2018 Subaru Outback

Sunday,August 1, 2021, at 9:05am, I backed out of my garage and when I attempted to turn my car, the steering locked, the car was drifting backwards and I had no brakes. As a result the car kept drifting backwards , off the driveway into the woods, hitting a tree. Once stopped, I was able to start the car and drive it out of the woods. The entire driver’s side was sideswiped and mirror torn off. I was not injured, but could have been. I called insurance that day. On Monday, we contacted the Subaru dealership. The local police were notified and documented the report. The insurance adjuster determined the car unsafe to drive and it was towed to the dealership August 4, 2021. There was no warning or indicated problem prior to the incident.

Battery is not keeping charge, unable to start vehicle even after daily driving. With an infant, we need something more reliable, being stranded is not an option. Vehicle has not been inspected, upon further review this is a constant problem with lawsuits requesting for a resolution against Subaru. Battery indicator light would turn on and lights would flash when able.

To: Subaru Motors Consumer Reports NHtSA I, Richard McNitt, am the very unhappy owner of a 2018 Subaru Outback (4 cylinder “Touring” model with 33,900 miles), VIN 4S4 BSATCT J3362742. Primarily on the basis of “glowing” Consumer Reports Reviews I chose this model….sad to say this was an unfortunate choice. I list some of the troubles endured: • Shortly after delivery the “radio-GPS” failed, replacement was in short supply(!), Did without several weeks and the re-installation had a glitch. •We were informed that the radio would always “come on” when the car was started, My wife finds this very annoying, •We find the road noise to be excessive, especially at around 25 mph, •We were left sitting twice with a “dead” battery, once at the end of a two hour trip when the radio was on after for less than 15 minutes. ••But the worst situation was this…..My daughter, granddaughter, and I were 500 miles into a 600 hundred mile trip to a North Carolina Beach when we exited the Interstate at Laurenburg NC at about 3PM on a very hot day. At the first intersection stop sign when the accelerator was pushed at first nothing happened…that is the car did not accelerate, then abruptly the car lurched forward. Alarmed we drove it around a large parking parking lot, stopping, then trying to start again..we found the hesitating, then lurching forward to continue, so we changed drivers with the same result. As it was now late on a Saturday afternoon in this small town with no local garages open, we had the car “Roll-Backed” to the nearest Subaru Dealer in Fayetteville, NC and as there were no local car rentals available, we had a family member drive 108 miles (each way) to get us and take us to the beach. The Fayetteville Subaru Dealer called on Monday morning and said “they could find nothing wrong”, and to pick up the car (another 100+ miles each way). Needless to say, I was very nervous the whole way home from the beach ..but the trip was without incident.

The battery completely dies after at-least 3 days of not driving the vehicle. Within a few weeks of driving the car off the lot in 2017 (new from the dealership), the car would not start after not being driven over the weekend. I had the car jump started. It happened again the next week after a long weekend of not driving the vehicle. I had it jump started the drove it to the dealership. I was told there was nothing wrong with the vehicle or the batter. It happened again the next weekend and I had to get it jump started again. Since then I have not left the car un-driven for more than a couple of days. On June 18, I took the car for an oil change and was told i needed a new battery. I replaced the car battery that same day. Hooked everything up and the car started just fine. I check all interior lights and headlights to make sure they were all off. The next day, I go to start the car and my battery is completely drained. There is an issue with the car where it is draining the battery. I don't know if replacing the battery caused some kind of software reset, but now i'm having issues with a full brand new battery being drained overnight.