2020 Subaru Outback

BATTERY FAILED WITHIN 1 MONTH OF NEW CAR PURCHASE. TECHNICIAN INITIALLY SAID IT WAS DUE TO REAR DOME LIGHT BEING LEFT ON (DID NOT THINK THIS WAS THE CASE). AFTER REPEATEDLY RETURNING TO THE CAR IN THE MORNINGS TO FIND DRAINED BATTERY, HAD TO PURCHASE BACK UP JUMPING DEVICE TO ENSURE I'D BE ABLE TO USE VEHICLE DAILY. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 MORE TIMES (WITHIN WEEKS OF THE INITIAL PROBLEM) AFTER NEEDING TO JUMP THE CAR TO START IT. NO ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND BATTERY WAS DEEMED TO BE "OK" PER THEIR TEST. THEN ONE MORNING WHILE STARTING THE CAR, THE DASH LIGHTS STARTED ALL TO FLASH, AN AUDIBLE CLICKING NOISE AND HATCH MOTOR COULD BE HEARD TRYING TO OPEN AND REMAINED STUCK IN THAT MODE UNTIL THE BATTERY DIED (CAR NEVER STARTED). CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR 3RD TIME IN A MONTH AND BATTERY WAS DEEMED "TO BE DEFECTIVE" FROM THE FACTORY AND WAS REPLACED IN THIS 2 MONTH OLD CAR. NO OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED TO EXPLAIN WHAT REPEATEDLY DRAINED THE BATTERY.

BATTER IS DEAD AFTER 10 MONTHS, 7500 MILES. SEEMS AS IF THERE IS SOMETHING FAULTY WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT IS PULLING POWER OFF OF THE BATTERY WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. I'VE GONE OUT TO THE CAR 5 TIMES NOW OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO A DEAD BATTERY. PROGRESSIVELY IT'S GOTTEN WORSE WITH TWO OF THE TIMES BEING JUST THIS WEEK. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT I'M READING ABOUT PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS AS WELL. SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE AN ELECTRICAL BUG THAT THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSING YEAR OVER YEAR.

I JUST PURCHASED A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK LTD AND WHILE DRIVING THE ENTIRE INFOCENTER WENT BLANK, AND ALL SAFETY FEATURES WAS DISENGAGED. THE SCREEN REMAINED BLANK FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS BEFORE REBOOTING. I CALLED SUABRU AMERICA AND WAS INFORMNED THAT THERE IS A CLITCH IN THE PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO FIX UNSUCCESSFULLY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR DUE TO ITS SAFETY FEATURES. SHOULDN'T I HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THIS POTENTIAL COMPUTER CRASH THAT AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS, WHICH INCLUDES MY 85 YEAR OLD MOTHER?

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.

I WAS DRIVING TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF A LOW BATTERY. I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT IN A BUSY INTERSECTION, AND THE AUTO STOP-START SYSTEM SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN, I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. I WAS LEFT WITH NO POWER, IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION, WITH CARS AND TRUCKS HAVING TO SWERVE AROUND ME. I RECEIVED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO JUMP-START THE VEHICLE AND THEY DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THE BATTERY HAD COMPLETELY FAILED AND WILL BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. WE DON'T YET KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE BATTERY FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED OUT OF PARK INTO GEAR, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR DOORS LOCKED WHILE THE REAR HATCH UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WITH THE REAR HATCH UNLOCKED THE DOME LIGHT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. W&L SUBARU (535 POINT TOWNSHIP DR, NORTHUMBERLAND, PA 17857 (570) 473-3432) WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THE REAR HATCH MECHANISM WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,900. Consumer stated Subaru would purchase the vehicle because of all the electrical problems.