NHTSA Complaint #11394841 — 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK

PARASITIC BATTERY FAILURES: MULTIPLE EVENTS BETWEEN JULY 2018 AND JANUARY 2021. BATTERY & ALTERNATOR WERE CONSISTENTLY FOUND TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY. BATTERY WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. ONE EVENT HAD EXCESSIVE BATTERY PERCOLATION. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY AN AFTER-MARKET HUM SPEED & LOCATION MONITORING DEVICE PLACED IN JANUARY 2018 AND PARTIALLY REMOVED IN OCTOBER 2020. WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE HUM ATTACHMENT TO THE OBDII PORT. THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY FIXED WHEN AN ASTUTE MECHANIC RECOGNIZED THAT THE FAILURES WERE LIKELY DUE TO THE REMAINING HUM PART ATTACHED TO THE OBDII PORT. LOGICAL IT WOULD DRAW DOWN THE OUTBACK UNDERSIZED BATTERY, WHICH IS WELL DOCUMENTED. SO: ADVICE TO OWNERS: DO NOT ATTACH AFTER-MARKET DEVICES TO YOUR OUTBACK. REMOVE CONNECTIONS LIKE PHONE JACKS AS NEEDED WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED. AND, IF YOU HAVE AN UNEXPLAINED DEAD BATTERY PROBLEM, CHECK THE OBDII PORT & REMOVE ANY FOREIGN DEVICES OR HAVE YOUR MECHANIC DO SO.