Subaru Outback electrical problems

I Had to jump start battery on several occasions, leaving myself and my family stranded. I took the car to my dealer on 12/3/2018. Dealer (Glanzmann Subaru) could not identify problem, performed two software updates. I received no information or explanation of the nature of the problem. A month later the problem repeated. I took the car to dealer on 1/16/2019 (mileage 25,941).They tried to tell me that the battery was leaking, but it was not. They replaced the battery and I had to pay the cost for a new battery, $123.97. On 1/27/2021 (mileage 39,172) the new battery failed in a similar manner. The dealership insisted that there were no problems with the charging system. They replaced the battery ( no cost) and performed an ECM update. They were insistent that there were no systemic issues with the electrical system. After the fact, I discovered that this is a universal problem with a number of Subaru vehicles. During a recent visit to my Subaru dealership I inquired as to whether a solution has been determined and will my car be fixed before the new battery also fails. They were very vague and non-informing. I am hesitant to venture far from home with this vehicle since I cannot trust the car or Subaru's support. I can provide dealer service records in support of this issue.

2019 Subaru Outback. Two failed batteries in the space of one year. The first was on 2/11/21 with 21,520 miles on the car. We were on vacation in Florida and the local dealer (Bert Smith Subaru) in St. Petersburg confirmed that the battery failed and installed a new one. On 11/28/21, newer battery died. Local Dealer (Dean Team Subaru) performed a battery test, confirmed that the battery was bad and replaced it (with the same type of battery, 36000 miles). Being repeatedly stranded with a battery that is not working is a safety issue. We have a concern that there must be a larger electrical issue or that something is draining these batteries. We also have a concern that the battery is large and powerful enough for the vehicle. I have read of many Subaru Outback owners with similar issues.

In January 2020 my Outback failed to start. Battery was totally discharged and had to be jumpstarted. Took the car to dealer where technician tested battery and said it was good.I had him recharge the battery and test it again. It failed and they installed a new exact same battery under warranty. I was very pleased. However, the battery failed several more times over the year and had to be jumpstarted every time.I am returning to the service dept on 01/18/22, when I am demanding a new stronger battery or fix the parasitic draw which I discovered is causing the problem. I will return here later to inform you of outcome. Thank you for providing a place to report this.

My son was driving the car when without warning the car shut down. I had the car in previously for a check engine light problem, which they diagnosed as a bad pin retention in connector in the bulkhead wiring harness. They replaced the harness but then found that the Unit EGI Con needed to be replaced probably due to the fault in the wiring harness (there words not mine). Previously I had the blower motor replaced, but it ended up being a bad connector. I asked to see the bulk head wiring harness, but the Subaru shop said they had already thrown it away. Previously I was told that wiring harness would be sent back to Subaru. I don't know if the wiring harness jacket/cover could have perhaps been damaged when it was installed when the car was assembled? There has not been any previous collision damage to car which I could see would lead to an issue with the wiring. I tried reaching out to Subaru about this problem, but they never responded.

Underlying and undiagnosed electrical issue is placing excessive load on battery to a point where battery can't recover. Have had issues on shorter drives and long drives. We are currently on 4 battery replacements in less than 18 month period. After a quick Google search is a common issue among other Outbacknowners. Best guess is something with a faulty design on alternator and/or electrical system which pulls power accelerating battery decay. Have taken to Subaru several times and they just say it is normal. This is not normal and very dangerous. We have been stranded several times. One time after a 7 hour drive on the other side of state (vacation).

2019 Subaru Outback purchased 7/10/19 during that fall and following winter had the battery die multiple times. We keep it in a garage where it does not freeze in the winter. Had to jump it to start each time. Finally took it to the dealership 4/29/20 with 4,669 miles on it to complain to dealership. They said that there was nothing wrong with the battery. They told us that it needed to be driven every couple of days to keep the battery charged to prevent the parasitic electrical draw from draining the battery. This was during the heart of the 'Stay at home/COVID' so we did not use it everyday. It continues to have the battery drain problem. Just this weekend 1/15/22 we had to jump the battery in our driveway to leave and drove 30 minutes to the store and expected the battery to keep the charge but after leaving the store found the battery dead again. Luckily we found a nice guy who offered to give us a jump. This is a continual problem.

The battery on the vehicle began dying repeatedly. At first, the service provider said there was nothing wrong, however the vehicle died again the next day after inspection. Subaru replaced the battery after I brought it in a second time and the vehicle died again the next day. I brought it in a third time, and It turned out that there was a problem in the electrical system that was draining the battery. Subaru has since fixed the issue but I had heard that lots of other Subaru Outbacks were having the same problem so I wanted to report this.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, her vehicle would fail to start up without warning. The contact had taken her vehicle to the dealer numerous times and had several battery replacements performed; despite each replacement, the failure persisted. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.