2019 Subaru Outback

PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN. I JUST BOUGHT THIS USED SUBARU OUTBACK IN JULY 2024. SINCE THEN, (WITHIN 8 MONTHS) THE CAR HAS HAD A DEAD BATTERY TWICE, IN 11/24 AND 2/25. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR JUMPED STARTED BY AAA SERVICES. THIS IS MORE THAN AN INCONVENIENCE NOW. IT HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF MY CAR WON'T START IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY DIAGNOSED A 6 DAY BATTERY DRAIN TIME. SEE UPLOADED INVOICE. THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT REGARDING THE DATA COMMUNICATIONS MODULE (DCM) PREVIOUS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS ONLY REIMBURSED FOR COSTS OF BATTERY REPLACEMENTS, DIAGNOSIS UP UNTIL 2023. THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED

The head unit on the vehicle has an issue where it bubbles and it’s causing the touch screen to spaz out, change sources, etc creating a terribly distracting driving experience and you are unable to turn it of. The screen flashes, the radio changes stations, it messes with the navigation rendering it useless, etc. it’s a known issue and Subaru settled a class an action lawsuit related to it for 2018 models but has not issued recalls to for any year models. They should fix the issue on all models. It has been going on for months.

I feel unsafe driving my car. My car could break down in the middle of nowhere at night, or worse. 2019 Subaru Outback **2023** October 2023 - Battery drain begins; neighbor/Darrel jump-starts repeatedly. - **First battery replacement** (Advance Auto Parts). - Driver-side window switch/trunk latch malfunctions. - Subaru of Kennesaw fails to diagnose drain; advises "electronic reset." - Trickle charger purchased as temporary fix. **2024** - **[XXX]** - **DCM replaced** at Subaru of Gwinnett (confirmed drain from DCM). - Car breaks down hours post-repair; **second battery installed**. - Case opened with Kelly of Subaru of America (no resolution). - **July 2024** - Dashcam installed (later blamed by Troncalli Subaru for drain). **2025** - **[XXX]** - Car taken to Cumming Subaru for battery drain. - **Third battery installed**; dealership blames dashcam (issue predates installation). - **[XXX]** - Denise (Customer Advocate) opens Case promises update (none received). - **[XXX]** - Barb (Executive Inquiry Specialist) promises update by Feb 21 (no follow-up). - **[XXX]** - Troncalli Subaru (Stephanie) claims car is ready but provides no diagnostic details. - No communication from Subaru executives (Thomas Doll, Jeff Walters). ————————- DCM Settlement: I believe there was class action law suit, and Subaru does not honor the extended warranty. 3+ repairs, 30+ days out of service. - **Subaru’s Negligence**: Note shifting blame and lack of follow-up. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Parasitic battery drain when vehicle is turned off. The DCM module in these vehicles will not shut off properly and continue to drain the battery. Subaru has firmware on the vehicle that will not fully charge the battery when driving to save fuel. The vehicle has had 6 or more instances over the past two weeks where the car was undriveable unless jumped from another vehicle or a boost device is used.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery was power was draining abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be jumpstarted on ten occasions and the battery was replaced. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to a parasitic draining. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

First battery --original to the car lasted about 3.5 yrs. Replacement lasted less than 2 yrs and was particularly weak in cold weather conditions. Third battery purchased in June 2024 and it was totally dead by Oct 2024 and was replaced. The Oct 2024 battery began to start slowly in Jan 2025 and today, Jan 12, 2025 failed to start. It was totally dead but was restarted with an emergency starter. I don't drive long distances often and most trips are short --3-5 miles almost every day. This seems to fit in with the electrical problems described for 2016-2020 Outbacks.

Delamination of the infotainment system. It delaminated and causes screen haunting. Which while I’m driving touches random things on the screen, which include vehicle safety settings, changing them at random. Also, it changes the radio, and disables the driver from being able to control volume which further distracts driver and puts driver at risk. A car that once had car play which allowed hands free phone calls, now puts people on hold, ends call, starts calls, and changes navigation directions, at no notice. The car was seen by the dealer, and confirmed as an issue, the dealer in turn asked for 2200 dollars to repair this problem.

Ongoing for several months. Battery will have parasitic drain that is causing me to have to jump start the car frequently. There are no warning lamps or light. I have not gone to dealer as I read on the internet it is a DCM module that costs several hundreds to fix. Apparently this is a widespread issue and this should be covered by Subaru because of defective equipment. Thank you.