2020 Subaru Outback

ON APPROX. 8/22/20 I RECEIVED AN EMAIL OR TEXT FROM SUBARU OR STARLINK, I DON'T REMEMBER, ABOUT A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I TRIED TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE BUT THE PROCESS WOULDN'T COMPLETE FOR SOME REASON. WITHIN A FEW HOURS I RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL SAYING TO DISREGARD THE PREVIOUS ONE AND THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE UPDATE. THE ISSUE LEFT ME WITHOUT ANY DISPLAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE RADIO REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY.

I WENT OUT THIS MORNING 12/26/2020 AND THE CAR WON'T START AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS PROBLEM ON 12/22/20 WHICH I HAVE REPORTED. I MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED AND LOCKED SECURELY AND ALL LIGHTS WERE OFF. PRIOR TO THE 12/22/20 INCIDENT, I HAD 2 PREVIOUS INCIDENTS SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR. ONE PREVIOUS INCIDENT INVOLVED A BATTERY DRAIN (I DO NOT REMEMBER THE DATE) BECAUSE THE CABIN LIGHT WAS LEFT ON OVERNIGHT. THE BATTERY DRAINAGE PREVENTION FUNCTION SHOULD HAVE KEPT THAT FROM HAPPENING BUT DID NOT. ALSO, ON APPROX. 9/1/20, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM SUBARU ABOUT A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I TRIED TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE BUT THE PROCESS WOULDN'T COMPLETE FOR SOME REASON. WITHIN A FEW HOURS I RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL SAYING TO DISREGARD THE PREVIOUS ONE AND THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE UPDATE. THE ISSUE LEFT ME WITHOUT ANY DISPLAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE RADIO REPLACED.

ON TUESDAY 12/22/20 AT APPROX 3 PM I GOT IN MY CAR TO RUN AN ERRAND AND IT WOULDN'T START. I HAD MOVED IT THE EVENING BEFORE FROM THE STREET TO THE DRIVEWAY. I DID NOT OPEN ANYTHING BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND LOCKED IT WHEN I EXITED THE VEHICLE. I HAD NOT USED THE LIFT GATE IN THE LAST FEW DAYS AND ALL DOORS WERE CLOSED. I HAD NOT TURNED ON ANY INTERIOR LIGHT EITHER OR HEADLIGHTS. I HAD IT JUMPED THE NEXT MORNING AND IT STARTED.

ON THE 21ST OF DECEMBER THE BATTERY IN MY OUTBACK WENT DEAD. I TOOK IT INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY RECHARGED THE BATTERY. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR TWO DAYS LATER, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON THE 29TH OF DECEMBER. BOTH TIMES, THE CAR WAS STARTED 10-12 HOURS BEFORE.

THE BATTERY STARTED FAILING AFTER LESS THAN 8000 MILES ON THE CAR THAT IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD. IT LEFT US STRANDED MULTIPLE TIMES AND JUMP START WAS REQUIRED. ONCE UPON JUMP STARTING THE CAR THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. MULTIPLE TIMES THE AIRBAG FAILURE INDICATOR STAYED ON FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. INITIALLY IT WAS NOT CLEAR TO ME WHAT IS GOING ON AS THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT HAYWIRE AND THE CAR WAS PRODUCING A CLATTERING NOISE INSTEAD OF THE USUAL STARTING NOISE. EVENTUALLY I TESTED THE BATTERY AND IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT IT FAILED. THERE ARE MANY SUCH REPORTS ON THE INTERNET AND ALSO CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST SUBARU DUE TO THEIR FAILURE TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING DESIGN FLAWS OF THE CAR. I HOPE THAT THE NHTSA WILL FORCE SUBARU TO PROPERLY ANALYZE THE PROBLEM, COME UP WITH A PROPER FIX AND ISSUE A RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH OBVIOUS SAFETY ASPECTS.

ON OCTOBER 11, 2020 THE CAR BATTERY DIED. I GOT A JUMP FROM SUBARU SERVICE ON 10/12/20 AND BROUGHT IT TO SUBARU STAMFORD FOR SERVICE. THE TAILGATE OPEN/CLOSE SWITCH WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION AND MAY HAVE CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DRAIN. THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. ON 12/6/20 THE CAR BATTERY DIED AGAIN. I GOT A JUMP FROM SUBARU SERVICE AND THEN DROVE THE CAR FOR 20 MINUTES. ONE HOUR LATER THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. ON 12/7/20 I JUMPED THE BATTERY AND TOOK IT TO SUBARU STAMFORD FOR SERVICE. THE MECHANIC CHECKED ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND FOUND NO ISSUES. I ASKED TO HAVE THE BATTERY REPLACED WHICH WAS DONE. NOTE THAT THESE TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE I LIVED AT 171 COURTLAND AVE, STAMFORD, CT. I AM MOVING PERMANENTLY TO LONGMONT COLORADO ON 12/13/20.

WHEN ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN IT ON, THE CAR WOULD NOT START (NOVEMBER 20, 2020) THE CAR REQUIRED A JUMP TO GET THE ENGINE TO START. TOOK IT INTO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHO TESTED THE BATTERY AND SAID THE BATTERY WAS FINE & THEY CHARGED THE BATTERY BACK UP. (NOVEMBER 24, 2020). THE FOLLOWING MORNING (NOVEMBER 25, 2020) THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN AND HAD TO JUMP THE CAR. OVER THE FOLLOWING 36 HOURS ANYTIME I DROVE SOMEWHERE, TURNED IT OFF, IT REQUIRED A JUMP TO START IT AGAIN. TODAY (NOVEMBER 28, 2020) WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN FOR ANALYSIS. THEY JUST PUT ANOTHER OEM BATTERY BACK IN THE CAR AND SAID THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT THE ISSUE IS.

I PICKED UP MY CAR , DRIVE IT HOME (227 MILES) ON 11/24/2020. THE NEXT MORNING THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE HATCHBACK. WE CHARGED THE BATTERY, SHOWED FULLY CHARGED BUT WOULD NOT START. JUMP STARTED IT, DROVE IT 10 MILES ( ON OK FROM SUBARU SALESMAN) THE ENTIRE TIME IT SHOWED ENGINE LIGHT ON AND EMERGENCY BRAKE ON ( THE BRAKE HAS BEEN RELEASED) AND THE SAFETY OPTIONS WERE DISABLED. THIS MORNING THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. SO FAR, THE INLY RESPONSE FROM THE SALESMAN AND SERVICE DEPT IS THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE. I WAS PROMISED THEY WOULD RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND CALL US, SO FAR HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM.