Subaru Outback electrical problems

While driving, the head unit, which gives you access to many of the safety features like auto braking etc, blanks out and goes completely dark. It happens without notice and is random in nature. On this particular vehicle it has happened at least four times. It does come back on but it is not immediate and the amount of time that it is out is variable. This can happen regardless of where you are driving and is very concerning because when the head unit is dark and not working you lose control over a lot of the important functions in the vehicle and it makes you doubt whether those systems are working properly.

I purchased a replacement battery in 2023. In August of 2025, the battery died, requiring a jump start. A local auto parts store checked the battery and it tested within acceptable limits, showing around 513 amps. A private shop confirmed this, and cleaned the battery terminals and cables. The battery functioned well until around November 2025, when it again died requiring a jump start. The battery again died in December 2025, about one month later, requiring a jump start.

The car repeatedly drains the battery after being left for a short time (a day or 2). This has now happened at least four times and has destroyed multiple batteries. I have taken it to the dealer and complained multiple times. They check for software updates and sell me a new battery and then the same thing happens again. Because of this, the car is essentially unusable because I can't trust it to run. The problem seems to come and go, though that may simply be due to having a new battery for a while. There doesn't seem to be any indication before this problem occurs.

I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my Subaru vehicle’s infotainment system. The system displays unsolicited, full-screen SiriusXM promotional pop-ups while the vehicle is in motion. These ads override the current display without warning. Most recently, a SiriusXM trial offer appeared and took over my entire screen while I was driving over 60 mph on the highway at night. The sudden change in brightness and the complete obstruction of the display were extremely distracting. It required my attention to dismiss, creating a dangerous situation at high speed. This is not a one-time occurrence. These ads have appeared multiple times, and I have no option to permanently disable them. I did not consent to advertising in my vehicle, much less advertising that interrupts the display while driving. A vehicle’s infotainment system should never display promotional content that interferes with safe operation, especially while in motion. This behavior poses a clear distraction risk and compromises driver safety. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate this issue, as manufacturers should not be pushing advertisements that override critical vehicle interfaces during active driving. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sirus XM advertisements, whilst driving, taking over display, despite opting out of all possible options, disablement and NEVER purchasing the satellite radio service or wanting it in vehicle. I paid for the car, now I have to be subject to distracting advertising that requires user input even though I already have carplay open with driving directions. Advertising should be optional and there MUST be a way to opt out and it should not be forced or require interaction while car is operational (assuming it is opt in, which it most certainly was not in my case). Everywhere else in the world you can buy a car free of in-vehicle advertising, without being pushed to get satellite radio from a monopoly.. why is USA different?

I experienced two serious electrical failures within a few days that caused the vehicle to stall without warning. At Nov 29, 2025, after parking for about 20 minutes, the car would not start. Symptoms included: • Very weak clicking from the starter • Dashboard flickering and dimming • Unable to shift out of Park without manual override • Jump-start did not work even though power was delivered The vehicle was towed to the Subaru dealer. The dealer reported: • Battery “low but fine after charging” • Alternator “normal” • Starter “normal” • No warning codes On Dec 2, 2025 the vehicle had been released without repairs. Only a few minutes after leaving the dealer, the car stalled in live traffic during an Auto Stop/Start event. Symptoms: • Immediate loss of all electrical power • All warning lights flashing erratically • Hazard lights did NOT illuminate externally • Gear shifter locked again • Vehicle would not restart on battery • Subaru roadside assistance jump-started the vehicle With Auto Stop/Start disabled, it was barely drivable and returned to the dealer. This appears to be a serious electrical or charging-system failure, possibly involving: • intermittent alternator failure • voltage collapse during Auto Stop/Start • BCM or power distribution fault The vehicle can stall unpredictably in traffic without warning, creating a significant risk of collision.This is not normal battery discharge — the battery was fully charged at the dealer minutes before the second failure. I am filing this complaint because this issue is dangerous and the dealer cannot reproduce or diagnose it. A formal investigation or recall may be necessary.

Recently, in my 2023 Subaru Outback, I have been having pop-up ads for SirusXM take over my infotainment screen. The ad appears in the center, does not allow the user to interact with the screen - including air conditioning control and traction control selection - and will not go away until I acknowledge the ad. It has appeared when I start the vehicle and while I am driving. I contacted Subaru of America; they first told me to contact SiriusXM. I asked why I was being told to contact SiriusXM for a pop-up ad in my Subaru - of course SiriusXM wants to advertise to consumers, but why would Subaru allow them to display ads in my car whenever they chose? I own my car outright; it is neither a lease nor do I owe money on it, so I should control what sort of media is presented to me and when, and I definitely shouldn't have third party ads appearing in my car at random times without my consent. I was persistent with the Subaru of America representative, and then they claimed they would push an over-the-air software update to my car to resolve the issue, but that has not happened. Now I read that other people have been having this same issue, so I am very disappointed that Subaru would first tell me to call SiriusXM and second pretend like it was a software fluke, but I later read that hundreds of other consumers are having similar problems.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the horn was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a routine recall repair, and it was diagnosed and determined that the steering roll connector/clock spring had short-circuited. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.