NHTSA Complaint #11408655 — 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK

VEHICLE DIED WHILE IN A HOSPITAL PARKING LOT AND WAS JUMP-STARTED. BATTERY REPLACED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. CAR COULD ONLY SIT 2 - 3 DAYS BEFORE NEEDING A JUMP START. TOOK CAR TO STL SUBARU DEALER. THEY UPGRADED THE CHARGING SOFTWARE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE TWO-WEEK-OLD BATTERY WAS BAD. WHEN CONNECTED TO THE CAR, THE OVERNIGHT VOLTAGE DROPS ON THE BATTERY WOULD BE FROM 0.4 TO 0.5 VOLTS. THE BATTERY WAS TYPICALLY DEAD WITHIN 3-4 DAYS. WHEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE CAR, THE OVERNIGHT VOLTAGE LOSS ON THE BATTERY WAS MINIMAL. THIS INDICATED THE CAR HAD UNSUSTAINABLE CURRENT DRAW EVEN WHEN "TURNED OFF." RETURNED TO THE SUBARU DEALER, NOTING THE CAR DISPLAYED EXCESSIVE CURRENT DRAW WHEN TURNED OFF. THEY REPORTED WAS THAT THE FACTORY DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE HAD INDICATED NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR OR IT'S ELECTRONICS BUT THAT THE BATTERY WAS BAD. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP DISAGREED BUT REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH ANOTHER NEW. THE OVERNIGHT DISCHARGE CONDITION CONTINUED WITH A NEW BATTERY. I PLACED THE CAR IN "PARKED AND LOCKED" CONDITION AND MEASURED THE CURRENT ACROSS EACH FUSE IN BOTH THE ENGINE AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. 2 PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FUSES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT CURRENT DRAW WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND LOCKED, SERVING A POWER WINDOW AND THE CIRCUIT LABELED "ACC" WHICH INCLUDES THE CAR'S HEATING, COOLING AND DEFROSTING. I REMOVED THESE FUSES AND THE CAR CAN NOW SIT UNUSED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. REPLACING THE FUSES RETURNS THE CAR TO THE OVERNIGHT BATTERY DRAIN CONDITION. I NOW HAVE A CAR WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING PASSENGER WINDOW AND NO HEATING/COOLING OR DEFROSTER. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE CAR CAN PASS THE STATE SAFETY INSPECTION IN THIS CONDITION. TO ME, THIS PROVES THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE BATTERY BUT RATHER UNSUSTAINABLE CURRENT DRAW FROM THE CAR'S ELECTRONICS WHEN PARKED AND "TURNED OFF." THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT A DEFROSTER.