2018 Subaru Outback Electrical Problems

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that when driving approximately 30- 40 MPH, veering off the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost power, but had immediately regained power. The failure had occurred 3 - 4 times total.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the cruise control was inoperable.

Driver side mirror was affected. Went to an automatic car wash. Shortly afterwards, we noticed smoke coming out of the mirror.

PROBLEMS & FAILURES include: 1. Repeated battery failures, towed over 12 times since car was purchased in 2017. Left [XXX] and [XXX] stranded and/or stranded in the dark on more than once occasion.

On 9/28/23 I was driving in a 2-lane construction zone with my daughter. While going through the construction zone, my car lost all power and just shut off completely. No warning signs just went completely dead.

During a photography trip of May 2021, in a very remote area, the Outback's rear gate was kept opened for my dog for a few hours. When it was time to leave, the battery wouldn't start. Luckily, I had a battery charger.

I experienced premature draining of my car battery. I purchased the car in March 2021. It had approximately 19K miles and was in excellent/showroom condition.

Trunklid found open, Nowhere near car to actuate it with keyfob 3 times since purchase. First two were given benefit of doubt to accidently actuating.Also battery has been completely drained coincidently in the same time period. After some research found that this is been a common problem With some Subaru owners.

I was parking my 2018 subaru outback premium next to my house on my parking spot, my foot was on a brake pedal, it left around 50'' to complete a parking, like suddenly my car start moving forward even that I was strongly pressing brake pedal, car went over curb and hit a palm tree that is next to my parking spot. Car suddenly accelerated and I was not able to control the car.

When I park my car in the garage on thursday july 2nd and close the garage with no problem. On july 4th my wife open the garage and got a chair from her car acura rdx and watch the fireworks on the drive way. Later on put the chair back in her acura and close the garage.

Parasitic battery drain - premature battery failure rendering vehicle inoperable. Vehicle can not sit or idle for less than day without battery fully discharging, requiring jump start or roadside assist. Battery has been replaced twice in less than 3 years and less than 10k miles on 2018 vehicle purchased new (through dealer-- under warranty) .

In dec 2018 the fuel line of my 2018 subaru outback had to be replaced because it had been chewed through by a rodent and was leaking in the car. Total damage was over $2000. In may 2019 another $3500 damage was discovered from a rodent chewing on electrical harnesses in the dash.

Smoke electrical short issue in driver side mirror. Diagnosed by subaru mechanic to be a short in the approach light module. Significant smoke was emitted from mirror with burn marks on bottom inside middle of mirror.

Wtz85 - subaru of america, inc.

I drove to a nearby town, indicator said 40 miles to go before empty. Restarted the car after half an hour. Most of center display functions were dead.

I have 6000 miles on my 2018 subaru outback and rodents ate the electrical wires in my engine which caused me not to be able to operate the car and could have caused a major accident. I found out my wires are soy based which attracted the rodents.I was driving on the highway when my dashboard indicators lit up indicating there was a problem.

We have replaced the battery 3 times now in less than a year. The battery keeps dying, which is so bad it is ruining the battery such that it has to be replaced. My pregnant wife and child have been stranded several times.

My vehicle just dies and leaves me stranded after turning off the car and leaving it overnight. This has happened many times, and I worry everytime I go camping or to some remote place where I may not have cell signal to get a tow truck to jump me. If I don't carry water and food, medicine, at all times, I fear what will happen to me if I am stranded and cannot get help on time.

There is a known issue with certain Subarus where it is phantom draining the battery. I replaced battery in 2021 with AutoZone after being stranded. It too doed in June of 2022.

In early September 2022, my friend, who owned a 2019 Subaru Outback, needed a AAA tow because the battery died. He told me that battery failure is a common problem with Subaru 2016 - 2020 Outbacks. I researched that assertion and found it well documented.

Premature battery drainage. This problem is well documented in existing class action lawsuits. My original battery was replaced under warranty on 9/10/19, Invoice #19682 from Van Bortel Subaru of Rochester NY.

I bought a 2018 Subaru outback in January of 2022 from a Subaru dealership. Approximately 3 months after purchase the car battery died suddenly with no prior warning, so I jumped it, it started fine and I drove it to work. When I took my lunch break 3 hours later, my car was dead again.

Normal vehicle start. While leaving shopping mall parking lot, vehicle suddenly shut down; no electrical, no accelerator, no power steering, no engine. Was able to steer vehicle to safe location out of traffic path.

The electrical system in our Subaru is draining the battery prematurely, which could cause us to get stranded.

Just had to replace the battery for the third time since we bought the car in Dec 2017. This last battery was installed in Aug 2021 and failed Jun 2022. The dealer we take the car for service has not been able to determine why the batteries are failing so often.

The batteries cannot seem to hold a charge. We have called AAA several times, but the recharging doesn't last, and they say this is a problem with the Outback. In addition, the Subaru dealer has replaced the battery twice.

Battery is draining over time. Vehicle is now on 3rd battery in 3 years! Dealer replaced original battery during 2nd year and claimed it under warranty.

Battery died for no apparent reason. This left me stranded after dark in Baltimore City. I was able to get a jump start to get home but the car would not start even after the battery was placed on a charger.

The Battery dies within a year of being installed, this has left me stranded waiting for help on multiple occasions as well as made me late for work. I have had the battery replaced 2 times within 3 years of ownership.

After filling the vehicle with gas, the vehicle was able to start but with only enough power to drive at 15-20 miles per hour. I drove directly to the Subaru dealer (at 15 miles per hour) where they diagnosed a "bad cell" in the battery. They sold me and installed a replacement battery which resolved the problem.

Battery is not keeping charge, unable to start vehicle even after daily driving. With an infant, we need something more reliable, being stranded is not an option. Vehicle has not been inspected, upon further review this is a constant problem with lawsuits requesting for a resolution against Subaru.

To: Subaru Motors Consumer Reports NHTSA I, Richard McNitt, am the very unhappy owner of a 2018 Subaru Outback (4 cylinder “Touring” model with 33,900 miles), VIN 4S4 BSATCT J3362742. Primarily on the basis of “glowing” Consumer Reports Reviews I chose this model….sad to say this was an unfortunate choice.

My 3 year old outback is on its third battery. The first died when the car was 11 months old. Then in summer 2020 (car was 2 years old) I had to put in the 3rd battery.

Battery prematurely dead. No crank, no start.10-03-2020 parked in a lot. Jump started.

I purchased this 2018 outback in late november of 2020 with 27000 miles on it. After only driving it about 1500 miles the battery suddenly died (march 2021). Aaa jumped it but said it was dead.

Quick 3mi trip for fast food run. Car would not re-start after drive-thru, engine off (to save gas). Vehicle was stationary and parked in all instances.

Twice in the past 12 months my subaru outback has left me stranded with a dead battery. The first time I drove to the grocery and the battery was dead after I finished shopping. Second time I drove to church and the battery was dead upon leaving.

Drove the vehicle for a short period of time and the battery keeps going completely dead, after we turned if off, for this reason this car has been to the dealership 3 times.

My subaru 2018 outback has had one episode of the battery dying while under normal use while stationary. I had only the electrical system on (no gas) for approximately 20 minutes while listening to music, using the bluetooth phone function for approximately 10 minutes, and with the fans on. I was subsequently unable to start the car after completing these activities.

Battery failing to start car, received new battery from schomp subaru summer 2019 after repeated jump starts, towed to dealership twice, continuing with same problem and today I am stuck at home waiting for my schumacher portable charger to recharge.I am araid to drive the car because I don't know when it will stop working.I was told it was because I didn't drive it enough. I leave the car idling

The battery is draining and has left us stranded once. The dealer ship replaced the battery once with the same subaru oem battery, but the draining persists.

Vehicle parked in the garage overnight. Battery keeps dying without known cause. Nothing left on.

We have had repeated issues with the car dying, the battery being totally dead, and being stranded because of it. In may 2018, 3 months after we bought the brand new car, the car's engine would not turn over and had to be towed to the dealer. It was there for awhile, and ultimately we were told it was a bad battery, and they replaced the fuse box.

Battery discharges after car sits for a few days or after short trips. The problem has continued even though I replaced the battery. Highly annoying.

This is the second time in two weeks that our vehicle has failed to start. A week ago it left us stranded at a walmart, and today in our driveway...there isn't any electrical device in the car that will energize. The car won't even respond to the vehicle key fob.

The battery has died randomly over the last 2 years. We finally replaced it after being fed up with being stranded in different locations. Most recently, it died twice within a week.

Battery dies prematurely, if vehicle is not driven for a few days, or if parked and rear hatch is opened and closed a few times. Dead battery left me stranded five times since 3/5/2019. Battery tested well at dealership three times, so was not replaced under warranty until it failed a draw test.

One day in april, the battery was spontaneously completely dead. At the time it seemed that leaf debris shorted the circuit of the battery causing connections to corrode and the battery to be destroyed. The dealership replaced the battery because it was within warranty.

The electrical system of the car drains the battery after a few days of not using the car. The car was purchased brand new in july, 2018. The car has a battery problem from the beginning.

My 2018 subaru outback has been having issues with the battery and the car not starting. It seemed to have stemmed from the liftgate working improperly and draining the battery. It happened about a year ago, but self-resolved after resetting liftgate and jump starting car.

My relatively new subaru failed to start, and had no electrical power at all. The oem battery would not charge with a home charger, but was able to start with a jump from aaa. At subaru of bend, they stated the battery had not failed, but that subaru's are programmed not to charge the battery below 40 MPH.

I have replaced the battery twice and the battery is still dead if I don't drive the vehicle for more than 3 days. Obviously there is a parasitic drain. I don't have an options or accessories installed that did come with the vehicle when purchased.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. While driving approximately 55 MPH at night, the fuel range dropped and the vehicle lost power and shut off. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. While the contact's wife was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle was towed to mccurley integrity subaru (located at 9620 sandifur pkwy, pasco, wa 99301, (509) 412-7100) where it was diagnosed that the vehicle ran out of fuel.

Vehicle developed drip from transmission approximately mid june 2018. Took to dealer & unable to find source after 11 days in shop. They put dye in and I drove until 7-30-18 when drip returned.

The head unit on the vehicle has delaminated. The touchscreen display no longer works, it has false touches. This affects navigational safety of the vehicle, as navigation no longer works.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the infotainment system was displaying a blank screen. No warning light was illuminated.

My 2018 Subaru Outback has a defective head unit that poses a serious safety hazard. Subaru has already acknowledged this defect in this exact make/model/year and issued an extended warranty, but my vehicle was denied full coverage because the warranty window expired. The defect causes the head unit to: -Power on/off by itself.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank.

The upper portion of the Information touch screen appears to have delaminated resulting in the Information system to randomly change settings on its own. For example, if an iPhone has been connected to the system, it will randomly initiate a call from the phone’s contact list. If a hands free call has been initiated, if will randomly disconnect and switch the call back to the iPhone.

The head unit on my 2018 Subaru Outback is pressing random buttons all over the screen by itself. It would constantly make the button noise as I drive leading me to lose track of the directions that was being provided from my Apple Maps. It would also disconnect me from CarPlay leaving me with no sense of direction as to where I should be going.

DSM drawing too much power from battery when car is parked. DSM drawing 0.151k ohms to 0.017. Have complained to Subaru of Santa Cruz about this 3x.

In past 3 years after not being driven for 3 days the car would not start. We had the battery charged and replaced twice . When I spoke to another Subaru owner I was informed of a lawsuit against Subaru concerning parasitic battery draw by the Starlink system.

The touchscreen is delaminated. The delamination makes the backup camera useless. This is a possible danger to me and anyone behind me- turning to look reputedly behind and at the sides doesn't help when cars are moving parallel to me.

When I bought my car I had issues with the Head unit the screen would got out and I would have no backup camera or radio.The dealer had the car for Two months before I called Subaru to see if they could get my me unit.It was taken care of.Now the problem has come back the screen freezes, jumps goes dark (I have video) I can’t use the bluetooth to call anyone.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? After about 1 year of procuring vehicle, the car battery would die about every 4-8 weeks. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?

The touch screen display, which is used for many vehicle functions, is failing - forming internal "bubbles" causing random ghost touch events. The display is constantly changing and making noises on its own, and not responding to any user entries. There is no way to turn of the display or the sounds.

Vehical infotainment system constantly beeps and changes formats, including randomly dialing phone numbers while driving. turning volume down does not control the distraction and system cannot be turned off. beeping is so load, it can be heard from 20 feet away from the car (outside of vehicle).

The touchscreen on the Starlink head unit is delaminated and there is a “ghost touch” whenever the screen is on. You can visibly see bubbles under the screen. While I was driving my kids to daycare the other day, the navigation system activated and said that “you cannot change the volume at this time” repeatedly for no reason.

In the past 6 months, the electrical system of my 2018 Outback has completely shut down on at least 4 occasions. I required several jump starts with the car parked in the garage, no doors left open, and no lights left on. I took it to the dealership where I was basically accused of lying because I “must have left something on”.

Battery died prematurely and failed to hold a charge had to be replaced 4 DEC 22, for 194.63 from Advance Auto parts, Battery had failed to hold a charge in the past and Subaru roadside assistance had to be called on a previous occasion to issue a jump start.

Battery keeps draining. I replaced the original battery 6 months ago and it just drained again

After purchasing my 2018 Subaru Outback, I experienced 2 instances where my battery died in the first 2 yrs of ownership. After the second instance, where it had died while I was eating at a restaurant, I contacted the dealership right away. They replaced the battery with a new manufacturer battery saying the previous battery failed the testing.

The battery has drained twice in the time that I have owned this vehicle. Once I was able to recharge the battery by jumpstarting and letting it run. The second time it required a battery replacement.

Battery failed and had to be replaced Wheel Bearing replacement

The battery in my 2018 Subaru Outback has been replaced three times since I purchased it. I am the sole owner. The original battery was replaced within seven months of purchase due to continual battery drainage.

Persistent battery drain. Car was jumped a week ago because it wouldn't start at all. It has been sluggish to start (turns over a couple times before catching) since and had a major error with the rear hatch today despite starting up.

The battery loses its charge so that the car will not start if I don’t drive the car at least once or twice a week. The battery and electric system of the car was checked July 11, 2022 at the Bay Ridge Subaru dealership in Brooklyn, NY and all systems were found to be normal and good, including the battery. The battery is only 1 year old and is under a 30 month warranty.

The battery continually drains due to some electrical leak in the system (particularly when the rear liftgate is left up and the interior lights are on for several hours), requiring jump starting of the vehicle on several occasions. I have had the battery serviced and checked several times, at my expense, with results being the battery was okay.

The Battery of the vehicle drains frequently, making the car inoperable. The battery has been replaced three times in four years, much more frequently than I would expect in a relatively new vehicle that was purchased new from a dealership. The battery dies without warning and repeated jump starts don't charge it enough to maintain a change to the nexty operation.

Electrical issues affected the battery becoming completely drained, unable to unlock doors, or start the car. This issue has become stressful and worrisome as I have a child and pets. I always have my baby with me and am anxious that I can't unlock the doors.

Battery continues to drain prematurely. It's been an issue since the very beginning of out ownership in June 2018. We replaced the battery after it would not hold a charge for more than two days.

A week ago, drove 5 miles to get a hamburger. While the car was parked I listened to the radio. When my husband returned with our food 8 minutes later, the car would not start.

My new replaced battery just died again. The first one lasted 27 months and after Subaru replaced a new one, it died after 15 months. I did report on the first one too.

Battery intermittently drains and goes completely dead. At times I have heard what sounds to be an electric motor running at night when the car is off in the garage without the key in the ignition. The dealer has changed the battery but that did not fix the problem.

Battery intermittently goes dead without warning. When the car is off at times one can hear what sounds like an electric motor running. One time the tail gate was found up and the battery was dead.

On multiple occasions,, the battery has gone completely dead after the car was parked for as little as three weeks in a heated garage. Subaru replaced the original battery with one having a larger capacity but even that went dead after not being driven for three weeks.

Rear view camera freezes up. When in Reverse it stays frozen. Rendering the rear safety camera inoperative.

ON 2 OCCASIONS MY BATTERY WENT DEAD FOR NO APPARENT REASON . I brought it in to the dealership. The dealership suggested that I leave it for a complete diagnostic evaluation.

Battery randomly discharges to zero voltage. Passenger window randomly cannot be operated from drivers side. Sometime it can, sometimes not.

Battery corroded excessively so much so that when it was able to be removed the connector for the battery broke. Battery was replaced and the passenger window can't be operated from driver side, one touch driver window no longer works either.

The battery completely dies after at-least 3 days of not driving the vehicle. Within a few weeks of driving the car off the lot in 2017 (new from the dealership), the car would not start after not being driven over the weekend. I had the car jump started.

The car failed to start after being left for a few minutes in a store parking lot. I had called for help, made one more attempt to start it. It started (barely) so I drove it to the dealer a few blocks away.

Purchased vehicle in new condition in 2018. From there on forward, I've experienced problems with the radio system not wanting to work. There was no sound output.

The oem battery was failing to hold a charge and died one day after driving a short distance. Had to have a local tow service come and jumpstart the car. Took the car to the local dealer and they needed to charge the battery.

This car is less than 3 years old, 28000 miles and the battery has been replaced 3 times and the alternator once. The battery died again on 4/26/21 and won't hold a charge and so I will be taking it in again and they will probably just replace the battery again. There is obviously something else wrong.

Battery appears to have parasitic drain which results in inability to start the vehicle if not driven long distances regularly. I purchased the vehicle from a local subaru dealer in october 2020 and have had to jump it or charge the battery at least 6 or 8 times.

I am on my 3rd car battery. One was replaced under warranty, one was paid for out of pocket under 31,000 miles.

Approximately 26 months (38k miles) after purchase, the vehicle would no longer start. The issue appeared to be a bad battery which was then replaced. The manufacturer stated that trips shorter than 45 minutes result in a net loss of electrical energy in the battery and it was therefore my fault.

The vehicle's original battery died after only 30 months of use. I tried to start the car one morning, and it would not start. A new battery fixed the problem.

Battery was completely discharged at least 3 times. On one occasion I was in a very remote location and I was fortunate to find someone who provided a jump. The other two times were in my garage.

Batteries drained spontaneously while vehicle was stationary. Old battery replaced with new one and the new one was dead 24 hours after replacement

Tthe battery has gone dead several times. The dealer replaced the battery one time under warranty. It now indicates a weakness in cranking power after the car sits without driving for a few days.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. The contact stated that after driving to the store and parking the vehicle, upon return, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact's husband jump started the vehicle and the vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence.

Chronic dead battery. Replaced 4-year-old completely dead battery with a brand new battery, which was also dead within 3 days. Research shows there is a know problem with subaru battery drain, possibly with regard to a fault with the rear lift gate.

Battery on car just goes dead. Put 3rd battery in car before it was 3 years old. Several times, we noticed that rear hatch motor does not shut off - just keeps running.

The battery seems to drain very quickly and without apparent reason. The dealer recently replaced the battery under warranty but did not explain why it has gone bad so quickly. I was stuck a number of times with a suddenly dead battery.

Purchased a 2018 subaru outback 5/03/18. At 19,860 miles on 12/21/19 the battery died. I jumped it, got it to the dealership.

At 27k miles, my car was getting slow to start. I took my car in to the dealership at almost 30k and they had to charge my battery for 1.5 hours. Two weeks later, my car was beeping and I had to pull into a shop who said the charge of my battery was too low to detect.

02/26/2021: car wouldn't start after being stationary. Had to get assistance to have battery jumpstarted so I could get home. 03/01/2021- car wouldn't start in driveway.

After just under 2 years of ownership, I started noticing that the battery was a bit weak when starting. Since it was out of warranty due to mileage, I took it to a private mechanic for it's 60k mile check up. He found the battery was weak and replaced it.

Electric system fail. Repeatedly the windows wont work, blue tooth goes down. But more concerning when sitting waiting in a parking lot the whole car will shut off.

The battery keeps dying for no reason. Thr first time it occurred was in october 2020. We jump started the vehicle and drove it.

Battery consistently drains and car will not start. Battery is new, replaced in 2020. Car has been parked for less than 12 hours when it will not start.

Phantom liftgate opening. The liftgate opens by itself with the vehicle locked, draining the battery, and does not sound an alarm. This has happened several times, at random times of the day, with the vehicle parked in our driveway.

2018 subaru outback, only 10,500 miles, battery keeps draining, and finally would not crank the engine. This happened 10-24-2020 (sat.) dealer white bear subaru would not answer his phone in service department. Called subaru roadside assistance, they would not tow to a subaru dealer, only a nearby independent repair facility.

Battery died many times. Car is just under 3 years old, with 18,000 miles still under warranty. Dealer said the car must be left that they needed to test.

The battery in my 2018 subaru outback has died 3 times in the past 6 months. The first time I was parked close to a local mechanic and after jumping and testing the battery he deemed it dead and replaced it. 2 months later, while parked and idling as I waited for my husband at an appointment, the car shut down and went dead.

When the power tailgate is left opened for a prolonged period, the battery drains. The shortest hours left opened was 4 hours. Took the vehicle to the dealership, and the battery was tested to be normal (rated 550 cca, measured 504 ca, voltage 12.74v, temperature 90f).

Battery in my 2018 outback continues to be dead when I go to start it after sitting overnight. Just took it to the dealer and they called and said they did not find anything wrong. They are keeping it overnight to see if it is dead in the morning.

Battery doesn't hold charged when parked over night. can't start the engine after a few hour drive and park over night. Now I have to let the car engine running for a few hour everyday to keep the battery charged up enough to start the engine.

My subaru outback 2018 to date is on its third battery, third battery replaced 8-7-2020 is dead today (8-13-2020). Vehicle parked in driveway.

Vehicle has 17,000 miles, battery has died at least 6 times. Battery has been found drained in the am after being parked in garage. Dealer replaced battery at 16,000 miles.

During vehicle operation, both stationary and in traffic, the driver window intermittently does not close normally. Upon activation to raise the window when in open position, it rises only partway, then bounces back down.

Second occurrence of the problem in less than a week. Replaced original battery on 7/24/2020 (see complaint number 11341827). Battery drains for no reason, leaving battery dead and car inoperable.

We were getting ready to leave to the store and got in the car and tried turning it on and when we inserted our keys and tried turning on the car-the car would not start and all we could hear was a clicking clacking sound coming from inside the hood. We tried starting the car again and we encountered there's the same issue, the vehicle would not start at all.

The touch screen on my radio/head unit intermittently freezes. Was told by dealership service it is likely due to bluetooth, and tethering interference because they both try to connect. Dealer reset the radio, and I have not connected the bluetooth at all after the reset.

The head unit has failed and frozen several times. When this happens, functions like smartphone integration, navigation, and backup camera stop working. This occurs when vehicle is in motion.

Car would not start, clicking noises came from the fuse panel located inside vehicle to the left of the steering wheel which we never had heard before, no prior indication of low voltage or battery discharge. Eventually red battery icon displayed briefly on instrument panel. Unable to start, had to get a tow, jump unsuccessful.fortunately car wasparked at home in the garage.

Vehicle was stationary at home in my garage. Battery was drained. Aaa had to be called to boost.

Something in the car is constantly draining the battery. No lights or other systems are on but when the car sits for a couple days without starting, the battery drains. We have replaced the battery twice and it keeps happening.

Defect in windshields or framing area. I've had 4 windshield crack in the bottom right and have replaced 3 so far since I bought it.

Battery had to be replaced within a year of owning the car as it would not start and could not be recharged. Since replacement I have had a few times when the car wouldn't start again.

These incidents are ongoing problems from purchasing my first outback 4 years ago. The question/answer below (*when did this happen?) cannot be answered truthfully, pinpointed to an exact date. It was a brand new car purchased from the dealer and my current, second one with the same exact issues are also a new purchase from the same dealer.

The volume of the phone ring: this is another problem going on for years, throughout different year models, and very well documented on the internet in several forums as well (). Every time my cellphone rings, it's ear piercingly loud. It makes one jump loud.

Radio and maps went to a black screen several times at 5k miles. It was sent to the dealership for update. Still had issues, but not as many.

The head unit in the sound system/electrical system keeps failing resulting in a loss of all sound functions. I don't get any warnings of problems as the sound system simply does not work. This is unsafe.

Headunit, including backup camera, has been unresponsive for over six weeks. A replacement has been on order with the local subaru dealer for five weeks.

VIDEO SCREEN FOR THE DISPLAY OF THE BACKUP CAMERA VIEW IS NOT WORKING.

Head unit is malfunctioning multiple times per day.

Bluetooth will randomly disconnect. Sometimes it lasts a few minutes, sometimes a couple hours. Unable to re-connect once it does, so we have to mess with settings while driving to switch to aux cable, radio, etc or pull over and restart the car completely.

Infotainment system is faulty. I have no back up camera, bluetooth, radio, can not program clock. Subaru dealer says there is no fix other than to replace head unit.

Display panel shut down, completely dark, disabled are radio, GPS, navigation and most importantly the back up camera. The dealership admits they are seeing quite a few of these and a new radio to repair the problem will take 3 months to arrive, no guarantee this will fix the problem.

I have owned two outbacks a 2016 and 2018 and both have had the problem of front windows will work and then for what ever reason I will roll window up with power switch and wind will automatically roll half way down and stay there if I try to roll it up again it does the same thing .until I pull over stop car and reset the switch the way the dealership showed me to do ,this only works sometimes so I am left with my window half way down.this is unsafe especially when it is raining and my wife is trying to pay attention to driving with kids in the car .not to mention leaving her car with the window down unsececured for someone to get in her car and hide to harm her ,most of the times she cannot get window to reset.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. While driving 35 MPH, the fuel gauge indicated 40 miles remaining, but the vehicle ran out of fuel. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired.

2018 subaru outback: per dealer: original battery "bad" & replaced by dealer after it failed (unable to start & won't hold charge) after 10,500 miles at 9 mo. Battery also failed in our previously owned 2015 outback after only 3 weeks, & in a 2015 subaru legacy after 35 months.

8- inch touch screen system is completely blank. As a result, the backup camera does not function. This is the second time this has happened.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. While the contact was driving, the automated driving system stopped working and the back-up camera did not function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (steve moyer subaru, 201 s centre ave, leesport, pa 19533, (888) 696-0345) where it was diagnosed that the computer that controlled the electronic and safety systems malfunctioned.

I recently purchased a 2018 outback. I was driving it going about 25 MPH on road by my house and it shut down out of nowhere, dash lights came on, gas pedal wouldn't work, the only way I got it to go was shutting it off completely and restarting it. They car has 3500 miles, I dropped it off at the dealership on 8/25 and they have had it since.

Soft keys for radio programming go to initializing and stay there rather than show the siriusxm channel that was set in memory. Head unit is extremely bright at night it does dim but there are white sections that should be inverted at night this makes it distracting at night. Radio boots up to a white screen now and nothing works.

This my [XXX] mother's car, she would have panicked had she witnessed this incident. Upon starting vehicle in morning after cleaning off light dusting of snow, the driver's side mirror started to smoke for almost a minute with an electrical and plastic burn smell.

Head unit / radio has delamination and causing buttons to randomly press and cycle until it freezes. This is a know. Issue and Subaru has extended the warranty for a but , but if issue occurs after this the owner is on their own.

MY 2018 Outback experienced a driver side smoking mirror a few days ago. While parked at the gas station, a large amount of smoke suddenly began emanating from the driver side mirror. As a result I no longer see my TPMS, the ability to lock/unlock the car with the remote, interior lights no longer work.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that at the time of the purchase, the contact was shown a fraudulent Carfax report that displayed that the vehicle mileage was 35,000 and a fraudulent title that displayed that the vehicle mileage was 30,870 on issued date 04/25/24.

The radio has Cracks or striations on the screen that are Causing the Panel to make calls, Dial a phone, change the radio station...ETC. Complete random beeping and it is distracting when driving, The touch screen has become defunct and the Comp[uter does all random things, It does what it wants, when it wantys! I am afraid it is a danger!

the radio malfunctions. it beeps constantly. it randomly changes inputs it won’t tune.

The touchscreen is completely malfunctioning and unusable. It started off as a one off incident during a very hot streak in the summer of 2024. I wrote it off and a fluke because of the temperature.

The radio touch screen is defective. It does not respond to touches and does things on its own (ghost touches). Subaru and Harman Kardon are aware of the problem and even extended the warranty but unless your unit failed within the warranty window you're out of luck.

The navigation screen that controls apps, radio, navigation and phone has delamanated and now has a mind of its own. If my phone is connected it will actually start making random calls while driving, radio sound changes, screens will switch on tjeir own while driving. It started a a year ago.

My 2018 Subaru Outback has an infotainment display that has a Delaminating Screen issue, where the screen that controls so many aspects of the car's functionality (to include safety) is now becoming increasingly harder to see.

Unable to remove key from ignition switch while vehicle is in park. Infotainment system turns itself on when car is started; playback skips on Pandora app. Circular windshield crack appeared spontaneously.

Ghost touches on the radio making radio inoperable. Prevent rear view camera from activating.

Sterio and Navigation screen has formed bubbles and what appears to be a film under the screen and has also started delaminating. The screen is now rarely usable as it appears to have a mind and hands of its own as it makes its own selections on the screen and no longer allows me to control it.

2018 Subaru Outback headunit is "delaminated" causing phantom touches on the headunit's touch screen. While driving, the headunit will act as if something is pressing random buttons, changing radio stations, opening/closing maps, going through settings panel and changing car settings, ultimately distracting the driver usually at highway speeds.

Audio system does not work which does not allow - hands-free use of phone - sound alert when nearing railroad crossing - voiced directions when using Waze

Battery drains constantly, going to buy my third battery since 2018.

The back lift gate is closed according to the dash display, but the computer detects that the lift gate is NOT closed resulting in a battery drain. The computer needs to be adjusted to detect when the lift gate is actually closed. Having the lift gate not closed but no indication for the drive is a safety problem.

Sunroof drainage blocked causing water to enter dashboard and fuse box area causing electrical damage. Unable To drive vehicle.

The STARLINK multimedia touchscreen system screen started delaminating July-2022; April-2023 it developed a ghost glitch & changes all settings/info on its own - it doesn’t recognize any true touch on the screen & after multiple hard resets (holding down sound/tuner/cd buttons all at once), it rarely ever actually resets the touchscreen; however, it may pause the glitching for 5-10mins.

My 2018 Subaru Outback battery is draining practically every day now. There must be something in the car that drains the battery constantly so in the morning I am unable to start. I needed to jump start the battery on multiple occasions now.

Battery drainage Have had to have vehicle jumped twice now. Battery totally dead when I tried to start car and return home after appointments. Afraid this may happen while driving which happened to a friend of mine!

The infotainment system freezes randomly causing screen to freeze including while backing up. This causes it to appear as though the back up camera is working when in reality it is not. Serious safety concern if cross traffic or children are not seen.

Battery draining issue. Jump starts required

Entertainment Unit Defects Car Battery Fast Drainage

Battery is dying pre-emptively. Have gone through 2 batteries in one month.

Subaru Starlink system flickers, selects apps and does all of this without ANY touching. At times, the backup camera is not working. Having a phone connected does not improve the problem.

I bought this Outback new back in June of 2018. I just purchased the 3rd battery for it today 8/11/22. I’ve noticed that the past 2 batteries have been corroded and barely last 1.5-2 years.

The car battery will drain completely when the car is not being driven. This has happened to us numerous times while camping leaving us in a remote area with a dead battery and no cell phone service to call for help

Over the last two-plus years I have found my 2018 Subaru Outback's battery dead or so low that it cannot crank the engine. I have had to replace the battery twice in that time, and have had AAA out at least four times to jump start the car without replacing the battery. Today, after sitting in my garage for about 10 days, the battery was so low that it would not crank over the engine.

Battery spontaneously drains, disengaging all safety features with no warning.

Bought the vehicle used from Carmax on 2/14/22, drove 25 miles home and parked in driveway. Next morning battery was dead, put a trickle charger on the battery and the charger detected only 4 volts and would not charge vehicle.

Battery keeps dying in cold weather. I’ve charged it 3 times in the past 2 weeks fully and double check to make sure no lights are on when I leave the vehicle. The next time I drive again it’s dead

Battery continues to die. We have had our vehicle for a year and had to get to replace our battery 3 times including today! Multiple jumpstarts.

I parked in my garage for 2 weeks, and I couldn’t start my car again. I had to jumpstart it. This is the third time it happened.

Battery loses charge overnight for no reason. New battery placed in vehicle and same issue still present.

We have a 2018 Subaru Outback with 87,000. As of yesterday our car is now on its third battery. The original battery lasted about a two years, then we purchased one from Autozone, that battery only lasted 15 months.

Battery will not hold charge

I own a 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited. In the last 18 months the battery has died three times while the car is parked. On the second occasion the battery condition was poor and I had to replace it.

Repeated battery failures. Two battery replacements and battery still is not holding a charge. First battery replacement at 17,120 miles - 5/30/2020 Second battery replacement on 21,300 miles - 2/20/2021 Latest, battery died on 8/22/2021 with about 24,000 miles.

Battery drained and died for no reason within 2 weeks of purchase.

OEM battery failed at ~17,800 miles.

Battery keeps failing and needing jump start. Liftgate has failed and makes continuous loud beeping while driving. Liftgate seems to drain battery leaving car with dead battery.

I have been having battery issues with my 2018 Subaru Outback. Ended up replacing the battery with a new one and am still have issues with the car draining the battery to dead if not run for a few days.

Ongoing problem with battery draining. The vehicle was bought new in 2018, and has only 13,450 miles. Contacted Subaru, they deny that there has been any issue.

Battery Looses Charge after sitting for a week.

1) Battery drain issue when liftgate spuriously opens and completely drains battery resulting in an inoperable car. 2) This issue above and perhaps other unknown electrical issue(s) has resulted in a bad battery after only 3yrs (30K miles).

I have had considerable starting and battery trouble with my 2018 Subaru Outback... Shortly after purchasing the Outback, I had to get a jump start a couple of times, I thought it was my fault due to leaving a light on in the back of the cabin. When I took it in for the 1st oil change, I told the service manager.

Automobile would not start ignition on lights flickered battery was on the verge of dying had to jump start it to get going in the morning of course it was stationary in the garage in a very tough location

I have a fairly new oem subaru battery in my 2018 outback. It continues to drain unexpectedly. I know about the tailgate problem.

The battery prematurely drains when driven for multiple short trips. It also drains while sitting if it is not frequently driven for medium-length trips.

Battery has gone dead twice, almost 3 times. The car was stationary.

Unexplained battery drain after several short trips and/or after car is not driven for several days .

Battery replacement after less than 2 years

Dead battery issues - if doors or liftgate is open for even short amounts of time the battery goes dead. Have had to had it jumped 6 or 7 times since we bought it 3 years ago. That leads to issues with liftgate and passenger windows, requiring deal resets.

Battery failed at 9,000 miles

Battery does not hold a charge. Have to jump battery after short periods of non-use

Battery continues to die. Battery will not hold charge. Car has less than 11000 miles on it.

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Car was purchased in june 2018. Peridically over the first two years of ownership the battery would die and the car would require a jump to start. Since the onset of the covid pandemic - with the car left unused (in a garage) for more extended periods - the battery dies frequently, each time requiring a jump to start.

I started my car when I was 0 degrees outside. It started but after driving 15 minutes I shut it off. Started it 10 minutes later and the battery was nearly dead.

Battery discharged after map light left on overnight and it is supposed to turn off after 20 minutes. Vehicle had just been driven prior to the light being left on and is driven every day.

Battery died 2 times within 3 months of purchase (bought used, nov 2020) first time with light left on overnight and second time after not driving for less than 1 week

Premature dying of battery at around only 20,000miles. We suspect flaws of the battery or electric issues. We did find lawsuit on 2016-2020 subaru outback on this matter.

The battery keeps draining when not used and then the car refuses to start and I need to get jump start. This can be dangerous if the car needs to be moved urgently

Battery does not charge and requires replacement every 200-300 miles.

Car lights came on after sitting not running. Went to start the car, but not enough power to start it. Battery light was on.

Purchased this car in feb 2018. Despite the pandemic of 2020, mileage is somewhat similar, driving trips are similar since getting the car. The battery has been dying over and over since earlier this year (feb/march 2020) for no apparent reason.

Dead battery overnight and liftgate random opening when vehicle is parked in the garage.

Battery drains for no reason, leaving battery dead and car inoperable. Car was stationary on driveway. Could not start it, so checked battery which was dead 0 volts.

11/16/2018 dead battery for no known reason 6/15/2019 dead battery for no known reason

Battery drains for no apparent reason while parked overnight in driveway.

Battery is completely draining without cause and requires jump start. Car battery drains after not driving for a little as 3 days. Vehicle was parked in a garage and on the street.

Battery was dead in may 2020. Purchased new battery 5/28/2020. New battery was dead 6/4/2020.

Dead, drained battery- no response from car, unable to even open with key fob. Car parked in garage at home.

This model has severe battery drain issues. I have had to repeatedly jump or charge the battery after just a short period of the lift gate or side doors being open. The lights are turned off but they still drain the battery.

The car has 19065 miles and will not start because the battery is dead. The car will start when jump started following the manual procedures. However the battery immediately discharges when engine is turned off.

Car was not used for 5 days and had dead battery.

Information systems fail to rebooting. Backup camera fails etc

The head unit in the sound system/electrical system broke resulting in no backup camera/ music/ apple car play/ etc. For over 2 months. The car was less than 6 months old and the unit was backordered at the time resulting no use of the head unit for 2 months.

Infotainment system would not boot up at start. Loss of navigation, backup camera, hands free phone, sirius radio.

The entire "infotainment" system, central display console, and control panel does not work. It will not turn on. The screen is black.

Three items: when vehicle is switched-on - video display for reverse/backup camera is not working. Display components are responding to touch but no audio is heard for radio, phone, or navigation. Once vehicle is switched-off - display console and side lights (on center computer) remain illuminated pulling from the battery.

Stereo output abruptly changed from all speakers at normal volume, to one speaker at increased volume. Vehicle was in motion in an urban setting. This kind of random volume change from the infotainment system while driving can be quite jarring and surprising.

The entire "infotainment" system, central display console, and control panel does not work. It will not turn on. The screen is black.

The central display console where backup camera is went to black suddenly and will not turn on. This is a safety concern. Here is a link to many other 2018 2019 subaru owners reporting same issue

The screen has gone black and side lights blink, unable to use any item controlled by the screen. Appears the warning system for a vehicle stopping too closely is not working as well.

Infotainment screen went black on december 17, 2018. Radio, navigation system, bluetooth and rear camera are all inoperable.

In 2018 a new law went into effect requiring all new cars cone with rear backup cameras. The subaru starlink infotainment system that is on all new subarus are defective, buggy, and subaru has no permanent fix. It renders the rear camera unoperable, replacements are on backorder and subaru makes owners continue to drive their card when it is unsafe and not following the new law for 2018 cars.

Entire center radio cluster has failed. Car was parked in a garage and got into the car and started car and entire unit was black. This impacts radio, hands free cellular phone use, navigation, back up camera and warning system, vehicle notifications, star link program.

Harman-kardon audio unit failure at 8,000 miles. Results in loss a basic back up camera function. Extensive safety features on this vehicle-basic back up camera not working.

I was driving and the entire display went blank! This renders all electronic features controlled by the screen inoperable and also violates federal law mandating backup cameras on 2018 or newer cars. Though technically my vehicle is still equipped with it, it doesn't matter because the display is completely dead.

** 2018 subaru outback ** this has happened three times** driving car when car shuts off complete loss of power engine turns off without warning at various speeds - seems to occur when the low fuel warning system turns on at 1/4 tank of gas. This 3rd time almost got me killed traveling at 45mpg when it happened today inside a major intersection. Software / sensor for the low fuel system?

The radio head unit will randomly not connect to apple car play. It will also get stuck on a fm radio station and not respond to anything until the battery is disconnected. This happens while driving and there is no way to control the volume or anything.

When I turn on the hazard emergency flashing lights on while parked and engine off and I lock the car , both keyless remotes stop working when I try to unlock the doors to enter. To be able to access car need to use the manual key, alarm horn goes off and then push the engine start button and all seems to work fine again. Has happened multiple times.

Rear tail gate opens without activation at 35 MPH while vehicle is in motion. I have a video but it is too big to send. My wife and I were on a busy highway after just purchasing flowers and plants at a local nursery when the tailgate just started to open all by itself spilling some of the plants on the highway.

8" navigation/display frozen. No back-up camera when in reverse. Does not respond to inputs either on the display or from steering wheel.

On occasion, and while in motion, the head unit (navigation display, radio, etc), in our 2018 outback limited w/ eyesight, will freeze up and no hard or soft buttons will reactivate the system. I must shut car down for a few minutes before a "reboot" takes place. I have seen numerous other complaints on subaruoutback.com.

After putting on hazard switch and leaving vehicle, I came back to vehicle and the keyless entry would not function. System did not seem to recognize my smartkey as the door handle sensor did not operate. I tried the buttons on the smartly fob and they too did not function.

The car is parked. The flashers are activated. The car is then locked from the outside with the key fob.