2016 SUBARU OUTBACK Electrical System Problems

I purchased a replacement battery in 2023. In August of 2025, the battery died, requiring a jump start. A local auto parts store checked the battery and it tested within acceptable limits, showing around 513 amps. A private shop confirmed this, and cleaned the battery terminals and cables. The battery functioned well until around November 2025, when it again died requiring a jump start. The battery again died in December 2025, about one month later, requiring a jump start.

EYE SIGHT GOES OUT SHORTLY AFTER RECONFIGURATION (HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES), BRAND NEW BATTERY HAS BEEN DRAINED CAUSING COMPLETE SHUT DOWN, HAS BEEN IN SHOP FOR SIX WEEKS AND DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND REASON FOR THIS HAPPENING AND HAS REPLACED BATTERY AND DRIVEN THE CAR WAITING FOR A REPLICA TO HAPPEN. MY RESEARCH LEANS TOWARD DCM/ECM/PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN ISSUES BUT THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A RECALL FOR THESE ELECTRONIC ISSUES.

Known battery drain likely from DCM and also they designed the alternator not to completely charge battery causing frequent dead battery without warning and for no operator error and causing frequent need to replace car batteries over the years.There was a class action lawsuit but no recall for these issues so has not been addressed properly.

The steering warning light came on and my steering wheel stiffened. Luckily I was able to make it home, but when I went back to crank it. The light was still on and it would only move forward of backwards; because I wasn't able at all to turn the steering wheel.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the passenger’s side wheel window trim was slightly pivoted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the dealer had not confirmed if parts had been ordered or received. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH in 2020, the vehicle experienced transmission failure and the vehicle came to a jerking stop, as if the parking brake had been activated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the CVT transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that approximately 4 years later, several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was...

My 2016 Subaru Outback has gone through 5 batteries since purchase in 4/2016. The reason for my contact with you is that the Navigation function “eyesight” has been problematic for at least two years and began with the third of five batteries. The function stops working randomly at any hour of the day and in all conditions. This year it went off and on in excess of 300-400 times. Each time it stops, cruise control, lane warnings, etc. are off. This can be harrowing with highway driving. On the three occasions I took it to the dealer the past two years they could not find a cause. After I replaced the battery again recently, they reset a DCM whose warranty had been extended by Subaru and that I brought in myself. There have been a number of parasitic drain tests, some finding a drain, others not on the batteries When...

The battery is dying very quickly The DCM Data Communication Module is draining the battery causing the vehicle to become stranded This is the fifth battery in this vehicle Subaru is aware of this issue but refuses to find a solution to fix it

Front Passenger Side window will not roll down. The electrical button on the driver's side is not functioning to allow it to roll down. This was a similar problem with the back passenger side window which was taken care within the first year of purchase.

Since owning this new Subaru vehicle, I have replaced the battery once. Today I had the car towed to the dealer with them diagnosing the car telling me it needs a certain module that has been draining the battery. Due to this problem, I have had to take an Uber to work. When the vehicle would not start, I had AAA come out and was told that the battery had 13% power on the one call out and 20% on the second call. In speaking with the tow truck driver for AAA he told me that this battery problem has been going on for a while with the 2015 to 2020 Subaru's. Now the dealer wants to charge me nine hundred and fifty-eight dollars to replace the module. If there was a problem with the module, why was I not told sooner about it? It seems to me that the...

Dead battery issues and DCM battery issue

We have had multiple incidents on this MY16 Subaru Outback draining the battery over the past several years. Sometimes the battery is dead after a couple or few days of driving. There seems to be a battery / electrical management (current draw when vehicle if off) issue as noted in multiple incidents and there was even a class action lawsuit. The SW update associated didn't resolve the issue. One can find many others with similar problems with Subaru Outbacks. (note: our MY17 Crosstrek also is experiencing the same issues). We have changed multiple batteries, needed multiple battery charges, required to buy a battery charger, buy a multimeter, and still have continued issues. Subaru corporate and the local dealership have done little/nothing to resolve the continued issue which causes disruptions in personal schedules, and just hope we don't have a dead battery/vehicle in a dangerous situation.

Ignition key cannot be removed quite frequently. It requires restarting engine, jiggling shift lever to finally release. I see a Subaru TSB 16-112-18R has been released for this issue.

Key remains stuck in ignition upon putting vehicle in park and shutting vehicle off. Failure comes from faulty switch in the selector lever assembly. Unable to remove key from vehicle for several minutes at a time. Failure acknowledged in TSB 16-112-18R

My key keeps getting stuck in the ignition, and forced me to have to leave the key in the car while I went in to a store, when i got back someone was in my car. I realize that this is a different type of safety issue, but it truly is a safety issue. I am having to leave my key in my car everywhere i do because it doesn't come out,, eventually it will come out randomly but not everytime I shut the car off. this should be a recall issue for Subaru's that have this problem. I have read many complaints about Subaru owners with this issue happpening to them. I am not the only one. Thank You!

Car has has 4 new batteries since I bought it new. Had to have this car jumped at least 12 times and some times at night late in downtown Portland where I have not been in a safe location. Once in the snow after hiking to come back at dusk with only one person around at trailhead. Got lucky the jumpstart worked. Apparently today after having it towed to a shop before we take a 9 hour road trip, the mechanic found that it is the voltage regulator in the alternator. Apparently a known issue with Subaru. Ridiculous that I have spent probably over $1000 or more on this issue, and been stranded multiple times and inconvenienced family and friends on this issue countless times.

Passenger window will not go up like it should. Gets to the top of the window and rolls back down. Will not go up unless we do short tiny bursts on the up button slowly to make it stay shut.

Something is draining the battery when the car is not in use. This left me stranded and that is a safety issue. On 12/01/21 I had a new battery installed at the Subaru dealership. The battery wasn't dead at the time but I had the car long enough that I thought it was time for a replacement. Late last year my husband took the car for an emission inspection and when they turned the car off, it wouldn't start and they had to boost it off and the same thing happened a few times when the car was parked in the garage I took it to the dealership and they said they were unable to make the battery fail so they could not replace it at no charge. I had them check more items and they said everything was fine. We bought a new battery 3/17/23 and exactly 3 months...

The software is designed not to allow the alternator to charge the battery fully. Subaru was made aware of this issue and came out with a software update which they are charging $200 for. This is a defect that causes the car to die every time the car is turned off, they should be updating the software for free.

2016 Subaru Outback has a flawed electrical system that drains the battery. We are on our 3rd battery. Prior to a road trip in Nov. 2022 we had our car fully serviced. Day two of the road trip we had a dead battery. Got a jump and had a new battery installed at Reno Subaru dealership. We went on another 7 day trip in Jan. 2023, left our car at the airport only to return to another dead battery that is less than 2 months old. After doing a little research and making several calls to the Reno dealership and our hometown dealership, we now understand there is a serious problem with Subaru's electrical system. Even newer models will experience the same issue if left sitting for several days. This has been a known issue for years and presents serious personal safety issues for Subaru owners. Especially if you find...

Per my subaru code for checking a depleting battery after not using vehicle for 3 days and then not being able to start car without a jump they said i would owe $29 to check battery as it was not a subaru battery. The code i received is sb37469152. After checking battery which checked out ok their solution to my problem is to buy a battery tender and plug it in after i go someplace. I am 93 years and don't go out everyday so this is a real problem. Never heard of such a issue. UNBELIEVABLE

THE BATTERY is completely unreliable - I have had 3 batteries since I purchased the car in 2015 - REPEATED RECURRENT DISCHARGE WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE - SUCH AS LIGHTS LEFT ON - PARASITIC DRAIN IT SEEMS In recent research have discovered this is not a new issue and there is a class action lawsuit settlement - I did not exclude myself and somewhat now wish that I had, in order to attempt to get some buy back incentive from Subaru. Beginning in 2019 - and maybe prior though I had not recognized it as a chronic issue then - I have encountered recurrent issues of complete battery discharge after time periods ranging from 5 to 24 hours. Estimate at least 1 to 2 discharges per month requiring cable jump, and many more times when the car was very difficult to start (almost fully discharged) To minimize risk as consumer I...

There is a great possibility of being stranded with this car. And in winter weather, it could be deadly. The car is draining the battery abnormally quick. I have a less than 1 yr old battery and if my car sits a day or two the battery goes dead. The battery will take a charge and then work, but then is drained in a day or two. I have also read there is something going on with the CAN system in these cars. Please help if you can. Thank you.

Have had to replace the battery 2 times in the last 4 years. And currently have an app that shows the strength of the battery in addition to its cells. If the car is not driven in two to three days then the battery depletes energy. There has to be something going on from the numerous times that this has occurred in the last few years. It is not only a very huge risk when this can happen in unfamiliar locations, nto only mechanically but also personally. Works after charging but charging is not always an option. Should not have to rely on this either. I believe replacing the battery by the company should not be our option and should be further investigated...Please! Thank you!

Battery drains on its own after about a week of light use (driving <10 miles daily)

Summary of Electrical system issues: 1.pertaining to battery draining and 2. eyesight randomly goes out and other dash board lights flash and later goes away. As well as, 3. Windows that can not completely close at times. Details: I purchased 2016 Subaru outback - 4 cylinder in 2019 with 64,000 miles. By 2020, the car experienced random dashboard lights indicator flashing that would resolve itself (*the flashing light) in a few days. One issue was the eye sight would randomly inactivate while driving and resolve after turning off car for a half day or a day. However it happens often. Dealer Car repair shop said it could not duplicate. Besides the dash board lights issues; the passenger front window and moonroof would not go up to completely close at random times. Rendering the windows useless to use. These issues continued on and off from purchase thru to-date. The biggest issue...

Vehicle only has 42,000 miles and I'm already on my 2nd replacement battery. Continuous battery drain by the Controller Area Network (CAN) causes premature/sudden battery failure. My battery is already groaning on morning starts and the temps are only in the 40s. Subaru needs to correct the problem, not just help pay for replacement batteries. There's no telling where you'll be when the battery dies.

•Yes available upon request. My Subaru Outback has issues starting up even with a battery that tests good. The problem started off as intermittent and continues to happen more often. •I bought this car for Ohio winters and I’m worried me and my kids could get stranded with a drained battery. •The dealership did a 90,000 mile tune up and said to “wait until it breaks or fails all the way to get it fixed, intermittent problems are too hard to diagnose” •Just my local dealership •The battery light flashes, it started happening very sporadically about six months ago, and has progressed into a pretty common occurrence.

Chronic issue with the vehicle draining batteries. I’ve gone through 4 new batteries in the time I’ve owned the vehicle and find that they die in what’s sometimes only a few months after purchase. No lights or other electronic accessories in the Outback are ever left on and we’re careful to keep doors closed when we’re not actively shuffling people or cargo in or out of the vehicle. I just experienced another episode of the battery dying when we returned from vacation to a dead car in the airport parking deck, despite only 15k miles on this battery and all lights being confirmed to have been correctly turned off before our departure. I’m concerned for the safety of my family when the vehicle can’t be trusted to regularly start and the battery could die in situations where my family’s safety could be put in jeopardy.

My battery failed to turn over one day and at the beginning there was a battery icon lit up in the dash, but later did not show up again. I received a jump from another person. The next morning my battery did work but not my radio. Now my radio will work at times and other times, not. I have not taken my car to a dealer or Calle them.

I had a two-year-old battery that kept dying or starting very weakly, intermittently. I had this battery replaced by the dealer 09-16-22 at my expense. This new battery died overnight on 10-01-22, in just two weeks. No lights were left on, the car was locked, the rear hatch was fully closed. I was left stranded far from my home and I had to hitch a ride to buy a jump-starter. I tested the alternator and it is working correctly to charge the battery. I contacted the dealer and they denied that the car model had any electrical problem and said that there were no class action suits or recalls related to this problem. They advised that I bring the car in for a diagnostic test (at my expense). There appears to be a large parasitic electrical drain that is draining the car's battery when the car is off.

Since we've owned the car it has gone through 3 batteries and the blind site and lane assist go on and off all the time. Windows lock. Dealership said there is nothing wrong with the car. My mother is 80 and we have kept the car in the garage most of the time unless it's a grocery trip. She has called my uncle twice this year to boost her because the car wouldn't start. We keep the car on a slow trickle charge and it doesn't make a difference. How are we suppose to sell this?

I have replaced the battery 3 times in 6 years. I see there is a class action lawsuit that I want to join or receive compensation.

The battery has died multiple times from minor power draw. For example, opening the windows when the engine was off or briefly charging and iPhone with the key in auxiliary. I have replaced the battery at my own expense and this continues to happen.

Replaced battery. Two and a half years after replacing battery, I had to replace the battery again. No warning, just didn't start one morning. Battery was dead.

Battery drains very fast. Speakers stop working, window won’t go up, audio system freezes

My 2016 Subaru Outback has required 3 battery replacements between Jan 2020 and July 2022. I have been stranded with a dead battery on 4 separate occasions beginning around April/May of 2016, leaving me unsafe and vulnerable until help could arrive. AAA provided battery jump service twice and strangers helped twice. AAA has provided the 3 battery replacements and I have retained those receipts. Each time they confirmed that this is a highly unusual and likely due to an electrical issue and at some point they will no longer replace the battery under warranty. I have talked to the Subaru dealership about this issue 3 different times and had them test the alternator twice and each time they assured me there were no problems with my electrical system and that my driving habits were the problem. This is objectively false since I have now been informed that Subaru knew full...

Car failed to start five times. No cranking. No lights. No nothing. Four times required roadside assistance, jumper, from State Farm Insurance. One time, after a five-minute rest, it started with no problem. Three times battery was replaced. 12/21/18 @ $144.12----3/8/22 @ $167.38----9/16/22 @ $172.78

Battery discharges too quickly, leaving me with a car that won't start. I've already replaced the battery once - to the tune of over $300 because I needed roadside assistance - and I'm looking at having to do it again. I've been stranded multiple times and have had to find someone to jump start my car. I just ordered a $200 car jumper so I don't get stranded again.

This incident occurred on Friday July 29, 2022 @ 5pm. I was pulling into a parking space while my foot was on the brake I proceeded to put the car in park when the car suddenly lunged forward into the concrete patio of the Market/Store. I was in disbelief at what just happened. I would happily make my car available for inspection. I want to find out what is wrong with the car. I believe this could happen again and I am fearful for my life and the lives of others. I was so lucky that the table and chairs were roped off that evening for some reason. People could have been sitting or walking there at the time of this incident. This incident has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer or independent service center. I brought the car to the Subaru dealer for them to do a...

The battery keeps going dead for no obvious reason(s). The battery was tested at an auto repair shop and was determined to be fine but, nonetheless, continues to go dead.

Hello, Since February, we have replaced our battery 3 times. Eventually we discovered from a mechanic that the car had a parasitic draw that will drain the battery if the car is not driven every day. We put the battery on a trickle charger every night just in case. Two days ago, the car would not start after sitting in a parking lot for two hours. The AAA guy's first question was "is that a 2015 or 16?". When asked why, he responded "This happens all the time because the computer keeps self-checking and it drains the battery." So now we have a car that could leave us stranded at any time, and based on the number of lawsuits against Subaru for electrical drainage of batteries of their vehicles from 2015-2020, we have a terminal issue that Subaru is well aware of but refuses to acknowledge. This is unacceptable. Doesn't...

My 2016 Subaru Outback has some kind of an electrical malfunction such that the battery drains rapidly. I have had to replace the battery in my car four times since purchase in 2016. I am now on my fifth battery in six years of ownership. Most recently, my battery died today 7/5/22, and required replacement.

Dead battery. Replaced battery twice since owning vehicle. Will not start even with trying to jump.

I’ve had my Outback for almost 6 years. I’m on my third battery. Recently in the past 3 months the battery I’ve had since 2/21 keeps going dead. It will not hold a charge and goes dead at inconvenient times. I live 30 miles from Reno and driving there for a meeting after which I try to start my car and it’s dead. I can start it with jumper cables and then I drive home. With normal driving the battery has gone dead three more times recently. I’ve taken it to Les Schwab and they’ve checked their battery and its good and so is my charging system. This last time I took it to the Subaru dealer and they said there is nothing wrong with the car. So why is my battery failing me and leaving me stranded? I make sure that no lights are on, doors open and everything...

The battery constantly drains until dead when not driven for as short of time as one day. My wife has been left stranded at home and work multiple times and had to rely on strangers for assistance. The problem was inspected and confirmed by mechanics here in NC. Multiple car care businesses confirmed that the problem is not with the battery itself but that 2016+ Subaru Outbacks have this problem and for which Subaru of America is under lawsuit for. There were no warnings. The problem was identified as persistent in the fall of 2019 while it was not driven as frequently, but the car battery drained unexpectedly on occasion before then. We purchased a new battery once, but we do not have the invoice.

I’m on my third battery. Since date of purchase the car has a battery drain issue that cannot be resolved. Minimal electoral use while the car is not running causes the car to not turn over. It is a safety issue because this car could leave me stranded.

Battery drains quickly. Car will not start when it has been unused for as little as a day.

Experienced intermittent starting problems, with other odd warning light behaviors, including unable to turn them off to try again. I know another 2016 Outback owner that was given a new battery at no charge. I paid $203.60 for new battery on 03/02/2022

I bought this used 2016 Subaru Outback about a year and a half ago from McCords Vancouver Dealership. I've had the battery dying problem ever since I got it. I have had to call AAA for jump starts. I took the car into my mechanic because the "change warning light" had been on when I turned off the ignition the night before, and it was still blinking the next morning when I came out to start the car. He suggested that I go to Costco to get the battery replaced because it was down to only 22% efficient. They declined for several reasons. It wasn't the battery fault, it was the car! I am 92 years old and disabled. I can't get stuck on a freeway with a dead battery. I am still looking for someone to fix it. I bought this car because I assumed that a newer car...

2016 Subaru Outback, original owner, the battery constantly drains in this car. I have come out to a dead battery many times, and have had to jump and service my battery several times a year. I have had my battery replaced at least once as well. This seems to be a constant issue, and after reading up on other owners of same and similar models, it looks like it is a software and electrical system issue. I am looking into the class action lawsuit, but think that this should be a recall and repair of these systems, as I must jump and service my battery several times a year. Thank you.