2020 Subaru Outback electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

In the first 2 weeks after financing vehicle it started having passenger window issues when it rained it caused window to not wat to go up or would try coming down when trying to let it up when it rained next qas battary kept killing my battery I've replaced 4 batteries in 2.5 years and then my rear gate door would sometimes not want to open til it just stopped all together as if it had something stuck in it to keep from opening then while driving the assistant in 2 events tried to take me off rd when going in a curb and while driving the car would just randomly act like it was shuddering and would shut off and then come right back on screen would shut off and everything until it just electrically just shut down completely nothing working complete electrical shut down in the 2.5 years I've had car ive taken it to the used lot where I git car and to two different subaru dealerships and no body had helped me and I know it had a settlement case for the battary for my year car and no body is honoring anything and now I have a shut down car with still 3 years of notes to pay and its completely factory issues but they expect me to pay large deposits to even look at this issues I just need some help on this cause I've tried all I can do and I need a car please help me or direct me to someone who can please thanks oh and the cat is a 2020 subaru outback premium trim thanks

NHTSA complaint #11756314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH on the highway, the contact was alerted by the message “Eyesight Technology Failure”, before the battery shut down, causing the steering wheel to seize, forcing the contact to come to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The check engine, air bags, and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that several other unknown warning lights and alerts were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was jump-started, and the contact was escorted by a tow truck operator to the nearest dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 37,168. The VIN was invalid.

NHTSA complaint #11710788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH on the highway, the contact was alerted by the message “Eyesight Technology Failure”, before the battery shut down, causing the steering wheel to seize, forcing the contact to come to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The check engine, air bags, and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that several other unknown warning lights and alerts were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was jump-started, and the contact was escorted by a tow truck operator to the nearest dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 37,168. The VIN was invalid.

NHTSA complaint #11710788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Immediately stop every single traffic light

NHTSA complaint #11690458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact's husband owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start intermittently, but was able to be jump-started. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto, where the contact was informed that the battery and the alternator were in good condition. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

NHTSA complaint #11682818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car stalled in traffic. The engine was cranking but it would not start. Had AAA tow off the road and to my home. Car sat for 10 days waiting for a fuel pump (thought this was the problem). After sitting for 10 days the battery was totally dead! New fuel pump installed battery was jumped but could not start the car. After 2 hours on the charger the battery still did not have enough energy to turn over the engine. Car is in a certified service shop (Wilhelm). Battery replaced and same starting issues with the new battery and the new battery is discharging at a very high rate even though the car is not starting. Bought the car used in 2023 so I have no knowledge of the history of the car. Service provider running factory diagnostic testing but so far no determination as to cause of the high rate of discharge. Verified that the fuel pump is fully operational. What we know is that with a fresh fully charged battery and a working fuel pump the car will not start and remain running. The engine stops and the battery drain is excessive.

NHTSA complaint #11673168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

For our 2020 Subaru Outback, we are on our 3rd battery at only 49k miles. The car died again today. Thankfully AAA was able to jump it after a friend tried unsuccessfully. We suspect all of this battery drain, failure and replacement has been due to the known Data Communications Module (DCM) issue on recent Subaru’s. I have an appt w the dealer in Santa Monica tomorrow morning to have it diagnosed.

NHTSA complaint #11643787 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

We are on our 3rd battery in < 4 years. Subaru is well aware of this issue in their engineering in the parasitic drain from the Starlink module. AAA won’t even replace these batteries anymore because the problem is so prevalent. Meanwhile, I’m about to have to buy a 4th battery less than 4 years after purchasing the car.

NHTSA complaint #11618271 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the battery was replaced several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that the battery was not big enough for the turbocharger installed in the vehicle. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the driver's side seat moved forward and backward unexpectedly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11603195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Rear trunk door won’t lock when closed and open up while driving. It’s unsafe as I have to constantly keep an eye in rear view mirror to see if door popped open by itself. Took to service station and they said it’s tied to battery and it is preventing door to close because trunk door takes power to open. I do not understand how trunk door locking close cannot be independent of battery. It is quite unsafe for vehicle occupants and poses danger to other vehicles driving behind.

NHTSA complaint #11598286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while turning off the vehicle, the Data Communication Module (DCM) remained running, causing the battery to become drained twice. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11596406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Display to control the environment freezes.

NHTSA complaint #11594771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

As my husband & I were traveling to Augusta, GA on Memorial Day weekend with our niece, we approached the [XXX] outside Chattanooga, Tennessee in heavy traffic and heavy rain on Saturday [XXX] 2024 at approximately [XXX] When we stopped for a small accident ahead of us, the “auto stop-start engine” feature stopped the car engine as normal. However, almost instantly, all of the electronics in the car appeared to fail and the car would not restart. The dashboard indicated that Eyesight and RAB were disabled and to "check the owner's manual." Normal traffic quickly resumed around us, but we were stranded in the #2 lane with several close calls of a rear-end collision--not to mention the cars at risk swerving to avoid us. My husband is a retired firefighter & our niece is a nurse in Los Angeles. Frankly, we were terrified! We were stranded on the interstate in the #2 lane for about 20 minutes before being pushed into the "gore zone" between [XXX] & [XXX] by a TDOT truck. We spent about 40 minutes in the gore zone where we were nearly hit twice by cars driving across the zone. We were finally towed to Crown Subaru in Chattanooga, TN and arrived there about 11:40 a.m. The general manager of the dealership, Keith Aviles, told us there was a sudden, massive failure of a battery cell controlling the electronics of the car, and the battery was replaced. We never had any indication or evidence prior to this incident that there were issues with the battery. Also, we have never received a notice from Subaru about battery problems. However, we are now aware that Subaru settled a class action lawsuit to avoid a recall of these batteries. I have notified six friends who own Subarus. Three have had issues with their batteries, but were also unaware of the class action lawsuit. This is absolutely shocking for a vehicle manufacturer that touts safety to sell vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11590991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

The NEW car battery was replaced by seller early in the first year. The car would not start after stopping. Now the same again dead battery symptom reappears. Upon trying to start, the electrical system will not shut off at this time and will drain the battery down yet further. After stopping the car it will not start without fully recharging. Early on, once the car stopped running while I was in gear driving down the road. Though it did restart this time. I have been unable to disable the engine from stopping at stop signs which is a BIG concern. The last few recharges have only lasted days. I'd say the battery is now gone. And now also, when the battery is charged, the rear hatch will not open. This is a big concern. Dependent upon who you talk to at the Subaru Dealers, you will get numerous answers for this concerns. Buy another car? As to the rear hatch, the Manual shows I can just pull a cord on the inside. None can be found.

NHTSA complaint #11573793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The automatic lifting of the rear trunk opens as it should, but then will start to close on you out of no where without pushing the close button. It is terrifying because it doesn’t sense a body there. The screen in the center console also will become inaccessible and black out making it impossible to use the touch screen. The usb ports/ connecting to iPhone will disconnect making Bluetooth unavailable. Extremely difficult when needing gps or on the freeway

NHTSA complaint #11573273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Starting in September of 2023, my 2020 Subaru Outback began having issues with the battery. After replacing the battery, having the vehicle died, being left stranded in unsafe scenarios, paying for , and associated repairs, I was told the DCM panel was found to be faulty and causing repetitive battery drainage and failures. The DCM is trying to connect to an old network without success causing the battery failure. This occurred twice in September, once in December, and three times in January of 2024.

NHTSA complaint #11570016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have had to replace the battery 2 times. Dealer has replaced once ~1 year of purchase. I replaced the battery ~3.5 years after purchase.

NHTSA complaint #11569377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

- Infotainment center freezes making controls inaccessible. I live in the desert where temps reach 120+ in the car and not being able to turn on the AC is dangerous. - Windows will not roll up once they are rolled down, especially after it has rained or after washing the car. - Driver side Door Sensor Switch broke. This would keep the interior lights and infotainment center from turning off.

NHTSA complaint #11567463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The automatic braking system detection the RB system as it’s identified on the Subaru Dash heater, failure airbag deployment, all disabled repeatedly removal of the battery connections for a period of 30 minutes reset it but failure has repeated

NHTSA complaint #11556860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Automatic Braking system has almost caused a rear-end collision 5 times, because it thinks a shadow is an object. We’ve brought the car to the dealership but they told us twice that they can’t replicate the problem. That doesn’t change the issue. I don’t want to wait until we have a collision and have to go through physical therapy and repairs to address this. Front headlights are blinding other drivers causing them to flash their brights at us regularly on the freeway and local roads which then blinds us and causing us to slow down and break. The dealership say that the lights can be adjusted but this is a serious risk to us and something that happens every night. It’s stressful to drive the car anticipating this all the time. We’ve replace the starter last year and having issues again. The car struggles to start. Last year they said this was a known issue and also replaced the battery. But it’s happening again. This indicates a more complicated issue in the electrical. I don’t want to have to replace the starter every year.

NHTSA complaint #11556311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Per Subaru there is something wrong with the Cockpit Control Module (CCM) that is causing a constant / parasitic draw on the battery. This results in the battery being dead within 4 hours, leaving us constantly stranded. Because the CCM also controls the electrical system, many of the safety features (auto breaking, lane departure, etc) turn off randomly. This is the diagnosis from our local Subaru dealership: COCKPIT CONTROL MODULE IS DRAWING 2 AMPS. WITH COCKPIT UNPLUGGED THERE IS STILL A 1 AMP DRAW. WILL NEED TO REPLACED CCU THEN FIGURE OUT WHERE THE OTHER 1 AMP DRAW IS. UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE WITH MULTIPLE SYSTEMS DRAWING I have opened a case with Subaru of America, but with no resolution.

NHTSA complaint #11555354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While we were at a speed of about 55 mph on a state highway, I had just selected cruise control when all the lights went on in the dash--including the warning lights for the brake, the check engine light--and power shut down in the vehicle as if we'd run out of gas. We were able to keep a very slow speed of about 20-25mph, but had to activate the 4-way flashers to alert other drivers that we were losing speed. We managed to get over to the shoulder and call for a tow. We feel this was a catastrophic failure of the vehicle, which endangered both of us. At least we still had power steering. At the dealer, the techs advised us that the issue was likely due to a failure of the electronic thermostat control. The car was in the shop for a week, and was repaired at no cost to us. The thermo control valve and all related parts were replaced. If not under warranty, this would have cost over $2K. We had no warning that this component was failing.

NHTSA complaint #11539269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I purchased the lease for the vehicle in January 2020. I first notified Subaru in Austin of an obvious "glitch" with the computer operating system in April 2020. The "glitchy" OS challenges came and went, I would notify Subaru and they would remedy the issue with a "patch" update at the service center. On April 29 2022 a clear night and a suitably clean vehicle, the RAB system completely failed to recognize/notify/respond to a mailbox behind me, upon impact the mailbox broke the rear windshield. on June 28 2022 the vehicle fails to start, and is "surging" completely draining a new jumper box, and then promptly burning it out, the box will no longer operate. Put in a new battery(#1), make an appointment for service on the vehicle. The dealership replaces the battery(#2), computer updates are completed. Vehicle goes to the body shop for the rest of the work to be completed. 28 days later, I arrive to pick up my vehicle, all work is complete. However the vehicle will not start (again) Auto body shop replaces the battery(#3).on 9/23/2022 after dark, my Subaru Outback 2020 Limited, stops and puts its Parking break on., all dials spike, then dies, rear hatch signal goes off continuously, regardless of its actual state of open/close. The vehicle refuses to jump with a new jumper box. Outback 2020 is successfully jumped by a newer vehic. New battery installed(#4). 9/29/2022 another appointment at Subaru service center to look at my vehicle, they swap out the battery(#5) and update computer. Upon pickup vehicle is without trailer lights, 3 airbag lights on, ABS light on/off. 10/17/2022 appointment at a different service center for an Oil change service, 10/18/2022 diagnostic check appt, 3 blown fuses found. 11/16/2022 Austin service, found many lost comm. codes.- reprograms , engine control module. Outback 2020 intermittently has problems opening and closing hatch/windows, display loading issues, many warning/hazzard lights & signals on/off (from April 2022- present day.)

NHTSA complaint #11536710 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car lurches when put into gear, Transmission make loud chirping noise when place into gear from park, transmission shudders when turning. Car has had all recalls updated. Symptoms have been reported to dealer numerous times. Currently vehicle is at Subaru Dealer in Temecula Calif. Dealer states a know transmission problem is being addressed thru a Subaru Engineer. Have been without the vehicle for approx 3 weeks.

NHTSA complaint #11534218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My vehicle stalled abruptly as I came to a stop while driving on a slope. Shortly afterward I determined that this was caused by a loose battery terminal; the battery had been replaced a day earlier. This much was the fault of the mechanic, not the manufacturer. My complaint is with respect to the state which the vehicle failed into: 1. The gear shift was stuck in drive and could not be moved into park. 2. It was not possible to engage the parking break, as it can only be controlled by an electronic switch. 3. The steering wheel column was locked. As a result of this, the only way to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward down the hill was to continuously keep my foot on the brake. It also was not possible, as a result of the locked steering wheel column, to guide the vehicle downhill safely. I was stuck holding the brake and unable to get out of my vehicle until another motorist stopped to give me a jump and enable me to engage the parking brake.

NHTSA complaint #11532613 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving my Subaru Outback, I encounter a problem where the Starlink Multimedia system abruptly goes black. Shortly after, the driver information center also goes black. Although the car continues to run, the cruise control, if engaged, and the EyeSight safety system shuts off as well. Both systems then undergo a reboot.

NHTSA complaint #11525777 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the battery was completely drained. The contact stated that he was able to jumpstart the vehicle and continued to operate the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become more frequent. The contact stated that he had not replaced the battery which was the original OEM battery. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that he needed to drive the vehicle more frequently. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure reoccurred and the contact took the vehicle back to the same dealer who advised that there were no electrical failures and that he should return after one month to reprogram the computer. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA complaint #11523683 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On Friday Feb 24, 2023 our Subaru suffered a complete loss of electrial power leaving us stranded in very cold weaher here in northeastern Ohio. We were finally able to get one door open only to find nothing else in the car would work. We contacted Subaru roadside assistance and they dispached a Lift car & a tow truck to our location. The tow truck driver determined the battery had a complete failure. He told us this was a very common problem they see on the Subaru cars. He was successful in getting the car started via jumper box. Later in the day we received a follow up call from Subaru roadside assistance to confirm our safety. I asked if this battery failure on new Subaru vehicles was common he said more than 90% of the rodaside assistance calls are related to this issue of early battery failure. As I called my dealer to schedule an appointment on this issue I was told Subaru has placed strict inspection rules before replacement is allowed. Does it take a genius to know a car with 8000 miles should not experience a complete battery failure. My previous experience with Subaru is that they only respond to correct an issue when forced. Had this failure occured under different circumstances it could have been more dangerous.

NHTSA complaint #11509055 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When we started vehicle, a wide array of systems shut down including cruise, Eye Sight, lane detection, auto high bean, adaptive light cornering - essentially anything “automated” or assisted - along with the heating. The car ran at a higher RPM at idle - 2000 vs a usual 700-800 - and rough shifted at speed. Again, as if the automatic transmission lost its sync. The water temp gauge was also off. Have since learned this was the “thermo control valve” and somewhat of a known fault on Outbacks of this year. We were lucky to reach home from the long trip we were on and to the dealership. At the dealership, the service team did not admit this was wide spread. Nor did they tell us there is an updated part from Subaru available. They intend to install the OEM part, which concerns us that in another 40-50k we will face the same $2k problem. We are unlucky that we just went over 60k miles, so this will not be covered under Subaru’s 60k drivetrain warranty. That Subaru is covering a cooling system problem under the guise of being drive train tells me they know they have something to keep quiet.

NHTSA complaint #11509066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Multiple battery failures. Original battery failed at ~2 years, then a new battery failed 6 months later. First failure July 2022, second failure Dec 2022

NHTSA complaint #11507260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.