COMPONENT SPOTLIGHT

Subaru Outback electrical problems

2,277 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.

26 crash reports35 fire reports7 injury reports

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

1,071 reports with mileage · 1,206 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

2,277 reports
2015 model year · Mileage unknown · Sep 2, 2024
Electrical System

Been having issues with my Subaru Outback dying for years now. I’ve gone through 5 battery’s the last 6 years. No amount of driving seems to fix the issue, the replacement batteries only work for so long until it gets cold or I don’t drive my car for a week and suddenly it dies. I believe there is a parasitic drain somewhere, I …

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Been having issues with my Subaru Outback dying for years now. I’ve gone through 5 battery’s the last 6 years. No amount of driving seems to fix the issue, the replacement batteries only work for so long until it gets cold or I don’t drive my car for a week and suddenly it dies. I believe there is a parasitic drain somewhere, I can’t figure out what. I have nothing obstructing the hatch locking mechanism, I turn all my lights off and air system off before turn turning the car off. It’s becoming a serious issue, I have to jump my car almost everyday or every other day and am driving for over 40 minutes a day. Subaru has been unhelpful and I’m now not trusting of their help.

NHTSA ODI #11612124

2018 model year · Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2024
Electrical System

When I bought my car I had issues with the Head unit the screen would got out and I would have no backup camera or radio.The dealer had the car for Two months before I called Subaru to see if they could get my me unit.It was taken care of.Now the problem has come back the screen freezes, jumps goes dark (I have video) I can’t us…

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When I bought my car I had issues with the Head unit the screen would got out and I would have no backup camera or radio.The dealer had the car for Two months before I called Subaru to see if they could get my me unit.It was taken care of.Now the problem has come back the screen freezes, jumps goes dark (I have video) I can’t use the bluetooth to call anyone. I call Subaru of America about this and they say make an appointment with the dealership and we will go there when they know what’s happening…..

NHTSA ODI #11611987

2021 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2024
Electrical System

Parasitic Draw on battery: Original battery was dead after sitting 5 days; Bought new AMG and it has also died after 4 days sitting.

NHTSA ODI #11611911

2021 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 30, 2024
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

ON thursday night at about [XXX] i was driving in the carpool lane going north.in the [XXX] , with full tank of gas ; suddenly i felt and here a noise, and the vehicle (2021outback base) start losing power, at the point that totally stop. call 911, and few minutes after the hway patrol came and push us out of the freeway, ther…

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ON thursday night at about [XXX] i was driving in the carpool lane going north.in the [XXX] , with full tank of gas ; suddenly i felt and here a noise, and the vehicle (2021outback base) start losing power, at the point that totally stop. call 911, and few minutes after the hway patrol came and push us out of the freeway, there was not any shoulder to be safe out. when the police officer try to turn it on the vehicle star but no power was available even when the vehicle was on.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11611738

2021 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 29, 2024
Electrical SystemSteeringStructure

The car flashed “eye sight off” before flickering and shutting off while I was braking at a stop light. I tried putting my car into park and then turning it off and restarting it but it would not turn back on. I tried this a few more times but I was in the middle lane of a heavily trafficked street. The steering wheel was locked…

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The car flashed “eye sight off” before flickering and shutting off while I was braking at a stop light. I tried putting my car into park and then turning it off and restarting it but it would not turn back on. I tried this a few more times but I was in the middle lane of a heavily trafficked street. The steering wheel was locked and I was not able to immediately remove it from the road and maybe an hour later it was able to be shifted into neutral and moved out of the street. However, it would still not turn on and when I did open my power gate, the gate would not secure closed. I took it to the dealership that I purchased it at and where it is also regularly serviced (with the last service date only over one week ago,) and they were not able to determine what happened but instead mentioned that my car had no internal data of any errors occurring and that the car was able to be started when they serviced it. I took a picture of the dash as it was flashing with all of the error codes and submitted that to the tech that was working on my car, but they asked me if I’d had someone “clear my codes” which is not something I’m familiar with or even capable of doing- I don’t even know anyone that would be capable of doing that for me. The whole ordeal cost me a day of work and now my peace of mind as I am unsure of if this may happen again and now I am worried it may happen while my kids are in the car. I’ve had similar issues with my center console messing up but nothing as urgent as my whole car shutting down and my steering wheel locking in the middle of traffic.

NHTSA ODI #11611660

2021 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 29, 2024
Electrical System

Battery drains quickly and renders the car inoperable. Possibly due to Controller Area Network (CAN) not entering sleep mode when vehicle is not being used resulting in a parasitic battery drain.

NHTSA ODI #11611502

2019 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2024
Electrical System

Battery drains where car will not start. Apparently connected with Subaru Starlink system and Apparently has been a continual problem with Subaru without recall action. People could be stranded without any assistance available. Real safety issue to families. Experience a non-Start situation 4 times within the past month.

NHTSA ODI #11611035

2019 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 2024
Electrical System

The infotainment / touch screen system in my vehicle is malfunctioning and causing a safety issue. Due to bubbles on the screen I can not effectively use the back up camera. Additionally, the system will randomly make noises, make phone calls and change settings without warning. When this happens it creates a substantial dist…

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The infotainment / touch screen system in my vehicle is malfunctioning and causing a safety issue. Due to bubbles on the screen I can not effectively use the back up camera. Additionally, the system will randomly make noises, make phone calls and change settings without warning. When this happens it creates a substantial distraction the the driver and causes me to have to pick up my phone to disconnect and address the concerns. I also need to turn the system on and off repeatedly. In the current state, I’m unable to use any navigation features as well.

NHTSA ODI #11610615

2014 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 2024
Electrical System

For several years, the nav/camera/radio screen goes black. Only turns back on when car is turned off and restarted, then does it again. It is available for inspection upon request. I almost ran into pedestrian at grocery store without backup camera and have had many more incidents like this. Dealership I visited won't look a…

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For several years, the nav/camera/radio screen goes black. Only turns back on when car is turned off and restarted, then does it again. It is available for inspection upon request. I almost ran into pedestrian at grocery store without backup camera and have had many more incidents like this. Dealership I visited won't look at it unless I pay. Independent Subaru service provider saw this and said to contact you to help with "service campaign" as other clients of his have mentioned same complaint. No warnings/messages prior to failure or patterns for when it happens. Just happens at random times while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11610627

2018 model year · Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2024
Electrical System

Ghost touches on the radio making radio inoperable. Prevent rear view camera from activating.

NHTSA ODI #11609106

Related Official recalls

5

22V473000 · Electrical System:wiring; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:engine Control Module (ecu/ecm)

Jul 1, 2022

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Outback vehicles. The engine wiring harness may have been damaged, resulting in a loose electrical connection to the engine control unit (ECU).

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loose electrical connection to the ECU may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine wiring harness and ECU, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-22.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:engine Control Module (ecu/ecm)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Outback vehicles. The engine wiring harness may have been damaged, resulting in a loose electrical connection to the engine control unit (ECU).

Consequence: A loose electrical connection to the ECU may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine wiring harness and ECU, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-22.

Electrical System:wiring

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Outback vehicles. The engine wiring harness may have been damaged, resulting in a loose electrical connection to the engine control unit (ECU).

Consequence: A loose electrical connection to the ECU may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine wiring harness and ECU, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-22.

19V297000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch

Apr 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.

18V773000 · Electrical System:software; Fuel System, Gasoline

Nov 1, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

16V738000 · Electrical System

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.

13V061000 · Electrical System; Equipment

Feb 25, 2013

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.

Consequence: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.

Electrical System

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.

Consequence: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

Related NHTSA investigations

0

No component-matched exact-year investigations in this snapshot.