOSE IT. I HAVE TO KEEP THE JUMP STARTER BATTERY IN THE CAR AND USE IT EVERY WEEK, SOMETIMES - EVERY DAY. BATTERY ITSELF WAS TESTED GOOD SEVERAL TIMES (I'VE STARTED WITH IT). ALL SURFACES AROUND END SWITCHES ARE CLEAN, THERE A RE NO ALARM INDICATION ABOUT OPEN DOOR. AT DEALERSHIP THEY CHARGED ME $80 BUT DID NOT FIND/HELP AT ALL.