2020 Subaru Outback

OUR 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK, WITH FEWER THAN 800 MILES, FAILED TO START FOUR TIMES (6/1, 7/1, 7/10, & 7/13). DURING THESE INCIDENTS, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS FLASHED, THE DASHBOARD PRODUCED A CLICKING SOUND, THE DOORS WOULD NOT LOCK, AND THE TAILGATE BECAME INOPERATIVE. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SUCCESSFULLY JUMP-STARTED THE CAR EACH TIME AND TOOK IT TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING -- ONE IN SEATTLE AND ONE IN TACOMA. TWO ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SERVICE PROVIDERS SAID THEIR MOST FREQUENT SERVICE CALLS REQUIRING A JUMP-START WERE FOR "LATE MODEL SUBARUS. ONE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID HE RECEIVED MORE THAN 100 SUCH REQUESTS DURING THE PAST THREE MONTHS. THE TACOMA DEALER FILED AM URFCA REPORT WITH SUBARU HEADQUARTERS AFTER THE THIRD INCIDENT. DURING THE FOURTH INCIDENT, THE BATTERY FAILED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE TACOMA DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE BATTERY ON JULY 13, 2020. AFTER RECHARGING THE BATTERY, IT TOOK A FEW DAYS OF BEING PARKED BEFORE THE BATTERY FAILED. DURING THIS LAST INCIDENT, I INTENTIONALLY LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH THE DEALER OVER A WEEKEND, WHICH WAS LONG ENOUGH FOR THE RECENTLY CHARGED BATTERY TO DRAIN ENOUGH TO FAIL TO START THE CAR. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THESE CARS NEED TO BE DRIVEN AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PER TRIP TO SUFFICIENTLY RECHARGE THE BATTERY. WE'VE OWNED FIVE SUBARU OUTBACKS, AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS ADVICE BEFORE, NOR DID THE DEALER'S SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL THIS TO OUR ATTENTION WHEN WE PURCHASED THE 2020 OUTBACK. OUR LIFESTYLE, COUPLED WITH THE COVID-19 VIRUS, ONLY REQUIRES ONE OR TWO TRIPS PER MONTH LASTING MORE THAN 30 MINUTES. THE CAR SITS IN THE GARAGE FOR TWO TO THREE DAYS WITHOUT BEING STARTED. WE ALWAYS LOCK THE VEHICLE, TURN OFF ALL LIGHTS, CLOSE THE TAILGATE, AND KEEP THE KEY FOB IN THE HOUSE, WHICH IS MORE THAN 500 FEET FROM THE DETACHED GARAGE.

AFTER OWNING MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK FOR JUST OVER A MONTH WITH 1700 MILES ON IT I'VE HAD TO JUMP START MY CAR NOW 6 TIMES. I WORK 7 MILES FROM HOME AND DRIVE A LOT OF SHORT TRIPS. I SEE SUBARU HAS A ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE BATTERY GOING DEAD WITH MY NAME CONCERN I WORK FOR A DEALER THAT HAS THE SUBARU DEALER AND I WILL CALL THEM TOMORROW TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY WILL DO BESIDES JUST REPLACE MY BATTERY. TODAY I HAD TO JUMP TO DRIVE TO WORK. JUMP TO GO OUT AT LUNCH. JUMP TO LEAVE WORK AND WHEN I GOT HOME I TRIED TO RESTART AND IT DIDN'T START AGAIN SO I KNOW WHAT I WILL BE DOING IN THE MORNING.

AFTER BATTERY DIED 2 TIMES THIS WEEK AND I HAD TO JUMP START IT, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH CAR OR BATTERY. THEY CHARGED THE BATTERY AND TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT MORE. THE NEXT DAY (TODAY 7/11/2020) I MADE A SHORT TRIP WITH IT AND IT WAS FINE. SEVERAL HOURS LATER I WANTED TO USE THE CAR AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT START UNTIL I JUMPED IT. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALER AGAIN ON MONDAY.

5 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS NEW VEHICLE, THE BATTERY HAS DIED THREE TIMES. ON TWO OCCASION IT WAS SITTING IN MY GARAGE HAVING BEEN DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE WITHIN THE PAST 72 HRS. ON ONE OCCASIONS IT WAS DEAD 48 HRS AFTER BEING JUMPED AND DRIVE. TODAY IT WAS JUMPED AGAIN AND DRIVEN TO MAITA SUBARU IN SACRAMENTO, CA. AFTER WAITING FOR 15 MINUTES IN THE SERVICE DRIVEWAY, WAITING TO BE SERVED, THE CAR BATTERY WAS FOUND TO BE DEAD BY SERVICE TECHS.

WITH SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 1300 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, AND AFTER THE CAR WAS SITTING FOR ABOUT A WEEK, THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED SO THAT NOTHING APPEARED ON THE SCREENS, THE REAR GATE WOULD NOT FUNCTION, AND NO GREEN LIGHT APPEARED TO SHOW THAT THE CAR WAS READY TO START. WHEN THE IGNITION BUTTON WAS PRESSED, NOTHING HAPPENED. USING A BRAND NEW 5 AMP BATTERY CHARGER, AFTER 20 HOURS IT SHOWS THE BATTERY TO BE ONLY 25% CHARGED.

FOR 2 WEEKS IN A ROW, OUR 2020 SUBARU (MILEAGE 2,845) FAILED TO START, AFTER NOT HAVING BEEN DRIVEN FOR 40+ HOURS, BECAUSE THE BATTERY HAD DRAINED. IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, MORE OR LESS ON LEVEL GROUND. EACH TIME WE HAD TO CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. LAST MONDAY (6/29/2020), WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED THE CAR, AUTONATION HUNT VALLEY SUBARU (COCKEYSVILLE, MARYLAND). WHILE THERE, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD US, "NOT THAT WE LIKE TO BLAME THE VICTIM, BUT..." HE INDICATED THAT WE HAD PROBABLY LEFT A DOOR AJAR OR MADE SOME OTHER HUMAN ERROR. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE GARAGE TESTED THE BATTERY AND IT WAS HEALTHY (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ANALYSIS). WE DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CAR THERE FOR ITS 6-MONTH SERVICING, AND DROVE IT AWAY THAT EVENING, EXPECTING THAT THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. THE INVOICE AND FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHECK UP SERVICE IS ATTACHED. TO OUR SURPRISE, THIS MORNING (07/06/2020) WE ENCOUNTERED THE VERY SAME ISSUE AGAIN, AND AGAIN WE HAD TO CALL UP A ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SERVICE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY FOR US. AT THIS POINT, WE ARE UNSURE HOW TO PROCEED, AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY GUIDANCE FROM THE NHTSA.

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND GIVING SYSTEMS NOT WORKING. HEADLIGHTS FLASHED CONTINUOUSLY. IT WAS IN THE GARAGE BUT COULDN'T GET TAILGATE OPEN. TURNED OUT ISSUE WAS BATTERY FOR THE IGNITION. SUBARU EMERGENCY ARRANGED TOWING AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD BRING IT BACK TO ME. THEN WHEN I REQUESTED THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $168 TO BRING IT BACK. IT IS A WEEK OLD AND 335 MILES ON IT AND THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME TO RETURN IT TO ME.