2018 SUBARU OUTBACK Unknown Or Other Problems

The STARLINK touchscreen display on my 2018 Subaru Outback has experienced progressive delamination — a separation of the screen's protective layer from the display panel — resulting in large, spreading opaque blotches that obscure significant portions of the screen. This is a known manufacturing defect that Subaru of America acknowledged through the issuance of a Technical Service Bulletin and an extended warranty for 2018 model year vehicles. That extended warranty has since expired, and Subaru has declined goodwill coverage despite the defect being documented by an authorized Subaru dealership (SOA Case No. 260106-1800881). The screen serves as the primary interface for the backup camera, navigation, and climate controls. Obscured visibility of this screen while driving creates a distraction hazard. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this defect and take appropriate action.

the Infotainment system is malfunctioning. the screen is delaminating and pressing ghost buttons, flickering between screens or not functioning at all and I am unable to press any buttons on the screen. safety: when making calls hands free with the system, it will mute calls, end calls, or switch calls between the car speaker and the phone speaker. This is problematic if emergency services are ever needed to be called and makes it difficult to remain hands free as the buttons on the screen often don't work properly when this is happening. it also changes between screens when using the GPS maps and does not leave the map/directions displayed on the screen which puts the driver and others at greater risk of an accident when relying on the GPS to get places. The vehicle was inspected by a Subaru dealership on 1/8/2026 and confirmed the issues with the screen and...

While driving my 2018 Subaru Outback on the freeway, the sunroof spontaneously shattered without warning. At the time of the incident, there were no nearby vehicles, road debris, or external factors that could explain the failure. This appears to be a dangerous and unexpected defect.

Touch screen has delamination that causes false control of functions controlled by the touch screen. Due to delamination of the screen it can make false phone calls, change the radio station or modify system settings, causing dangerous distractions for the driver.

Summary of Problem: The infotainment screen on my 2018 Subaru Outback has delaminated and is malfunctioning, causing multiple safety issues. This is a known manufacturer defect previously addressed in a class-action lawsuit (Starlink Infotainment System Litigation, settled 2021). However, my vehicle’s screen failed shortly after the extended warranty expired. Detailed Description of Safety Hazards: The malfunctioning screen creates the following safety risks: 1. Backup Camera Obstruction – The screen dims erratically, sometimes going completely dark, rendering the rearview camera unusable. This poses a serious safety hazard and appears to violate FMVSS 111 requirements for rear visibility systems. 2. Unintended Screen Inputs – The screen exhibits “ghost touches” that result in random phone calls, volume changes, and navigation menu disruptions, all without user input. This creates an unsafe level of driver distraction. 3. Driver Distraction and Interference – The system's erratic behavior pulls my attention away from the road, as I...

The infotainment system in the car has suffered from screen delamination, which is apparently common with these models. This has left the touchscreen both non-responsive to touch as well as randomly selecting items on the screen, rendering it unusable. This is a safety issue because the only way to deactivate Reverse Automatic Braking and the rear parking sensors is through the touchscreen. Being able to do this is essential when connecting a trailer or attempting to reverse with one attached. Subaru is aware of the problem and was subject to class action litigation related to it, ultimately being required to extend the warranty on the units as a result. However, the warranty extension was inadequate and left several thousand units in the field which would eventually require replacement. Note that a similar issue on the 2019 models resulted in an 8-year / 150,000-mile warranty extension on the units, yet prior...

Arriving at my childhood home, I followed the driveway to the left to park in front of the garage door. With my foot on the brake and slowly rolling to a stop, the car suddenly accelerated and jolted forward making contact with the garage door and the frame of the garage. This caused damage to the house, garage door and the front of the car. Thankfully there was no other car in the way or a pedestrian! Only the house and car were damaged. This was sudden and there was no warning or prior occurrence to make me aware of the problem. We spoke to the dealer service manager and at first he said he never heard of anything like that. After further conversation he admitted that another car had a similar issue. They kept the car for two weeks and couldn't repeat the issue. We then went on line...

I have recently experienced an issue touchscreen delamination, which I understand has affected other Subaru owners as well. While my vehicle is no longer under the standard warranty, I believe this issue stems from a known defect and not normal wear and tear. More importantly, it has created a significant safety concern. Calling people on accident and in my case call 911 by mistake. The touchscreen issue is interfering with my ability to safely use backup camera and vehicle settings.

The radio has Cracks or striations on the screen that are Causing the Panel to make calls, Dial a phone, change the radio station...ETC. Complete random beeping and it is distracting when driving, The touch screen has become defunct and the Comp[uter does all random things, It does what it wants, when it wantys! I am afraid it is a danger! And please lookl into this, there are Many subaru owners Complaining of the same thing. They are saying that the screen is :Dellaminating" That is what they are calling it. That I why I am making a formal complaint. Thank you! PS...By the way, I was NOT calling mom, It did it on its own!!

Star system is malfunctioning. I cannot access the control panel because of delamination. This causes difficulty viewing backup camera and driver distraction.

My sunroof on my subaru outback 2018 exploded while going north on the 5 from sea world drive to balboa exit. thankfully my cover was on and debris didnt fall on my while driving. Saw online many subaru outback owners have had similar issues. i want to file a claim and have the manufacturer pay for the damages

The Head Unit, which is the center built-in touchscreen of the 2018 Subaru Outback, began glitching after 5 to 6 years after this vehicle was purchased. It would not register actual touches, and then it would register touches that did not occur, it became so severe that while driving, the radio would change on its own, navigation/GPS application would become unusable, and other distracting actions would occur without any way of fixing them. After some online research, matching photos of the screen showing bubbles underneath, and similar reports we have found including a class-action lawsuit against Subaru, the vehicle was taken in for official diagnosis of Delamination. Subaru Of America (SOA) agreed to pay $1000 of the approx $1500 cost to replace the Head Unit, and recommended we reach out directly to NHTSA to report a safety concern to have a potential recall started. This issue is a dangerous distraction...

Radio intermittently switches channels, touch screen does not comply with commands. Radio has not responded to reset commands.

My 2018 Subaru Outback has an infotainment display that has a Delaminating Screen issue, where the screen that controls so many aspects of the car's functionality (to include safety) is now becoming increasingly harder to see.

The head unit on my 2018 Subaru Outback is pressing random buttons all over the screen by itself. It would constantly make the button noise as I drive leading me to lose track of the directions that was being provided from my Apple Maps. It would also disconnect me from CarPlay leaving me with no sense of direction as to where I should be going. I have gotten this fixed before at a Subaru dealership and they ended up replacing the head unit for me, however this is the second time it’s happening and there is obviously a serious problem with the all the units.

The infotainment system screen has delaminated causing the screen to jump between sources, the backup camera to randomly not display . The problem started last month and is worsening

The head unit of the stereo/info system is malfunctioning. The screen is delaminating from the face of the LED touchscreen panel, which causes the unit to experience "phantom touches." These cause the screen to constantly change displays, zoom in/out of navigation software, and change audio settings & inputs, and disconnects phone calls or switches them from my speaker to my phone (forcing me to pick up the phone to correct the problem). It has rendered my hands-free interface with the entire vehicle essentially useless, which is a safety concern as now my attention is pulled away from driving to attempt to correct the problem. Additionally, the screen is constantly shifting & changing displays which is quite a visual distraction. This is a known problem & has been reported numerous times to Subaru. I've taken the vehicle to the dealer for them to inspect. Their suggestion was that I replace the...

The car's display panel which I use to carplay to navigate google map randomly calling people on my contact list and randomly make commends such as play media or search maps as if I touched the panel screen to commend. The incidents happened while I was driving which caused me lost google map and almost lost control of the car since I tried to cancel the phone calls I didn't make. This is safety concern, please require Subaru to fix the panel. thanks

Touchscreen on radio system is delamination causing the system to cycle through sources, ie: fm, am, sxm, and Bluetooth. This causes distractions while driving. Dealership is aware of issue and stated it was common. No warnings before malfunction. Malfunctions started a few months ago.

Sterio and Navigation screen has formed bubbles and what appears to be a film under the screen and has also started delaminating. The screen is now rarely usable as it appears to have a mind and hands of its own as it makes its own selections on the screen and no longer allows me to control it. This is very dangerous as the Subaru touch screen offers setting adjustments that are being changed while on the road, without my control. It is my understanding that Subaru will not replace this unless you pay $2k+ out of pocket even though SEVERAL incidents are reported. Unfortunately, I am not in good standing to purchase another car right now so I will have to continue driving this car and praying that whatever settings that car adjusts during that drive won't have a negative impact.

2018 Subaru Outback headunit is "delaminated" causing phantom touches on the headunit's touch screen. While driving, the headunit will act as if something is pressing random buttons, changing radio stations, opening/closing maps, going through settings panel and changing car settings, ultimately distracting the driver usually at highway speeds. Many other Subaru owners are reporting the same issue on the forums: [XXX] [XXX] Subaru is reporting the fault as "regular wear and tear" and charging customers $1200+ to replace the headunits. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I purchased my car used from dealership in Temecula,CA [XXX]. My first windshield cracked and was replaced [XXX] at dealership after a small rock hit my car on the freeway, I paid for this replacement. My 2nd windshield cracked for no reason and was replaced [XXX] at dealership Subaru paid for only 1/2 the price to replace. Had contacted the advocacy department and Subaru and filed a case. Now the 3rd windshield has cracked 5/2024 for no apparent reason (meaning no point of impact) and I have filed another case with Subaru. I have an advocate and case number. Logan at Subaru of America case #[XXX]. Something is wrong with these windshields. This is my first time owning a Subaru and I never had these problems with any of my other cars owned. I think there’s something wrong with these windshields. They are cracking to easily and I feel like...

The display screen has spots and fog like symptoms on the screen. Certain angles when the sun hits the screen it is not visible to see what is on the screen like the map or other settings.

Audio system does not work which does not allow - hands-free use of phone - sound alert when nearing railroad crossing - voiced directions when using Waze

Two incidents of unprovoked acceleration 1st incident: approximately March 2021 Slowly backing up at a gas station and experienced sudden acceleration causing the car to hit a metal guard at the fuel pump. This resulted in damage to the vehicle requiring repair. 2nd incident: 12/2023 Slowly entering a parking space when there was sudden acceleration causing the vehicle to to go over a concrete curb across a grassy median to hit an unoccupied car parked directly across. This resulted in damage to the bumper and damage to the car it hit. Police were called but they were busy and this happened in a parking lot so an incident number was obtained and insurance information was exchanged between driver and other vehicle owner.

Touchscreen is sticking or not working, I understand this is a standard problem with Subaru. I also wanted to report issues with Touchscreen on my 2018 Subaru Outback.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? After about 1 year of procuring vehicle, the car battery would die about every 4-8 weeks. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I travel often and could *never* rely on my car to start up properly. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, and also is in a civil law suit because of it. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, although still not even remotely confident that they have truly identified the issue. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warnings whatsoever. The battery would be fully charged one day and dead as DEAD can...

MMy wife got into the car and as she was removing the sun shield, she lightly bumped the rear view mirror. It imploded covering her and the passenger seat with small sharp glass shards. I was just opening the passenger door to get inside and did not get covered with the glass shards. The windshield shattered in August, 2023. At that time, we checked and there were many other similar instances recorded on line. The inner glass broke and the mirror fell down, however the outter glass did not shatter or crack. I filed a complaint with [XXX] on December 8th, as well. They suggested that I report it to SaferCar.gov Thank you Sincerely [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My sunroof spontaneously combusted while driving, without anything hitting the vehicle or any pre-existing damage. The glass shattered everywhere while going down the highway.

My vehicle just dies and leaves me stranded after turning off the car and leaving it overnight. This has happened many times, and I worry everytime I go camping or to some remote place where I may not have cell signal to get a tow truck to jump me. If I don't carry water and food, medicine, at all times, I fear what will happen to me if I am stranded and cannot get help on time. My car is 5 years old, I am on my 3rd battery. In every case, the battery should have been very well charged because it happens after highway driving for several hours. Suburu and the dealers try to deny that anything is wrong; but one of the rescue mechanics told me that the alternator seems to overcharge. Yes , I took the vehicle in for all inspection while it was under warranty. I...

Driver experienced an unexpected uncommanded sudden acceleration upon application of the braking system in the driveway, which caused a collision with the garage/house. The safety of the driver and other were put at risk. Significant damage to the house/garage occurred. This is a first time occurrence. Owner has not yet had the opportunity to have the vehicle inspected by dealer, independent service center, manufacturer, police or insurance rep due to timing of the accident. No warning lights message were displayed. Driver slowed the vehicle in anticipation of putting the vehicle in park when uncommanded brake release occurred, vehicle accelerated and struck the house. Reason for incident is unknown. Vehicle remains parked pending further inspection.

The navigation/radio/app/rear back-up camera/control center malfunctioned Sept. 2022; replacement unit took over two months to arrive. That unit failed in March 2023. We are still (6/23) awaiting a replacement. See attachment for more detailed narrative.

This vehicle has a malfunctioning Infotainment system that causes it to continuously select menu options while driving. It is a safety issue as it is very distracting, and the entire unit is unable to be used even when parked. The Subaru dealership in Huntington Beach and Santa Ana CA informed me that it is a manufacturing issue, an I am on a waitlist for the part. It is worth flagging here because of the safety issue.

Starlink Infotainment system, moves between sound system functions on its own, like you have touched the touchscreen repeatedly. Sirius Radio will no longer stay attached to a station and play. Reset failed to correct.

The touchscreen on the Starlink head unit is delaminated and there is a “ghost touch” whenever the screen is on. You can visibly see bubbles under the screen. While I was driving my kids to daycare the other day, the navigation system activated and said that “you cannot change the volume at this time” repeatedly for no reason. It also changes driving directions mid-trip. It’s very distracting while driving and makes the car information system and radio unusable. My dealer said that this is a known problem and that they would fix it; however, the part is back for months. They said they could not turn the screen off without disabling other safety features such as the back-up camera.

The head unit touch screen is delaminating making it difficult to see the backup camera view while backing the vehicle up. The unit is also constantly switching through radio stations and makes phone calls when I have my phone hooked up to the vehicle to charge it. I cannot turn the unit off. This is vary distracting while I drive. It is unsafe to drive while while the unit in use, due to the constant radio and screen switching as well as the delaminated screen causing visibility issues while trying to use the backup camera.

The battery has drained twice in the time that I have owned this vehicle. Once I was able to recharge the battery by jumpstarting and letting it run. The second time it required a battery replacement. This was approximately 12 months after the first incident. The electrical system also has unpredictable quirks related to the window functions and lighting. I am uncertain to other resulting irregularities that may be occurring under the hood. Currently, my car is being serviced for a radiator fan and motor replacement for the cooling system. The estimate for repair is $1747 + tax. This is potentially related to the electrical quirks related to the battery irregularities.

Car jerked back and suddenly accelerated without warning as driver had foot on brake and was slowly pulling into parking spot. Car hit wall of parking garage causing front end damage. Parking collision warning did not sound at any point. Car was going 1-2 MPH and was 5 feet from end of parking spot when incident occurred. Sudden acceleration when driver has foot on brake can cause injury to driver, passengers or others in the path of the car. No hazards in parking garage were present that could have caused accident, which was witnessed by driver's work colleague. No police report filed. Incident was reported to Subaru, which ran diagnostic and could not replicate issue. No warning messages were present prior to the incident. It appears there are 2 current class action lawsuits filed against Subaru reporting similar issues with 2018 Outback. I am unsure what component failed to cause...

car battery dies if tailgate is opened for several minutes. Had to replace battery in January 2022 and still have issues with the battery.

Gas Gauge is not working correctly. This problem was supposedly fixed in a previous recall.

The Brake, ABS, and traction control (VDC) lights all came on a couple of weeks ago. I brought the vehicle into the Subaru dealership and they diagnosed a failed Vehicle Dynamics Control board as the problem. I've requested to receive the old VDC board. That there were brake issues was clearly indicated by the dash lights, so my safety risk was low. There seemed to be no impact to regular brake function and because we weren't driving on any ice/snow/rain slick roads I didn't encounter any issues with not having VDC working. Problem was confirmed by dealer and a replacement board is being requested. They're charging me for it since I'm outside the terrible 36,000 mile warranty that's become standard in our anti-consumer country. The replacement board will only carry a 12 month/12K mile warranty because, again, our federal government is worthless at protecting consumers.

Windshield chipped with small pebble on highway. Chip was approximately the size of a penny.

Driving on residential road, heard a spontaneous pop and did not know what it was. By the end of the drive there was an approximately 2 foot long crack in the center of the windshield behind the rear view mirror. Crack started from top edge of the windshield, nothing had hit it, and proceeded to spread quickly. Due to the crack, the eyesight technology in the car stopped working. This has been settled with the 2015-2016 models that the windshield's were faulty, yet there is nothing for any further models despite the same issues continuing. Absolutely nothing that would have chipped or hurt the windshield prior to the pop and crack occurring had happened.

Gas gauge appears to be out of calibration. Not giving good / accurate readings. It's "50-50".

I was backing out of my driveway very slowly as usual. I checked the road both ways several times. A US mail truck evidently traveling at a high rate of speed came up behind me while I was looking in the opposite direction. The automatic braking did not kick in, the warning system didn't work. After the accident the green, yellow, red lines on the camera and the warning beeping stuff-all were not working for several weeks. All of the sudden, they started working. HISTORY-4 days after purchasing the vehicle we have had lane departure, driver assist problems. The passenger window does what it wants. The electric controls for the heat/ac go blank, or can't change settings. There seems to be a huge electrical issue. Every time we've taken the car in for service, the dealership just insults me that I can't drive and they can't find any problems. They...

The batteries cannot seem to hold a charge. We have called AAA several times, but the recharging doesn't last, and they say this is a problem with the Outback. In addition, the Subaru dealer has replaced the battery twice. It just failed again. This most recent battery fail stranded my 70 year old husband in another city. I have contacted the dealer again asking for service. There is no warning whatsoever that the battery has drained. This is not a safe situation. The date below is the most recent incident of a drained battery.

My windshield was cracked unreasonably with minor contact through routine snow removal with a snow brush. With routine wiping of the snow off of my windshield, the snow brush made minor contact with the windshield, and the bottom of the windshield cracked. The resulting crack is approximately 2-3 feet long at the bottom of the windshield. The crack partially impedes vision and may impair the functioning of the Eyesight safety system in the car. After online research, it appears that this is a problem present in the windshields of most Subaru 2017-2020 models. The contact was very minor as would be expected in any daily snow removal, and if this level of contact causes this level of damage to these windshields, that could cause many safety and visibility issues if a stray pebble were to strike the windshield of a moving vehicle.

WHILE BEGINNING A LEFT TURN WITH ARROW, THE MOTOR DIED AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART WITHOUT SUCSESS. I THEN PLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK IN THE DRIVING LANE WITH MOVING TRAFFIC, ATTEMPTED TO RESTART,THIS ATTEMPT WAS SUCESSFULL.IPROCEEDED HOME WITHOUT FURTHER TROUBLE. THE NEXT DAY I LOOKED ON LINE AND READ OF THE FUEL PUMP ISSUE. THE SYMPTOMS SEEMED THE SAME AS I HAD EXPERIENCED. I THEN INQUIRED AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND GAVE THEM MY VIN # AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL.PLEASE HELP

When I was idling in park, the car spontaneously accelerated at full throttle. Another incident occurred while braking the car started accelerating at full throttle, even though I was sitting still at a drive through. - it would not stop without turning off the ignition.

Cracked windshield for no reason. Saw a current lawsuit that I wanted to add to my claim. Crack is at the bottom of the windshield