791 distinct owner reports with an electrical-system component in this snapshot.
Includes the electrical-system component and its detailed subcategories. Related recalls and investigations must also name this component; they are not linked by narrative keyword alone.
Reports by model year
Recall and investigation columns show each year’s full history. A report naming several years can appear in more than one row.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
332 reports with mileage · 459 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What owners actually said
791 reportsElectrical System
First, the driver's side window would not go up when rolled down, but instead went up and down on its own, until I stopped the car and restarted it. A few days after that, on Friday, January 13, 2023 while on my way to work, I was stopped at a traffic light. All of a sudden beeping started happening, the "Eyesight" light came …
Read full complaint
First, the driver's side window would not go up when rolled down, but instead went up and down on its own, until I stopped the car and restarted it. A few days after that, on Friday, January 13, 2023 while on my way to work, I was stopped at a traffic light. All of a sudden beeping started happening, the "Eyesight" light came on, other things were showing, and the car died. I was too freaked out to notice anything else. I put the car in park and restarted it, and it was fine. Today, January 16, 2023, the exact same thing happened when I was stopped at a traffic light, again on a very busy highway. I am extremely worried and will be contacting the dealership tomorrow.
NHTSA ODI #11502071
Electrical SystemVisibility/wiper
2 incidents. First day we took car home the vehicle infotainment system failed while phone was connected to Apple CarPlay. Screen went black and there was a loud noise like interference. Has happened repeatedly since, supposedly due to needing a firmware update but it’s been a well documented problem in Subaru automobiles f…
Read full complaint
2 incidents. First day we took car home the vehicle infotainment system failed while phone was connected to Apple CarPlay. Screen went black and there was a loud noise like interference. Has happened repeatedly since, supposedly due to needing a firmware update but it’s been a well documented problem in Subaru automobiles for several years and the manufacturer has done nothing to alleviate the flaw. Second incident involves the windshield cracking in the lower driver side with no apparent cause from anything striking the windshield. Again, this is a well documented issue and there are several complaints on nhtsa.gov from other unhappy customers
NHTSA ODI #11501719
Electrical System
We keep replacing batteries and they keep failing. We wonder if this is related to the class action lawsuit concerning the CAN bus system.
NHTSA ODI #11500758
Electrical SystemVisibility/wiper
The motor for the wiper fluid dispenser went bad. I took the vehicle back to be repaired and while they had the vehicle apart, I was informed that my entire wiring harness needed to be replaced. Now, my vehicle has sporadic issues such as windows not going down, the door locks engaging on their own, my fuel economy will suddenly…
Read full complaint
The motor for the wiper fluid dispenser went bad. I took the vehicle back to be repaired and while they had the vehicle apart, I was informed that my entire wiring harness needed to be replaced. Now, my vehicle has sporadic issues such as windows not going down, the door locks engaging on their own, my fuel economy will suddenly drop to 19mpg from 28 mpg. Subaru initially stayed this was all due to the remote start I had installed at a retailer, this was after calling the dealership and they informed me that it was fine since my warranty had just expired. When I tried ro pursue something through the retailer, the dealership that had my vehicle denied saying that it was due to the remote start. So, I am stuck with a vehicle that has numerous problems, is not very safe and everyone says not my problem.
NHTSA ODI #11500531
Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after the vehicle had been parked for approximately 3-hours, the alarm sounded indicating that the locks were being tampered with. The contact stated that the doors were locking and unlocking independently. The contact stated that several electrical features had ma…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after the vehicle had been parked for approximately 3-hours, the alarm sounded indicating that the locks were being tampered with. The contact stated that the doors were locking and unlocking independently. The contact stated that several electrical features had malfunctioned. The contact stated that on occasion, the brake pedal was spongy when depressed, and the check engine and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally failed to start up as needed. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA ODI #11500187
Electrical SystemEngine
The Subaru starlink system has no controls around transfer of ownership. I only discovered this after receiving a $150 charge 2 months after I traded in the car to a Subaru dealer. Even after trading in the car I was able to unlock, lock, start the car, and track the cars location. This represents a significant safety risk to th…
Read full complaint
The Subaru starlink system has no controls around transfer of ownership. I only discovered this after receiving a $150 charge 2 months after I traded in the car to a Subaru dealer. Even after trading in the car I was able to unlock, lock, start the car, and track the cars location. This represents a significant safety risk to the consumer and must be addressed immediately.
NHTSA ODI #11499864
Electrical System
The battery drains constantly. I’ve had it replaced several times but it continues to die even when I jump it repeatedly. This may be a known issue but the Subaru dealership’s tech refused to admit their car’s electrical system caused the issue and attempted to have me continue to drive with a dead battery, then have AAA replac…
Read full complaint
The battery drains constantly. I’ve had it replaced several times but it continues to die even when I jump it repeatedly. This may be a known issue but the Subaru dealership’s tech refused to admit their car’s electrical system caused the issue and attempted to have me continue to drive with a dead battery, then have AAA replace the battery under the AAA warranty (even though Subaru’s car was at fault, not AAA’s battery), which was really disingenuous. At the dealership, I was told that if I chose to have Subaru replace the battery (as they should given it has a class action settlement and has an extended warranty) I “may never get paid” if I submitted a class action lawsuit claim. My car has died multiple times, inconveniencing me again and again, even at gas stations. The way Subaru is handling their electrical system error is not professional at all.
NHTSA ODI #11499092
Electrical SystemForward Collision Avoidance
When I was driving this car one night, every dash light was suddenly activated and remained on -- and as a result all safety features were deactivated. When I was able to do so, I touched the battery cables together to reboot the system. I had to do this 3 times over the course of 4 days. Realizing the problem was chronic, I …
Read full complaint
When I was driving this car one night, every dash light was suddenly activated and remained on -- and as a result all safety features were deactivated. When I was able to do so, I touched the battery cables together to reboot the system. I had to do this 3 times over the course of 4 days. Realizing the problem was chronic, I took the car to the dealership (a 2 hour drive), where a service tech explained the problem 'was caused by a low battery.' This car is only 2 years old. A new car battery should last longer than 2 years. It thus seems to me the battery was defective or the car improperly drained it somehow. More important, there is no warning that a 'low battery' -- one which can easily start a car -- could still deactivate safety features while driving.
NHTSA ODI #11499054
Electrical System
new battery that is only 14 months since installation (at subaru dealer) and 5,000 miles on the car is flat. I did not use my car for about 1 1/2 weeks in the garage and it is totally flat. This is not normal and my friend with an outback has similar problems so I think my issue is not unique.
NHTSA ODI #11498890
Electrical SystemEngine
The Thermo Control Valve has stopped working It causes the engine to overheat while drive. The windows fog up in the cold making it hard to because the defrost does not work Yes by an independent service center No No the engine light came while I was drive.
NHTSA ODI #11497782
Related Official recalls
2Apr 11, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
Oct 13, 2016
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗