NHTSA Complaint #11405580 — 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK

BATTERY ON CAR JUST GOES DEAD. PUT 3RD BATTERY IN CAR BEFORE IT WAS 3 YEARS OLD. SEVERAL TIMES, WE NOTICED THAT REAR HATCH MOTOR DOES NOT SHUT OFF - JUST KEEPS RUNNING. THEN IF YOU START CAR AGAIN & IMMEDIATELY TURN IT OFF - REAR HATCH MOTOR STOPS RUNNING. BEEN TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES & SENT LETTER TO SUBARU CUSTOMER ADVOCACY DEPT - THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE CAR HAS A PROBLEM. OFFERED TO PAY FOR EXTENDED LIFE BATTERY. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, CAR WAS PARKED IN OUR GARAGE OVERNIGHT - HAVING BEEN LOADED THE PREVIOUS NIGHT TO LEAVE EARLY THE NEXT MORNING ON VACATION - CAR WOULDN'T START AND BATTERY COULDN'T EVEN BE RECHARGED. ONE TIME BACKED CAR OUT OF GARAGE, TURNED IT OFF, THEN WHEN TRIED TO START IT 5 MINUTES LATER, BATTERY WAS DEAD. WE WERE ABLE TO RECHARGE IT, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK IT TO DEALER WHERE IT FAILED THE BATTERY TEST AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. VEHICLE DEEMED UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE TO US, AS YOU NEVER KNOW IF IT WILL START. BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THEY ARE DOING NOTHING TO GET TO ROOT CAUSE OF PROBLEM - JUST PUT ANOTHER BATTERY IN CAR. CAR HAS 25,000 MILES AND WARRANTY EXPIRED ON 2/24/2021. ATTACHED ARE DETAILS FROM 2 DEALER VISITS AND LETTER TO CUSTOMER ADVOCACY DEPT. FIRST TIME BATTERY FAILED, WE REPLACED BATTERY BECAUSE IT WAS IMPACTING OUR VACATION. WE HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT BATTERY ON 7/19 DEALER VISIT, AND BATTERY THEN DIED ON 10/19. SUBARU REFUNDED US THE COST OF THE BATTERY.