Subaru Outback electrical problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ALSO BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED HOWEVER, ONLY RUNNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED A SECOND TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HIGH-BEAM AND REAR TAILLIGHTS ILLUMINATED HOWEVER, THE LOW-BEAMS FAILED TO OPERATE AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE WITH THE HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHT ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ARRIVING TO HER RESIDENCE, THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED AND ALL THE LIGHTS STARTED WORKING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,275.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE BATTERY DRAINED, CAUSING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED EIGHT TIMES. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED OUT TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE EACH TIME. GRAND JUNCTION SUBARU (651 MARKET ST, GRAND JUNCTION, CO 81505, 970-208-0110) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,013.

2016 SUBARU OUTBACK - THIS STARTED BACK IN MARCH 2020 WHEN WE REDUCED TRAVEL DUE TO COVID-19. IF THE CAR IS STATIONARY/PARKED AND NOT DRIVEN OR STARTED THE BATTERY WILL GO DOWN WITHIN 7 TO 10 DAYS. AT THAT TIME THE CAR REMOTE WILL NOT OPEN ANY DOOR OR TAILGATE BUT THE SECURITY DASH LIGHT WILL STILL BE BLINKING. THE CAR WAS PARKED WITH THE BUILT IN SUBARU ALARM SET. THE CAR CAN BE OPENED WITH THE KEY BUT THE ALARM IS NOT TRIGGERED AS NORMALLY WOULD HAPPEN. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED. THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF ON THE COLUMN CONTROL. NO LIGHTS ARE REMAINING ON EXTERNALLY OR INTERNALLY WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY/PARKED. THE CAR MUST BE CHARGED OR BATTERY REPLACED (ALREADY REPLACED THE BATTERY ONCE) BEFORE IT CAN BE STARTED. AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN CHARGED AND THE DOOR IS OPENED THE BUILT IN SUBARU ALARM SYSTEM IS TRIGGERED - THE REMOTE WILL NOW WORK AND SHUTS THE ALARM OFF.

WHILE INTERACTING WITH THE REAR OF THE CAR WHILE IT WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF, I HAD ACCIDENTLY TRIGGERED THE "HANDS-FREE POWER REAR GATE" FEATURE AND THE GATE BEGAN TO OPEN. RATHER THAN WAIT FOR THE TAIL GATE TO FULLY OPEN, I GENTLY PUSHED THE REAR TAIL GATE AGAINST THE AUTOMATIC OPENING BACK INTO THE CLOSED POSITION. AT THIS POINT, THE CAR BEEPED AT ME THREE TIMES AND THE REAR TAIL GATE WOULD NO LONGER LATCH ITSELF CLOSED, EVEN WHEN CLOSED MANUALLY. I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE TAIL GATE UNSECURED, IT WOULD OPEN ITSELF WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE THE LATCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND HOLD IT CLOSED.

PHANTOM LIFTGATE OPENING. THE LIFTGATE OPENS BY ITSELF WITH THE VEHICLE LOCKED, DRAINING THE BATTERY, AND DOES NOT SOUND AN ALARM. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, AT RANDOM TIMES OF THE DAY, WITH THE VEHICLE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. SUBARU HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT IT HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. SO FAR, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OPPORTUNISTIC THEFTS FROM BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT SINCE LOCKING THE VEHICLE SEEMS UNRELIABLE.

OUR 2017 OUTBACK HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY DISCHARGING. THE CAR WOULDN'T START IN FEBRUARY 2020. SINCE WE HAD A LONG TRIP PLANNED, WE REPLACED THE BATTERY. THAT SEEMED TO WORK FOR A WHILE, BUT THE CAR SEEMED TO STRUGGLE WITH STARTING SOME MORNINGS. I NOTED THAT THE BATTERY WAS ONLY AT 11.5 VOLTS AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED $130 "PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN TEST", BUT IT DIDN'T SHOW ANY PROBLEMS. I INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A RECALL TO REPROGRAM THE CAR TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WASN'T AWARE OF IT AND THANKED US FOR BRINGING IT TO HIS ATTENTION (AND TO BE "GENEROUS" HE WASN'T GOING TO CHARGE US FOR THE RECALL!). WE THOUGHT THAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE SOLVED. IF WE DON'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS, THE BATTERY IS DEAD, UNDER 11 VOLTS. SO, IT IS A RITUAL FOR US TO HAVE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY IF IT HASN'T BEEN DRIVEN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. WE ALSO CARRY A SPARE 12V BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE ALONG WITH JUMPER CABLES. EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS, THERE IS RANDOMLY A "FAN NOISE" NEAR THE REAR AXLE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE "PARASITIC DRAIN" IN ACTION. THERE ARE LAWSUITS FILED OVER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I DO HAVE A CELL PHONE VIDEO THAT HAS THE SOUND DOCUMENTED, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE I CAN'T UPLOAD IT. IT CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.

THE BATTERY HAS DIED RANDOMLY OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS. WE FINALLY REPLACED IT AFTER BEING FED UP WITH BEING STRANDED IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. MOST RECENTLY, IT DIED TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. BOTH TIMES I DROVE TO WORK, PARKED AND 2 HOURS LATER, THE CAR HAD TO BE JUMPED TO START. I TOOK THE CAR TO SUBARU AND THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME $250 TO INSERT THE SAME BATTERY.

I BOUGHT A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK XT IN MARCH. IT WAS THE LAST SPECIAL ORDER FROM AUTO NATION BEFORE THEY SHUT DOWN FOR COVID. I DROVE IT VERY LITTLE AS WE WERE BASICALLY HOME BOUND AND THEN FOR SHOPPING, GOLF AND MEETINGS. IT IS NOW NOVEMBER AND I HAVE UNDER TWO THOUSAND MILES DRIVEN. THE CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD ON SEPTEMBER 17TH AND NOW AGAIN ON NOVEMBER 10TH. IT DIED BOTH TIMES INSIDE MY GARAGE AND THE FRONT DRIVERS DOOR WAS THE ONLY THING TO OPEN. IT DID JUMP AND WORK IN BETWEEN THOSE DATES. I AM NOW READING ABOUT ALL THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS AND BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE OUTBACK. SUBARU SUGGESTED THAT I NEEDED TO DRIVE MY CAR EVERY DAY TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING. THAT IS A LUDICROUS IDEA AND SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER HAD TO DO WITH ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE OWNED. I HAVE A CVT 2.4 ENGINE WITH A TURBO. EVERY TIME THE BATTERY DIES ALL THE LOADED INFORMATION LIKE BLUETOOTH, ETC. IS ALSO GONE.