Subaru Outback Complaints

1,029 consumer complaints on file.

#11480582August 22, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Crack appeared on lower passenger section of windshield for no apparent reason. Windshield was replaced by certified repair center due to same issue a month ago with less than 2000 miles of driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480570August 22, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
On August 19, 2022, approximately 11:30 a.m., after parking my 2022 Subaru Outback Limited in a private driveway, the windshield began cracking from the bottom edge and has grown 25 inches toward the center of the windshield. There was no impact to the windshield. The weather was moderately cool--74 degrees, slight mist precipitation (wiper use minimal), and no wind. And, my previous drive (as with my history with this vehicle, 2,831 miles) was a gentle and uneventful four miles. I've spent fourty years entering and exiting the driveway and driving in that area, with other cars, and never once had a problem. I spent twenty years investigating traffic accidents and vehicle related problems in metro-Atlanta (Cobb County Police 1992-2012), and never saw a problem like this. But, since buying the car (my first Subaru), I've read countless Internet posts of similar events, from folks who have purchased a Subaru in the past five or so years. Subaru of America hasn't responded to my concern; and, my dealership (Subaru of Kennesaw (Georgia)) is dodging the burden of replacement costs. Not only is Subaru of America being irresponsible in the manufacturing and promotion of their cars, when they know there's a serious design flaw, but they show little interest in working to resolve a simple and important problem that affects everyone on roadways throughout the world.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480528August 22, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Hey NHTSA! This needs to be looked into ASAP!! My windshield has broken twice now after getting hit with debris so small I couldn't even hear it hit. I've been driving for 24 years and I've never broke a windshield. The windshield on these is hilariously weak. After they get chipped the crack spreads to the whole windshield in a matter of a couple days. The cracks are also delaminating and letting water in. This needs to be addressed ASAP. It's scary how thin and weak the windscreen is on these. This is a huge safety issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480510August 22, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Crack formed in windshield. Did not notice any chips or impact points. Crack formed on front right corner through the heated wiper blade rest. This seems to be an ongoing issue with Subaru.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480479August 22, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Spontaneous 18" windshield crack on the driver's side with no impact point noted. Completely unprovoked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480332August 20, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery has died 3x in 7500miles of driving Subaru states battery is fine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480080August 18, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The front windshield developed a crack. It was not struck or damaged in any way - it appeared out of nowhere. The crack spreads quickly and the windshield must be replaced. This has happened to countless other Subaru Outback owners. The volume of broken windshields must be caused by some defect on the manufacturer’s side.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11479829August 17, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was driving down the highway with no other vehicles around me. Suddenly, the middle of the windshield cracked from the bottom edge up and toward the passenger side. The car was parked overnight, and the crack spread further toward the driver side, directly in my sight line. There are 4,300 miles on the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11479785August 17, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2021 Subaru Outback vehicle is subject to a recall for engine harness and ECM replacement, according to Subaru. I took my car in twice to the dealership and it was unable to perform the recall repair. That dealership told me that the issue presents no safety problem - is that true? (The current recall of 2022s sound like there is a safety issue.) Your website says my repair was performed. That is false. Can you help me understand why you show the vehicle has been repaired? Can you help me find a dealership that knows how to safely repair the car?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11478396August 9, 2022
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact on the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,800.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11478240August 8, 2022
SEAT BELTS
No component failed or malfunction. It is working as designed but it is a serious safety concern that can not be addressed except by purposely bypassing the safety system or systems. For whatever reason Subaru added rear seat belt chime alarms to the rear seats. Three in total it appears. Driver, passenger, and center. The chimes will continue to grow louder until it blocks all radio and becomes a distraction. In theory this is not a bad idea. In practice it is a safety concern. Subaru markets their vehicles as being pet friendly. The issue is when I have my dog in the back seat the seat beat alarm continues to go of sporadically and she is not done growing yet. I don't use harness/restraints but even if I did there would be no way to keep her in the correct position to not make the adjacent seat chime. This is a major distraction while driving because I have to constantly take my eyes off the road and try to reposition her to stop the chime/alarm. It is also putting others at risk as I am not focused on driving. Problem confirmed by the dealer and Subaru (SOA) with no plan to fix except cut wires, buy seat belt buckles from Ebay to stick in holder, or clip seatbelts when not in use. Concern is this will cause passengers to not buckle up due to the hassle. Safety can't be an inconvenience or there is less chance it will be followed. No police have been involved. Dealer and SOA have confirmed it is a problem with no solution. Possible software update in the future. Not a failure but a design flaw.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477817August 5, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Cracked windshield, brittle thin glass causes visibility issues!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477590August 4, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery drained, car would not start. First occurrence with new car at 831 miles, battery diagnosed as defective and replaced by manufacturer. Second occurrence at 4620 miles after sitting unused 8 days at airport parking, battery drained and most "check engine" lights on after jump-starting. EyeSight and most safety features disabled until checked and reset by manufacturer. Manufacturer quote "CAUSE: Problem due to vehicle sitting for more than a week low battery voltage concern. Recharged battery and it passes test. 100009 No problem found." Maintenance rep said car is working to specs. However a periodic dead battery to seniors who do not drive daily but desperately need a reliable car in case of sudden emergencies is cause for a safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477213August 2, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I walked out to my car on Monday morning June 27th and the windshield on my 2022 Outback Wilderness was cracked on passenger side. No prior Rock Impact and only 2,807 miles . Submitted a claim with the dealer. Have not heard back yet. Manager said to call him back on Friday.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477026August 1, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
We purchased this 2022 Subaru Outback on 7/19/22. My wife was driving in the rain to church. She parked the car and attended the church service. After the about 2 hours she went got in the car and noticed 3 cracks in the front windshield. There were no known impacts to the windshield. There are 3 cracks originating from a center point. 2 of the cracks are about 12 inches longs with the 3rd being about 4 inches long. This cracking started on 7/31/22. We haven't even made the 1st payment yet. Very distressing to say the least.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476827August 1, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery dies or runs so low the vehicle won’t start, if a door/hatchback is left open just a short time with the engine turned off. Or if the key fob is in the cab more than a few minutes with the engine off, or the accessory function is used more than a few minutes with the engine off. I bought the car on July 21st 2022. On July 26st 2022 I was driving it on a Jeep road and pulled over and stopped for 10-15 minutes, car/engine turned off. When I returned the car wouldn’t start. I tried to start it repeatedly. It appeared to be a low battery. I may have left the door ajar but don’t believe so. I did sit in the car a few minutes with the engine off. My phone was plugged in to the car and I used it for a few minutes. I possibly could have left the key fob in the car but don’t think so. About 15 minutes later, after exiting the vehicle, I got back in and it started. I researched online and found this has been a problem with Subaru Outbacks. Lawsuits have been filed. I called the dealership and talked to the salesman and he said he had no idea why my car hadn’t started. Which I find hard to believe. If this had happened a few miles further out in the desert and I was gone from the car longer and the battery completely failed it would have been a life threatening situation. It was a 100 degree day and phone reception was spotty. I’m 67 and had water but a 6 mile walk back to civilization wouldn’t have been easy. I’ve read that many Outback owners carry a jump-start device-battery. I’ll get one, they’re cheap. But still the dealerships and Subaru should inform/warn customers of this issue BEFORE they buy or leave the premises. I wouldn’t have bought the car if I knew. Subaru’s are marketed as outdoor friendly and this model, the Wilderness, supposedly designed just fit that. How many people are being stranded in dangerous situations? Leaving the hatchback open while camping as they unload the car engine off-dead battery. I’ve heardrumors online of a software fix
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476086July 27, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle was about 1 year old and had about 2300 miles when I started having issues with the battery being dead and having to jump start the vehicle after it sat a few days. I contacted the dealership and the battery took it in. After about 4 hours they said the battery was "low" and they recharged it and said everything was fine. They said I didn't drive it enough so it was my fault the battery would not start the vehicle. That was 5/10/22. On 8/26/22 the battery was dead and I had to jump it again. There have been no warning lights.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476028July 26, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Spontaneous windshield crack. Crack went from drivers side edge of glass horizontally across approximately 2/3 of the windshield. After approximately 2 days, the crack began to seperate, it was nearly a 1/4" wide by the time it was replaced. There was no obvious sign of an impact, I assumed there had been an impact, but am concerned of an actual defect as I am hearing reports of this spontaneous cracking becoming more common.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476021July 26, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have only had this vehicle for 11 months and I’m about to have the windshield replaced for the second time. This poses a serious safety risk on any road and especially highways. If the crack spreads to the vehicle Eye Sight area then the function will shut off, causing further problems on the highway in regards to cruise control and emergency braking. The Outback vehicles are known for having weak windshields and the manufacturer has recalled some model years.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475729July 25, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Windshield crack. With just under 3000 miles on our 2022 Subaru Outback while driving home, my wife noticed a small crack on the windshield near the "Eye sight" cameras which I could not see from the driver side. By the time I could finally pull over and look at this it had grown to over a foot long or longer. Prior to owning this Subaru, we helped our Daughter with the purchase of her first Subaru, a 2020 Subaru Crosstek Hybrid. She has already had to have her windshield replaced due to a small chip which grew into a long unrepairable crack. Prior to owning a Subaru, I owned a 2007 Chevrolet Impala for over 14 years. Just before selling it this past year I had to replace the windshield on this car. Not sure what the cause of the crack was but I suspect it was vandalism. I'm reporting this as I've heard others having this problem as well and was concerned that maybe there was a problem with Subaru windshields.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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