NHTSA Complaint #11413683 — 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK

THREE TIMES IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS MY BATTERY DIED AND REQUIRED EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. AFTER THE FIRST TIME, THE CAR ONLY HAD ABOUT 5,000 MILES ON IT, I CALLED SUBARU AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE THEN THE NEW BATTERY HAS DIED TWICE. ONLINE SEARCHES RECENTLY HAVE REVEALED WIDE SPREAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SUBARU OUTBACK'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RESULTING IN REPEATED BATTERY FAILURE. AT THIS TIME THE ONLY OUTCOME FROM THIS HAS BEEN THE BATTERY FAILURE, BUT IF THERE ARE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS I'M CONCERNED THAT MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS, LIKE A FIRE, COULD ARISE. FORTUNATELY EACH TIME THE BATTERY DIED THE CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE AT HOME. THE CAR IS DRIVEN REGULARLY, AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, FOR NOT LESS THAN THIRTY MINUTES, SO I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE IS, INDEED, A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSING THE BATTERY TO NOT RECHARGE, OR CREATING A DRAIN ON THE BATTERY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLE.