This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Vehicle bought in 2017. In 2018, battery drained three different occasions: Twice, I had to call roadside assistance; third time, another person helped me start my car. I happened on 9/30/18, after parking outside an animal hospital. I took it to the dealership to get it checked and I was explained that the battery doesn't charge enough during short trips. I opted to buy a car starter portable battery, given the frequency and inconvenience of getting stuck in places. I ordered it on October, 2018. I don't recall how many times I used the car starter kit in 2019. However, in 2020, it has been already 4 times I've had to use it to start my car: Once on 04/04/2020 and since then, other three times. Once after being parked for a few days, and today, 05/09/20, twice: After stopping, waiting to drive into a ferry, and then, to start the car to leave the ferry.
Twice over two weeks, the car's battery was discharged enough to the point that it required a jump start. The first time (0411/2020) was after a 30 minute car ride, it failed to start on its own. The second time (04/25/2020) it sat overnight in the garage and failed to start. Both occurrences required the vehicle to be jump-started
The ignition key gets stuck in the ignition. Can not get out has happen on many cars mine and mine daughters. Subaru has issued Subaru service bulletin 16-112-18R and replace the faulty part but want hundreds to do this. This happens a lot, and will get worse till I am forced to pay.
Battery flat twice overnight two days in a row despite dealer checking out issue and telling me battery was fine. Finally replaced battery. Now learn that there is ongoing issue.
- North Aurora, IL, USA
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My car is a 2017 Subaru Outback. Since I've had it X 3 years, , the battery has drained abnormally three times and I've had to replace the battery 3 times. I'm not leaving it on and definitely not leaving any lights on accidentally. I only have 23,000 miles on it. Battery manufacturer states my battery should be good for at least 5 years, especially at the amount I'm driving per year. So each incident occurs when I try to start my car and it doesn't turn on. The car is stationary and not involved in any accidents. It was parked each time this incident occurred but this situation must be something wrong with the electrical components in the car. It makes the car unreliable. I'm usually stuck in a parking garage at work or home and last time was on the street and had to get a tow to the mechanic.
Battery drains prematurely. Purchased new in December 2017. Primary use is short-trip-driving to/from work. Car failed to start in November 2019. Charged battery and took in for service. Battery replaced under warranty. Problem repeated in April 2020.
My 2017 Subaru Outback has parasitic battery drain that kills the battery. The car won't start making the vehicle unreliable. This is a routine issue with Subaru and needs to be addressed.
When you hit the button to release the rear hatch it does not open all the time. You get three beeps and the hatch does not open. If you use the key fob and attempts to open the rear hatch is the same thing three beeps and does not open. The only way to get it open is to disconnect battery cable wait a minute reconnect cable then hit the button then rear power hatch opens. This is happened multiple timesi took vehicle to dealer wants to get it looked at they could not replicate the issue. Same issue happened again today. Sidenote when I enter my pin it comes up on your site is a 2017 my Subaru forrester sport is a 2019
Windshield cracks and instantly spread with minimal impact disabling car speed control and safety systems such as pre-collision braking and lane keep assist.
Key has begun to get stuck in ignition each time I shift into park and shut off the engine. One has to repeatedly slam the gear shift into park for the ignition switch to recognize the car is indeed in "park" and release the key. Could create an issue for anyone without the physical strength to "slam" the gear shift into "park" or someone who needs to quickly exit their vehicle and get into their locked house or building. House keys are always attached to car keys, which are inevitably stuck in the ignition. A search of online forums shows this is a known issue that Subaru has not made good on and dealers are charging owners upwards of $600 to repair.
The keys could not be removed from the ignition after shifting the car into park and turning the car off. The problem first appeared around September 2019 (approximately 42,000 miles). Over the next few weeks the problem progressively got worse, and required shifting from neutral to park multiple times until the keys could be removed. The select lever assembly (part 35111al00B) was replaced with the newer version (part 35111al00C) which fixed the issue. The original select lever assembly (35111al00B) was tested and it had a problem with the "P" range switch. Resistance across select lever assembly pins 1 and 2 showed a resistance of 2-3 ohms when the select lever was in the park position. The service manual states that the "P" range switch resistance should be less than 1 ohm when in the park position. This high resistance likely caused the ignition to fail to recognize that the car was in park and prevented the keys from being removed.
Can not remove key after turning car off. Vehicle is stationary, in park and engine off when this occurs. Key stays in column. Slamming shift lever a few times sometimes frees it up. Subaru claims it's not a recall issue. Been happening each day the last week.
Battery dead several times. Have had to have it jumped six times. Battery replaced by dealer once. I note that many Subaru owners have similar problem.
My vehicle, while stationary without anything plugged in or running (I.e. ac), has the battery die. The vehicle is a 2018, and this happened 08/24/2019. I believe a battery to be a maintenance item, but being less then 2 years old under 'normal' use is contrary to industry or manufacturer standards, which I believe the unexpected timing and nature creates a safety issue. I replaced the battery, and found this to be a common issue with Subaru's; however, never received any advisement or notification from the company.
Cannot remove key from ignition when in park. Many others have reported this online, and the dealership is charging me to check what the issue is. When in park, steering wheel is straight, not on a slope, the key is stuck in the ignition. Can turn it off, but can't remove the key. Sometimes jiggling, sometimes starting and turning back off, and sometimes starting, putting in drive, and slamming the shifter into park again solves the issue, but sometimes not. Spent over 20 minutes today trying to get it out, drove to the dealer, and it came out without an issue. No consistency to the issue.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Seattle, WA, USA