NHTSA Complaint #10778443 — 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK

(VEHICLE HAS 112K MILES) BEGINNING APPROXIMATELY IN THE MARCH 2015 TIMEFRAME, THE RADIO CONTROLS/DISPLAY BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. AT FIRST, THE RADIO DISPLAY WOULD BLINK OFF/ON, AND THEN PRESET STATION BUTTONS STOPPED/STARTED WORKING, THEN THE CD/RADIO/AUX CONTROL KNOB STOPPED/STARTED WORKING, ETC. CONTROLS FROM THE STEERING WHEEL APPEAR UNAFFECTED. THERE WOULD BE ONE PROBLEM ON ONE DAY, WHICH WOULD SEEMINGLY "GO AWAY." THEN, AT RANDOM (SOMETIMES DAYS OR WEEKS LATER), ANOTHER PROBLEM WOULD PRESENT ITSELF. IT, TOO, WOULD "GO AWAY" IN SHORT ORDER AND THE PROCESS WOULD REPEAT ITSELF. THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR ON START-UP AS WELL AS SUDDENLY WHILE IN MOTION (IN MAY 2015, I HAD THE RADIO GO OFF ABOUT MIDWAY ON A 150-MILE TRIP.) ON SEPT 16, THE RADIO CONTROLS BECAME COMPLETELY INACTIVE, BUT THE UNIT FUNCTIONED AND THE DISPLAY WAS ON. THEN, ON SEPT 24, I WAS TRAVELLING AT NIGHT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS AND RADIO/AC DISPLAYS SUDDENLY WENT DARK. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY CONCERN. THE HIGH BEAMS AND RUNNING LIGHTS REMAINED FUNCTIONAL, BUT THE REGULAR LIGHTS NO LONGER FUNCTION. I DID NOT TEST THE FOG LIGHTS AND I AM NO LONGER DRIVING THE CAR. I AM USING MY WIFE'S CAR. UNTIL I CAN TAKE THE CAR FOR SERVICE, ITS USE IS LIMITED TO DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE ISSUE HAS REMAINED AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE "GOING AWAY". WHEN YOU TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS, THE RADIO/AC DISPLAYS GO BLANK AND THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT.