NHTSA Complaint #11329791 — 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK

BATTERY COMPLETELY DISCHARGED AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF NOT USING VEHICLE, THIS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DURING FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. INITIALLY WE THOUGHT IT WAS RELATED TO LEAVING THE KEY IN OR NEAR THE VEHICLE, OR THE AUTO CLOSE BACK HATCH NOT COMPLETELY CLOSING DUE TO MAT OBSTRUCTION. AFTER BEING STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES AND ALMOST MISSING A FLIGHT WE PURCHASED A BATTERY STARTER. IT WAS IRONIC AND A LITTLE HUMBLING TO HAVE TO CARRY A BATTERY STARTER AROUND WITH YOU IN A BRAND NEW CAR SO YOU WOULDN'T GET STRANDED SOMEWHERE - ESPECIALLY A VEHICLE MARKETED TO ADVENTUROUS FOLKS WHO PARK AT REMOTE TRAILHEADS. I EVENTUALLY PURCHASED A NEW HIGHER AMP BATTERY WHICH HAS LARGER MITIGATED THE ISSUE, BUT I STILL PERIODICALLY CHARGE THE NEW BATTERY AS ADDITIONAL INSURANCE. I MEASURED A PARASITIC DISCHARGE RATE OF ~114 MA WHICH IS ABOVE BASELINE OF 50 MA CITED BY SOME, BUT BELOW 150 MA THRESHOLD MENTIONED BY OTHERS. SUBARU (BOTH DEALERSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE) WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT DIDN'T OFFER TO DIAGNOSE OR REMEDY, ATTRIBUTING THE ISSUE TO NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE OFTEN ENOUGH IN COMBINATION WITH SUGGESTION WE PURCHASE A BETTER BATTERY GIVEN OUR DRIVING HABITS. SO WE HAVE A VEHICLE WITH A RELATIVELY HIGH PARASITIC DRAIN RATE THAT COMES WITH A UNDER SIZED BATTERY, LEAVING THE CUSTOMER TO WONDER WHAT IS GOING ON AND CREATING POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES IN TERMS OF NON-STARTING VEHICLE. *TR