NHTSA Complaint #11413186 — 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK

THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE ELECTRONICS THE DEALER HAS REPROGRAMMED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROLS 4 TIMES IN THE YEAR SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE LAST REPROGRAMMING WAS DUE TO A NHTSA RECALL. THE SYSTEM WAS BETTER FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE THE LAST REPROGRAMMING BUT ON MONDAY 4/19/21 AT 5:58 PM THE SAME PROBLEM REOCCURRED THE ELECTRONIC SCREEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DASH WENT BLACK AS I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH SOUTHBOUND ON I-95 IN BALTIMORE MARYLAND. THE SCREEN AND ALL IT FUNCTIONS WERE OFF FOR 4 MINUTES UNTIL IT RESTARTED WITH THE INITIAL SCREEN THAT APPEARS WHEN I START THE CAR. IT IS A WARNING SCREEN WITH A GREEN AREA TO PRESS THAT I AGREE WITH THE WARNING. FOR 4 MINUTES I WAS DRIVING WITH NO ACCESS TO THE CONTROLS THAT ARE UNDER THE DIRECTION FO THE MAIN SCREEN. THE DEALER HAD TOLD ME I SHOULD TAKE A VIDEO OF THE DASH IF THIS HAPPENED AGAIN BUT IT IS HARD TO TAKE A VIDEO WHILE DRIVING IN THE EXPRESS LANES AT 65 MPH. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT AFTER ALL THESE REPROGRAMMING ACTIVITIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED. WHEN THE DEALER HAD INSTALLED THE REVISED PROGRAMING I ASKED WHAT TO DO IF THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AND HE SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE A VIDEO THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. WELL IT DID HAPPEN AGAIN. I IMAGINE I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO FIND THIS REOCCURRING BUT I CAN'T BE SURE OF THAT. IT IS MOST DISCONCERTING TO THINK THAT ALL OF THE SAFETY CONTROLS THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TO OBTAIN ARE OUT OF USE FOR 4 MINUTES AS I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE RADIO ON WHILE DRIVING AND SUDDENLY IT WENT OFF I LOOKED DOWN AT THE SCREEN AND IT WAS BLACK COMPLETELY OFF. I ASSUME THAT ALL OF THE SAFETY FUNCTIONS THE SCREEN CONTROLS ALSO WERE OFF. IT STAYED THAT WAY FOR 4 MINUTES AND THEN RESTARTED AS IF I HAD JUST STARTED THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT KEEPS RECURRING.