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.
We purchased our 2020 Subaru Outback in October 2019 and within a a few months (Feb 2020) we came back to our parked car with a cracked starting from the bottom of windshield that started from the wipers. We got our windshield replaced, fast forward to October 2020 and we're replacing our windshield again from driving on a roll rode. There has to be some sort of defect on these windshields. We can't be the only one experiencing this on these new cars.
Car windshield had ice obscuring part of the eyesight system on startup. Warning indicators lit up informing me that the eyesight system was disabled. Concurrent with this fault, the failure of the eyesight system would not allow me to release the electronic parking brake leaving me stranded in the snow.
I have had repeated problems with my battery dying. It started slowly, at the beginning of the pandemic, I didn't drive for a couple of weeks. When the service guy came out to jump it, he said that I should can drive it at least once a week. I've been doing that and I'd only occasionally had to jump it. Now with 10 months of ownership and under 6,000 miles, I have to jump it every day. When I took it in, dealership said battery and alternator were fine. If battery is fine, must be electrical. Either way, very unhappy with this defect in my new car.
The left-most dash vent rattles intermittently, most often on rough road surface. Vehicle purchased in December 2019, and rattle started in April 2020. My local dealer replaced the vent, but the rattle continues and appears to come from behind the vent. Because it's intermittent and can't be reproduced on demand I've thoroughly documented it with audio/video recordings. Escalating with Subaru of America to get it resolved.
- Henrico, VA, USA
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My 2020 Subaru is 9 months old and this will be the 2nd windshield I will be replacing in the car. The first time the car was in motion but not struck by debris. The second time there was debris that hit the windshield and the crack moved quickly across the windshield without stopping. There was a class action suit about the faulty windshields with many Subaru owners involved and recently the suit was dismissed by the court. I understand Outbacks and foresters have defective windshields going back as far as 2016 and Subaru has not addressed the problem. I have been told the windshield is thinner than most to accommodate the sensors. The cost to replace a windshield is $900+ each time due to the need for only a Subaru windshield and the calibration of the sensors needed.
Owner drove on to a parking lot. Vehicle lane departure prevention function sensed a white line on the pavement. This caused the vehicle to turn left, acceleration an uncontrollable fashion. The vehicle jumped the curb proceeding into heavy shrubs which damaged the vehicle. The shrubs stopped the vehicle.
Classic Subaru weak windshield glass issue. While traveling on a small side street about 40mph, something that was inaudible hit my front glass last night while going to the store. We saw what appeared to be a very small chip. On the way home from the store the small chip turned into a streaking spiderweb just from hitting pavement divisions on the highway. This car has less than 600 miles on it. The Subaru salesmen were very pushy about buying their ding, dent, glass protection stating that they know the glass is about 900 dollars to fix. I think they know the glass is weak. Now I am out the costs of a windshield plus the tint to have it re-tinted. So we are talking well over 1K if I have the dealership install the glass and re-calibrate the eyesight program to the windshield.
I have owned my 2020 Subaru Outback for only 2 months. My car will now not start. After jumping the vehicle/ charging the battery, it will start again and then shut back off. There appears to be an electrical issue that is causing my battery to drain very rapidly. Changing the battery does not fix the problem. Fixing the electrical issue is the only solution. Subaru has this problem with Outbacks and ascents from 2017 to 2020 and needs to issue a recall.
While driving along route 81 South of carlisle pa. An audible pop was heard. I noted nothing at the time. Later in the day, this 2 foot crack appeared in the windshield. I don't believe the crack is the result of an object as there is no apparent point of impact and only the the very small area adjoining the frame is at all disturbed aside from the obvious clean crack.
July 2, 2020: The front windshield cracked seemingly without cause while driving on the interstate. After stopping, it appeared to have a tiny chip near the rear-view mirror and a crack about 3 feet long extending from it. This windshield was replaced on July 8, 2020. July 19, 2020: The new windshield received a tiny rock chip while driving. The rock chip was less than 1 inch in size so a repair was to be attempted. The repair was unsuccessful as the rock chip immediately spread when suction was applied to the surface.
WE PURCHASED A 2020 OUTBACK LIMITED 4/28/2020. THE SALESMAN, [XXX], DELIVERED THE CAR TO OUR HOME ON 5/1/2020. THE SECOND TIME WE DROVE THE VEHICLE, 5/6/2020, A CRACK SUDDENLY APPEARED ON THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AS WE WERE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. (MY HUSBAND IS AN ATK AMPUTEE AND WANTED TO PRACTICE DRIVING THE CAR WITH HIS PROSTHETIC LEG BEFORE DRIVING 30+ MILES TO A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT.) THERE WAS NO APPARENT REASON FOR THE CRACK AS THERE WERE NO AUTOMOBILES AROUND US. WE ALREADY HAD AN APPT TO RETURN THE CAR TO THE DEALER THAT WEEK TO INSTALL OPTIONS WE HAD PURCHASED AT SALE. AT THAT TIME WE LEARNED THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT PART OF THE WARRANTY AGREEMENT WE HAD SIGNED AND THE FINANCE AGENT IN NO WAY ENCOURAGED US TO SIGN THAT PORTION OF THE AGREEMENT. NOR DID HE INFORM US OF THE HIGH COST OF WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT AND ELECTRONICS RE-CALIBRATION. WE PAID $1143.34 TO REPLACE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND RE-CALIBRATE THE ELECTRONICS. OUR INSURANCE WAS A $1000 DEDUCTIBLE WOULD WOULD NOT ALLOW FILINGS FROM DEALERSHIPS AS THEY ARE NOT APPROVED REPAIR SITES. AT THAT TIME WE ALSO PAID AN ADDITIONAL $500 TO PURCHASE THE WINDSHIELD WARRANTY. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Had new 2020 Outback less than 3 weeks and noted hairline stress crack (no chips) on outside laminate of windshield, near passenger side camera, 3.25 inches long. I was washing the windshield in my driveway when I noticed the crack. There are previous reports of defective windshield glass with this model. Photo attached.
Subaru eyesight lane centering failure. Date: 27apr 2020, time: About 9:45am, location: I-75 South bound between dayton and cincinnate Ohio, about mile marker 29.8. road conditions: Dry, sunny and bright.: adaptive cruise control on, lane centering on. Vechile milage about 7700 miles. While passing a semi on the left, at the rear corner of the semi the steering wheel tried to make a hard sharp right turn.as if the right side of the lane had moved way to the right. I had a hard grip on the steering wheel which was the only thing that kept me from crashing into the left rear of the semi trailer.. I have noticed in the past that the lane centering has a tendancy to steer close to semi's while passing either on the right or the left. For this reason I tend to watch closely when passing but this suprised me at how hard the steering tried to execute a lane change, it was almost like someone jerked the steering wheel to the right. After bringing it back on coarse the lane centering stayed in the proper lane abet, wanting to stay towards the right side while finishing passing. Lane centering functioned properly for the next few miles at which time I turned it off due to approaching several semi's. I don't believe the subara's eyesight lane centering function is reliable. This is also the second time the lane centering has tried to execute a lane change since owning the vehicle.
The windshiled has a large crack on the driver's side and is under a week old. I noticed the crack after vehicle had been parked all night at my house. Not sure how or where it began. I noticed on 3/5 but not sure how long a smaller one could have been there and started to grow.
The low beam's angle on the self-leveling headlight units is too flat blinding oncoming traffic (every other car and third truck flashes their high beams at me). The implementation of the handsfree bluetooth protocol is inadequate as incoming call volume is too low (even after increasing speaker volume to maximum). It makes handsfree operation of your mobile phone all but worthless while handsfree operation is required by law in my state. Both issues are safety issues as far as I am concerned.
Windshield has 4 cracks/runs approx 24 inches each and chips very easily. I contacted the dealership and they didn't have any windshields to replace it with. Safelite couldn't find my car's windshield in their inventory. I even bought the policy that replaces the windshield at no cost to me. I drive with a cracked windshield that can't be fixed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- San Diego, CA, USA