NHTSA Complaint #11366425 — 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK

BATTERY FAILED WITHIN 1 MONTH OF NEW CAR PURCHASE. TECHNICIAN INITIALLY SAID IT WAS DUE TO REAR DOME LIGHT BEING LEFT ON (DID NOT THINK THIS WAS THE CASE). AFTER REPEATEDLY RETURNING TO THE CAR IN THE MORNINGS TO FIND DRAINED BATTERY, HAD TO PURCHASE BACK UP JUMPING DEVICE TO ENSURE I'D BE ABLE TO USE VEHICLE DAILY. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 MORE TIMES (WITHIN WEEKS OF THE INITIAL PROBLEM) AFTER NEEDING TO JUMP THE CAR TO START IT. NO ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND BATTERY WAS DEEMED TO BE "OK" PER THEIR TEST. THEN ONE MORNING WHILE STARTING THE CAR, THE DASH LIGHTS STARTED ALL TO FLASH, AN AUDIBLE CLICKING NOISE AND HATCH MOTOR COULD BE HEARD TRYING TO OPEN AND REMAINED STUCK IN THAT MODE UNTIL THE BATTERY DIED (CAR NEVER STARTED). CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR 3RD TIME IN A MONTH AND BATTERY WAS DEEMED "TO BE DEFECTIVE" FROM THE FACTORY AND WAS REPLACED IN THIS 2 MONTH OLD CAR. NO OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED TO EXPLAIN WHAT REPEATEDLY DRAINED THE BATTERY.