Subaru Outback Complaints (2019)

1,036 consumer complaints on file.

#11591968June 2, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment center is prematurely delaminating/failing. On various Subaru forums, it appears this is a common issue on the year/model I own. While this may not seem safety related on the surface, the failing screen is incredibly distracting while driving depending on where the delamination occurs. It mimics pressing the screen, so it will cycles through the screens wildly, incessantly beep, tries to redial the last call made over and over again, etc. which, as you can imagine, is incredibly distracting while you are driving. Even if you turn the screen off, it randomly can pop back on. If you disable bluetooth, it still wildly flicks between screens and beeps. What is also concerning is the replacement units are backordered- so even though this appears to be a very common issue (and i believe a safety issue subaru should cover), even if i wanted to pay to fix it ASAP, I can't! It's making for an incredibly distracting, unsafe driving experience.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591914June 1, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
My windshield has chipped and cracked 4 times in the 5 yrs that I've owned this car, purchased new. In the first three cases, a minor chip started cracking the windshield almost immediately. In the last case, which I haven't had repaired yet, there wasn't even a chip. The windshield seemed to just spontaneously crack. The glass shop for replacement #3 noted that the car is now rusting under the windshield. The car has only 39K miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591737May 31, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The Windshield of my outback Subaru 2019 has cracked two times since I purchased the vehicle. Not caused by propelled items, accidents or vandalism, instead, these cracks originated from the center bottom part of the windshield suddenly and spread upwards.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591142May 28, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Navigation console formed a multiple bubbles underneath the display randomly calling people, going into different function screens, radio changing to different stations randomly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11590528May 24, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The windshield is prone to cracking and spreading. The glass or design of the Outback windshield is defective. I had a repair on a rock chip which worked fine until the following week where it spread up and across the windshield. The car was parked and no other factors caused it to crack and spread.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11590021May 21, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Subaru 2019 Outback has had 5 replacement windshields in 10 months. The windshield seems to crack for no reason and the cracks spread quickly impairing vision and causing worry that any impact of an object would come straight through the windshield and cause harm to driver, passengers and potentially other vehicles. I have talked with Subaru of America, just this last time on the 5th replacement and they had an engineer look at the windshield to determine cause. The report states: “Subaru field engineer determined caused by chip.” As the driver of the vehicle, NOTHING has hit the windshield while driving, nothing of note that is, normal things like rain, sunshine, and wind, which is what a windshield is meant to protect against.The other techs at the dealer could not make out a point of impact. I picked up my vehicle from the dealer at 6pm, drove it a few miles on the freeway, maintaining safe follow distances with my new windshield, and when I got back in the car 2 hours later there were 4 cracks stemmed from the bottom of the windshield that stretched up more than 6 inches. The windshield is currently cracked and I’m waiting for Subaru of America to get back to me on this issue. There is a problem with the windshields and someone needs to take responsibility for it. One or two cracked windshields can be explained, but now with the most recent one, that’s 6 cracks in 10 months. It seems there is a defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588403May 13, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Starlink Infotainment head unit on our 2019 Subaru Outback is faulty. Last fall (2023) the infotainment screen began delaminating from the inside and large spots started showing up making it difficult to see what images were on the screen. Next the radio and hands free phone features began malfunctioning and switching channels constantly becoming a serious distraction while driving and a safety issue. The screen has continued to delaminate to the point where it is almost impossible to see what's behind the vehicle when using the the backup camera, also making for a very dangerous situation. The radio and Apple Car Play are useless because of the constant changing of stations and connection due to the faulty infotainment system. We have not brought this problem to the local Subaru dealership's attention as we don't really trust them. In the past they have tried to have us do repairs to the suspension that we got a second opinion on and found that the repairs were not necessary. We have also had issues with the 12V battery and had to replace the battery with a very strong battery to overcome DCM drainage issue. We just received a letter from Subaru of America that they are extending the DCM warranty and we may be eligible for a temporary bypass box fix until enough DCM modules are available in September 2025. My main concern is the faulty infotainment system and how distracting and unsafe it makes operating our Outback. I understand a number of Subaru owners have this same issue but have not gotten any satisfaction from Subaru in correcting it. If there isn't a recall on this safety issue soon, we will most likely have to trade this car. It's just too much of a liability. Very disappointed Subaru owner...
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588186May 10, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving, paired radio randomly begins dialing phone numbers. Controls randomly do not work or activate wrong control. Significant distraction to driving when trying to halt random uninitiated calls or radio arbitrarily activates and the controls do not function properly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11587576May 8, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The head unit for my 2019 Subaru Outback has failed due to manufacturer error. The issue is screen delamination which renders the screen unusable and causes major distractions while driving due to "ghost touches" on the screen. This causes a loud beeping noise which coincides with the screen sporadically jumping. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Subaru of America refuses to assist. Shockingly, even if I was willing to pay out of my own pocket, there is a multi month/year wait list, leaving me without critical safety functions (back up cameras, etc) for an unknown amount of time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11587427May 7, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The radio and head unit is glitching and automatically doing crazy things. The lighting is also affected on the head unit. The radio volume will turn up loud for no reason. It is intermittent. The dealership says it’s bubbling and head would have to be replaced..but back ordered parts and 3,000 dollars. I’ve googled and this is a well known issue with 2019 Subarus, but it’s a safety issue if you are driving and volume/screen is not controlled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585854April 29, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Within a year, my windshield has cracked 4 times with Subaru glass. These cracks are huge coming from either the top or bottom. With the crack, I feel like the eyesight feature is not accurate therefore causing weird serving. So I do not feel safe leaving my lane assist on. I have had 3 Subaru glass and one safelite glass, and this seems to be a reoccurring issue. what is the point of getting it fixed if it'll just keep cracking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585367April 26, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
The head unit in my vehicle is malfunctioning and causing a safety issue. The unit will flash on and off and change displays with distracting noises with no apparent cause. It has also caused my phone to call random contacts without warning which is causes a safety issue as I need to pull over and disconnect my phone from wi-fi to address the issue. I am unable to use my maps feature because of this issue as well. Finally, I am unable to safely back up using my camera as the screen has bubbled / discolored causing me to not be able to safely view the traffic or obstacles behind my car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11584803April 23, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
The infotainment system in my 2019 Subaru Outback glitched/ stops working randomly. I have a video of the touchscreen glitching and making selections betweens apps by itself. Also, I've started having random alerts pop up on the dash, such as: " obstacle ahead" when there is not an obstacle ahead or "roads may be icy" when it is 60 degrees outside. I reported it to Subaru, which they advised me to take it to Crown Subaru to have them take a look at it and they can submit a claim. I took it to the Crown Subaru & when I told them the problem, the lady that helped me stated, " yeah, this is common, I know exactly what your talking about." She then called another employee and told him she needed a quote for a infotainment center that was delaminating and was making selections on it's own. A week later I received a call from Subaru stating they would pay $500 of the bill as a one time goodwill gesture. The quote from Crown Subaru was for $900.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11584021April 19, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The contact's wife owned a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked for approximately 4 to 5 hours in the car port unattended, the contact noticed that the vehicle had caught fire near the rear driver's side and burned up a portion of the garage and house, The fence, a Datsun truck, two golf carts, and trees were burned. The contact was previously at the local dealer for routine service. The fire department was able to aid in extinguishing the fire. There were no reported injuries, crash or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to the junk yard. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted after the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583778April 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My complaint is the Outback head unit. This unit has a delaminated surface on the inside of the Outback touch screen. This was explained to me by the service manager, at the local Subaru dealer. The screen looks to have little bubbles inside the touch screen covering 45% of screen. During the daytime the sunlight shining on the screen and the bubbles, blocks the feed from the backup camera when the car is shifted in reverse. The head unit will also bounce the various apps in the unit, in a totally random pattern. From the radio (FM to Am to Sirius), then to the CD player, to car play and the blue tooth app. The head unit has added the navigation into the mix in the last week. The only way to negate this mess is to turn the head unit off while operating the vehicle. After talking with Subaru customer service and the Subaru dealer, my cost to replacement would be $345.90 and Subaru would cover the rest. This was discussed on March 5th. I have tried to get any updates for replacing the head unit and no one from the dealer or Subaru customer service have returned calls or text messages.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583508April 17, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
windshield cracked and replaced
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583633April 17, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windshields crack easily. I was using the original windshield and it was cracked on the passenger side. Common error of subaru outback. My car is only 37000miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11582912April 14, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The battery has a substantial drain on it when the car is not in use. The car is not reliable to get from one place to another, especially if it sits for 24+ hours. The danger comes in that we may be left stranded in a remote area where no cell service is available. We often go to remote areas to camp. The vehicle and battery have been inspected by the dealership and they recommended a larger battery due to a settlement in a class action lawsuit. However, this does not fix the battery drain. Another class action suit is in the process to address this situation. No symptoms or warnings for when the battery dies. Everything operates just fine until it does not. Absolutely unpredictable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11582452April 11, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Having dead battery issues due to DCM drain when vehicle parked in garage. I replaced 2 batteries since November 2023 and last dead battery issue March 2024. Took it to dealer Brilliance Subaru and they said they found no problem. Went to another mechanic and they said draining 150 or more milliamps from DCM fuse #9 when they take out milliamps returned to normal draw i think 20 or less but then i lose front speakers and bluetooth or more stuff. So thats not the fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11581781April 8, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Touchscreen has delaminated and bubbled, and it begins to operate on its own, and is unresponsive to correction. This affects the Settings, Navigation, and Infotainment systems. At worst, it causes Navigation and Maps to be inoperative at critical times. At best, it is distracting to the driver while trying to get it responsive, back in control. Dealership wants $3K TO REPLACE ENTIRE SCREEN SYSTEM, which is excessive for a new vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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