2015 Subaru Outback problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera was inoperable. The maps and radio were glitching and then seized stuck. The screen was difficult to read. The screen was pixelated due to the brightness outside. The camera was inoperable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage for the head unit. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case, but declined any further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 73,022.

NHTSA complaint #11757943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera was inoperable. The maps and radio were glitching and then seized stuck. The screen was difficult to read. The screen was pixelated due to the brightness outside. The camera was inoperable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage for the head unit. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case, but declined any further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 73,022.

NHTSA complaint #11757943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The Subaru's Starlink Radio has completely delaminated on the layer between the display and the digitizer, which does not allow the radio to be controlled in any way, shape, or form. This means that the touch screen is not working anymore, and because the radio is so delaminated, whenever the car is put into reverse during the daytime, the backup camera is nowhere near visible enough to be seen safely. The radio delaminated to the point where it was unusable after the 100k-mile warranty period. At the start of the issue, the radio developed a ghost touch on the bottom-left corner of the screen, and during a Bluetooth phone call, it would repeatedly hang up the phone, leading to distraction while driving.

NHTSA complaint #11756505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The Subaru's Starlink Radio has completely delaminated on the layer between the display and the digitizer, which does not allow the radio to be controlled in any way, shape, or form. This means that the touch screen is not working anymore, and because the radio is so delaminated, whenever the car is put into reverse during the daytime, the backup camera is nowhere near visible enough to be seen safely. The radio delaminated to the point where it was unusable after the 100k-mile warranty period. At the start of the issue, the radio developed a ghost touch on the bottom-left corner of the screen, and during a Bluetooth phone call, it would repeatedly hang up the phone, leading to distraction while driving.

NHTSA complaint #11756505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle Component Affected: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE / BACK OVER PREVENTION Description of the Safety Defect: The factory infotainment touchscreen in my 2015 Subaru Outback Limited (VIN: [XXX]) has suffered a severe manufacturing defect where the internal chemical gel adhesive has melted, creating large, oily liquid bubbles across the display. This physical degradation causes the screen to suffer from continuous "ghost touches," registering non-stop phantom inputs while the vehicle is in motion. This hardware failure creates three active, severe driving safety hazards: DANGEROUS OPERATOR DISTRACTION: The ghost-touching triggers a loud, high-pitched, non-stop audible dinging sound through the speakers that cannot be muted, severely compromising driver focus on the roadway. INOPERABLE NAVIGATION CONTROL: The system recently registered phantom touches that autonomously programmed a random destination into the factory GPS. The system then overrode all driver controls, preventing me from canceling the navigation instructions or turning off the screen audio while driving. OBSCURED BACKUP CAMERA VISIBILITY: The large, oily chemical delamination bubbles create a severe visual distortion on the screen. In direct or bright sunlight, the backup camera image is completely unreadable and obscured, creating an active striking hazard to pedestrians and vehicles behind me. This manufacturing defect began approximately in Jan 2023 and has gotten progressively worse over time, transitioning from minor cosmetic bubbling to severe, non-stop hardware malfunctions. This component failure is an active driving hazard that completely compromises driver attention and vehicle safety systems. Subaru of America is aware of this chemical breakdown across this generation of head units but is refusing to remedy the safety defect out of warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11751408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Vehicle Component Affected: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE / BACK OVER PREVENTION Description of the Safety Defect: The factory infotainment touchscreen in my 2015 Subaru Outback Limited (VIN: [XXX]) has suffered a severe manufacturing defect where the internal chemical gel adhesive has melted, creating large, oily liquid bubbles across the display. This physical degradation causes the screen to suffer from continuous "ghost touches," registering non-stop phantom inputs while the vehicle is in motion. This hardware failure creates three active, severe driving safety hazards: DANGEROUS OPERATOR DISTRACTION: The ghost-touching triggers a loud, high-pitched, non-stop audible dinging sound through the speakers that cannot be muted, severely compromising driver focus on the roadway. INOPERABLE NAVIGATION CONTROL: The system recently registered phantom touches that autonomously programmed a random destination into the factory GPS. The system then overrode all driver controls, preventing me from canceling the navigation instructions or turning off the screen audio while driving. OBSCURED BACKUP CAMERA VISIBILITY: The large, oily chemical delamination bubbles create a severe visual distortion on the screen. In direct or bright sunlight, the backup camera image is completely unreadable and obscured, creating an active striking hazard to pedestrians and vehicles behind me. This manufacturing defect began approximately in Jan 2023 and has gotten progressively worse over time, transitioning from minor cosmetic bubbling to severe, non-stop hardware malfunctions. This component failure is an active driving hazard that completely compromises driver attention and vehicle safety systems. Subaru of America is aware of this chemical breakdown across this generation of head units but is refusing to remedy the safety defect out of warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11751408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

Vehicle Component Affected: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE / BACK OVER PREVENTION Description of the Safety Defect: The factory infotainment touchscreen in my 2015 Subaru Outback Limited (VIN: [XXX]) has suffered a severe manufacturing defect where the internal chemical gel adhesive has melted, creating large, oily liquid bubbles across the display. This physical degradation causes the screen to suffer from continuous "ghost touches," registering non-stop phantom inputs while the vehicle is in motion. This hardware failure creates three active, severe driving safety hazards: DANGEROUS OPERATOR DISTRACTION: The ghost-touching triggers a loud, high-pitched, non-stop audible dinging sound through the speakers that cannot be muted, severely compromising driver focus on the roadway. INOPERABLE NAVIGATION CONTROL: The system recently registered phantom touches that autonomously programmed a random destination into the factory GPS. The system then overrode all driver controls, preventing me from canceling the navigation instructions or turning off the screen audio while driving. OBSCURED BACKUP CAMERA VISIBILITY: The large, oily chemical delamination bubbles create a severe visual distortion on the screen. In direct or bright sunlight, the backup camera image is completely unreadable and obscured, creating an active striking hazard to pedestrians and vehicles behind me. This manufacturing defect began approximately in Jan 2023 and has gotten progressively worse over time, transitioning from minor cosmetic bubbling to severe, non-stop hardware malfunctions. This component failure is an active driving hazard that completely compromises driver attention and vehicle safety systems. Subaru of America is aware of this chemical breakdown across this generation of head units but is refusing to remedy the safety defect out of warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11751408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

This is an odometer fraud situation. The car was reported at 187,062 with photo documentation on 4/17/2026 via a mechanics office. It was then reported at 104,332 during a CO Emissions Test inspection. I called to verify the mileage reported from the mechanics office and they sent me a photo from 4/17/2026 of the odometer reading 187,062. This car has been rolled back!

NHTSA complaint #11750069 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

My car horn stopped working. The dealership said the clock spring (steering roll connector) component has failed, confirmed by the resulting complete loss of the horn function. The dealership did not communicate the fact that my drivers airbag would not function properly in an accident. I couldn’t afford the repair at the time, putting my life in danger should an accident occur. Returning to the dealer they still state it is not a covered item, and I need to pay to repair the part so my horn and airbag functions as intended.

NHTSA complaint #11748265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My car horn stopped working. The dealership said the clock spring (steering roll connector) component has failed, confirmed by the resulting complete loss of the horn function. The dealership did not communicate the fact that my drivers airbag would not function properly in an accident. I couldn’t afford the repair at the time, putting my life in danger should an accident occur. Returning to the dealer they still state it is not a covered item, and I need to pay to repair the part so my horn and airbag functions as intended.

NHTSA complaint #11748265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

NHTSA issued a notice for a recall on the 2015 Subaru Outback for an exhaust pipe bellows crack which causes exhaust noise and odor which affects emission and engine performance. I had noticed our Subaru's exhaust smoke coming in through the air vents while idling and also a general loss of power for the vehicle. When I dug into the causes, I came across this recall and did the VIN look up on the NHTSA website and also the Subaru website for active recalls. The Subaru website states that the recall was completed. I then called the subaru retailer to check if there were any records for the recall work that was completed for NHTSA ID Number: 10199936. They could not find any records. I called in Subaru corporate to see if they could shed any light on the recall. Subaru corporate says that the recall work was performed on August 6th, 2020 but is unable to tell me where it was performed or even if it was actually replaced. My local Subaru dealer has no records and Subaru corporate says that the work was performed. I am stuck with an exhaust leak that is potentially dangerous as time goes on where it might fail emissions. Subaru corporate has not wanted to address this or investigate the discrepancy, but instead asks me to work with the dealer to get records. The dealer says there's no records of the work ever being done. So I'm in limbo with a particularly faulty car.

NHTSA complaint #11746783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

NHTSA issued a notice for a recall on the 2015 Subaru Outback for an exhaust pipe bellows crack which causes exhaust noise and odor which affects emission and engine performance. I had noticed our Subaru's exhaust smoke coming in through the air vents while idling and also a general loss of power for the vehicle. When I dug into the causes, I came across this recall and did the VIN look up on the NHTSA website and also the Subaru website for active recalls. The Subaru website states that the recall was completed. I then called the subaru retailer to check if there were any records for the recall work that was completed for NHTSA ID Number: 10199936. They could not find any records. I called in Subaru corporate to see if they could shed any light on the recall. Subaru corporate says that the recall work was performed on August 6th, 2020 but is unable to tell me where it was performed or even if it was actually replaced. My local Subaru dealer has no records and Subaru corporate says that the work was performed. I am stuck with an exhaust leak that is potentially dangerous as time goes on where it might fail emissions. Subaru corporate has not wanted to address this or investigate the discrepancy, but instead asks me to work with the dealer to get records. The dealer says there's no records of the work ever being done. So I'm in limbo with a particularly faulty car.

NHTSA complaint #11746783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the horn was completely inoperative. The dealer was not notified the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000.

NHTSA complaint #11743731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exhaust manifold detached from the vehicle. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer advised the contact that a recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle, which was related to an exhaust pipe cracking, and that additional repairs would be at the owner's expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 244,000.

NHTSA complaint #11742301 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact stated that he recently purchased a 2015 Subaru Outback. The vehicle was purchased through a private sale. At the time of purchase the odometer reading was 91,000. The contact stated while obtaining insurance was informed the mileage was 194,000. A Carfax report was not obtained. There was no other agency contacted.

NHTSA complaint #11740680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The infotainment unit has failed leading to awful disruptions. The unit will push its own buttons, change volume, make phone calls, etc without any human input. It’s an ongoing problem and even happens when the radio is turned off.

NHTSA complaint #11733730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing intermittent horn failure, and the failure mostly occurred while driving straight with limited steering input. The horn was operable while turning the steering wheel. Upon investigating the failure online, the contact learned that it was a common failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was awaiting a call back. The failure mileage was approximately 192,000.

NHTSA complaint #11728206 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Cracked windshield out of nowhere, starts from the bottom passenger side.

NHTSA complaint #11727307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

January 25th, 2026 13:30 I was coming to a stop at an intersection with my foot on the brake pedal when suddenly my vehicle lurched forward potentially causing rear end collision with the truck in front of me that was stopped at the red light. My vehicle finally came to a stop when I pressed hard on the brake pedal. This problem happened today, so I have not reproduced it. I have not had it checked by a dealer (today is Sunday) I have a Low Tire Pressure light that came on two days ago when the temperatures suddenly dropped here in Tulsa, OK.

NHTSA complaint #11713284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

January 25th, 2026 13:30 I was coming to a stop at an intersection with my foot on the brake pedal when suddenly my vehicle lurched forward potentially causing rear end collision with the truck in front of me that was stopped at the red light. My vehicle finally came to a stop when I pressed hard on the brake pedal. This problem happened today, so I have not reproduced it. I have not had it checked by a dealer (today is Sunday) I have a Low Tire Pressure light that came on two days ago when the temperatures suddenly dropped here in Tulsa, OK.

NHTSA complaint #11713284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

After a transmission replacement performed by Bud Clary Chevrolet, Inc. in Longview, WA on September 9, 2025, my vehicle was returned to me with critical components left unsecured. On November 19, 2025, an independent mechanic discovered loose suspension bolts connecting the ball joints to the spindles on both front wheels. On November 29, 2025, Subaru of Portland documented additional unsecured and unattached components related to the prior transmission replacement, including loose mounting hardware and a disconnected PCV hose. Subaru of Portland’s written inspection states that the loose bolts would have been unsafe if left uncorrected. These conditions were present after a major repair and created a potential safety hazard while the vehicle was being driven. This complaint concerns an unsafe condition caused by improper workmanship during a vehicle repair.

NHTSA complaint #11705980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

A particular corner where the arterial has a y turn. With cruise engaged the vehicle will do the emergency braking even though the lane is clear. Has occurred several times at this same location.

NHTSA complaint #11704294 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

A particular corner where the arterial has a y turn. With cruise engaged the vehicle will do the emergency braking even though the lane is clear. Has occurred several times at this same location.

NHTSA complaint #11704294 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

A particular corner where the arterial has a y turn. With cruise engaged the vehicle will do the emergency braking even though the lane is clear. Has occurred several times at this same location.

NHTSA complaint #11704294 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the dealer for an oil change and snow tire replacement, the contact was informed that the sub frame and the brake lines were severely corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, 802 Toyota (30 Berlin Mall Rd, Berlin, VT 05602) for a Trade-In, and it was confirmed that the sub frame was corroded during the appraisal inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was caused by salt damage; however, the contact stated that the vehicle was used for leisure rather than commute since the contact was retired. The failure mileage was 86,801.

NHTSA complaint #11700816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.