NHTSA Complaint #11414583 — 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK

EXPERIENCED FREQUENT OCCURRENCES OF DEAD BATTERY (THAT WAS ONLY 8 MONTHS OLD). DEALER REPLACED BATTERY BUT I CONTINUED TO HAVE INTERMITTENT ISSUES OVER THE NEXT YEAR. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER IN AUG 2020 FOR ANALYSIS, WAS TOLD NO ISSUE, IT JUST ISN'T DRIVEN ENOUGH, AND RECOMMENDED BATTERY MAINTAINER INSTALL OR GEL BATTERY. ISSUE CAN OCCUR WHETHER CAR WAS DRIVEN YESTERDAY OR A WEEK AGO. WAS TOLD BY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT BATTERY INSTALLED AT DEALER WAS TOO WEAK SO I PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY IN FEB 2021 AND HAVE BEEN MONITORING VOLTAGE. WHILE I HAVE NOT HAD A COMPLETELY DEAD BATTERY SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW SLUGGISH STARTS. VOLT METER SHOWS BATTERY DROPS BELOW 12V WITHIN HOURS AFTER BEING DRIVEN. I ENSURE THAT NO LIGHTS ARE LEFT ON, NOR IS ANYTHING PLUGGED INTO CHARGING PORTS, TO MITIGATE DRAINAGE AND BELIEVE THERE IS PHANTOM DRAIN/ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION SOMEWHERE IN THE SYSTEM.