2020 SUBARU OUTBACK Electrical System Problems

Twice I The car is approaching one year old, and twice in the last 2 months the car would not start when I got in the car after it had been sitting in my garage for a number of days. I did not leave the light on or the door open. I had to call Subaru Roadside Assistance to jump start the car because the battery had died. There were no warning signs that the battery had drained. I am a 70 year old woman and it is extremely dangerous for me to be out somewhere, particularly at night, waiting for someone to arrive to give me a jump start. The dealer says the battery is O.K. after getting an appointment with them and having driven it for awhile, but obviously the battery is being drained when it is not driven for awhile.

This is a new car and recently seemed to be having some mid software issues. However, when I went to start it this morning, it is completely dead with no battery power. It has been driven less than 12k miles and should not encounter this issues. I am aware there is a class action lawsuit related to faulty electrical systems in a range of years of this Subaru and I want to note this issue

Issue started at 8,000 miles. Dealership blames my driving habits (about 15 miles a day for the most part, with more on the weekends) and states there are no issues with the battery. Walmart. Autozone, etc. tests indicate faulty battery. I've been stranded countelss times until I purchased a portable starter. Before a software update that allowed me to disable the auto start/off function, I got stranded a few times in the middle of the road, having to get out in moving traffic to jump the car.

The battery on my outback keeps draining. I’ve had the car for about 2 years and we are on out third battery.

Shortly after purchasing the car in 2019 the battery died and the car was unable to be jumpstarted. It was towed to the dealership and the battery was replaced. It happened again in 2021 and the battery was replaced again. Then, when driving the car in October 2021 the car completely died at a stop light and was unable to turn on, turn on hazard lights or even put in park for 5 minutes, where it then started again. The car is very dangerous.

About 10 months ago, right after purchasing the vehicle, after only 12hrs of using it, the battery went completely dead and I had to call Road Side assistance and I was late for work. I thought it was just a glitch. Two months ago the same thing happened, missing another time at work. Last week after being away for month for work, upon return, the battery was yet dead again. We jumped started it and let it charge completely. Two days later, my wife was stranded in the middle of the night because the battery was dead again.

I purchased the car new in the fall of 2020. In May, the vehicle did not start and the battery had to be jumped in order to get it running. I purchased a portable battery charger to keep in the car so that I would not be stranded again. Over the summer there were numerous times where the car would not start and I had to jump it………I became an expert. Recently, it got to the point where I was jump starting it on a daily basis! The Subaru dealership in a Norwalk, CT. replaced the battery under warranty last week. The car has about 5k miles on it. It is my understanding that multiple Subaru Outback owners have had similar battery issues that have required early replacement. Thank you!

Lane Departure feature malfunction at higher speeds: will reactivate a few seconds after physically deactivating the control; spontaneously activates and inactivates or activates on one side only - pulls aggressively to one side or the other, even though vehicle is centered in highway. Will not stay inactivated but fluctuates on/off. It is dangerous and causes fatigue in wrestling with the steering.

BATTERY WAS COMPLETED DEAD AFTER SITTING FOR 2 WEEKS IN MY GARAGE. THE SUBARU 24 HOUR ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE CAME AND JUMPED THE CAR, AND TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT FOR 15 MINUTES. ONCE I TURNED OFF THE CAR, DID MY ERRANDS, AND RETURNED, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY DEALERSHIP AND SUBARU REPLACED THE ENTIRE BATTERY. THIS CAR IS ONLY 15 MONTHS OLD WITH 3200 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD THAT I WASN'T "DRIVING IT ENOUGH" -- BUT WITH THE PANDEMIC, WHERE WOULD I BE DRIVING? SHOULD A CAR THAT IS SO NEW EXPERIENCE THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS ALREADY?

VIN [XXX] there is a problem with the electrical system. The auto will not keep the battery charged sufficiently to start the car reliably. The battery has enough power to illuminate the control panel of the vehicle, but it will not start the engine. Overnight, he battery drains to a point that it will not turn the engine over. The dealer had the car for about five hours to diagnose the cause of the discharge. They found no trouble with the electrical system and said the battery and alternator functioned normally. The dealer found no adverse electrical leaks causing the battery to discharge overnight. The dealer suggested that we weren't driving the vehicle enough. They sold and installed a trickle charge device to alleviate the problem. The trickle charger has not helped. Safety concerns: we have to jump start the car EVERY day. We have to remember to disable the...

The battery has drained 6 times: there are no lights on or doors open, etc. I have been stranded, alone. The car has under 8000 miles. It doesn't matter what distance I drive. The first time was the day after a 200 mike trip, daytime. Next morning, dead battery. Other times, it was a trip to the store, 15 Mike's, when I came out after an hour, battery was dead. There is no pattern, I cannot rely on this car.

Auto is mainly garaged since purchase 1-1/2 years ago. Battery went totally dead and car became inoperable in 2020 after non-use for approx. 4 weeks, requiring lengthy re-charge. Subaru checkup showed no malfunction, according to company. This month (Aug, 2021) battery again went totally dead, this time after non-use for approx. just 2-3 weeks, again requiring lengthy re-charge. This renders auto unusable for any form of travel when car must sit unused, perhaps in a garage or parking area, without possibility to periodically run car to maintain battery charge.

The Outback had a complete loss of power, cause still not identified. In the process of attempting to get to my portable power unit I discovered a significant safety concern that could result in the death of any rear seat passengers.If there is no electrical power there is NO MEANS OF UNLOCKING THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS. The mechanical door handles do NOT work. I checked the child safety locks and they were not engaged. In the event of an accident/ front end collision that damaged the battery the occupants of the rear seats are trapped. If they needed to vacate the car for any reason they could not. Parents can not get to their children. Please investigate and make Subaru modify the back doos so the mechanical handle will operate when there is nor electrical power.

The car only has 7500 miles on it, the battery has gone dead 3x, with the third time not possible to jump start. I had to have it towed to Subaru dealer, they replaced battery with another Subaru battery. From what I have read this one will likely go dead also.there has to be a better solution.

I bought my Subaru Outback in July 2020, it’s barely one year but I already had two major problems happened to the vehicle. 1. The transmission was broken, it’s confirmed by the dealership and they were able to replace the whole transmission system for me. But this concerns me a lot, from safety perspective, if I wasn’t able to identify the issue in early stage it could cause malfunction while I’m driving and I always have my daughters in my car. 2. It’s a barely one year car but my battery drained twice. I have to call road side assistant to jump start. I always make sure to shut all my lights and I don’t understand why this keep happening. There was one night I have to drive to the grocery store and my battery died within that 20 minutes while I’m in the store. I was waiting for road...

My 2020 Subaru Outback has had to be towed to service a battery that failed to start the car even after is was jumped by AAA and driven for 20 miles. Subaru assured me that the battery was simply not properly charged and the car was returned. Then a couple of months later I left my car unproven in my driveway while I was out of town for 2 weeks and my car would not start. I again had it towed to my Subaru dealership where Subaru ran the same test and told me that they replaced a bad battery. They also told me that when they jump started the car in their shop they discovered that the interior dome light had been left on while I was out of town. The later is inconsistent with my experience as I loaded my Subaru Forester sitting right beside my Outback in...

With in the first few months of ownership it would not start. I used roadside assistance to get a jump. A couple of moths later same thing. Same driver from road side assistance jump started me and stated, " all I have been doing lately is jumping Subarus". It soon died again, the dealership tested battery and found it defective and had to wait for a new "stronger" battery. 4 days later I get it back. It was still under warranty.

2020 & 2021 model Subaru Outbacks, as well as Accents come with a battery that apparently are unable to power the vast electrical components contained within the car made by Subaru. Subaru service states the auto has to be continually driven, not just running, for the battery to recharge. They do not give a straight answer and place the issue on the vehicle owner usage habits.

My battery has died multiple times this summer, most often when the rear liftgate is open. I have 17,000 miles on this car and would expect the battery to last longer.

Four times in the last 3 months, the car has failed to start and required a jump. I now feel like I can't drive the car alone or to remote places, and I fear degrading the electrical system over time through constant jumping. The dealer has inspected the battery and done a full diagnostic and reports no issues. Their advice is that we're not driving the car often enough to charge the battery. But the last instances have been with a trickle charger, and with long drives on the highway. It seems clear that either the electrical system is draining the battery while the car is off or that the battery isn't charging efficiently while driving. We've checked all the internal lights and other devices that might be draining the battery. We haven't yet done a third party inspection but will do that shortly.

The vehicle was purchased new in September 2020. It is now 10 months old. I drove the car twice yesterday. Today I went out to the vehicle and the battery/electrical system was completely dead. No interior lights, no response to the fob. Other than the two drives, I programmed the PIN entry system, last night. The vehicle has been garaged since new and was in the garage since driven yesterday.

Battery died at only 10months old. Left stranded for over 4 hours in remote area since we were camping when it happened. Nothing had been left on in the vehicle. Was able to eventually get a jump start and get vehicle to dealer for check. They found battery deeply discharged and recharged but battery died again 2 weeks later. Battery replaced that time. Fear this could happen while driving if i forget to turn off the auto stop/start system or even cause the car to stall while driving and result in loss of braking or control.

The main control module goes completely blank while driving, eventually rebooting itself. Just recently I have documented blanking on April 9th, May 1, May 9, May 30, and June 13. One instance of the voice for navigation going silent on May 14 also occurred. The module was replaced today and on the way home from the dealership, it went blank again.

After leaving this car in an airport parking lot for 4 weeks, it would not start. I also noticed that all of the doors except the hatchback were unlocked. I coincidentally had a jumper battery unit in the car and was able to start it with the external battery jumper. When I drove the car the 30 minutes to my home, I found that the battery had not charged at all. This meant that until Subaru fixed this on warranty, I could drive the car but would have to raise the hood, hook up the external jumper unit, start the car, disconnect the jumpers, close the hood and finally drive where I was going. This procedure grows old after doing it repeatedly to shop for supplies after being away for 4 weeks. The Subaru dealer fit me in the following day and confirmed the battery had been destroyed by the...

Purchased the car Friday 06/18/2021, Battery was dead two days later on 06/18/2021, Flemington subaru replaced the battery on 06/19/2021.

I have had to call Subaru Roadside Assistance at least five occasions. Randomly on occasion, when I go out to use my Car, I find my vehicle locked with the battery drained. Everytime it happens the dealer gives me a loaner vehicle while they try to troubleshoot the problem. Every time they say they cannot not find a power drain. The service department then said that I must have bumped the rear dome light and that drained the battery. I am pretty sure I did not bump the light so this last time I taped that dome switch with clear tape so that could not move. This morning 12/15/21 my started fine. I drove more than 50 miles to the VA Hospital in Tampa. I stopped my car a line for a pre-op COVID check. I turned the car off 5-10 minutes and when the line of cars moved again...

In the last month, twice within 30 seconds of starting the car, the head unit has done a complete reboot, which meant that I had no rear-view camera as I was backing out of a parking space. Since the car was already in motion, it was very distracting as it took about a minute for the unit to reboot. This seems to indicate that there is an electrical problem with the car as many others have noted. Many of the car's controls (such as climate control) are soft buttons displayed on the head unit and cannot be adjusted otherwise. Therefore, it is essential that this unit operate properly and dependably.

Battery failed. 12 months, 5000 miles Battery Information: 620 AMPS LN2 20HR 62 AH 82110AN00A

Our 2020 Subaru Outback has less than 14,000 miles. In the last month the battery has failed 4 times. The last time we had Subaru tow come out and give it a charge. It seemed to work but when we took it out upon returning it failed again. We again had Subaru come out and charge it and we drove it to the dealer. The dealer had it Wednesday afternoon through Friday. (6/9/21 - 6/11/21). The notes from the dealer said, "upon inspection of the vehicle technician did not require a jump start to turn vehicle engine on. Tech performed a battery diagnostic test using the Subaru GR8 battery machine. Diagnostic battery results came back as a good battery.Vehicle battery was deeply discharged and required re-charging. Vehicle battery is operating as designed after performing service. No repairs or additional services required." Today, Sunday, won't start again. Yes, it is available...

On May 27, 2021, my 2020 Outback would not start after driving approx. 20-25 min. and being shut off approx. 15-20 min. I called my dealer, they sent technician & loaner car. He was able to start the car with a battery booster after trying several other things. My husband & I drove directly to the dealer, approx. 30 min., to have battery checked out. They did a Battery and Electrical System Analysis which came back with a "Good Battery". The next 2 days, no problems. On May 30, 2021, the car would not start 2 different times at our home. My husband used the battery booster both times to start. On June 1, 2021 I sched. an appt. for 6/2 with dealer to find problem. I checked in at 12:53, out at 4:15. It took 3 hrs. 22 min. to decide that the battery had failed and replaced.

Car driven regularly 6 days a week. Battery completely drained overnight and needed replacement.

Electrical issues started August 15, 2020 when car would not start. Requested jump without positive results and after sitting for 3 hours in a parking lot, it started. Took to dealership and they found nothing wrong. Fast forward to 2021, driving on Interstate at 65mph and again at 70mph when radio turns off by itself, then front driver monitoring system light comes on, the side collision prevention light comes on, the RAB light comes on and another warning light that I was unable to catch. Lasts a few seconds then goes off. The next morning after the car sat for approximately 16 hours, it would not start. Dealership stated it was the battery and replaced battery on May 6, 2021. It sat at dealership 2 days and would not start when went to pick it up. They stated dome light left on, charged battery and gave it back to me....

Our car would not start. Lots of clicking and lights on the dash. It was parked in the garage and was driven the day before. Car has around 900 miles on it. I ordered a 1.5 amp charger/maintainer online. AAA came the following day, diagnosed it as a low charge on the battery and jump started it. I let it sit for 1 hour. Battery charger/maintainer arrived and it has been charging all night and all this morning. I researched online and found out this battery has been an issue with Subaru since 2017 and a service bulletin was put out. See link: https://www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-hit-new-lawsuit-over-outback-wagon-dead-battery-issue?page=2 We researched more on the internet and now need to make sure we take extra precautions as to how far we drive, where we drive to etc.

Battery dead when parked in garage at home. No lights or other systems were left on. Had to jump start, drove several miles to recharge. Next time tried to start, battery was dead again. This happened 3 or 4 times (eg: 3 or 4 different days), before finally brought to dealership to have battery replaced under warranty. It is at the shop now, so I have no documentation as of yet. Moderate weather in the 50s-80s outside, so weather not a factor. Car has about 8500 miles on it. I hear this is known problem with Subaru outbacks. Glad battery was dead in garage. at home, and I was not stranded somewhere remote, unsafe or in bad weather

Battery problem. There was no risk at this point but having these kinds of battery problems could result in not being able to start your car in unsafe conditions, cold weather, etc. After sitting and listening to SiriusXM Radio and charging my iphone with the engine off for approximately 10 minutes my car would not start. It cranked a bit and then the display lights all started flashing. Other attempts to start resulted in just the lights flickering. I called the service center and was told that leaving the accessories on for more than 5-10 minutes could result in a dead battery. There was no indication of the problem until this happened for the first time. I have a neighbor with an older Forester who also has problems with battery draining even while the car is off.

THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED ON OUR NEW OUTBACK 2020 AFTER ONLY 10,000 MILES. HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED ALREADY. I READ TODAY THAT THERE IS A LAWSUIT AGAINST SUBARU IN NEW JERSEY WHERE I BOUGHT MY VEHICLEAND ITS ON MY MODEL AND YEAR FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY GETTING DRAINED. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. WHEN I RETURNED, IT WOULD NOT TURN ON. HAD TO GIVE IT A JUMP AND WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN I CALLED MY NEAREST SUBARU DEALER AND TOOK IT IN, AND HAD IT REPLACED.

PROBLEM WITH A DEAD BATTERY ON A CAR LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD

IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP OF MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK, I HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY GLITCHES IN THE OPERATION OF THE ELECTRONICA SAFETY DEVICES. THE LATEST HAS BEEN RETURNING TO THE CAR AND FINDING THE BATTERY FULLY DISCHARGED DESPITE NOTHING BEING LEFT IN THE “ON POSITION“. YESTERDAY, AFTER FULLY CHARGING THE BATTERY, FOUR HOURS LATER THE BATTERY WAS FOUND TO BE FULLY DRAINED. I BOOSTED THE CAR AND BEGAN TO DRIVE IT WHEN AT THE FIRST TRAFFIC LIGHT THE AUTO-START-STOP FEATURE SHUT THE CAR OFF AND I COULD NOT RE-START IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION.

MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK IS EQUIPPED WITH THE “AUTO-START-STOP “FEATURE. FROM THE BEGINNING THIS FEATURE WOULD ROUTINELY NOT FUNCTION, DISPLAYING THE ICON INDICATING AUTO START STOP WAS DISENGAGED. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO UTILIZE THIS FEATURE I LEARN TWO MORE DELIBERATELY HOLD DOWN FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND I COULD ENGAGE THIS FEATURE AT TIMES. NINE TIMES OUT OF 10 THE AUTO START STOP FEATURE DOES NOT ENGAGE WHEN I STOP IN DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BREAK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR AT A STOP SIGN. VERY OFTEN, THE FEATURE TURNS OFF MY ENGINE AND IMMEDIATELY RESTARTS WITH A RUMBLING OF THE ENGINE AND AN ABRUPT “KICK“ TO THE STEERING WHEEL. EVEN WHEN THE FEATURE ENGAGES AND SHUTS OFF THE ENGINE AS EXPECTED, THE DURATION OF STOP MODE IS A LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN 20 SECONDS WHICH DEFEATS THE ORIGINAL INTENDED PURPOSE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION....

CAR WOULDN'T START, DEAD BATTERY REQUIRING 4 JUMPS BY 9-10 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING NEW. RESULTED IN MULTIPLE STRANDINGS. NO KNOWN REASON FOR RECURRENT DEAD BATTERY.

CONTINUAL BATTERY PROBLEMS. HAD TO JUMP AT LEAST 4 TIMES IN LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER BUYING THE CAR NEW. FINALLY WOULDN'T TAKE A JUMP AND DROPPED OFF THE CAR AT THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE 2020 SUBARU. THEY SAID THERE WERE KNOWN BATTERY PROBLEMS BUT I NEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR AT LEAST EVERY 2 DAYS TO KEEP THE BATTERY OPERATIONAL. THE SOLUTION WAS A NEW BATTERY AND AN ECM UPDATE.

THE 2020 OUTBACK HAS DIED 3 TIMES IN LESS THAN 5 WEEKS (ONCE AT THE DEALERSHIP). AFTER THE SECOND TIME (AT THE DEALERSHIP) THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THREE DAYS LATER THE NEW BATTERY IS DEAD.

PARKED THE CAR AT LAKESIDE PARK AND WENT FOR A HIKE. RETURNED 2 HOURS LATER AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. NO LIGHTS OR DOORS WERE LEFT OPEN. FINALLY CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO JUMP START THE CAR. THERE WAS NO REASON THE BATTERY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD

HAD THE CAR 18 MONTHS BATTERY WENT DEAD; UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS SOME KIND OF NATIONAL ISSUE WITH SUBARU BATTERIES DRAINING PREMATURELY

TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP 4/21/21, THEY REMOVED BATTERY CHARGED IT AND TESTED IT, STATED BATTERY WAS GOOD. TODAY, 4/27/21, TRIED TO TAKE CAR OUT AND IT WON'T START.

MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK IS LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN DEAD TWO TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. BOTH TIMES THE CAR WAS GARAGED AND NOTHING WAS LEFT ON TO DRAIN THE BATTERY

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...

THE BATTERY KEEPS DYING. SUBARU TESTED THE BATTERY IT'S FINE. TOLD ME TO GET A BATTERY TENDER OR TO DRIVE FOR AN HOUR OR SO EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS FOR THE ALTERNATOR TO CHARGE UP. IN LESS THAN A WEEK THE CAR BATTERY HAD TO BE JUMPED 5 TIMES. STARTED 4/15/2021 THRU TODAY 4/21/2021.

BATTERY DIED AFTER LEAVING UNUSED FOR JUST 9 DAYS. OCCASIONALLY STARTER BUTTON DOES NOT WORK, RETRY AND IT STARTS.

THE BATTERY SUDDENLY DRAINED. THIS HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AFTER I HAD A TRIP OF OVER 750 MILES. I DID A JUMP START AND THEN DROVE THE CAR FOR OVER 20 MINUTES. THE NEXT DAY THE SAME THING. TOOK IT TO SUBARU SERVICE, THEY CHECKED THE CAR AND COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM JUST CHARGED IT. THE NEXT TIME AGAIN THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS TIME SUBARU SERVICE KEPT THE CAR OVERNIGHT AND THEN CHANGED THE BATTERY. ITS A FEW MONTHS NOW BUT I ALWAYS HAVE THIS LINGERING FEELING THAT IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN, SPECIALLY READING THE NEWS REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING AFTER SOME TIME.