Subaru CarPlay Issues Independent owner project · Not affiliated with Subaru

Subaru CarPlay & infotainment failures: the owner complaint record

Every complaint below was filed with NHTSA by a 2019–2023 Subaru owner. Subaru has acknowledged these failures in its own service bulletins, and owners are still reporting them.

282owner complaints 67%describe a safety impact while driving 118filed after Subaru's USB fix bulletin (Oct 2023)
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Center display repeatedly goes black and restarts while EyeSight cycles unavailable

2020 OutbackFiled Sep 20, 2026NHTSA #11765713
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
9/20/26 my 2020 Subaru Outback experienced repeated electrical failures followed by loss of power-steering assistance. The underlying failed component is unknown. The vehicle is parked and available for inspection. While driving, the vehicle intermittently lurched/jerked as the center display went completely black and restarted and EyeSight repeatedly became unavailable and returned. After stopping for fuel, I attempted to restart the vehicle. It initially started and then became completely electrically unresponsive: no response from the push-button start and no accessory power. Electrical power unexpectedly returned after I opened the driver's door, and I was able to restart the vehicle. Later, while the engine was continuously running in a parking lot, the display repeatedly blacked out and restarted while EyeSight repeatedly became unavailable and returned. When I shifted into reverse, the vehicle began jerking and power-steering assistance failed. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and jerked in my hands, preventing me from properly completing the reverse maneuver. I shut the vehicle off and restarted it, which temporarily restored steering. This unpredictable steering failure put me, my two children, and other road users at serious risk. After restarting, I had to travel 65 mph on a highway to get home. Had steering assistance failed again at highway speed, I could have lost lane control or been unable to avoid other vehicles or road users, potentially causing a serious or fatal crash. The vehicle has not yet been inspected for this incident. The repair facility has been notified and I intend to have it towed because I consider it unsafe to drive. Six weeks earlier, the facility inspected the battery, terminals and cables and marked them satisfactory. Prior warnings included EyeSight becoming unavailable, the display blacking out/restarting, and vehicle lurching. I observed no separate steering warning before steering assistance failed.

Public record. Verify by searching #11765713 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Delaminated Starlink touchscreen ghost-touches, then stops responding; backup camera display and Bluetooth hands-free affected

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 2, 2026NHTSA #11761781
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The Starlink infotainment touchscreen in my 2019 Subaru Outback Touring has progressively failed. Visible bubbles have formed under the glass, consistent with screen delamination. The screen registers phantom inputs on its own without being touched ("ghost touch"), changing settings, and interrupting functions while the vehicle is being driven. The touchscreen has now become completely unresponsive to actual touch input. Because the head unit controls and displays the backup camera, this failure interferes with the rear visibility display when reversing, creating a safety concern. The ghost inputs also present a driver distraction while the vehicle is in motion. I first documented this problem and presented the vehicle for service at a dealership in April 2025, maybe even prior, and I have dated video documentation showing the progression of the failure since then. The condition has worsened over time regardless of weather, though symptoms intensify with heat and sun exposure. The failure also disables hands-free operation, including Bluetooth phone connectivity, voice commands, and navigation control. Functions designed to be operated hands-free while driving now cannot be used at all, which encourages manual phone handling for navigation and calls - defeating the vehicle's built-in distraction-prevention systems. I am aware this failure pattern (delamination, ghost touch, and unresponsiveness in Starlink units) is widely reported by other owners of 2019–2023 Subaru vehicles. No warning preceded the failure, and the vehicle has not resolved with restarts. Current mileage approximately 134,XXX. Failure began at approximately 60,XXX miles ~ November 2024.

Public record. Verify by searching #11761781 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

CarPlay stopped connecting over USB after a battery replacement; factory reset did not help

2021 AscentFiled Aug 31, 2026NHTSA #11760953
CarPlay / Android AutoUSB dropouts
Read the owner's complaint
After my husband replaced the 12V battery in my 2021 Subaru Ascent Touring ($90,000, fully paid off), Apple CarPlay stopped connecting via USB entirely. Android Auto and Bluetooth continued working fine on the same phone, cable, and port, proving the defect was isolated to Subaru's CarPlay system, not my device. I spent significant time and money troubleshooting this myself: multiple cables (including two labeled "Apple certified"), a full infotainment factory reset, and a software update attempt, none of which fixed it. The issue only resolved after I purchased yet another cable at my own expense, with zero meaningful help from Subaru. When I filed a formal complaint, I received a response with an appointment confirmation left entirely blank (no retailer, date, or time), which I was told was "intentional" so I could fill in my own details, shifting all scheduling and diagnostic responsibility back onto me. When I requested compensation for hours spent troubleshooting a defect that was never mine to fix, I was told plainly that no compensation exists. Shortly after, my key fob began requiring near-direct contact with the door and push-start button to register, despite a confirmed correct, brand-new battery, ruling out the simplest cause. This is a second unexplained electrical issue on the same vehicle in a short span. Subaru's support has been dismissive and apathetic throughout, repeatedly redirecting responsibility back to me as the consumer rather than taking ownership of manufacturer-level defects.

Public record. Verify by searching #11760953 on NHTSA's 2021 Ascent page.

CarPlay and other infotainment failures persist; new cable and phone did not help

2022 CrosstrekFiled Jul 15, 2026NHTSA #11750503
CarPlay / Android AutoOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
I was advised to file a report for a known problem with Subaru 2022 Crosstrek.It involves the infotainment system failures. These are listed in a Subaru service bulletin dated 1/28/25- head unit warranty extension. My issues primarily involve carplay but there have been other issues associated with Starlink system as well. The dealer has refused to fix this even though I have an extended warranty and the service bulletin covers the repair. I have replaced the cable and the phone and there are still ongoing problems. I am aware there is a class action lawsuit in process.

Public record. Verify by searching #11750503 on NHTSA's 2022 Crosstrek page.

Delaminated touchscreen switches off and on, places calls and cancels navigation, distracting the driver

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 6, 2026NHTSA #11748449
Safety impactRebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The touch screen monitor which controls the audio system, navigation, phone, and other car systems has delaminated. It turns on and off, makes phone calls, switches car systems like the audio, and turns off navigation. At best, it is a very annoying distraction. At worst, it is a safety issue when the screen is making emergency phone calls, canceling navigation, or turning on and off constantly and beeping and causing distraction to the driver. It is possible to turn the entire screen off, but it then randomly comes back on. A safety recall has been issued for 2018 but not 2019 Subaru Outbacks. I strongly urge you to consider a safety recall for the 2019 Subaru Outback as the very common screen delamination is widely known and causing issues for many Subaru drivers. The issue began in the summer of 2025 and has continued to be an issue, and is getting worse.

Public record. Verify by searching #11748449 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio sound and CarPlay phone audio stop working at random while driving

2022 OutbackFiled May 22, 2026NHTSA #11739496
CarPlay / Android AutoAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
while driving , simultaneously radio sound stops working randomly and cell phone connected to car play sound stops working

Public record. Verify by searching #11739496 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Radio speakers randomly blast loudly, startling occupants; separate stalling issues also reported

2022 OutbackFiled May 20, 2026NHTSA #11739030
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
After highway driving for 50 miles, stopped for a red light. Engine died but all lights stayed on. Sat 5 minutes with dead engine and when I tried again, the car started. Drove 1 mile to next light and it happened again. Went to Auto Zone (it was a Sunday and dealerships were closed) and they tested the battery which was 100%. Two days later, drove car for 10 minutes then parked for errand; 15 minutes later, car wouldn't start. Let it sit for a minute and it started right up. This happened 8 months ago (engine died at stop light after having been driven 30+ miles) but Subaru dealership could find nothing wrong. Also, radio speakers randomly will blast so loud it startles and distracts everyone in the car.

Public record. Verify by searching #11739030 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Starlink alerts repeatedly interrupt navigation app while driving

2021 CrosstrekFiled May 12, 2026NHTSA #11737250
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Subaru Starlink alerts keep disrupting my navigation so it’s making driving unsafe bc it pops up and interrupts Waze Navigation and has to be addressed to get back to my map. It happens incessantly and persistently even though I’ve turned off app Starlink access and alerts. It is a distraction to my focus while driving and i fear it will cause me to get into an accident. Why hasn’t Subaru fixed this known issue?

Public record. Verify by searching #11737250 on NHTSA's 2021 Crosstrek page.

Multimedia unit powers on by itself, changes stations and apps, and disrupts phone audio

2019 LegacyFiled Apr 9, 2026NHTSA #11730262
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Multimedia component is not working correctly and it could cause an accident due to trying to change/control the component over and over again. It has a mind of its own. I turn it off and it turns on by itself. It switches radio stations by itself. The screen changes apps all by itself. I can't correctly use any of it anymore. I try using my phone and even though I don't want it sent to audio on the car it switches to it and then the conversation cuts in and out. I've tried resetting it a million times but it's useless anymore to even do that. I haven't brought it to a dealer as of yet. I looked it up and seen there are other complaints with this same issue. I received a letter for reimbursement if I changed it out but I didn't do that because I was able to reset the system at the time. I feel Subaru should be responsible for this as they know it's happening to vehicles and they've reimbursed for it.

Public record. Verify by searching #11730262 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Backup camera feed degraded, then no longer appears on the head unit

2021 CrosstrekFiled Mar 23, 2026NHTSA #11726251
Safety impactBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The backup camera on my Subaru Crosstrek started to a stop working a few weeks ago. It first started to intermittently transmit a video feed that was fuzzy and the colors were completely incorrect. That started to follow with the camera not working about half the time at all on my head unit. Now it's completely not showing up at all on my head unit when I go into reverse. I live near a school and when I back out, I'm concerned that I won't be able to see a child behind my car. Same for parking garages and parallel parking. The Subaru dealership is saying they have checked all the wiring and modules and have isolated it to the backup camera. There were no other messages besides the camera starting to malfunction.

Public record. Verify by searching #11726251 on NHTSA's 2021 Crosstrek page.

CarPlay never reliably works and drops mid-drive, losing directions

2020 ForesterFiled Mar 14, 2026NHTSA #11724332
Safety impactCarPlay / Android Auto
Read the owner's complaint
My Apple Car Play has never worked since I bought the car new in 2020. The dealership's solution each time I asked about it was for me to get a new plug in cord, update my iPhone settings, and then they can update the system manually. I have taken it in multiple times, and each time it has worked for 2-3 weeks before it no longer works again. This is dangerous because it usually happens mid-drive, and I no longer have the directions of where I am going, without stopping the vehicle. I also have to hold my phone and look at the directions since it does not display on the screen.

Public record. Verify by searching #11724332 on NHTSA's 2020 Forester page.

Infotainment resets or goes blank, making reverse automatic braking inoperable

2022 OutbackFiled Mar 11, 2026NHTSA #11723508
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated after starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment system inadvertently reset or went blank, causing the Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) System to become inoperable. The RAB System warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11723508 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Delaminated touchscreen operates unintentionally; reverse braking and defroster controls became inoperable

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 3, 2026NHTSA #11721704
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the touch screen on the radio failed to properly operate. The screen was delaminated, causing unintended operation of the radio, distracting the driver. This failure caused the back over prevention to become inoperable, and the HVAC defroster options were inoperable. The touch screen and the functions were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electrical system failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11721704 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Screen fails to come on after calls, reports no AUX with phone plugged in

2022 OutbackFiled Jan 19, 2026NHTSA #11711922
USB dropoutsBlack or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
the screen will just not come on or cut out and not turn on after a call or text comes in. Sometimes it says no AUX detected even though a phone is plugged in. It will randomly stop maps and randomly connect to my maps. the sound will go from being very good to being just bad.

Public record. Verify by searching #11711922 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Media system freezes and resets while driving, disabling navigation and safety features

2022 ForesterFiled Jan 4, 2026NHTSA #11708697
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
My 2022 Subaru Forester Sport, <24,640 miles, suffers from persistent, life-threatening safety failures. Thick white exhaust is present in every temperature, and a heavy burning smell fills the cabin during acceleration regardless of outside temperature. I have been dealing with these failures since March/April of 2023. My car was in a rear-end collision in May 2023 and was repaired at an authorized Subaru body shop. Despite these authorized repairs, the mechanical and electronic failures have continued to deteriorate. My car has required 4 emergency tows and was out of service for around 90 days in 2025 alone. It has been to several independent mechanics and they tell me that since everything happens intermittently, I must take it back to Subaru as it should be covered under warranty due to the low mileage. However, four different authorized dealerships consistently claim "nothing is wrong". My car sits at these dealerships for weeks at a time without a significant change in the odometer. I had 2 claims with Subaru of America this year, including a claim for the vehicle randomly unlocking itself (not via remote), but they closed both claims and nothing was done. Ongoing failures in steering, suspension and braking systems make the vehicle unstable and dangerous to drive. I have a 2-inch thick file documenting repeated service visits for these specific issues yet Subaru refuses to acknowledge or repair them. The primary computer system, media system, and Eyesight (ADAS) safety suite fail daily. The dashboard lights up constantly when these safety features fail. The system frequently freezes and resets while driving, which disables all safety and navigation features without warning. The remote start fails to warm the car after 10 minutes in cold weather; once the heat functions, the car is filled with chemical fumes. All of these issues continue to get worse as time goes on.

Public record. Verify by searching #11708697 on NHTSA's 2022 Forester page.

Radio jumps stations and CD tracks arbitrarily; dealer says radio needs replacement

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 1, 2025NHTSA #11684247
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
Good Morning. I am the victim of a lemon of a car, a 2019 Subaru Outback and no one, I mean no one wants to get involved with exposing this disgraceful uncaring car manufacturer. I am forwarding the 10, yes 10 issues with this dangerous piece of junk I am unfortunately driving putting our lives at risk!! Please see the information below and my hope is that you will care enough to expose and help us get a resolution with this horrible company manufacturing rolling death traps. Thank you [XXX] [XXX] Listed below are the continuing problems with my 2019 Subaru Outback which was purchased new: 3 new batteries in a mileage span of 40,000 or 50,000 miles up to 80,000 miles. These replacements were done at no cost as a result of a class action lawsuit. A windshield settlement which only extends the warranty mileage and not an automatic replacement. Talk about a huge safety risk if this windshield just cracks or breaks, especially if on a major highway. A fuel pump settlement which only extends the warranty mileage and not an automatic replacement unless the fuel pump fails. Very unsafe in my opinion. What if the fuel pump fails while on a major highway. This puts us and our safety at serious risk if this fuel pump were to fail especially going at a high rate of speed. Engine burns a quart of oil, by the way at $11.00 per quart every 3,000 miles which is not normal, and in my opinion, is an engine problem. Replacement of an ECM or Engine Control Module. Received a letter about the VCT or variable control transmission, more ridiculous problems going on. A broken right front axle replaced and then that same axle which was replaced by an incompetent mechanic, the axle seal on the replaced axle started leaking and I was charged $100 for that incompetence. Just this past week, the car was in for a radio issue with radio stations and the cd arbitrarily jumping around only to find out the radio needs to be replaced. While on my way to the dealership my tire press INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Public record. Verify by searching #11684247 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit screen delaminated and began ghost touching

2020 WRXFiled Aug 29, 2025NHTSA #11684021
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit started to delaminate and ghost touching

Public record. Verify by searching #11684021 on NHTSA's 2020 WRX page.

Touch screen unresponsive and flutters through screens; radio turns on by itself

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 31, 2025NHTSA #11677438
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
"Parasitic" draw. Battery replaced, less than year old, almost daily need to "jump" vehicle to start. Always have to have booster pack. Multiple mechanics trips. Dash screen touch option does not work, have videos of the screen randomly "fluttering" through various screens and or radio stations. Leave the radio off, will randomly come on, on its own.

Public record. Verify by searching #11677438 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio and head unit failures, navigation errors, and screens going black or frozen

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 25, 2025NHTSA #11676299
Black or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Failures of the radio Failures of the main head unit Nagivation errors and failures Display screens that go black, frozen

Public record. Verify by searching #11676299 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio changes stations and CD tracks arbitrarily

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 25, 2025NHTSA #11676150
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
My name is [XXX] [XXX] Phone Number: [XXX] My complaint is with Subaru of America, 1 Subaru Drive, Camden, NJ 08103 Phone Number: 800-782-2783 I would like the Pennsylvania State Attorney General’s Office to become involved with the two lemons/pieces of junk my wife and I have been sold. My Subaru is a 2019 Outback and my wife’s Subaru is a 2020 Forester. My ongoing problems with my 2019 Subaru Outback are as follows and in my opinion, I am driving a very unsafe car putting our lives at risk: 3 batteries prior to 80,000 miles resulting from a class action lawsuit filed against Subaru. Replacement of the ECM or Engine Control Module. Burns a quart of oil at the price of $11.00 per quart every 3,000 miles, that’s an engine problem. Right front axle broke and had to be replaced. After replacement of the right front axle, the right front axle seal, which is the axle replaced started to leak and I was charged to replace the axle seal due to a mechanics incompetence. I received a card from Subaru stating a windshield issue. Received another card regarding a fuel pump issue. A letter received this past week from an apparent CVT or continuously variable transmission issue. Now my radio stations jump around arbitrarily changing stations, tracks on my CD, and my hatch doesn’t open, but gets stuck shortly upon opening. This car is a lemon, a piece of junk and very unsafe. How many more problems are unknown to us and when will any of them occur while we are driving putting our lives in danger. If Subaru had any ethics character integrity or business morality they would have replaced this piece of junk. They are a horrible company to work with INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Public record. Verify by searching #11676150 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Entertainment screen bubbled and stopped working around 50,000 miles

2019 LegacyFiled Jun 24, 2025NHTSA #11669029
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The entertainment system got bubbles and stopped working only after 50,000 miles.

Public record. Verify by searching #11669029 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Infotainment places random calls and cancels maps, possibly from screen delamination

2019 OutbackFiled Jun 22, 2025NHTSA #11668448
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
My Infotainment system randomly places phone calls, changes or cancels maps, and otherwise takes random actions that create distractions that makes for unsafe driving. It appears that the screen may be delaminating in multiple spots which would cause the above problems.

Public record. Verify by searching #11668448 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated navigation screen is erratic and the car can no longer answer phone calls

2019 LegacyFiled May 21, 2025NHTSA #11662265
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The navigation screen has delaminated and no longer works. You can see where there are layers of screen that are discolored and has a matte finish underneath and the entire screen is erratic and works only 10% of the time. I cannot answer calls through the car any longer and I have to try to navigate long trips from my phone as this function of the car is down. It's a serious problem and puts me and others on the road at risk every time I have to use the car as I travel by myself and I struggle to navigate the roads without this system. The car has a mere 70,000 miles on it and has been well cared for. I bought the car new and this issue is serious. There were no warning signs other than it erratically works less and less. I have researched the issue and see there are so many with this same issue that I wanted to add to the list. I cannot find a second hand part as the demand is too high. The car is available for inspection and I haven't had it to the dealer for this issue. It has been inspected by an auto repair shop and agrees the component needs to come out and be replaced. Please help!

Public record. Verify by searching #11662265 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Touchscreen behaves as if constantly touched and cannot be used, alongside other electrical faults

2019 OutbackFiled Apr 19, 2025NHTSA #11655604
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Car will lane correct when it's not needed. And all warning lights will come on in car when it's very hot. Cannot access touchscreen - because it constantly glitches as if it's being touched passenger side window continues to roll up and down when you click auto control on window and will not stop. I am afraid to drive because of these Electrical issues.

Public record. Verify by searching #11655604 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Water spots under radio screen cause erratic infotainment behavior and loss of hands-free calling

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 26, 2025NHTSA #11650933
BluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The Radio has what looks like water spots under the screen, this causes the infotainment system to go crazy, no hands free and I’m afraid it won’t show the backup screen while it is like this.

Public record. Verify by searching #11650933 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Screen beeps, blinks, dials numbers and raises volume on its own, then becomes unresponsive

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 23, 2025NHTSA #11650029
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Car screen is malfunctioning. Starts doing own things and can cause huge distraction to the driver. Beeping noise, blinking, calling and dialing phone numbers, raising volume. Becomes unresponsive and impossible to operate.

Public record. Verify by searching #11650029 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminating screen becomes unresponsive and makes ghost touches, calls and GPS changes

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 18, 2025NHTSA #11649125
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Screen is delaminating. Becoming unresponsive at times. Making ghost touches, phone calls, opening apps, messing with GPS. Seems unsafe when it could be going haywire and especially using GPS trying to navigate traffic.

Public record. Verify by searching #11649125 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment ghost inputs include random calls, station changes and navigation errors; screen bubbled

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 10, 2025NHTSA #11647409
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment center not working. It makes ghost options. Examples: calls people arbitrarily. Changes radio stations out of the blue. Maps goes nuts when try to use navigation. Screen has bubbles. SOA has only offered to front 1/2 the cost of the fix when even the dealership advised this is a defect/ known issue. I probably haven’t even listed all the issues but it makes the radio/navigation/ starlink service unusable at this point unless I pay out to fix with no real assurance this will not occur again

Public record. Verify by searching #11647409 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment glitches on every drive, interfering with CarPlay and general operation

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 3, 2025NHTSA #11645932
CarPlay / Android AutoOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The Infotainment system has been glitching repeatedly with each drive I take; I am unable to operate any functions. This interferes with CarPlay. I reported this to the dealership and they informed me I would get a notice of recall in the mail. That was almost 2 months ago.

Public record. Verify by searching #11645932 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbling head unit changes sources, flashes and disrupts navigation, and cannot be turned off

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 1, 2025NHTSA #11645706
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
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.

Public record. Verify by searching #11645706 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Screen develops spots and phantom touches, blocking a low-fuel prompt and map use

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 18, 2025NHTSA #11643529
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
the center console screen begins developing subsurface oil spots at 100,000 miles. these cause glare, inhibiting visibility, and phantom touches, inhibiting use of the system. this loss of ability to control the primary information system in the vehicle produces safety issues in distractions to the driver and inability to access vehicle information such as the map. I recently had a low fuel warning come on while traveling, which takes over the whole screen; because the screen was causing phantom touches, i could not dismiss it and continue using the map to navigate to a gas station. i risked being lost in winter in deep rural wisconsin, as my phone didn’t have signal and my car was my only local map this is a well known issue on Subaru owner fora, and the company refuses to recall or even warrantee the problem since it happens just after the 5y/100k mile turnover. mine began a month ago, at mile 101,086.

Public record. Verify by searching #11643529 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit reboots constantly, cannot be turned off and is distracting while driving

2019 ImprezaFiled Feb 6, 2025NHTSA #11641024
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Head unit constantly rebooting. Completely unable to use the head unit. No longer functional. Unable to power the screen off. Very distracting while driving especially at night. Power button no longer works. Started about a year ago, then randomly seemed to of temporarily resolved itself until a couple of months ago. Head unit is now 100% nonfunctional and constantly reboots. No warnings when first occurred. Issue has been confirmed by independent service center. Puts myself and others at risk due to the screen rebooting on repeat and no way to turn the screen off. Extremely distracting and unsafe

Public record. Verify by searching #11641024 on NHTSA's 2019 Impreza page.

Apple CarPlay has not worked since purchase; dealer suggested replacing the phone cable

2020 ForesterFiled Feb 4, 2025NHTSA #11640598
CarPlay / Android AutoUSB dropouts
Read the owner's complaint
Numerous times when using the "gas saving feature" when the engine stops after the brake is pressed, the car has stalled and I have had no control over the vehicle. I have had to turn on my emergency flashers and restart my car in order for it to move again. Luckily whenever it has happened for me I have been stopped on a flat surface, and not on a hill, but if this ever happened while I was trying to turn I would be T-boned, or if it ever happened while I was stopped on a hill I would roll backwards. This also increases the chances of me being rear ended, because the person behind me has to be paying attention that my car has stalled. My Apple Car Play has also not worked since I purchased the vehicle in 2020. Their only suggestion was that I needed to swap out my iPhone cord every few months, and then it may or may not work. Also what if I was not an Apple user?

Public record. Verify by searching #11640598 on NHTSA's 2020 Forester page.

Screen presses random buttons, hangs up calls, cycles Bluetooth connections, ignores touch

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 2, 2025NHTSA #11640242
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
This is a recurring issue that has started significantly impacting my infotainment system. The screen malfunctions by pressing random buttons, hanging up calls, changing the radio station, and repeatedly attempting to connect and disconnect Bluetooth. When this happens, there's nothing I can do to stop it because the screen is entirely unresponsive to my touch. It's not only frustrating but also dangerous and very distracting while driving.

Public record. Verify by searching #11640242 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated infotainment unit skips radio stations, mishandles phone, and turns on and off intermittently

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 28, 2025NHTSA #11639135
RebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
infotainment unit delamination. Plus radio stations skip stations constantly and phone through infotainment unit is messed up. Unit turns on and off. Then sometimes it is fine.

Public record. Verify by searching #11639135 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbling Starlink screen scrolls and dials numbers by itself; navigation and hands-free phone unusable

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 23, 2025NHTSA #11638139
BluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Navigation Screen/STARLINK Multimedia screen malfunctions due to bubbling. Screen must remain turned off. Cannot use navigation and cannot use hands free phone. If I try to use any function the screen automatically scrolls through various function including randomly launching functions such as dialing numbers on my phone. I took the car to the dealer and they said it is "common" but not a recall and not covered by warranty because my car is now out of warranty

Public record. Verify by searching #11638139 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated screen makes random touches, interrupts CarPlay calls and navigation, and blocks volume control

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 12, 2025NHTSA #11635540
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
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.

Public record. Verify by searching #11635540 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Water-like spots inside the radio screen cause the radio to malfunction

2019 WRXFiled Jan 6, 2025NHTSA #11634458
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
There is what looks to be water spots inside the radio screen causing the radio to malfunction. After reading online this is happening to many cars my same year and the website mentioned a recall for this issue. I have less than 60,000 miles on my car.

Public record. Verify by searching #11634458 on NHTSA's 2019 WRX page.

Touchscreen shuts down while driving, dropping adaptive cruise and EyeSight; speakers also blast randomly

2022 OutbackFiled Jan 5, 2025NHTSA #11634209
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebootingOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The touchscreen shuts down and makes the safety features shut off. This use to happen a few times per quarter, but now is happening a few times per month. Happens always while driving which causes the adaptive cruise to shut off, causing deceleration, the eyesight shuts off, the controls on the keyboard are not available. It takes a minute or two for the screen to reboot and safety features to re-engage, this causes distraction and possible safety hazard. Additionally, the speakers randomly will blast so loud it startles and distracts everyone in the car. This seems to happen randomly, can be at start up, or after sound system has been in use. Additionally, the power windows occasionally will not go back up. Thry reverse partway through raising. Then we have to wait a few seconds and try again. Please make Subaru issue a recall and remedy for-the control screen issue. It is the most dangerous problem we’ve listed here.

Public record. Verify by searching #11634209 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Head unit described as very glitchy

2022 ForesterFiled Jan 1, 2025NHTSA #11633546
Other failure
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I was driving with adapative cruise on a highway around 65 mph. I can only assume it did a sudden and rapid slow down on its own due fairly defined shadows on the road from tall rocks/cliffs on the side of the road. Luckily I was the only one on the road at the time. It was a clear sunny day. This to me is pretty unsafe if there had been other cars. I have made a service appointment about the issue as well a head unit that is very glitchy

Public record. Verify by searching #11633546 on NHTSA's 2022 Forester page.

Delaminated display ghost-clicks, becomes unresponsive and can black out while reversing

2019 LegacyFiled Dec 19, 2024NHTSA #11631631
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Main infotainment display delamination, this causes a safety concerns, as the screen can become irresponsive, and even black out during reverse making the backup camera, nonfunctioning. The other safety issue at risk is that because of the delamination it causes "ghost-clicking" on the screen, and makes the screen irresponsive, veering the drivers attention away from the road, potentially causing accidents as the main display controls all radio and bluetooth, and navigation. There are no indication or warnings from the manufacturer that the vehicle could be a risk to drive. When I called Subaru of America, I was told by the agent that they could not assist, when I brought up, based on my research this was a known issue, Subaru of America offered to pay $600 towards the replacement of the head unit. The head unit dependant on the dealer and labor time can vary from $1400-2200 for the repair.

Public record. Verify by searching #11631631 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Delaminating head unit makes ghost touches, selections and phone calls while driving

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 18, 2024NHTSA #11631439
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment head unit is delaminating. This issue causes "ghost touches" where the system randomly selects options or changes settings without user input. The delamination appears as bubbles or dots behind the screen that cannot be wiped off. This is a safety issue as these "ghost touches" make selections, changes, and phone calls on the infotainment system while driving.

Public record. Verify by searching #11631439 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment screen burned out and became inoperable amid several other electrical problems

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 18, 2024NHTSA #11631374
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The computer control system showed low tire pressures. While the passenger’s seat was occupied, there was an abnormal dinging sound detected. The message that the seat not activated message was displayed. The contact stated that the battery drained, and the vehicle failed to start. The starting system had drained the battery. The contact had Triple AAA check the vehicle, and the DCM made an abnormal popping sound. The ABS, radio, and CD warning lights were flashing. The transmission, GPS, and undercarriage messages were illuminated. The computer screen had burned out and was inoperable. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle abruptly stopped without driver input. The steering wheel became inoperable and was uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the DCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000. The VIN was not available.

Public record. Verify by searching #11631374 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbled touchscreen presses buttons by itself, drops routes and backup camera footage while driving

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 11, 2024NHTSA #11630079
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The surface of the interior touch screen display on my 2019 Subaru Outback Touring that controls the radio, navigation, phone, vehicle settings and information, and rear backup camera assistance developed bubbles and presses buttons on its own. It toggles between apps, calls people, changes radio stations, adjusts volume, discontinues map routes, removes backup camera footage, and beeps at random and while driving. As a driver or passenger I am unable to control these functions because the touch screen is not functional. The safety of myself and others has absolutely been put at risk: a once reliable backup camera is no longer consistently functional; the route I set in the driveway disappears, reappears, and changes destination locations while I'm driving; at times the screen toggles and beeps quickly, will not stay turned off, and creates an unavoidable visual and audible distraction. Phil Long Subaru inspected my vehicle, confirmed that this is a known issue with United Radio part #AL58A, and quoted the repair at over $1600. Subaru of America has not issued a recall despite two class action lawsuits for this issue and an existing recall for the same issue on earlier models. SOA offered a one time credit of $1200, which leaves me on the hook for $500 for their defective manufacturing, and no guarantee that the replacement part has been modified to address the issue or extended warranty on the part in case this happens again. There were no warnings, messages, or symptoms of the problem prior to failure. The bubbles appeared around October 2024 and the ability to consistently control the display was lost immediately.

Public record. Verify by searching #11630079 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Starlink screen changes pages by itself, making radio, GPS and phone controls unusable

2019 LegacyFiled Dec 9, 2024NHTSA #11629599
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The Starlink screen becomes uncontrollable and begins changing screens on its own making driving very distracting and losing all control of vital functions such as radio, gps and phone. I have no control over it. I have video of the incident but cannot figure out how to upload it. I k low previous year models were recalled for the same situation and I believe there is a class action lawsuit.

Public record. Verify by searching #11629599 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Head unit places random phone calls and changes channels and settings by itself

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 7, 2024NHTSA #11629451
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment system or head unit has gone haywire! The car calls random people from my phone book and hangs up, plays the radio changing channels every 5 seconds switching to the map and then to settings and changing dash from Mph to Kph and so on and so forth. This is dangerously distracting and there is no way to turn it off. I have to disable my phone to drive the car. None of my buttons on the screen work. Unfortunately no warranty and the cost is almost $2,000 to replace the unit…but will it just happen again in 4 years? Completely unsafe for my teenage son to drive and I thought I was buying the safest car on the road at the time. This is unsafe and unnecessary….we would be happy if we had a way to just turn it all off!

Public record. Verify by searching #11629451 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminating head unit loses navigation and Bluetooth and flashes through screens

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 6, 2024NHTSA #11629184
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit is delaminating making navigation, bluetooth connection, radio inoperable. The screen flashes through different screens which is a safety hazard. I filed a claim with Subaru Care and they offered only $500 assistance on a $1600 repair for a 2019 with about 78,000 miles.

Public record. Verify by searching #11629184 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Display flashed on and off while driving and the backup camera stopped working

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 4, 2024NHTSA #11628838
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the display screen malfunctioned and flashed off and on. During the failure, the back-up camera became inoperable and created a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V935000 (Visibility). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 85,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11628838 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Display flashes green and distorts when reversing; dealer advised replacing the radio unit

2019 ImprezaFiled Dec 4, 2024NHTSA #11628815
Safety impactBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
When you put in reverse my 2019 Subaru Impreza Sport, the control display flashes green and is distorted. It is very difficult to detect an obstruction or a child when backing up. Recently we bumped a pedestrian. This Is A Safety Issue! The condition was observed at the Orlando Subaru dealer. Their solution is to replace the whole radio control unit at a cost of $1341. We ordered it to not gamble on safety.

Public record. Verify by searching #11628815 on NHTSA's 2019 Impreza page.

Main dash screen freezes and shuts off cruise, lane holding and blind spot warning

2022 OutbackFiled Dec 4, 2024NHTSA #11628810
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
The car has been to the dealership five times for electrical/computer issues. First the main dash UI computer screen would occassionally lock up and freeze shutting all safety systems off. (cruise control, lane holding, blind spot warning, etc.) Then the battery failure issues started - basically four times the car when parked and sitting overnight for approximately one week - will not start and the battery is completely dead. This is a know Subaru issue with earlier models and even involved a class action lawsuit. Subaru has not fixed the issue in newer model cars and continues to deny it is an issue. This is gross negligence by continuing to make unsafe cars with the same flaw and nof fixing the issue.

Public record. Verify by searching #11628810 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Head unit constantly changes stations and apps by itself, with continuous beeping that distracts

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 3, 2024NHTSA #11628564
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
This vehicle, and many others as I've read in forums, experiences uncontrollable radio station and apps changes automatically and will not stop. Why it's not safe: The radio screen flashes between several screens on it's own. It changes stations, it changes to different apps, then the screen locks and you cannot reset it. It also beeps with every change, over 100 beeps per minute, like a morse code message. Imagine that on a 9-hour road trip. It is a major annoyance and distraction as the driver is constantly focused on trying to get this radio/equipment to work properly. It forces your attention off the road. And it will not stop! It changes radio stations, if powered off, it turns itself on. And Subaru refuses to acknowledge the issue, or offer a replacement. They pretend they never heard of the issue, yet its easily found in forums. For $1000 I can get a different OEM radio, from the same manufacturer, and who knows how long it will be before it happens again? We (subaru owners) need help with this and a recall. I can't tell you how many times I've drifted out of my lane trying to make the beep beep beep stop after hour after hour! Navigation and apps are useless, as the radio will change them to different input sources without notice, and all day long. Yes, this is a safety issue. You cannot just turn it off. It turns itself back on. Even if you turn down the sound from the radio, the beep beep beep of the apps changing cannot be silenced. It only occurs when the vehicle is on. All the time. Everytime. Every day. Every trip. Please help.

Public record. Verify by searching #11628564 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment head unit unresponsive with ghost button presses and random beeping after battery replacement

2019 OutbackFiled Nov 21, 2024NHTSA #11626635
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment unit failed. Battery died and was replaced with a larger capacity battery. Shortly after, the infotainment head unit became inoperable with ghosting of buttons. Then, the car would not hold a charge again and a bypass box for the digital communication center is being installed today under a recall. The ghosting/inoperable infotainment center remains non-functional and is apparently a separate issue? It randomly beeps and selects buttons, which is distracting. Unit has to be shut off to avoid this.

Public record. Verify by searching #11626635 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Touchscreen became unstable and Bluetooth phone connection failed

2019 LegacyFiled Nov 21, 2024NHTSA #11626593
Bluetooth
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment system touchscreen failed and it became unstable. Bluetooth connected to phone failed, gos failed Yes Yes No

Public record. Verify by searching #11626593 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

USB phone connection for CarPlay and Android Auto drops intermittently, causing distraction

2021 CrosstrekFiled Nov 20, 2024NHTSA #11626315
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoUSB dropouts
Read the owner's complaint
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The USB A outlets under the head unit that allow connection to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Yes it is available for inspection upon request How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The connection when hooked up to a phone is intermittent. This results in driver distraction whenever it disconnects due to trying to get it to reconnect. Especially when using gps apps this means the driver may be "lost" until it can be reconnected, which means they will try to get it reconnected while driving which is dangerous. Sometimes it goes in and out every 60-90 seconds. Sometimes it won't connect at all until the vehicle is power cycled or the head unit is reset but neither of these guarantees a stable connection. The issue is not fixed by replacing the USB cable or the phone with a brand new phone. The cables and phone do not have this issue with any other USB port that they have been used on (in other vehicles). Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not on my vehicle but there are hundreds of reports online for years with multiple Subaru models where it has been. I could get it reproduced easily, just haven't had the time. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No This happens every day, at any speed, and has been happening since I got the vehicle at 20000 miles and there are 35000 miles on it now (approximately).

Public record. Verify by searching #11626315 on NHTSA's 2021 Crosstrek page.

Screen shook, pressed buttons itself, called a contact repeatedly and then froze during navigation

2019 LegacyFiled Nov 17, 2024NHTSA #11625805
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
On the beginning of a trip the screen, Infotainment system started jumping, and shaking. We had been using the system for guidance while driving in unfamiliar area. The screen then started randomly selecting buttons while we were still trying to use directions from the screen. Then it called a contact on my contact list 8-9 times, and I had to keep hanging up in order so it would stop. Finally I had to shut down the entire screen. We lost control of the Infotainment and then after I had to turn it off, I tried several times again to turn it back on with no luck. The screen would not respond and continues to be completely frozen. As I have discovered this is a common problem that Subaru dealers have heard about from thousands of customers. Subaru needs to issue a recall.

Public record. Verify by searching #11625805 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Radio screen changes screens on its own, with unclearable marks behind the glass

2019 LegacyFiled Nov 8, 2024NHTSA #11624187
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The radio/ starlink system begins changing screens on its own thus losing all control of critical functions such as phone and gps. There appears to be marks behind the glass of the screen which are not able to be cleaned. There are recalls for this issue on the 2018 Subaru Legacy and there needs to be one for the 2019 Subaru Legacy and other affected Subaru models.

Public record. Verify by searching #11624187 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Radio and monitors randomly go black and restart; reverse camera does not work

2021 LegacyFiled Nov 3, 2024NHTSA #11623360
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
ODS sensor recall still not fixed/remedy available, used heat for first time since i purchased the car, minor cracks in the windshield, car radio/monitors randomly go black, reverse camera won’t work, restarts on there own after a while

Public record. Verify by searching #11623360 on NHTSA's 2021 Legacy page.

Humidity-sensitive display clicks on its own, disrupting CarPlay, Bluetooth and radio; distracting in traffic

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 30, 2024NHTSA #11622827
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
DCM battery drain and bad head unit display. The class action law suit does not cover the fix for the battery drain problem. Just a new battery. My is the battery continues to drain. I cannot afford to replace the problem DCM. I had to pull that fuse as a fix. I now do not have fro t speakers or Bluetooth. My CarPlay maps no longer tell me where I need to turn. Causing me to looks at the display more frequently. This is not good in busy areas. The other issue is with the head unit. When it gets warm and humid, the display doesn’t work. It clicks all over causing issues with CarPlay, Bluetooth and the radio. This is due to moisture getting in the display. Again causing problems and distractions. This will cause accidents if it hasn’t already. There are a lot of complaints out there for this as well as the DCM battery drain.

Public record. Verify by searching #11622827 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit delaminating; powers itself on, changes stations and volume, and disrupts driving

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 27, 2024NHTSA #11622172
Safety impactRebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Head unit delaminating after Data Control Module repair in 2023. Head unit is entirely inoperable and poses a safety risk to driver by turning radio on and off, switching stations, raising and lowering volume level, and affecting the eyesight periodically. Head unit can be turned off after multiple attempts, however powers back up on its own continuing the previously mentioned issues.

Public record. Verify by searching #11622172 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio head unit repaired and then replaced under warranty after proving defective

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 11, 2024NHTSA #11619244
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
To the CA Automotive Repair Bureau, [XXX] complaint, In 2022, I bought a new Outback at Albany Subaru. In October 2024, my car has 33,000 miles and I've had all of my 3,000-mile oil changes, inspections, and Warranty repairs done by Albany Subaru. I pay $100 for each repair that's covered under Subaru's extended Warranty. In 2023, the car's Dashboard Computer/Radio Head Unit was repaired, I drove the car for a few days, but the Head Unit was defective, so Subaru changed the Head Unit. This cost me (3) three trips to Subaru, which is 7.8 miles from my home, UBER costs, and three $100 Warranty payments. I'm a small business owner and had to pay employees extra to remain at work so I could drop off and pick up my car. Most times Subaru didn't give me a loaner car. Weeks later, I was driving up a hill and could not correctly steer my car, I thought I might crash, so I stopped driving my new car. I only drive on paved roads and I bought my Subaru because of Subaru's quality and safety reputation. I returned my car to Albany Subaru. My car's Steering or front end seemed loose and not right. Subaru told me I needed an alignment. I paid for an alignment. I drove my car home, but again, the Steering didn’t seem right, it was still loose and shaking. A day later, I returned my car to Subaru and they readjusted and tightened the Steering Box. Subaru called me at home and stated I needed an oil change, an alignment, and (4) four new tires, and brakes, which I agreed to the oil change. The next day, I picked the car up and spoke to the Service Managers about my concerns with the new car Steering, and stated to them that Subaru Bloggers are sharing that there should be a Recall on Subaru Steering Columns and other repair issues that could result in Lemon Law Lawsuits against Subaru. The Service Manager Nikki Ali and a Mechanic stated that Subaru has Steering Column issues but that Subaru has not yet issued a National Recall, but may replace Steering Columns. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Public record. Verify by searching #11619244 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Multimedia touchscreen stops responding and jumps between functions on its own

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 22, 2024NHTSA #11615855
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The computer I think it's a starlink system has gone haywire and does not work at all to a point to where you cannot use it. Touch screen will not respond or goes from one thing to the other on its own. Totally unusual.

Public record. Verify by searching #11615855 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit switches on and off while driving and presses its own buttons

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 16, 2024NHTSA #11614755
Safety impactRebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Parasitic drain cause by the CAN system, which causes the battery to randomly die, batter has been replaced, alternator and starter have been tested. When the battery has low voltage this also shuts down the cars safety features like forward Collision and cruise control. The head unit in the car is also malfunctioning, causing it randomly turn on and off while driving, button s being pressed on their own which is a huge distraction while driving. Subaru has not been willing to assist.

Public record. Verify by searching #11614755 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit stopped working and the screen repeatedly switches on and off

2020 ForesterFiled Sep 13, 2024NHTSA #11614522
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit suddenly stopped working. It unfortunately isn’t covered Under warranty. The screen consistently turns on and off.

Public record. Verify by searching #11614522 on NHTSA's 2020 Forester page.

Delaminating radio screen causes random calls and station changes while driving

2019 LegacyFiled Sep 13, 2024NHTSA #11614471
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Radio is delaminating and causing random calls and radio changes while driving. Serious safety issue. Subaru covered a portion of the replacement but entire cost should be covered due to it being an obvious manufacturer defect.

Public record. Verify by searching #11614471 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Bubbling touchscreen unresponsive, radio cycles stations, navigation and phone access lost; beeping distracts

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 9, 2024NHTSA #11613471
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment system on my 2019 Subaru Outback has failed. The problem arose suddenly. The system is randomly cycling through radio stations, the touch screen has stopped responding to being touched, the gps apps stopped working properly and across the board the unit no longer works. The touchscreen also appears to have bubbling under the surface of the screen, which may be contributing to the problem. This failure has deprived me of access to important apps -- gps, vehicle maintenance records, bluetooth phone calls. The constant beeping and cycling is an unwanted distraction. For now, the rear back up camera still seems to be working, but if I'm forced to turn off the touch screen, it obviously won't be of any help. I am bringing the car to the dealership tomorrow.

Public record. Verify by searching #11613471 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit changes stations and screens by itself and registers random touches

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 6, 2024NHTSA #11613104
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
We had dealt with a parasitic battery drain issue related to the DCM, which was improperly addressed by Johnson Subaru of Cary. The dealership bypassed the problem, which was not what we requested or expected. While they have stated they will replace the DCM once parts become available, this is unacceptable, given that we paid for this part with the initial purchase. If they follow through with the replacement, that would resolve one issue, but their initial response seemed like an attempt to avoid responsibility. After the DCM was replaced, a new issue arose: the radio head unit became inoperable, experiencing severe malfunctions. The seems like it could also be related to the replacement of the DCM bypass. The head unit changes radio stations and screens on its own, making it inoperable to control or even shut off. This is clearly a safety concern, particularly since the delamination and malfunctioning unit registers random touches, which could cause changes to any of the settings. The head unit serves as the primary control interface, and this unpredictability is highly distracting—especially with a [XXX] using the vehicle. Subaru of America has offered $1,000 towards the replacement, but this is insufficient, considering the widespread nature of this issue across many models. The quote from the dealer is 1415.00 and the 1000.00 will not cover the cost. This problem should be addressed through a recall, as safety is a major concern. Additionally, we incurred unrecovered battery costs from the DCM issue and had to purchase a jump-start kit after being stranded multiple times. Subaru's delay in addressing these issues with a recall is troubling, and their offer of $1,000 suggests they acknowledge responsibility, but this issue requires a formal recall rather than piecemeal compensation. The head unit failure has been diagnosed as the specific issue with my 2019 Subaru Outback and must be added to the recall list. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Public record. Verify by searching #11613104 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles on screen impair backup camera use; random noises, calls and setting changes

2019 OutbackFiled Aug 24, 2024NHTSA #11610615
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment / touch screen system in my vehicle is malfunctioning and causing a safety issue. Due to bubbles on the screen I can not effectively use the back up camera. Additionally, the system will randomly make noises, make phone calls and change settings without warning. When this happens it creates a substantial distraction the the driver and causes me to have to pick up my phone to disconnect and address the concerns. I also need to turn the system on and off repeatedly. In the current state, I’m unable to use any navigation features as well.

Public record. Verify by searching #11610615 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated touchscreen misbehaves when iPhone plugged in: random calls, flashing icons, random maps

2019 OutbackFiled Aug 15, 2024NHTSA #11608831
Safety impactUSB dropoutsGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The StarLink touchscreen (which controls radio, etc. and includes vehicle systems monitoring) delaminates and then the system goes crazy If iPhone is plugged in, system starts randomly calling people, all the icons flash on and off as if being pushed, it pulls up random maps, and brings up vehicle maintenance information. All the weird flashing is very distracting and dangerous. I know Subaru was sued on this issue for 2015-2018 models but the 2019s still have the same problem and Subaru won't recall or fix.

Public record. Verify by searching #11608831 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles on information screen make it flick between screens and radio stations

2019 OutbackFiled Aug 12, 2024NHTSA #11608026
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Issue with bubbles forming on information/tech screen which then causes it to flick to different screens, and radio stations.

Public record. Verify by searching #11608026 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbled screen selects icons on its own; replacement unit back-ordered for over a year

2019 LegacyFiled Jul 29, 2024NHTSA #11605122
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment system screen began bubbling. Then it started randomly selection icons by itself. Then it got to the point where it is unusable and constantly is making selections on its own. I can’t even make selections if I want to. Whole screen is effected. Subaru of America is aware and my dealer first denied knowing it was an issue but later admitted to me they have gotten several complaints of the same. Dealer ordered a replacement over a year ago and I have still not gotten a replacement because they keep telling me it is back ordered and that they put a rush on it. Still nothing in over a year. This problem also causes the battery to drain while parked. I had to put a brand new battery in and it still drains. A year or so after that, Subaru sent out a notice that they will reimburse for that issue. I don’t have any paperwork left from my replacement costs. Again, dealer denied knowing that the battery drains and later admitted they knew.

Public record. Verify by searching #11605122 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Bubbles under head unit screen cause random touches and unprompted power cycling

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 23, 2024NHTSA #11604028
Safety impactRebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit developed what appear to be bubbles under the screen. Now, it's barely usable. It randomly responds to touch. It turns itself on and off randomly. None of this sounds like a safety issue until you're driving down the freeway at speed and the radio randomly comes on blaring loud music. It's incredibly jarring and could easily cause an accident. We reached out to the dealer who inspected it and was very aware of the problem as it seems to affect a very large number of people. Following that, they reached out to Subaru of America who admitted there was a problem and offered to pay for slightly more than half of the repair.

Public record. Verify by searching #11604028 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Screen ignores touch, glitches while driving, and puts Bluetooth or CarPlay calls on hold

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 17, 2024NHTSA #11603044
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBluetoothBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
The screen does not acknowledge touch and glitches while driving. Puts calls on hold every 10 seconds if connected by blue tooth or apple CarPlay. Screen will have a seizure and change screens while driving without any prompt. Will select navigation without any prompt.

Public record. Verify by searching #11603044 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminating radio and navigation screen cycles apps while driving and cannot be turned off

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 2, 2024NHTSA #11598387
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The radio/navigation screen is beginning to delaminate. I noticed the bubbles a day or so prior. While driving the whole system begins to change stations/apps and will not allow you to even turn off the system with the button. Caused extreme distraction. System is now stuck in this mode.

Public record. Verify by searching #11598387 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment screen freezes with loud beeping and is unusable, backup camera included

2023 ForesterFiled Jun 26, 2024NHTSA #11596928
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Subaru Infotainment system frozen I've been experiencing an issue where the screen suddenly freezes and emits a loud beeping sound. I've tried restarting and resetting to factory settings multiple times, but the issue persists. The situation is worsening; my infotainment system has been unusable for a couple of days now, which means my backup camera is also not functioning. My friend mentioned that I could report this to the NHTSA, as it directly relates to safety concerns.

Public record. Verify by searching #11596928 on NHTSA's 2023 Forester page.

Delamination makes infotainment malfunction and distract the driver; replacement quoted

2019 OutbackFiled Jun 22, 2024NHTSA #11595846
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment system is not working correctly. Delamination causes the system to malfunction causing a distraction. I took it to a Subaru dealer and was told what the problem was but if I wanted to have it assessed it would cost more than $100 and a replacement would be over $1300. I was also informed that if Subaru was to replace it, it would be with the same system. I was told by the technician there is a class action suit lodged against Subaru for other years for this issue, but not for 2019. There were no warning messages.

Public record. Verify by searching #11595846 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Climate control display freezes and becomes unresponsive

2020 OutbackFiled Jun 17, 2024NHTSA #11594771
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
Display to control the environment freezes.

Public record. Verify by searching #11594771 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Moisture under display causes random touches and beeping; inoperable for months; near miss reported

2019 OutbackFiled Jun 5, 2024NHTSA #11592752
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment display on our 2019 Subaru Outback for the past 10 months has been inoperable and poses a distraction to the driver. One time this display distraction caused a near miss incident. Moisture under the display causes the screen to randomly touch buttons and beep continuously as they are being touched. The bubbles below the screen became apparent roughly 2-3 months before the screen became inoperable. The vehicle was brought into the dealership and the parts department claimed the part would be in within a month or so every time we contacted them. It is now 10 months later and the part still has not been replaced. Subaru is aware of this issue yet they have sent no notice or recall advisory to any of its customer about this issue. We have contacted Subaru of America countless times and after three call attempts and multiple emails, we received a call saying the part is shipped but were not given any tracking information. We have been told false information by multiple Subaru representatives and have had extreme difficulty getting help with this matter. There were no warning lights indicating this issue had occurred and no way to correct it other than replacing the display.

Public record. Verify by searching #11592752 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminating infotainment cycles screens, beeps, redials calls, and turns back on after shutoff

2019 OutbackFiled Jun 2, 2024NHTSA #11591968
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment center is prematurely delaminating/failing. On various Subaru forums, it appears this is a common issue on the year/model I own. While this may not seem safety related on the surface, the failing screen is incredibly distracting while driving depending on where the delamination occurs. It mimics pressing the screen, so it will cycles through the screens wildly, incessantly beep, tries to redial the last call made over and over again, etc. which, as you can imagine, is incredibly distracting while you are driving. Even if you turn the screen off, it randomly can pop back on. If you disable bluetooth, it still wildly flicks between screens and beeps. What is also concerning is the replacement units are backordered- so even though this appears to be a very common issue (and i believe a safety issue subaru should cover), even if i wanted to pay to fix it ASAP, I can't! It's making for an incredibly distracting, unsafe driving experience.

Public record. Verify by searching #11591968 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles under navigation display cause random calls, screen changes, and station changes

2019 OutbackFiled May 28, 2024NHTSA #11591142
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Navigation console formed a multiple bubbles underneath the display randomly calling people, going into different function screens, radio changing to different stations randomly.

Public record. Verify by searching #11591142 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit delaminates, switches stations constantly, disrupts CarPlay, and obscures backup camera

2019 OutbackFiled May 13, 2024NHTSA #11588403
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The Starlink Infotainment head unit on our 2019 Subaru Outback is faulty. Last fall (2023) the infotainment screen began delaminating from the inside and large spots started showing up making it difficult to see what images were on the screen. Next the radio and hands free phone features began malfunctioning and switching channels constantly becoming a serious distraction while driving and a safety issue. The screen has continued to delaminate to the point where it is almost impossible to see what's behind the vehicle when using the the backup camera, also making for a very dangerous situation. The radio and Apple Car Play are useless because of the constant changing of stations and connection due to the faulty infotainment system. We have not brought this problem to the local Subaru dealership's attention as we don't really trust them. In the past they have tried to have us do repairs to the suspension that we got a second opinion on and found that the repairs were not necessary. We have also had issues with the 12V battery and had to replace the battery with a very strong battery to overcome DCM drainage issue. We just received a letter from Subaru of America that they are extending the DCM warranty and we may be eligible for a temporary bypass box fix until enough DCM modules are available in September 2025. My main concern is the faulty infotainment system and how distracting and unsafe it makes operating our Outback. I understand a number of Subaru owners have this same issue but have not gotten any satisfaction from Subaru in correcting it. If there isn't a recall on this safety issue soon, we will most likely have to trade this car. It's just too much of a liability. Very disappointed Subaru owner...

Public record. Verify by searching #11588403 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Paired radio randomly dials phone numbers while driving and controls fail or misfire

2019 OutbackFiled May 10, 2024NHTSA #11588186
Safety impactBluetoothOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
While driving, paired radio randomly begins dialing phone numbers. Controls randomly do not work or activate wrong control. Significant distraction to driving when trying to halt random uninitiated calls or radio arbitrarily activates and the controls do not function properly.

Public record. Verify by searching #11588186 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Android Auto navigation over USB freezes and lags, fixed only by replugging the cable

2023 ForesterFiled May 8, 2024NHTSA #11587735
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoUSB dropouts
Read the owner's complaint
Our car’s Android Auto navigation system is failing. This is not just a navigation failure. When we drive, especially at night, and our navigation system fails, it becomes a security and safety hazard. The problem: 1. After connecting a phone, TCL A30 Android 11, via the USB cable to the car navigation system and entering an address, frequently, the system gets frozen. After a few tries at physically connecting and disconnecting the cable, we were able to get the system going. 2. While driving, the navigation system frequently fails. Occasionally, it points in the wrong direction, freezes, or shows that the navigation position is lagging by miles from our actual position. Disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable tends to resolve the problem. When we use the Subaru navigation system and, at the same time, concurrently employ a second phone navigation system, that standalone phone navigation system does not experience the failures we are seeing with the Subaru navigation system. 2. Frequently, we get a message about a lost GPS signal. This is an erroneous message. We know that because a second phone, not connected to the car navigation system, does not give GPS error messages at the time the car navigation system announces GPS errors. We did the following tests to verify that the navigation failures we observed were not phone or USB cable issues. We tested the car navigation system with two different phones and observed the same failures with both phones. We tested the system with two USB cables, and the failures persisted. We tested the USB cables for data transfers by downloading files from the phones to a computer. The file transfers from the phone to the computer were quick and accurate. It appears that the communication protocol that links the phone with the car’s navigation system is broken. We communicated our concerns to Subaru customer support. To the present time, we have received no response from Subaru.

Public record. Verify by searching #11587735 on NHTSA's 2023 Forester page.

Delaminated head unit ghost-touches, beeps and jumps, leaving no backup camera

2019 OutbackFiled May 8, 2024NHTSA #11587576
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The head unit for my 2019 Subaru Outback has failed due to manufacturer error. The issue is screen delamination which renders the screen unusable and causes major distractions while driving due to "ghost touches" on the screen. This causes a loud beeping noise which coincides with the screen sporadically jumping. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Subaru of America refuses to assist. Shockingly, even if I was willing to pay out of my own pocket, there is a multi month/year wait list, leaving me without critical safety functions (back up cameras, etc) for an unknown amount of time.

Public record. Verify by searching #11587576 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit glitches, volume rises unprompted, display lighting affected; replacement backordered

2019 OutbackFiled May 7, 2024NHTSA #11587427
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The radio and head unit is glitching and automatically doing crazy things. The lighting is also affected on the head unit. The radio volume will turn up loud for no reason. It is intermittent. The dealership says it’s bubbling and head would have to be replaced..but back ordered parts and 3,000 dollars. I’ve googled and this is a well known issue with 2019 Subarus, but it’s a safety issue if you are driving and volume/screen is not controlled.

Public record. Verify by searching #11587427 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit flashes, calls random contacts, and bubbled screen obscures backup camera view

2019 OutbackFiled Apr 26, 2024NHTSA #11585367
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit in my vehicle is malfunctioning and causing a safety issue. The unit will flash on and off and change displays with distracting noises with no apparent cause. It has also caused my phone to call random contacts without warning which is causes a safety issue as I need to pull over and disconnect my phone from wi-fi to address the issue. I am unable to use my maps feature because of this issue as well. Finally, I am unable to safely back up using my camera as the screen has bubbled / discolored causing me to not be able to safely view the traffic or obstacles behind my car.

Public record. Verify by searching #11585367 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit delaminates, changes settings, navigation and phone calls on its own

2019 LegacyFiled Apr 25, 2024NHTSA #11585135
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
There is a recall for this issue in Subaru vehicles through 2018 but our 2019 Legacy has the same issue. The head unit very soon after purchase (brand new from dealer) started to delaminate and not respond to touchscreen interaction. Now it is so bad that it is as if the head unit is possessed. It changes radio and settings randomly, cycles the screen, makes random phone calls if a phone is connected, changes navigation (Android Auto) on its own and suddenly it's navigating you to Mexico... Even if we aren't using the screen it is dangerously distracting because it is constantly glitching. We are out of warranty so the dealer wants us to pay for this repair on our own. We want to see the recall expanded to include 2019 and later model years. According to numerous reports online, I know we are not the only ones. We also have issues with this vehicle's battery draining unusually fast but that is not as critical an issue as this head unit problem.

Public record. Verify by searching #11585135 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Infotainment glitches randomly and makes selections by itself; replacement quoted

2019 OutbackFiled Apr 23, 2024NHTSA #11584803
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment system in my 2019 Subaru Outback glitched/ stops working randomly. I have a video of the touchscreen glitching and making selections betweens apps by itself. Also, I've started having random alerts pop up on the dash, such as: " obstacle ahead" when there is not an obstacle ahead or "roads may be icy" when it is 60 degrees outside. I reported it to Subaru, which they advised me to take it to Crown Subaru to have them take a look at it and they can submit a claim. I took it to the Crown Subaru & when I told them the problem, the lady that helped me stated, " yeah, this is common, I know exactly what your talking about." She then called another employee and told him she needed a quote for a infotainment center that was delaminating and was making selections on it's own. A week later I received a call from Subaru stating they would pay $500 of the bill as a one time goodwill gesture. The quote from Crown Subaru was for $900.

Public record. Verify by searching #11584803 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles block backup camera image in sunlight; head unit randomly jumps between apps

2019 OutbackFiled Apr 18, 2024NHTSA #11583778
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
My complaint is the Outback head unit. This unit has a delaminated surface on the inside of the Outback touch screen. This was explained to me by the service manager, at the local Subaru dealer. The screen looks to have little bubbles inside the touch screen covering 45% of screen. During the daytime the sunlight shining on the screen and the bubbles, blocks the feed from the backup camera when the car is shifted in reverse. The head unit will also bounce the various apps in the unit, in a totally random pattern. From the radio (FM to Am to Sirius), then to the CD player, to car play and the blue tooth app. The head unit has added the navigation into the mix in the last week. The only way to negate this mess is to turn the head unit off while operating the vehicle. After talking with Subaru customer service and the Subaru dealer, my cost to replacement would be $345.90 and Subaru would cover the rest. This was discussed on March 5th. I have tried to get any updates for replacing the head unit and no one from the dealer or Subaru customer service have returned calls or text messages.

Public record. Verify by searching #11583778 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated touchscreen operates on its own, disrupting settings, navigation and infotainment

2019 OutbackFiled Apr 8, 2024NHTSA #11581781
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Touchscreen has delaminated and bubbled, and it begins to operate on its own, and is unresponsive to correction. This affects the Settings, Navigation, and Infotainment systems. At worst, it causes Navigation and Maps to be inoperative at critical times. At best, it is distracting to the driver while trying to get it responsive, back in control. Dealership wants $3K TO REPLACE ENTIRE SCREEN SYSTEM, which is excessive for a new vehicle.

Public record. Verify by searching #11581781 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles behind screen change settings, drop phone navigation, and place calls automatically

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 9, 2024NHTSA #11576402
Safety impactUSB dropoutsGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit is malfunctioning due to bubbles behind the screen, causing various systems to act up. When a phone is plugged in for guidance it will randomly change the settings and guidance goes away. It will automatically call people. Radio stations and music turn on and off, and change by themselves. All of these are distractions while driving, and negate the safety features of the in dash guidance and hands free phone features. This is a continuous problem.

Public record. Verify by searching #11576402 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminating radio screen makes the head unit act on its own; costly replacement quoted

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 9, 2024NHTSA #11576367
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Delamination on radio screen causing head unit to go crazy on its own. Identical issues reported in 2017/2018 models resulting in class suit vs Subaru… at this time Subaru dealership advised Subaru is not addressing the known defective head unit issue and quoting $2000 for replacement which is ridiculous for a 4-5 year old car. Assistance needed to have Subaru issue a recall and take ownership for its defective product.

Public record. Verify by searching #11576367 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Entertainment system restarts and freezes while driving, affecting EyeSight warnings, camera and GPS

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 26, 2024NHTSA #11574094
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the entertainment system randomly restarted without warning, froze, and then became unresponsive. The system was uncontrollable and was transitioning from one program to another independently. The entertainment system affected Eyesight warnings, back up camera, and the GPS. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11574094 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Spotted screen with erratic touch places random calls and hides the backup camera view

2019 LegacyFiled Feb 24, 2024NHTSA #11573750
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Stereo head unit has white spots all over screen. Radio skips stations, calls numbers on my phone when connected to the car, touch screen does not work properly not allowing to turn it on or off or stop random skipping of stations or activity. Unable to see back camera when in reverse due to multiple spots on touchscreen.

Public record. Verify by searching #11573750 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Center screen blacks out and USB phone connection drops, taking Bluetooth and GPS along

2020 OutbackFiled Feb 22, 2024NHTSA #11573273
Safety impactUSB dropoutsBluetoothBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
The automatic lifting of the rear trunk opens as it should, but then will start to close on you out of no where without pushing the close button. It is terrifying because it doesn’t sense a body there. The screen in the center console also will become inaccessible and black out making it impossible to use the touch screen. The usb ports/ connecting to iPhone will disconnect making Bluetooth unavailable. Extremely difficult when needing gps or on the freeway

Public record. Verify by searching #11573273 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Delaminating screen jumps between menus and radio turns on and off by itself

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 21, 2024NHTSA #11573137
Safety impactRebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
My 2019 Subaru outback has a defective screen. The screen has begun to delaminate from the inside and causes the screen to jump around and not be able to stay on one screen. The power button also seems to not be working and is cause the radio to turn on and off. Because of those two issues, the radio screen jumps around and turns off and on, posing a major safety risk. I tried taking the car to the place I bought it and a Subaru dealer, and they will not help financially or with the repair even though they have this issue with other year models of the same car. Picture is attached. Has sense gotten worse.

Public record. Verify by searching #11573137 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Starlink screen reboots with growing frequency, sometimes staying black; software updates failed

2022 OutbackFiled Feb 16, 2024NHTSA #11572403
Black or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Purchased my 2022 Outback Premium March 2022. In less than a year, the Star Link Console was restarting at least once a day. Then it began restarting more frequently. The Subaru Dealership updated the software and the restarts slowed to maybe once every few weeks instead of the 3 to 4 times in 30 minutes. Then the restarts began again. The Subaru Dealership updated the software a 2nd time in less than 9 months. Then the restart began more frequently; again. The 3rd service visit to the Subaru Dealership upgraded the firmware to a newer version. In less than 6 months, the screen is rebooting with more frequency and Eye Sight is causing Subaru to email and text notices of an issue. This is now February 2024, my 4th visit for the same issue. Although, this time is worse. The screen is restarting every 2 to 3 minutes, but the screen won't stay when it shows the logo and the screen is completely black. Now, the electronic driver's controls screen and the Star Link screen ae malfunctioning. It doesn't matter if the vehicle is travelling (any speed) or idle when it restarts or goes completely black. Once the car was turned off for about 1 hour after reaching my destination. I returned to my Outback, started the ignition and it took more than 2 miles for both the black screen to boot up and show any information. Several codes and symbols showed up, but then the screens rebooted again. My 2022 Outback has been at the Subaru Dealership for nearly 7 days and service is informing me that Corporate has to collect digital information to confirm replacement of the Star Link Consoles.

Public record. Verify by searching #11572403 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Head unit has an internal malfunction and needs replacement at owner's cost

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 5, 2024NHTSA #11570010
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
Windshield has been cracked and replaced 3 times and currently has another crack, all within 17 months. Also head unit has internal malfunction and must be replaced at cost of $1700 +/-

Public record. Verify by searching #11570010 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles behind head unit screen cause phantom touches and rapid function switching while driving

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 29, 2024NHTSA #11568557
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit (radio) on my 2019 Subaru Outback began developing "bubbles" behind the touch screen which is causing phantom touches. Without any human interference, the radio will suddenly start switching channels and functions on the radio in a very rapid sequence. When this occurs while driving, it is EXTREMELY distracting for the driver. The only solution is to turn the entire head unit off and go without radio, navigation, nor bluetooth capabilities. Subaru prides itself on safety, and yet Subaru of America seems to not take this issue seriously. I have filed a case with Subaru of America, but they seem satisfied to make customers foot the bills for diagnostic testing, meanwhile the head unit in question is on a backorder and simply not available. Harman Kardon is the maker of the head unit and should be made to pay for the development of a new head unit without serious defects. But if Subaru is truly the company they say there are, then they need to take responsibility as well and provide the replacement of the defective units regardless of warranty status. At first this may appear as a "cosmetic issue," but I can honestly say that my initial experience was so distracting and confusing, and occurred in an area where I was not able to pull over. I consider myself very lucky that I was involved in any kind of accident.

Public record. Verify by searching #11568557 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbling head unit ghost-touches, removes paired devices, and becomes inoperable

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 26, 2024NHTSA #11567986
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The radio receiver is defective as it experiences ghost touches and changes screens by itself while driving. This causes it to change settings, remove paired devices, open apps, change the radio stations, and several other things. As one could imagine, this is a major distraction while driving. I purchased the car working flawlessly in June of 2023. The issues did not arise until after a few hot days happened in FL around August of 2023 and I noticed the screen started to form bubbles. The touch screen is now inoperable so I am unable to change the clock, use navigation, reset maintenance reminders, or use any other built-in functions. Luckily the backup camera still works but can be hard to see in certain lighting. Previous model year Subarus were covered under a class action lawsuit for experiencing similar issues but not 2019. The last time I took my vehicle in for service, the service rep had mentioned they were unable to reset my maintenance reminder due to the touchscreen being unresponsive. I reached out to Subaru of America to ask for assistance in getting it resolved. They offered to pay $1,000 of the over $2,800 repair quote I received from my local Subaru dealer. Since an OEM unit will most likely do the same thing after a period of time, I looked into an aftermarket replacement as well. I was quoted around $1,100 to get a new aftermarket receiver and maintain majority of the factory "creature comforts" like steering wheel controls, backup camera, and vehicle information. I have attached pictures that are from September 2023, December 2023, and January 2024.

Public record. Verify by searching #11567986 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment freezes and locks out controls, including air conditioning in extreme desert heat

2020 OutbackFiled Jan 24, 2024NHTSA #11567463
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
- Infotainment center freezes making controls inaccessible. I live in the desert where temps reach 120+ in the car and not being able to turn on the AC is dangerous. - Windows will not roll up once they are rolled down, especially after it has rained or after washing the car. - Driver side Door Sensor Switch broke. This would keep the interior lights and infotainment center from turning off.

Public record. Verify by searching #11567463 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment screen stopped working, disabling backup camera and navigation; dealer quoted a costly replacement

2021 ForesterFiled Jan 23, 2024NHTSA #11567371
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
My vehicle starlink infotainment system does not work. This is a safety hazard because it prevents drivers from using their back up cameras and this car has many blind spots. This also frustrates drivers and causes distraction as navigation is not available. The screen display abruptly stopped working. I brought my vehicle to the dealer and their solution was to spend $1700 on a new infotainment system. Owners should not have to be paying to utilize safety features marketed for the vehicle they bought. There were no warnings prior to the system breaking.

Public record. Verify by searching #11567371 on NHTSA's 2021 Forester page.

Head unit intermittently fails, including CarPlay, maps, radio and hands-free features

2023 CrosstrekFiled Jan 22, 2024NHTSA #11567105
CarPlay / Android AutoOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
head unit/infotainment works intermittently meaning all the safety features, car play works intermittently the hands free safety features work intermittently also maps and radio all malfunctions intermittently. At 800 miles I have a paint chip on the back of the cars bumper paint bubbling on the rear tail gate I felt this to be a defect in the paint but Subaru disagreed. Subaru sent me an email for an update to correct infotainment problems that I am suppose to do myself didn't say to take it to the dealership. this car only has 2700 miles on it and is still under warranty

Public record. Verify by searching #11567105 on NHTSA's 2023 Crosstrek page.

Touchscreen flickers and changes menus; hands-free calls stick on hold; controls also fail

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 17, 2024NHTSA #11566135
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The touch screen on my head unit no longer works consistently. The screen flickers and changes menus constantly. When making hand's free calls, the call often goes on hold with no way of getting out of hold due to the broken touch screen. The knobs and side buttons also regularly don't work. Need to use the phone to cancel call or get out of hold. This is extremely distracting when driving and has almost caused an accident multiple times.

Public record. Verify by searching #11566135 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment delaminates from outer glass causing ghost operation of the system

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 2, 2024NHTSA #11563060
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
My 2019 Infotainment systems has begun delamination from the outer glass on the back side. It is causing ghost operations of the systems. Access to my safety features are through the system.

Public record. Verify by searching #11563060 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Android Auto and CarPlay drop intermittently, forcing driver to replug the phone mid-drive

2023 ImprezaFiled Dec 17, 2023NHTSA #11560504
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoUSB dropouts
Read the owner's complaint
This Subaru model and most other models I have researched is having connections issues with the infotainment systems, connecting and keeping a connection with Android auto and apple. It's not like just a small annoyance, this is causing me big issues when it does connect to Android auto then it is intermittent causing the driver to take their attention off of the road to unplug replug in the phone then stopping and turning off the car/ restarting phone to try fixing this issue, this have become very distracting iv almost been in multiple accidents trying to get my cars systems to work properly. This is something I have took to the dealership they assured me there was an update coming and told me they would not service my vehicle for this issue, even tho it's still under manufacturers warranty, it has now been 6 months and still no update or fix for the problem that is a serious distraction, some people might say no big deal drive without it, but when u are counting on directions and your map to work then it continues to jump on and off the completely tanks this is a big issue they are ignoring!

Public record. Verify by searching #11560504 on NHTSA's 2023 Impreza page.

Radio scans stations uncontrollably and Bluetooth phone connection drops randomly while driving

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 12, 2023NHTSA #11559796
Safety impactBluetoothOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Starlink system is malfunctioning. The radio spontaneously begins scanning through stations and will not stop even when "scan" icon is pressed or preset station pressed. Also, the bluetooth connectivity to my phone is randomly lost. This has caused distractions while driving and loss of "hands free" features for my phone and is a safety hazard.

Public record. Verify by searching #11559796 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles on touchscreen; radio changes stations, powers on by itself, navigation fails

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 7, 2023NHTSA #11558989
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
2019 Subaru Outback, 3.6R limited, approx. 3.5 years old with around 36000 miles, when I noticed small bubbles forming near the upper right hand corner of the infotainment touch screen. Shortly thereafter, the number of bubbles increased, the radio would change stations on its own, sometimes turn on by itself, and the navigation would not work. Took it to the dealer and was told I would need a new info system at my expense and they were on back order.

Public record. Verify by searching #11558989 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated head unit and GPS inoperable; radio volume jumps and navigation places phantom calls

2019 OutbackFiled Dec 4, 2023NHTSA #11558388
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the head unit had delaminated, and the GPS unit was inoperable. The contact stated that the radio volume increased to high independently. Additionally, the GPS made phantom calls. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the GPS unit was delaminated and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the part was on backorder. The manufacturer was contacted and offered to assist with the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11558388 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment screen goes blank while driving at night; EyeSight, navigation and climate control lost

2021 OutbackFiled Dec 1, 2023NHTSA #11557970
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
My vehicle is equipped with EYESIGHT. I was driving to my home after work at night and suddenly the infotainment system screen went blank; including Braking Assist, Adaptive Cruise control, Lane assist, Emergency Braking etc including Navigation, also the HVAC shut off and EYESIGHT that controls these as well, shut off. It was suffocating in the car due to no A/C and thusf I tried to pull over at a remote text-stop place and tried restarting the car but in vain. All screens were dark, no warm air, I couldn’t see what direction I was driving to, as well as I solely relied on navigation. I brought this car for it’s safety features and warmth in this cold temperature in UPSTATE NY and this happened. I waited for 20 mins, charged my phone for only 4-5% with a fellow citizen who was waiting there as well and checked online just to see a lot of people reported the same issue with 2021 Subarus with EYESIGHT. And there is NO way one can fix it. I tried contacting the dealer but in vain. I am afraid that if this would happen again, I wouldn’t be in a situation to face this scary experience.

Public record. Verify by searching #11557970 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Infotainment is glitchy: blank screen at boot, failures to load, heavy lag and freezing

2021 OutbackFiled Nov 29, 2023NHTSA #11557430
Black or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
I have experienced premature rear brake wear and excessive tire wear. Issues with infotainment system and pre-collision braking system. (1) Regarding Tires: Performed all dealer recommended tire rotations and aligned vehicle when recommended. Needed new tires at 31,169 miles. Tires showed excessive inside wear. Bought new tires from a 3rd party shop and had alignment done with hunter alignment system. Showed rear right camber at -2.0. Subaru recommends -1.8 to 0.3. Rear camber is not adjustable on this model. Took vehicle back to dealer for brake job and they said camber was fine...there is a spec for a reason. Did not want to attempt to bring it in spec with aftermarket kits (i.e. adjustable cam bolt) or fix under warranty. (2) Regarding Brakes: Needed new brakes at 31,169 miles. Not covered under warranty and not what I would consider typical wear based on my driving style and my past experience with Subaru vehicles. If this is an expected side affect of the EBD system I would highly recommend Subaru consider ways of improving brake life on their vehicles. (3) I have the Onyx XT trim with navigation. Infotainment system is constantly glitchy. Examples include booting with blank black screen, failing to load, excessive lag while operating system or will freeze and beep repeatedly while buffing a menu selection. Also, had my car battery replaced under warranty within the first two years due to a bad battery. (4) Issues with ADAS system, specifically pre-collision breaking. This system is extremely sensitive and will over-react / take control in certain situations where I didn't need it to even when I was in the process of braking. Have had this system activate on the highway at high speeds while switching lanes on the highway or when having a vehicle merge quickly into my lane in front of me. Constantly, have to turn off this system which is a chore as this system is defaulted to always being on. Do not feel safe driving with this system on.

Public record. Verify by searching #11557430 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Delaminating screen blocks the reverse view and the paired phone places calls itself

2019 LegacyFiled Nov 24, 2023NHTSA #11556680
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The "infotainment system" screen is delaminating. I can not see my surroundings when in reverse. The system is paired with my mobile telephone and randomly calls persons in my contact list without my requesting it do so. The radio can not be turned off and it consistently makes noises as if it is attempting to scan different radio stations. These defects first appeared at 34,000 miles, well below the 36,000 mile warranty period.

Public record. Verify by searching #11556680 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Radio system frequently resets

2020 AscentFiled Nov 1, 2023NHTSA #11552981
Rebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Reporting a serious incident with my 2020 Subaru Ascent at 21k miles. On October 16th, a burning plastic smell and white smoke from the floorboard forced an immediate stop; I had to call the fire department for safety. The vehicle's battery has been replaced thrice, and the radio system frequently resets. Despite a Subaru recall fix in February meant to prevent such issues, the problem persists, raising major safety concerns. With 20+ years in electrical engineering, I've noted consistent electrical issues with this car. I urgently request NHTSA intervention for an immediate and thorough investigation, holding Subaru accountable for ensuring vehicle safety.

Public record. Verify by searching #11552981 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Ghost touches change sources, shut off or reboot the system, and distract the driver

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 27, 2023NHTSA #11552248
Safety impactRebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Defective Infotainment System. There is a known issue with the touchscreen Starlink system that can experience the dynamic or phantom input, i.e. a “ghost touch” that causes the system to change sources, shut off, reboot, or work intermittently or not at all. Even when the input does not change, the system emits the audible beep sound as if changes are being selecting via the touch screen. The distraction resulted in me taking my eyes off the road. The touch screen has ghost blobs or prints on the underside of the touch screen. Reported the issue to Subaru of America, who was already aware of the issue; they have received complaints for 2019-2023 models. The same issue was resolved via a class action suit for previous models.

Public record. Verify by searching #11552248 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated head unit ghost-touches, beeps uncontrollably, and intermittently disables backup camera

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 22, 2023NHTSA #11551233
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
I previously reported the deteriorating state of my head unit (which controls all features relating to the screen in my vehicle--including the backup camera). The head unit spontaneously "delaminated" in early August and now has a persistent "ghost touch" that has escalated to the point that the car now rapidly cycles through screen movements and features--all while making a persistent beeping noise that cannot be turned off (even if you adjust the volume knob down to zero). This is distracting beyond belief, and renders the car virtually undriveable. This is known issue to Subaru, and a class action lawsuit has been filed, but they appear to want to wait to see if they lawsuit is successful before they rectify the issue with owners. They have told me repairs would run close to 4k and the parts to fix the car are backordered for over a year. In the meantime, the car essentially cannot be driven, as loud and random beeping coupled with a constantly zooming and moving screen is highly distracting. The backup camera is also intermittently affected by the screen's delamination, rendering it unuseable.

Public record. Verify by searching #11551233 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio jumps stations with beeps, ignores CarPlay and screen does not respond to touch

2019 LegacyFiled Oct 19, 2023NHTSA #11550903
Safety impactCarPlay / Android Auto
Read the owner's complaint
The radio, which is also impacts screen, is defective. It is available for examination. The radio jumps stations with beeps, the sound can’t be eliminated by turning down the volume. It indiscriminately jumps from satellite to FM. It will hold a station for a while but then it jumps around. I get a few seconds of a music or talk station and then it jumps. It is a safety hazard since the beeps distracts the driver. It doesn’t recognize AppleCarPlay that is used for GPS navigation. The screen when it manages to show the menu, does not respond to touch so you can’t use GPS or access other vehicle processes such as clock, brightness, etc. I can’t use the phone for navigation while charging only seeing turn-by-turn directions, no map. The dealer has ordered a replacement radio but it is back ordered. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than Dan Perkins Subaru in Milford, CT. No warning indicator, it just started exhibiting the jump problem. The experience started gradually and would go back to working order. It got worse over several months, first appearing 7 months ago. Internet search shows this is an issue with several Subaru models and years.

Public record. Verify by searching #11550903 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Delaminating head unit presses buttons and calls contacts itself; replacement on indefinite backorder

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 18, 2023NHTSA #11550705
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Failing and malfunctioning head unit. This is a known problem with Subaru Outbacks. The inside is delaminating causing bubbles inside screen. The touch screen thinks you are touching it so it will skip stations, press all kinds of buttons on the menu screen, and even call contacts on your phone. I had to shut the radio off completely to a black screen as it’s dangerous while driving. I’ve been waiting almost a year for a replacement with no ETA from Subaru, told on “indefinite back order”. I paid the car off intending to keep it many years and purchased an extended warranty that is useless.

Public record. Verify by searching #11550705 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

EyeSight shut off without warning; rebooting the touchscreen restored it

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 10, 2023NHTSA #11549264
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
This is known issue with the electrical system that is associated with the touch screen controls. Without any driver input, the EyeSight driver assist system was shutoff. That system controls adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, and lane departure features. Rebooting the Starlink touch screen restored those functions. The safety issue is that no audible warning gave indication that the safety features were disabled. Two icons appeared on the dash. There appears to be a class action suit that applies to the Starlink system for my model year. It is important to understand that this more than merely a problem with the entertainment features.

Public record. Verify by searching #11549264 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio and screen system stops working, leaving no access to safety features

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 5, 2023NHTSA #11548364
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
My battery died and I replaced it. Suddenly my radio/screen system started to malfunction. It no longer works at all other than interrupting phone calls by switching from car to phone speaker. I have no access to any safety features. Now my brand new battery of one month isn’t working. When I had an oil change at the dealership last month, they were familiar with the issue but stated there was a recall on the exact issue for a different year. They said I’d have to pay $1000 for a new radio interface. My question is why is the radio/screen and the battery failing at the same time? Why is there a recall one year off and my car is costing me a fortune and so much time.

Public record. Verify by searching #11548364 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated head unit gives ghost touches, unreliable backup camera and random Bluetooth calls

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 28, 2023NHTSA #11547191
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
On July 28th, my touch screen (head unit) in my Subaru Outback suddenly delaminated overnight. From that point foward, all systems connected to the head unit have been either unusable or intermittent--often dangerously so. My backup camera and blind spot indicators are randomly unusable; the GPS system turns itself on and off in use (and half the time, screen itself cycles through "ghost touches" and is unable to be directed in any way); my car calls random people through the Bluetooth system while driving, which is a major distraction, and Starlink is unusable. Internet searching has revealed a proposed class action lawsuit against Subaru for the known issues with their head units; the 2018 models were recalled, but as mine is a 2019, I have been told I'm ineligible for support with repairs and would need to pay 3k out of pocket. I can't sell the car with the level of defects it currently has, and driving the vehicle is at best irritating and at worst, dangerous (depending on how the head unit behaves that day). I purchased this car because I wanted to have a backup camera, blind spot indicators, access to GPS support, and more.

Public record. Verify by searching #11547191 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Touch screen blanks on a long drive with EyeSight, leaving A/C and navigation uncontrollable

2021 OutbackFiled Sep 27, 2023NHTSA #11546909
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
Eyesight driver assist went out rendering safety features inoperable. Touch screen also blanked out so unable to adjust a/c, navigation,radio etc. Car had been on long distance all hiway drive and at 7 hours systems failed. Weather was in the 60s, overcast and it was in the afternoon. Pulled into rest stop and turned engine off then restarted but still failed. Drove 2 more hours and next rest stop systems came back after letting car sit off for 10+ minutes.

Public record. Verify by searching #11546909 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Head unit freezes, ghost-inputs, beeps constantly, loses backup camera and disturbs EyeSight

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 25, 2023NHTSA #11546313
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Radio Headunit -- Freezes and has ghost inputs. Makes the unit unusable- no backup camera. Flashes and beeps constantly. You can not mute it or stop it. It seems to also cause the "Eyesight" to not behave normally

Public record. Verify by searching #11546313 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbling touchscreen changes displays by itself and distorts the rear camera image

2019 LegacyFiled Sep 20, 2023NHTSA #11545633
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Touch screen driver information system has random display and audible warnings. Audio and navigation display cannot be controlled and does random radio channels and map displays. The screen developed bubbles under the front panel that appears to activate the touch sensor for the display. This condition is very distracting to the driver and might cause unsafe vehicle operation. The display changing and beeping during driving causes an unsafe situation. It also impacts the ability to use and see the rear view camera as the display is distorted due to the delamination/bubbles. This problem was identified by many Subaru Legacy and Outback owners in 2018 which led to a recall and warranty extension for repairs. The radio/nav display is manufactured by Harmon. It was widely reported in 2019 and the problem persists. Subaru contends that the display bubbles are caused by liquid contamination of the display, but this has not occurred in our vehicle, and dealers will not accept responsibility for the defective displays.

Public record. Verify by searching #11545633 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Bubbles behind screen cause phantom button presses that interrupt the driver

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 14, 2023NHTSA #11544535
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The screen has bubbles form behind it from condensation and causes it to phantom press buttons. It will interrupt any activity you do it's is very distracting and dangerousfor equipped to fail when it is a known issue.

Public record. Verify by searching #11544535 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles behind screen cause self-pressed buttons and interrupt navigation; owner nearly crashed

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 12, 2023NHTSA #11544177
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The screen gets has bubbles form behind it from condensation and causes it to flash and click buttons on its own. It will interrupt maps while navigating, is very distracting, and dangerous to have this radio equipped when it is a known issue. I have almost crashed because of this.

Public record. Verify by searching #11544177 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit buzzes, freezes and resets during CarPlay; navigation disappears while driving

2022 AscentFiled Aug 29, 2023NHTSA #11541506
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
CVT issues. Shuddering of transmission (acts like it's slipping), either on slight incline or even flat road. Delayed acceleration when needed, feels unsafe if I ever need to avoid a situation by accelerating. At least 2 occurrences when car shut off due to transmission lurching (while driving). This issue has been happening from purchase. The head unit continues to buzz, freeze, and reset itself during carplay (known issue with the software). Have been told an update is coming, but it never does. The concern is navigation disappearing when driving and not returning, making it unsafe to operate vehicle and phone at the same time. This issue has been happening from purchase.

Public record. Verify by searching #11541506 on NHTSA's 2022 Ascent page.

Infotainment switches screens, plays random songs, and makes unstoppable calls on highway

2019 OutbackFiled Aug 20, 2023NHTSA #11539662
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment system suddenly started playing random songs, started switching from maps to music, going through stations on the radio etc..escalated to not accepting any touch commands and totally took over doing its own thing like making random phone calls, etc which I could not stop because it won’t accept touch commands. My husband thought I was in an accident because it kept calling him as I was driving on the highway and I couldn’t stop it from calling him and I also couldn’t answer it. Very dangerous as it gets loud at various times and suddenly will make a beep beep beep sound like it would if you were scrolling through stations. The service manager said this is a known issue in these cars and said it’s coming from behind the screen. He said we can try to turn it off by pushing the volume and station buttons at the same time but this only works for a few minutes then turns back on. He said the fix is like $2200 and everything is on back order so we are looking at months. His advice was to go to Best Buy and get a new radio. This is a $39,000 car with 32000 miles on it…but we followed his suggestion anyway and went to Best Buy and they said no way can they can do it because of the amplifier in the car. They said a new radio would not connect to the amplifier and Harman Kardon speakers and said it would be about $6000 to replace all of that.

Public record. Verify by searching #11539662 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio turns on and off repeatedly and does not work

2019 AscentFiled Aug 5, 2023NHTSA #11536691
Rebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The radio started turning on and off repeatedly and does not work. The back door will not open using any of the buttons.

Public record. Verify by searching #11536691 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Infotainment lags, freezes and crashes with CarPlay over USB, disabling EyeSight and A/C control

2022 OutbackFiled Aug 4, 2023NHTSA #11536503
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoUSB dropoutsBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
I've experienced problems with the center Infotainment screen about 2 months after purchasing a 2022 Outback Wilderness edition. It seems to happen when I use Apple CarPlay (as this is the only way I listen to music and must plug in my phone using the USB to start CarPlay). The Infotainment screen has a long lag time to respond to clicks on the center screen, will freeze, and crash the system suddenly. The most extreme effect of this is that when the Infotainment screen crashes/freezes, the EyeSight safety features of the car such as Lane Keeping Assistance, Blind Spot Warning, Forward Crash Warning also stop working. I'll see all of the dashboard signals and notifications on the dashboard screen indicating the features are disabled. Additionally, I'm unable to control the AC when the screen crash happens. This happens while the vehicle is in operation and the vehicle user manual doesn't provide any troubleshoot options. Sometimes the screen will remain on after I've turned the car off. I can only hope the screen will shut off and restart after I've completely shut the car off to "fix this". There have been many times I've had to keep driving without the Eyesight safety features or AC when the screen crashes. I've tried to update the Infotainment screen myself with the supposedly "over the air" updates Subaru offers. It says my system is up to date even though I've found online Subaru service bulletins saying there are new software versions released. At my first six month dealer service, I asked about released updates and the service manager denied the newest updates can be installed on my car (which is STILL less than a year old). I brought my vehicle to another subaru dealership with this issue and they said they are aware of it. The service manager also said that the software update only fixes about 20% of vehicles that have this issue and a full replacement of the center screen unit is likely needed. Why has the NHTSA not directed Subaru to issue a recall?

Public record. Verify by searching #11536503 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Center and instrument displays repeatedly fail, losing climate, defroster and safety features

2022 OutbackFiled Aug 1, 2023NHTSA #11535689
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
8/1/23 - the Electronic center console display as well as the display behind the steering wheel continually fails. The center console controls all electronics such as defroster, heater, and of the advance safety features. The display behind the steering wheel controls the odometer, speed etc. The inability to control any vehicle functions is a huge safety risk. For example, the defroster can not be accessed not controlled. If you had an immediate need for this, you would have to stop driving immediately. No advanced safety features can be accessed, you have no idea of your speed, the list goes on. We have brought the car in twice and had a software update but the problem persists. We left the car for a week and were told it was fine but the next day the issue persisted. The display screen will come and go which is completely unacceptable from a safety standpoint. The Subaru forums seem to indicate this is a widespread problem that Subaru has yet to address or come up with a viable solution. We have the records to back up all of these assertions as well as video of the failures of the display screen once returned to us.

Public record. Verify by searching #11535689 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Infotainment flashes, changes stations, drops Bluetooth calls, stops maps and eventually locks up

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 20, 2023NHTSA #11533533
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
At roughly 57k miles, the infotainment system in my Subaru outback started flashing rapidly, thinking something was touching the top right corner of the screen. It changes the radio stations interrupts phone calls by transferring them off of the Bluetooth system, affects the navigation system by stopping the map, and eventually locks itself up and because unusable. Not only is this distracting to the driver, but it questions the integrity of all of the computer systems in the vehicle, including the Subaru EYESIGHT.

Public record. Verify by searching #11533533 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated head unit gives phantom inputs and constant sounds; bubbles obscure backup camera

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 19, 2023NHTSA #11533242
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit of the vehicle is experiencing delamination which is causing "phantom inputs" where the screen registers touches on without any user input. This causes constant audio sound effects to be played which causes driver distraction. The only way to resolve this is to turn off the head unit completely. The delamination also causes "bubbles" to appear on the touch screen interface which renders the backup camera near inoperable due to the video from the backup camera being obstructed; this effect is further compounded in sunny conditions since the "bubbles" exacerbate the glare. Subaru is aware of the problem and has issued a warranty for the 2018 model year vehicles as outlined in Service Bulletin 15-263-20. However, Subaru has failed to correct the problem in subsequent model years.

Public record. Verify by searching #11533242 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminating screen registers constant phantom touches, affects backup camera, and turns itself back on

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 16, 2023NHTSA #11532585
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
"Infotainment" touch screen in front dashboard delaminating. What can be described as bubbles or splotches, sponaneously appear, and cause system to constantly register touches. Depending on location of "bubble(s)" highly dangerous and scary as system can randomly navigate, call, play music, etc. as if possessed by a ghost. Back up camera affected too. Anything which is attached to display can seemingly randomly switch, turn off, turn on, etc. Seems to be worse in hot weather. Can not turn off 'infotainment" panel/screen because system turns itself back on (as if registering the touch by a user).

Public record. Verify by searching #11532585 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment constantly cycles through radio stations and apps and cannot be turned off

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 13, 2023NHTSA #11532047
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment center is consistently cycling through radio stations and apps. Driving down the road you see this consistent blinking as it cycles through. Cannot not turn the unit off. Tentative date is November 2023 for the unit to be replaced. 10 months from start of problem that has gotten progressively worse.

Public record. Verify by searching #11532047 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Center console, HVAC, radio and driver-assist go inoperative for about ten minutes

2021 OutbackFiled Jun 23, 2023NHTSA #11528573
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Yet to be diagnosed but possibly the cockpit control computer. Dealer service department has not been able to diagnose. No components have been replaced yet except for a software update that did not correct the issue. Safety systems all report as not functioning, These include all "eyesight systems";the air bags, automatic emergency braking, lane departure and lane keeping. Additionally all center console functions are not functional, including HVAC and radio. The vehicle has been to the dealer twice where the problem could not be reproduced. No other inspection has been performed. No warnings or other messages appear prior to the failure. The failure persists for approximately 10 minutes, after which normal operation resumes. I write this following the fourth occurrence of the failure.

Public record. Verify by searching #11528573 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Multimedia and driver displays go black; cruise control and EyeSight shut off, then reboot

2020 OutbackFiled Jun 7, 2023NHTSA #11525777
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
While driving my Subaru Outback, I encounter a problem where the Starlink Multimedia system abruptly goes black. Shortly after, the driver information center also goes black. Although the car continues to run, the cruise control, if engaged, and the EyeSight safety system shuts off as well. Both systems then undergo a reboot.

Public record. Verify by searching #11525777 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Information screen frequently freezes, locking out radio and heating and air controls

2022 OutbackFiled Jun 3, 2023NHTSA #11525148
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
1. Vehicle doesn’t start when sitting just for a couple of days. Battery isn’t dead as lights, radio, etc work. The vehicle will start if jumped. Happened last year and was in and out of the dealership 3 times with this issue. They replaced the battery, but issue still persisted. They ended up doing a “software update “ which seemed to fix the issue. But just a year later I’m having a very similar issue with the vehicle not starting. This vehicle only has 14,000 miles on it. Do their batteries only last 1 year/ 7l miles? 2. The information screen freezes quite a bit we’re you’re not able to control the radio, air/heat etc. there seems to be electrical issues with this vehicle.

Public record. Verify by searching #11525148 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Infotainment system reboots continuously, leaving the backup camera unusable

2019 ForesterFiled May 30, 2023NHTSA #11524377
Safety impactRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The Starlink Infotainment system started to continually reboot despite any attempts to reset it. With the car shut off, the CD player began continuously spinning up then winding down. This drained the battery. I had to pull a fuse labeled BACKUP to prevent this from happening. This has rendered the backup camera unusable.

Public record. Verify by searching #11524377 on NHTSA's 2019 Forester page.

Head unit locks up and reboots with CarPlay, disabling driver assists, camera and HVAC

2020 LegacyFiled May 6, 2023NHTSA #11520756
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Center console/head unit will regularly lock up and eventually reboot when Apple CarPlay is in use, cruise control, lane keep will turn off, and car will warn that ADAS is not available, backup camera does not work during this time. HVAC controls are not accessible during this time as well

Public record. Verify by searching #11520756 on NHTSA's 2020 Legacy page.

Radio and navigation display flashes on and off and is inoperable; parts unavailable

2019 OutbackFiled Apr 30, 2023NHTSA #11519710
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Display screen for radio, navigation, status has failed and is flashing on/off. Radio, navigation and other functions are not operable. First occurred in Fall 2022, dealer examined and diagnosed in Jan 2023. Repair replacement parts are indefinitely unavailable. There is not a committed schedule to repair/replace. This appears to be a widespread problem/defect with no known schedule to deliver parts for repair. The result is a vehicle that is dangerous to drive at night with flashing lights at this display panel. I write about this to add to the field of data and information about this problem with this model vehicle. Any assistance in expediting manufacturers attention to this is appreciated

Public record. Verify by searching #11519710 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Delaminated screen gives random touches, foggy rear camera, and prevents phone pairing

2019 OutbackFiled Apr 24, 2023NHTSA #11518765
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
My car which is a 2019 Subaru ourback started having main computer display showing bubbles which then started randomly activating a touch and activating different menus of the car July of 2022. This pretty much renders the the main computer display useless which controls many of the car controls, through which the rear view camera is displayed and through which the phone connects for hands free calling. Because of the random touches, we can no longer pair a phone with the car as it would randomly call people due to the random activation of the touch sensors on the car. After researching this, I found out that this is called delamination and has been affecting all prior model years for which, apparently there is a nation al recall up to but not including my year car. I went to the Subaru dealer ship who informed me that up to a 1/3 of the cars they are seeing are there for the same reason. They asked me to contact the Subaru of America. After multiple visits to the dealership and the dealership sending pictures to the Subaru of America, I got an Email with a voucher for 1200$ towards replacement of the computer system. The problem is that I have been waiting since October of 2022 with a defective computer and there are no parts available for repair. Subaru can not even tell me when they may have a part and there is not intention of even giving a timeline. I am now driving a card who's computer is constantly activating touches which is one very distracting and is not doing any of the function that it is supposed to. The rear view camera is as if I was looking though fog and limits visibility. Doing a google search proves that this is a widespread problem. I am contacting you for help in resolving this issue and possible helping others with the same issue please.

Public record. Verify by searching #11518765 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment screen goes blank; dealer visit did not stop it

2021 OutbackFiled Apr 18, 2023NHTSA #11517712
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment screen goes blank. It has been addressed at dealership but still happens.

Public record. Verify by searching #11517712 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Delaminated touchscreen unit disables backup camera and dropped an emergency call

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 29, 2023NHTSA #11514412
Safety impactBluetoothBackup camera lostOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Touchscreen control head has delaminated making the unit disfunctional. When reporting an injury accident to 911 the defect on the controlhead unit disconnected my 911 call for help without an input from me. The manufacturing defect of the screen has rendered the back-up camera useless. This is the same issue that occured with the 2018 models. Both the dealership and Subaru of America (SOA) are aware of the associated safety issues and have refused to correct the defective equipment. Both the dealership and SOA agree that this is unsafe and needed to be replaced. The milage at time of occurance was 76,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11514412 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Navigation system fails to operate properly amid other electrical faults; part backordered

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 28, 2023NHTSA #11514141
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the Navigation System failed to operate as needed. The instrument panel failed to illuminate properly. The contact stated that he attempted to turn off the vehicle; however, the push to start failed to operate. Additionally, when the contact attempted to lock the vehicle using the key fob, the vehicle failed to lock, and the alarm failed to engage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle was inspected; however, the part to do the repair was on backorder. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60.

Public record. Verify by searching #11514141 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbles under radio screen cause constant station and map changes and random Bluetooth calls

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 17, 2023NHTSA #11512477
BluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
My radio and navigation screen started getting bubbles under the screen. Now the screen goes crazy constantly changing radio stations and changing information on maps. The screen is suppose to be a touch screen and nothing works. It randomly calls people if you're connected to Bluetooth, changes to different apps, goes to different destinations on maps and changes setting features.

Public record. Verify by searching #11512477 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Bubbling screen causes phantom touches, dim camera view, freezes and reboots with CarPlay

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 5, 2023NHTSA #11510267
CarPlay / Android AutoBluetoothBlack or frozen screenRebootingGhost touch / bubblingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Screen of Harman Kardon stereo developed bubbling that at first only impaired visibility of the display. Visibility of the backup camera video became reduced as the bubbling progressed. Soon the unit began experiencing electrical issues like not responding when the screen was pressed or acting like it had been pressed when it had not. Trying to use Apple CarPlay will occasionally result in the entire system freezing the rebooting. Audio using Bluetooth connections will skip. I took the car to the dealership and they confirmed they have seen this issue multiple times before and the screen may be overheating and shorting out.

Public record. Verify by searching #11510267 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Peeling radio screen flashes, beeps, navigates menus and resets itself while driving

2019 OutbackFiled Mar 2, 2023NHTSA #11509864
Safety impactRebootingGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
In November 2022, I reported my radio unit was faulty due to a peeling covering for the radio. The resulting problems includes: flashing screen, continual beeping, self-navigating menu changes, making phone calls, sending messages, etc. I was told in early Nov it would 10 days before a radio would be available. In early December I called the dealership to inquire of the progress, now overdue. I was told it would be 10 days again and the representative told me he was going to re-roder it. In early January 2023 the radio began to flash, beep, and self-navigate menus including factory resetting itself while in operation. The covering at this point was peeling more. Explaining that it was no inoperable and was being covered with paper to avoid distraction while driving though the beeping was still happening. I called the dealership to inquire and was told no radio replacement was available and to call Subaru direct with my issues. I called Subaru directly and was told a radio replacement would be available in 10 days and to call back if I didn't hear from them. I called back with no response. I called several more times with no response. In early February 2023, I called an opened another case but was re-routed to the original case and was told radios were being replaced for orders in late October/early November and mine would likely be available soon and to call back in a few days if I did not hear back. I called several times without a response. The radio is flashing, beeping, self-navigating menus, turning on, turning off, turning on the radio, changing stations and volume while in motion making driving unsafe.

Public record. Verify by searching #11509864 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

CarPlay navigation display on main panel goes blank for seconds whenever volume is adjusted

2019 CrosstrekFiled Feb 9, 2023NHTSA #11506394
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
The main information panel which displays navigation information under Carplay goes blank for approximately 5 seconds every time the user adjusts the car volume. This appears to be by design. The "feature" creates an unsafe driving situation by forcing the driver's attention to linger on the main panel waiting for navigational or other information, creating an unsafe situation which could cause an accident. In addition, though less threatening, the vehicle's audio volume turns on when the car is started, regardless of whether it was last left off or on. The unexpected volume sound interferes with a driver's initial planning and focus in the vehicle unnecessarily. This unfortunate "feature" is less threatening than the screen blanking resulting from volume adjustment because it occurs before the car begins moving. The volume control screen blanking creates a hazard because it interferes with the driver's access to important information while the vehicle is in motion, tempting the driver to take their eyes off the road waiting for the main screen to once again resume normal operation.

Public record. Verify by searching #11506394 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Infotainment screen periodically goes blank while radio sound plays, disabling EyeSight camera

2022 WRXFiled Feb 5, 2023NHTSA #11505655
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Infotaiment system goes to a blank screen periodicaly. Sound frm radio works but screen is balnk, no way to reset. Wifi updates are up to date. Whenthis happens it disables the eye sight camera causes a safety concern with automatic branking/collision. When the car sits overnight, then the next day it seems to go back to normal. This has happened 4 times already in the 2 months I have oened this vechicle.

Public record. Verify by searching #11505655 on NHTSA's 2022 WRX page.

Navigation unit ghost-touches while driving and calls contacts automatically when phone connected

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 19, 2023NHTSA #11502620
Safety impactBluetoothGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
I have a 2019 Subaru Outback. The Navigation unit is having Ghost touches making it impossible to focus while driving the car. The Unit Ghost touches every button on the screen while driving and when a mobile device is connected it automatically makes calls to the contacts with the Ghost touches. Many users have reported these issues.

Public record. Verify by searching #11502620 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment screen flashes with odd sounds; navigation and Bluetooth malfunction; replacement backordered

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 18, 2023NHTSA #11502417
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, or while the vehicle was parked, the Infotainment system and screen made abnormal sounds with the screen flashing. The contact stated that the Navigation and Bluetooth also malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a malfunctioning audio unit that needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the repairs were not completed because the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000. The contact stated that the failure mileage was actually 43,000. The issue with the display causes a distraction while driving. The dealer was contacted several times but with no remedy. The dealer only states that they are waiting for the parts but has no provided an ETA.

Public record. Verify by searching #11502417 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Electronic screen flashed then went black; navigation unreliable, screen and radio cut out

2020 OutbackFiled Jan 17, 2023NHTSA #11502235
Black or frozen screenAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
On Dec. 20, 2022, my Outback totally stopped working while sitting at a red light, causing traffic to be forced to maneuver around my car. A kind policeman put out flares until the tow truck arrived. I could not shift into park, nothing electric would work, except the radio continued to play and the flashers worked until it all died. I could not turn the radio off and the seat would not adjust. The electronic screen flashed on and off until it went totally black, after about an hour. This vehicle only has about 21,000 miles on it and was under warranty until 3 weeks prior to the incident. Every time I took it to the dealership, I explained that the electronics had glitches. They always said it was fixed but it never was right. The TomTom navigation system was totally unreliable from day one; the screen went blank and the radio would not work at all, as well as all the screen functions, without warning. The screen would read out that I should keep my hands on the wheel, although both hands were on the wheel. Over and over it had problems which were not resolved.

Public record. Verify by searching #11502235 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment screen goes black with loud noise while CarPlay is connected, repeatedly since purchase

2022 ForesterFiled Jan 13, 2023NHTSA #11501719
CarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
2 incidents. First day we took car home the vehicle infotainment system failed while phone was connected to Apple CarPlay. Screen went black and there was a loud noise like interference. Has happened repeatedly since, supposedly due to needing a firmware update but it’s been a well documented problem in Subaru automobiles for several years and the manufacturer has done nothing to alleviate the flaw. Second incident involves the windshield cracking in the lower driver side with no apparent cause from anything striking the windshield. Again, this is a well documented issue and there are several complaints on nhtsa.gov from other unhappy customers

Public record. Verify by searching #11501719 on NHTSA's 2022 Forester page.

Infotainment powers off randomly and CarPlay sometimes fails to connect; radio replaced earlier

2019 CrosstrekFiled Jan 9, 2023NHTSA #11500856
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoRebootingOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The screen display with the oil temp gauge and water temp gauge will randomly turn off while driving as well as sometimes it will not turn on immediately when the car turns on. I have brought this to the dealers attention and nothing has been done, there has been no warning lights on the dash illuminated. This has been going on randomly for the last 6 months. Another issue is that when the bluetooth or carplay is inuse and there is a call in progress the digital speed display is blocked by a screen that says call in progress. This is very dangerous that the digital speed display is blocked when bluetooth or car play is used to make calls. This has many times resulted in me speeding as the speedometer on the car is marked well with tick marks for how big the arm is that tells you how fast you’re going. There is no reason subaru should block the digital speed display. The infotainment system powers off randomly, changes the radio station on its own, and changes the volume on its own. This started in 2019 when I got the car and the issue was observed by the dealer and the radio was replaced. However now that the radio was replaced in 2019 or 2020 the radio has been recently not turning on when the car is started, shutting off in the middle of the drive, and sometimes not even connecting to carplay to use navigation. Subaru won't help me anymore or even look at the car now for this concern without charging an insane diagnostic fee (which is wrong to charge for safety concerns)

Public record. Verify by searching #11500856 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Radio unit cycles through channels by itself; update did not help, replacement backordered

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 9, 2023NHTSA #11500812
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
With less than 7000 miles on the odometer, our Outback2019 radio system component started to malfunction and rotate thru channels. Sheehy Subaru of Springfield performed system update, but no change. The entire component was ordered but is now on back order. It is now almost 4 months and we don't trust other possible related components of the system (e.g., GPS) to function properly to feel safe driving this vehicle.

Public record. Verify by searching #11500812 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Head unit, defroster and safety features lose power while driving, then restart

2020 OutbackFiled Jan 5, 2023NHTSA #11500343
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Multiple issues are with the electric system. The power windows will stop working up or down, the headunit/defroster/safety features will all lose power while driving before starting up again, the rear gate will sometimes not function. Some issues have occurred where some of the added safety features don't seem to always function as well. In the last month both passenger side windows have cracked. The front is cracked vertically and the rear is cracked horizontally, nearly the length of the window. Living in Alaska, cold weather is not foreign and all care is taken to ensure the integrity of the glass is preserved. I am not sure how/why these windows cracked, it was during a period of cold around December 14, 2022. I did a little Googling and this doesn't seem to be a totally unheard of problem. Losing your window definitely compromises safety, as well as the fact that if it is -40F and you lose a window.

Public record. Verify by searching #11500343 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Stereo and infotainment go blank, cutting access to safety features and climate controls

2022 OutbackFiled Dec 17, 2022NHTSA #11497833
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
Subarus forward looking eyesight and rear auto braking functions will stop working periodically also the stereo/infotainment system will go blank causing you to no longer access the the safety features of the car or any controls for the heating/AC system.

Public record. Verify by searching #11497833 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Electronics reset while driving; infotainment goes blank and EyeSight shows reboot screen for seconds

2022 OutbackFiled Dec 1, 2022NHTSA #11495686
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The entire electronics system resets while driving, all driving metrics, speed, eye-sight/collision detection shows reboot screen, and infotainment system goes blank for several seconds. It would appear that none of this vehicles safety systems or speed indicators are online for several seconds up to 20 at times. I have tried to catch this on camera, but since I am the sole driver of this vehicle, I am rarely in a position to safely operate my phone. It has been going on since I purchased the vehicle, but I am seeing more and more posts with other drivers and the same issue.

Public record. Verify by searching #11495686 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Delaminating navigation screen makes phantom touches and random calls, sometimes ignoring all input

2019 OutbackFiled Nov 6, 2022NHTSA #11492518
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Navigation screen is delaminating and bubbling under the touch screen. It would cause navigation touch screen to detect phantom inputs and cause radio/telephone to do random actions (ie. calling random people, cycle radio stations, map zoom in) that is very distracting to driver. Screen would be completely unresponsive to touch input or button input.

Public record. Verify by searching #11492518 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Audio unit makes random tones, switches sources and places calls itself; replacement backordered

2019 OutbackFiled Nov 5, 2022NHTSA #11492438
Safety impactGhost touch / bubblingOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The audio unit is malfunctioning, it constantly makes distracting intermittent tone sounds, continuously flashes and changes between AM, FM, Sirius and Bluetooth modes, makes random autonomous phone calls, touchscreen doesn't respond to touch, sound will randomly spike at high volumes. All of this makes it extremely distracting to safely drive the car. This has been happening since last June 2022. We leased this vehicle new then purchased it when the lease was expired. Diablo Subaru in Walnut Creek, CA advises the part is on back order and none are in stock. They admitted that a different customer dropped off their 2019 Subaru Outback now over 45 days and they don't have the replacement audio unit for it and they know of several other customers with the same problem of year,make & model. Subaru of America offered to pay $1,700 towards the $2,700 repair. Our car has 34k miles on it.

Public record. Verify by searching #11492438 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Touchscreen bubbles and acts on its own, making phone, maps and radio unusable

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 24, 2022NHTSA #11490616
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
The touch screen has bubbles on it and a mind of its own. I can not use my phone, maps let alone the radio. The vehicle has only 11k miles on it. I am being told I am out of warranty and it will cost 2k to replace the head unit. Searching forums this is a common issue. The 2018 models ended with a class action. At this point they are not taking responsibility for the 2019.

Public record. Verify by searching #11490616 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment crashes randomly each week, disabling EyeSight safety features

2022 OutbackFiled Oct 15, 2022NHTSA #11489422
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
No matter what Subaru does the infotainment system which controls the safety systems crashes randomly and weekly. Disabling all the Eyesight safety features.

Public record. Verify by searching #11489422 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Display and backup camera stop working with condensation on screen; replacement not covered

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 5, 2022NHTSA #11488060
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the display and back-up camera were inoperable. Additionally, the radio was operating intermittently. The contact stated that calls were being made independently without the phone being connected. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was condensation on the display. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the head display needed to be replaced but was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11488060 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio acts on its own, repeatedly dialing phone contacts

2019 ForesterFiled Sep 23, 2022NHTSA #11486068
BluetoothOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
when driving and stopped at a light the car died, I had to put it in park and restart it , this has happened on 4 different occasions, and I've taken it to the dealer and was told nothing checked out as failing, also, the radio has gone wild on occasion, dialing contacts in my phone numerous times, and me being unable to stop it. was told that heat and temperatures could cause the electronics to shut down or burn. I feel that I was in danger of getting hit because these things occurred while in traffic, and I had no control over the car, the system was acting out on its own.

Public record. Verify by searching #11486068 on NHTSA's 2019 Forester page.

Touch screen controls unavailable: no front or rear cameras, climate, radio or GPS

2022 OutbackFiled Sep 22, 2022NHTSA #11485958
Safety impactBackup camera lostOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Rab system not working, no foward or reverse cameras work. No climate control access, no radio, no GPS, can't access any touch screen controls

Public record. Verify by searching #11485958 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Infotainment starts slowly, delaying safety system initialization; recurring for two years

2021 OutbackFiled Sep 20, 2022NHTSA #11485511
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Vehicle infotainment system refused to start up without long delay (20 seconds or so) preventing various safety systems from initializing. This has been a recurring problem with this vehicle for two years.

Public record. Verify by searching #11485511 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Infotainment repeatedly blacks out and reboots, sometimes killing cruise and EyeSight; update failed

2021 OutbackFiled Sep 16, 2022NHTSA #11484762
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
I purchased the car new in January 2021. During the first several months there were no issues. After that, the "Infotainment" system which controls the sound, nav, hvac, etc. systems would suddenly go black and those functions would stop working. It would seem to reboot as a computer does when you restart it. That was distracting but mostly just annoying, lasting less than 30 seconds. I will call that a "soft reboot." That happened many times over the next few months. On two occasions, the screen would black out and not only those systems would cease to function, it would shut down cruise control and Eyesight. Call that a "hard reboot." This was very dangerous. In traffic at 70-75 mph when the cruise control suddenly stops working, the car decelerates immediately and quickly. There are no warning signs or messages; it just goes black and shuts down those systems. Cars following would quickly be within a dangerous proximity. Not a safety issue but a hard reboot also wipes clear some settings including the nav destinations. During that period I spoke with service managers at two Subaru dealerships who said that it was a common problem and Subaru had issued a "patch" that was supposed to fix it. I live approximately an hour from the nearest dealership and had some difficulty finding a time to take it in for the upload. Finally I took it in to Scenic Subaru in Mt. Airy, NC on September 9, 2022 to get the update, with around 22,500 miles into a 36,000 mile warranty. I left the dealership at approximately 4 p.m. headed for Winston Salem, NC, approximately an hour drive. Within 5 miles from the dealership it did a soft reboot. That happened two more times. I called the dealership to advise them but it was too late to return. Then, still within an hour from the dealership, it did a hard reboot, shutting down everything as I described above. It functioned properly until it did a soft reboot today, 220 miles after the update.

Public record. Verify by searching #11484762 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Head unit restarts when phone is plugged in via USB, disabling rear camera

2019 OutbackFiled Sep 15, 2022NHTSA #11484739
Safety impactUSB dropoutsRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment system when a phone is hooked up to it via a usb cord it will turn of and begin a repowering process that turns off the rear camera that is part of that system. this does not give you the safety of being able to back up without the rear camera. i have taken my car in to Subaru four time and they have replaced the infotainment system three times in total. i continue to have the same issue with every radio. i have also replaced my phone, usb cords, and have used other people's phones (IOS and Android) with the same issue.

Public record. Verify by searching #11484739 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment touchscreen stops responding or goes blank for minutes to hours; dealer reprogramming failed

2020 OutbackFiled Sep 15, 2022NHTSA #11484644
Black or frozen screenGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
I purchased an Subaru Outback touring edition, with a turbo 4 cylinder engine, on February 8, 2020. My battery failed in 3/20, on 4/15/20 Diablo Subaru of Walnut Creek replaced the dead battery. In March of 2022 my battery died again. I was told the rear cargo light had been left on and that drained the battery. They recharged the battery and said the battery was good. After this event I bought a small battery operated jump starter to keep in my car. We went on vacation for 2 weeks, August 24, through September 7, 2022. The first time I tried to start my car it would not start. I turned of the climate control the radio and the infotainment screen and verified that none of the interior lights were on before turning the engine off. When I returned to the car it started reluctantly. Before exiting my car at home I again made sure that the climate control, radio, and infotainment screen and all lights were off, before turning the engine off. The next day it didn't start. I jumped it again then ran one errand and it reluctantly started, at home I left the car running before my next appt.. I returned to the car after the appt. and the car would not start. I jumped it again and drove home. I left it running for one hour at home, and went through my routine insuring everything was off. The next day it didn't start. Other electrical problems happen intermittently since buying the car. Periodically the infotainment system touchscreen will not respond to touch. or the screen goes blank and unresponsive. It may come back on in a few minutes, or I may need to leave the car off for one or more hours for the screen to come on. I complained to the dealer in 2/21. The dealer reprogrammed the "CPI". This didn't resolve the problem. I took it back 5/11/21 with no resolution. Since 3/16/22 there have been random electrical problems; warnings that ABS is off; Airbags are off; warning to watch the road that won't turn off while driving; seatbelt bell on, with belts fastened.

Public record. Verify by searching #11484644 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Center console blanks on highway, disabling climate, GPS, radio and USB; replacement part pending

2022 OutbackFiled Sep 11, 2022NHTSA #11483936
Safety impactUSB dropoutsBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
On or about April 28, 2022, while traveling on route 95 North (an interstate highway) utilizing the Factory GPS system which is in the center console, the entire console went blank. I immediately grew concerned the vehicle steering or acceleration was about to fail and pulled over on the shoulder of the interstate. I turned off the vehicle and restarted it, yet the screen remained blank, which meant I could not control the heat, defroster, air conditioning, GPS, radio, the USB ports, the telephone connections, and etcetera; all were inoperable. As I continued to drive the screen remained blank or blacked out. I pulled into a rest area and waited 20 minutes with the vehicle turned off, and when I restarted the vehicle, it operated normally. On April 29, 2022, vehicle mileage 10,389, I took my 2022 Outback to Subaru, while at the dealership the dealership diagnosed the problem as follows: a new center console Cockpit Control Unit Assembly-Navigation and Display Assembly was ordered. I was told the dealership would contact me when the part arrived. I did not hear from the dealership and on June 27, 2022, vehicle mileage 16,282, I returned to Subaru for the third (3rd) time, and I informed them the problem with the center console continued. I was advised that additional testing was needed. According to the service records a miscellaneous check for the latest software was completed, issue was not resolved, the console failed to accept the updates and a new console was ordered. No warning lamps, codes or errors were noticed, the screen goes blank and the driver wonders what will occur next. In this model, 2022 Outback XT Limited, the screen is over 12 inches tall and is the predominant electrical system in the vehicle. The problem was replicated by the dealership on 5 service visits, it is available for inspection, although the concern occurs daily it is intermitent. After 6 visits the problem has not been repaired/rectified.

Public record. Verify by searching #11483936 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Infotainment is slow and crashes, volume jumps to maximum, and menus lag for seconds

2021 OutbackFiled Sep 5, 2022NHTSA #11482923
Safety impactRebootingOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The infotainment system is so buggy and slow it's dangerously distracting. It crashes all the time and takes a few minutes to reboot which is not good when you're using navigation. The volume randomly will go to 100% and the only way to fix it is to restart the car. I've had it happen maybe 10 times. It's very startling and it's painful to the ears. The most dangerous problem with the infotainment system, however, is how inconsistently slow it is. When you tap to open the HVAC menu, for example, it can take 1-45 seconds to open. That means you have to keep your eyes off the road waiting for a response. If you don't, the menu disappears right away. Then when you're waiting for a response, the driver monitor starts beeping loudly and flashes "Stay Alert". Even Subaru's own safety systems think the response time is unacceptable. I called Subaru about the issue but their primary purpose just seems to be deflecting complaints and and gaslighting. We've been expecting fixes for years and it never comes. Either Subaru doesn't know how to fix it or they don't want to. The system falls under the 3/36 warranty which means that by the time the find a fix, most of the cars won't be covered.

Public record. Verify by searching #11482923 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Center console goes black, leaving climate, navigation, radio and safety-feature controls inaccessible

2020 OutbackFiled Aug 27, 2022NHTSA #11481484
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
On multiple occasions, the center console has gone black and I have no control over any of the car's functions (e.g. climate control, navigation, radio, ability to turn on/off safety features, etc). This had been happening for several weeks before the more concerning incident. The auto-stop/start at a red light failed to work. The car shut off, but wouldn't restart for several seconds. Eventually it restarted and I was able to get it home Because I was afraid to drive it, the car sat in my driveway for aprox. 2 weeks before I could take it to the dealership. By then, the battery was completely dead and I had to get a jump start from AAA. I drove the car straight to the dealership. For at least 45 minutes after that jump, the center console wouldn't come back on. Because I had no means to turn off the auto start/stop feature, I had to put my car into park at every red light to avoid it shutting off. I don't know when it actually came back on, as that happened at some point after I dropped off my car at the dealership for service. Although the dealer did see that the center console wasn't working, they couldn't tell me why it happened. In addition, they were not able to reproduce the problem with the auto start not working. They indicated the battery checked out fine. (This is also the 2nd battery I've had in this car as the first died for unknown reasons - they indicated they thought a rear light was on, but that light is never turned on) Because almost everything happens via that center console, that is a major failure if that just randomly goes out. Failure of the auto start/stop could strand me in traffic. My car is available for inspection.

Public record. Verify by searching #11481484 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Bubbling screen triggers music, calls and navigation changes by itself

2019 OutbackFiled Aug 23, 2022NHTSA #11480791
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment system screen is bubbling causing input to the user interface with no driver action. I consider this a safety issue due to the fact I can not turn the system off or deactivate it. The car starts playing music, making phone calls, changing navigation settings ect... This creates a persistent and strong hazard. I can not focus on the road, hear emergency sirens or other cars alerting with their horns.

Public record. Verify by searching #11480791 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Multimedia unit locks up, ignores touch, skips songs, scans stations and drops phone calls

2019 WRXFiled Aug 22, 2022NHTSA #11480522
BluetoothBlack or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The STARLINK 7-inch Multimedia Plus unit gets locked-up, sometime not responsive to touch, skips around to different songs, in a phantom way scans different radio stations, disconnects phone calls.

Public record. Verify by searching #11480522 on NHTSA's 2019 WRX page.

Touchscreen develops bubbles and acts on its own, changing stations and map displays

2019 LegacyFiled Aug 19, 2022NHTSA #11480111
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Touch screen driver information system has random display and audible warnings. Audio and navigation display cannot be controlled and does random radio channels and map displays. The screen developed bubbles under the front panel that appears to activate the touch sensor for the display. This condition is very distracting to the driver and might cause unsafe vehicle operation. The constant display changing and beeping may also stimulate seizure symptoms for affected people also causing unsafe operation. This problem was identified by many Subaru Legacy and Outback owners in 2018 which led to a recall and warranty extension for repairs. The radio/nav display is manufactured by Harmon. It was widely reported in 2019 and the problem persists. Subaru contends that the display bubbles are caused by liquid contamination of the display, but this has not occurred in our vehicle, and dealers will not accept responsibility for the defective displays.

Public record. Verify by searching #11480111 on NHTSA's 2019 Legacy page.

Head unit touchscreen unresponsive, rear camera blurry, and paired phones deleted

2019 OutbackFiled Aug 11, 2022NHTSA #11478904
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit of the vehicle has malfunctioned causing the following: - Touch screen is non-responsive - Rearview camera is blurry/difficult to see out of making backing up dangerous - The entertainment unit has deleted paired phones making connecting a phone impossible The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer and they recommended ordering a new head unit.

Public record. Verify by searching #11478904 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio replaced but volume and station controls still require restarting the car

2019 AscentFiled Aug 10, 2022NHTSA #11478593
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
Electrical system repeatedly malfunctions. Intermittent starting and shut-off issues, rear hatch will not properly operate, per dealer the radio was replaced, and periodic unexplained battery drain issues resulting in replacement of battery. Dash warnings are displayed for no apparent reason. When radio was replaced there were still issues and dealer said it "would take a few days for the issues to resolve." Even after battery and radio replacement periodic shutting off car and restarting is necessary for volume control and station change. Safety could be an issue if car will not start, or shut off as related in a timeline attachment. Dealer is unable to reproduce periodic/intermittent issues.

Public record. Verify by searching #11478593 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Bluetooth drops during calls, prompting reconnection and leaving driver unable to hear caller

2021 CrosstrekFiled Jul 26, 2022NHTSA #11475908
Safety impactBluetooth
Read the owner's complaint
The bluetooth system is not functioning properly. When a call is in progress, the bluetooth will indicate that no phone is connected and prompt the driver to connect the phone. In the meantime, the call is still active and the person on the other end hears the radio playing but the driver cannot hear the other person. The call will then reconnect for a few seconds before repeating this process. It will continue until the call is ended. While this might be considered an inconvenience, I believe it is a genuine safety issue as this problem takes the drivers eyes off the road and has them answering prompts on a visual screen and is a general distraction. Subaru is aware of the problem and has refused to take action to correct it. The incident is ongoing. As a result the hands-free phone option is unavailable.

Public record. Verify by searching #11475908 on NHTSA's 2021 Crosstrek page.

Dashboard display goes black and hard resets about a dozen times; EyeSight features disabled

2021 OutbackFiled Jul 21, 2022NHTSA #11475109
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Our 2020 Outback dashboard display randomly goes black and hard resets. It also appears that the eye sight cameras, collision detection, and other features disable at the same time. This has occurred about a dozen times since purchase.

Public record. Verify by searching #11475109 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Bubbling touchscreen causes phantom touches and unusable navigation; owner fears a crash

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 15, 2022NHTSA #11474126
Safety impactGhost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Touch screen began to get bubbles underneath factory glass and is causing spontaneous touch-activation and inability to use touch screen. This also affects navigation and other issues. Might cause an accident.

Public record. Verify by searching #11474126 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment touch response is extremely laggy, hampering climate and radio controls; update failed

2022 OutbackFiled Jul 13, 2022NHTSA #11473665
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
1. Front Windshield cracks easily instead of chipping. Appears to be under pressure in a strange way and it cracks then starts to delaminate. I had 2 windshields replaced within 30 days. Water also starts to enter the crack and it impacts the wiper blades when in use. 2. Center Info-Tainment system in underpowered to the degree that touch response is laggy to the degree to be dangerous. With all the climate controls, radio, gps, and other controls now on the touch screen this slowness is dangerous to the point that should warrant a recall. I've had a system update done and this did not fix the slow touch response. It appears to be underpowered hardware.

Public record. Verify by searching #11473665 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Bubbles under touchscreen glass cause spontaneous touches and an unusable screen

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 7, 2022NHTSA #11472710
Ghost touch / bubbling
Read the owner's complaint
Touch screen began to get bubbles underneath factory glass and is causing spontaneous touch-activation and inability to use touch screen.

Public record. Verify by searching #11472710 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio volume suddenly jumps to extremely loud while driving, repeatedly and without warning

2022 OutbackFiled Jul 6, 2022NHTSA #11472502
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
While driving, the radio volume suddenly increases to extremely loud. Not only is this dangerous and extremely distracting for the driver, but it is potentially harmful to everyone in the vehicle. My immediate reaction when this occurs ( it happens frequently) is to focus on the radio and off of the road, regardless of whether I am driving low speed or high speed on an interstate, or even when I’m turning at an intersection. Very dangerous! There are no warnings prior to the “full blast” of volume.

Public record. Verify by searching #11472502 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Delaminated infotainment screen leaves touchscreen and system inoperable; costly replacement quoted

2019 OutbackFiled Jul 5, 2022NHTSA #11472352
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
Starlink Infotainment System has malfunctioned. I took the car to Bert Smith Subaru in St. Petersburg, FL and the assessment notes the screen has started to delaminate rendering the touchscreen and system inoperable. The dealer estimate to replace the unit was $2862.79. My 2019 Outback 2.5 Limited is equipped with the Harman Gen. 3.0 Audio and Navigation head unit. This is the same unit that was part of a class action involving 2018 models which resulted in Subaru issuing an extended warranty that covered replacement of the unit. I submitted a complaint to Subaru of America asking for the same coverage of an extended warranty or replacement of the head unit. (Case #220617-169688)Subaru offered to pay $2,000 toward the cost to replace the unit. I feel they should cover the entire amont since this is an obvious defect.

Public record. Verify by searching #11472352 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Navigation crashes to black screen daily, disabling EyeSight and reverse braking during reboot

2022 OutbackFiled Jun 28, 2022NHTSA #11471358
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Vehicle navigation system crashes with a black screen once or twice a day. While the system is rebooting, navigation, Eyesight and Reverse Automatic Braking are disabled. Needless to say, this is very distracting and especially bad since Eyesight is required to avoid a collision. This has happened multiple times over the 11 months that I've owned the vehicle.

Public record. Verify by searching #11471358 on NHTSA's 2022 Outback page.

Touchscreen freezes, blanks or resets while driving, mostly with CarPlay; EyeSight unavailable

2021 OutbackFiled Jun 26, 2022NHTSA #11471042
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
On multiple occasions I have had the infotainment system (the touchscreen) either freeze, go completely blank, or reset itself while driving. Most often this has happened while using Apple Car Play but that's not always the case. When this occurs, I also get a message that EyeSight is not available. While this has not caused me to have an accident the potential is there. I have had the screen go blank while using navigation in an unfamiliar area, I've had it go blank while driving down the highway. It's very distracting and you can easily miss your exit or worse. Subaru has no fix for this other than updating the software approximately every 6 months in hopes it will solve things. To me this is totally unacceptable.

Public record. Verify by searching #11471042 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Cockpit computer reboots randomly, disabling EyeSight despite repeated software updates

2020 OutbackFiled Jun 13, 2022NHTSA #11469019
Safety impactRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Two issues. Main cabin computer reboots randomly. This causes other safety systems, Eyesight, to stop working until the device boots back up. This is 2020 and "fix" / update for cockpit control module wasn't available until Feb. 2021.Thsi did not fix the problem. Dealership updated cockpit control module again in Dec 2021 and yet again in Jan. 2022. This issue is still ongoing and I've learned yet another software fix came in April 2022. Issue #2 - Open recall for CVT Chain guide breakage dated Dec 15, 2021. Over six months and no fix. Transmission is getting worse and poses a potential safety issue.

Public record. Verify by searching #11469019 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Radio blared on its own, then stopped working for about a week

2020 OutbackFiled Jun 11, 2022NHTSA #11468739
Audio lossOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
1.car accelerated on its own—very scary. (Took the car to Cochran Subaru of Monroeville, but they said nothing was found wrong.) 2. The very next day, the real door would not latch and car would not lock. I reported these two issues to 1-800-SUBARU3. My case # is: 220610-163479 3. we did a “software” update bc we received a recall notice—it was completed at Cochran Subaru of Monroeville sometime in the fall of 2021, in March of 2022 while on vacation in Fla, the radio BLARED on its own, then stopped working altogether for a week or so—then just started working again.

Public record. Verify by searching #11468739 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Navigation screen goes blank and restarts on the highway, disabling cruise control and EyeSight

2021 OutbackFiled Jun 3, 2022NHTSA #11467274
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The Navigation system will randomly go blank and then restart while driving. This not only affects any navigation which is currently in progress, but also disables the Cruise Control, Eye Sight, Lane Departure and other Safety devices. This has occurred numerous times while driving on an interstate highway and is dangerous and life threatening.

Public record. Verify by searching #11467274 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Starlink head unit fails while driving, shutting off backup camera, radio, heating, safety systems

2020 OutbackFiled Jun 2, 2022NHTSA #11467122
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Starlink Head System/software malfunctions while driving. This shuts down all safety systems, back up camera, radio. Heating system cannot be controlled while shut down. System restarts automatically after a few minutes but settings, etc may need to be restored. This creates a distraction that could lead to a collision or loss of vehicle control. Investigation reveals that many have this problem with the 11.6" Starlink display. A recall should be initiated for repair/replacement of problem components. Note that two software updates have been completed at the dealer to correct this problem to no avail.

Public record. Verify by searching #11467122 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Radio repeatedly loses power as part of a wider electrical problem

2019 ImprezaFiled May 9, 2022NHTSA #11463862
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
Electrical issue affecting the headlights, radio, clock, gauges. Headlights constantly flicker/dimming, also causes the bulbs to burn out rapidly. Radio constantly losing power Clock/miles left in tank display resets occasionally The the speedometer and tachometer display loses power dropping all the needles to 0 for a second before popping back. These issues got worse after the last recall was done

Public record. Verify by searching #11463862 on NHTSA's 2019 Impreza page.

Infotainment shuts down repeatedly while driving along with associated safety features; dealer cannot replicate

2021 OutbackFiled Apr 27, 2022NHTSA #11462460
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
We bought this vehicle new and since we have had issues with the infotainment shutting down multiple times while driving. The infotainment screen along with all safety features associated with the electronic panel turn off. We have taken it to the dealership multiple times and keep getting told that they can't replicate the problem. We have recorded the issue and sent proof but Subaru manufacturing keeps delaying any inquiries in hopes to bypass lemon law.

Public record. Verify by searching #11462460 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Touch screen locks up about twice monthly, shutting off driver assist features

2022 LegacyFiled Apr 27, 2022NHTSA #11462388
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
On average about twice per month, the touch screen will lock up. This causes the entire system to crash turning off cruise control, emergency braking, lane departure, lane keep assist, and almost every other "smart" function of the vehicle. There is no specific action that causes this, it is purely random. The "lock-up" can last anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes. The dash notifications telling you that all of the assistance features have turned off don't come on until the system has rebooted, even though they stopped functioning at the same time the "lock-up" started. On a typical day, there is a significant delay in controlling these features via the touch screen. Minor issues where the assistance features are delayed by several seconds have happened often, but this does not result in a complete system reboot. The best way I can describe it is as if the vehicle is controlled by a computer running Windows Vista with so many viruses it can barely function. Even just adjusting the electric seats or stereo volume can have up to a 30-second delay from user input to the system response. I have noticed that during these delays, the assistance features (like lane keep and collision warning) are also delayed.

Public record. Verify by searching #11462388 on NHTSA's 2022 Legacy page.

Infotainment reboots to a black screen whenever a phone is plugged into USB

2021 OutbackFiled Apr 18, 2022NHTSA #11461154
Safety impactUSB dropoutsBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
I believe there is a software defect associated with the infotainment system. The system also includes car information such as car data, audio/radio, navigation as well as other items related to modern car's functionality. The issue is when a mobile is plugged into one of the two from USB port, the infotainment will randomly reboot itself. When this happens the screen turns black/bland while rebooting occurs. This can happen even while the vehicle is in motion possibly causing severe distraction resulting a safety issue. (Imaging driving down the highway and your car reboots without warning.) Reboot takes about two minutes during this time the vehicle is drill drivable but is very disconcerting to the driver. This issue is also a major topic with online forums such as www.subaruoutback.org under the Gen 6: 2020-Future section. https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/2020-outback-software-gigathread.517684/page-340#post-6235066 Attempts to reach the dealership has not proven to be resolvable.

Public record. Verify by searching #11461154 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Infotainment stuck in boot loop, with EyeSight reporting functions disabled during each reboot

2020 OutbackFiled Apr 5, 2022NHTSA #11459721
Safety impactRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment system went into a continuous boot loop where screen went blank then subaru bootup screen appeared, then menu started to load then process repeated. During this process the Eyesight driver assistance system would produce an error saying all of it's functions were disabled while the infotainment system was rebooting. Also the display in center of the dashboard that shows vehicle info was randomly showing scrambled text while the infotainment system rebooted. This has happened multiple times, appears to happen when the vehicle has been on for several hours and is warm so it is hard to reproduce.

Public record. Verify by searching #11459721 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment fully shuts down amid EyeSight glitches that also disable driver-assist features

2021 OutbackFiled Mar 28, 2022NHTSA #11458575
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
*Eyesight system detects collision hazard and applies brakes when entering certain curves. *Unexpected braking in curve, particularly when roadway is wet poses a danger to driver and other motorists. *Not reproduced by dealer or service center, problem is captured on dashcam video. *Vehicle has been inspected by dealer *Eyesight system seems to "glitch" frequently, causing a variety of warning lamps on dashboard, full shutdown of infotainment system, and disabling all built in eyesight safety features.

Public record. Verify by searching #11458575 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Head unit shuts off and restarts while driving, disabling EyeSight and rear braking assist

2020 OutbackFiled Mar 18, 2022NHTSA #11457251
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Head unit shuts off while driving with no warning, and no clear cause. All safety features shut off including Eyesight and rear brake assist (shows as off in instrumental panel). It has happened multiple times in the past several months ( at least seven times) Head unit then appears to restart while underway, as if I had just entered and started the vehicle. Contacted dealer who said “the radio sometimes shuts off”. I explained that it was the entire head unit and safety features. It was simply left with them saying they have know of it happening, but no action or follow up was recommended. Time of incident is an estimate. Electronics seem to be slow to start when vehicle is first started. Was not able to get photos while driving.

Public record. Verify by searching #11457251 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Main display blacks out and reboots nearly every drive, dropping cruise and safety features

2021 OutbackFiled Feb 24, 2022NHTSA #11453768
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
THE MAIN COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM, CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE, ALL HVAC CONTROLS, NAVIGATION, ETC. SHUTS DOWN (GOES BLACK), AND REBOOTS RANDOMLY. WHEN THIS OCCURS, ALL OF THE FUNCTIONS AND CONTROLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPUTER SYSTEM ARE LOST. CRUISE CONTROL DROPS OUT AND THE BUILT IN SAFETY FEATURES ARE DISABLED. IT IS DISTRACTING TO THE DRIVER AND REQUIRES THE DRIVER'S ATTENTION TO RESET FEATURES THAT WERE LOST. IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY SUBARU AND HAS NOT BEEN FIXED ON MY VEHICLE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. THIS COMPLETE COMPUTER BLACKOUT EVENT OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE.

Public record. Verify by searching #11453768 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Radio malfunction disrupted blind-spot, lighting and instrument functions; radio replaced thrice, failure returned

2020 ForesterFiled Feb 7, 2022NHTSA #11450847
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio system malfunctioned, which caused the blind-spot detection system, headlights, and instrument panel to fail to operate as needed. Additionally, the eyesight system would inadvertently engage, which caused the vehicle to stop without warning. The contact restarted the vehicle to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and AutoNation Subaru Scottsdale (15678 N Northsight Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260) and diagnosed with radio software failure. The dealer replaced the radio on three separate occasions; however, the failure recurred. The dealer also reconnected the eyesight system and resolved the eyesight system failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11450847 on NHTSA's 2020 Forester page.

Infotainment blacks out and resets while driving, backup camera shows going forward, EyeSight disabled

2020 OutbackFiled Feb 7, 2022NHTSA #11450744
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Within 2 months of purchase 2020 Outback the car's Infotainment center has continually malfunctioned including times when the car's backup camera is displayed while the car is in drive and moving forward. Eye-sight constantly disabled as well is infotainment center constantly blacking out and then resetting itself while car is in motion. Constant beepind telling driver to look at road - all especially in inclement weather. Car is unsafe. I have multiple videos showing this but they are too big to upload here.

Public record. Verify by searching #11450744 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Hands-free Bluetooth and CarPlay calling fail: callers cannot hear the driver

2020 OutbackFiled Feb 4, 2022NHTSA #11450440
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBluetooth
Read the owner's complaint
The Bluetooth hand-free function stopped working. Callers can be heard by the driver, however, the callers can not hear the driver speaking. It failed on both the Subaru calling system and Apple Carplay. It was taken in to the dealer with no resolution. This failure creates a dangerous situation when trying to place or receive calls and violates the legal requirement for hands-free calling.

Public record. Verify by searching #11450440 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Touchscreen showed only the Starlink logo and ignored home button after shutoff

2020 AscentFiled Jan 23, 2022NHTSA #11448532
Black or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Recently, we experienced another problem with our 2022 Subaru Ascent Limited. I am asking that this issue be diagnosed and corrected. On January 21, 2022, within about 15 seconds of starting the car, the engine shut off while still parked for no apparent reason. The car was able to be restarted, however the Multi-Function Display went blank, and the STARLINK Multimedia touchscreen displayed only the Starlink logo. I attempted a reset by depressing the “home” button, but nothing happened. Neither the radio nor any other features would function. The car was then driven several miles and shut off. Then, after restarting it, the normal touchscreen and Multi-Function Display operated correctly, including the radio. I remain concerned however that unless this issue is diagnosed and corrected, such a shutdown could occur again in the future, possibly when driving the car, which could result in a serious accident. We have had recent problems with this car involving its electrical system. The excessive battery drain caused by the power rear gate resulted in a dead battery, producing only 8 volts. (The car had to be jump-started on two separate occasions). Subaru Pacific replaced the PRG Module (per TSB 07-155-19R), and installed a new SOA821B600 Enhanced Flooded Battery (per SOA’s October 1, 2021 memorandum). We do not know how or if the recent unexpected engine shutdown was related to these events, but we expect that Subaru should be able to determine the cause of this failure and find a remedy.

Public record. Verify by searching #11448532 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Rearview camera display freezes repeatedly; dealer software update did not fix it

2021 LegacyFiled Jan 11, 2022NHTSA #11447088
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing out of the garage, the rearview camera froze. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact’s wife was able to reset the rearview camera with the assistance of his daughter who looked up the information on the internet. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who completed a 504-software update; however, the failure reoccurred twice while the contact was driving from the dealer to his residence. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would either ship a head unit to the dealer for the repair of the vehicle or they would buy back the vehicle. The manufacturer followed up with the contact and informed him that they would not assist as the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V766000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the vehicle year was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11447088 on NHTSA's 2021 Legacy page.

Infotainment screen went black while music kept playing after battery trouble

2019 ForesterFiled Jan 2, 2022NHTSA #11445879
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
Battery drains extremely quickly. I replaced with brand new battery and it completely drained overnight. When I tried to start car next morning the Engine clicked repeatedly then the infotainment and dash lights started blinking and acting strangely then went black but the music still played (with a black screen and car off). This is very alarming as it appears to be a major electrical issue that could cause a fire? Or possibly shut down random safety features that I want to use.

Public record. Verify by searching #11445879 on NHTSA's 2019 Forester page.

Navigation system quits and the screen goes black then reboots, disabling adaptive cruise control

2020 OutbackFiled Dec 30, 2021NHTSA #11445579
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The TomTom navigation system quits unexpectedly while driving and if the Adaptive Cruise Control is on it will stop working and the car will begin to slow down. The computer screen will go black and then a message will come on saying the Navigation System is starting. The system will then reboot. This has been reported to Subaru and Subaru tried to replicate the problem at the dealership, but they were unsuccessful. Subaru Corporate has acknowledged the problem, but offers no solution. Safety was impacted because you suddenly start to slow down and any car following you may not know you are slowing down because the brake lights do not come on.

Public record. Verify by searching #11445579 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

EyeSight fails to load whenever a phone is plugged in with Android Auto

2020 OutbackFiled Dec 26, 2021NHTSA #11445018
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoUSB dropouts
Read the owner's complaint
The EyeSight system will randomly not load at times and need to be reset for Rear Automatic Braking and other EyeSight safety features to become available. This usually only occurs within 30 seconds of engine startup but always occurs when plugging in a phone with Android Auto (a phone with Apple Car Play has never been used for verification). Warning message is displayed on driver's side message center stating EyeSight, RAB, and other safety features are not available. Reproduction of problem is difficult as it seems random.

Public record. Verify by searching #11445018 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Center screen goes black; infotainment, Bluetooth and rear camera stop working after jump start

2019 AscentFiled Dec 20, 2021NHTSA #11444467
BluetoothBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
Sunday, car wouldn’t start. Even though lights and display came on, engine wouldn’t turn over until I got a jump. After car started, center console went black and all infotainment, Bluetooth and rear view camera ceased to work. Drove hour and a half on highway. Monday morning, battery completely dead. Had to jump again. Now, center screen working, but seems to be battery issue. We had similar car starting problems before and replaced battery less than a year ago February 2021!!!

Public record. Verify by searching #11444467 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Dash and navigation system shuts down and reboots, losing speed, cruise, GPS and radio

2021 OutbackFiled Dec 14, 2021NHTSA #11443735
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Purchased vehicle 1/2021. Currently has 8500 miles. For the past few months the dash/navigation system intermittently shuts down. Lose everything including speed/cruise/gps/radio. After a few seconds will reboot. I have called the dealer twice regarding this issue - was told to press "defrost" button 5 times and bring to the service department. This was done and they sent the info to Subaru - have not heard anything from Subaru regarding this complaint which was done over 2 months ago

Public record. Verify by searching #11443735 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Touch screen crashes and reboots every other day, disabling safety features during reboot

2020 OutbackFiled Dec 13, 2021NHTSA #11443704
Safety impactRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The touch screen control panel randomly crashes and reboots, disables safety features while being rebooted. Happening every other day.

Public record. Verify by searching #11443704 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment randomly goes black, driver-assist controls unavailable until it reboots

2021 OutbackFiled Dec 13, 2021NHTSA #11443619
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Several times, at random, the infotainment system goes blank. Screen goes black and can NOT adjust any of the ADAS controls! After 10 to 20 seconds the system seems to reboot and slowly returns to normal operations.

Public record. Verify by searching #11443619 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

System and screen go dark weekly while driving, losing radio, Bluetooth, navigation and EyeSight

2020 LegacyFiled Nov 30, 2021NHTSA #11442179
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenRebootingAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
This vehicle is equipped with the Subaru "Eyesight" system which is a number of safety features like automatic cruise control, lane keep assist, and others. About once a week on average while driving the entire system will shut down and the screen will go dark. You lose the radio, bluetooth, navigation, and all the Eyesight systems. After about 30 seconds it will reboot and things will come back online but this is a major safety issue because you loose systems that help with safety. The dealership said it's a known software issue and there's nothing they can do until an update is available. I called Subaru USA customer support in September and they said an update would be available by the end of October and nothing was released. I called in early November and they said they were still working on it but had no release date.

Public record. Verify by searching #11442179 on NHTSA's 2020 Legacy page.

Infotainment console reboots randomly, making radio and navigation unavailable meanwhile

2021 OutbackFiled Nov 25, 2021NHTSA #11441666
Rebooting
Read the owner's complaint
Purchased new Outback SUV in March of 2021. Currently has 4488 miles on odometer. Center console infotainment center randomly reboots at times without warning. System reboots after several seconds, but until system is restored, any function active at the time controlled from that console is unavailable (radio, navigation, etc.). Dealer has not yet inspected the car for this problem at this time. I have not been able to cause the system to reboot at will, it appears to be totally random.

Public record. Verify by searching #11441666 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Info screen froze for about five minutes while driving

2021 LegacyFiled Nov 18, 2021NHTSA #11440874
Black or frozen screen
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Info screen froze and didn't come back of for 5 minutes while driving

Public record. Verify by searching #11440874 on NHTSA's 2021 Legacy page.

Sound system stopped playing radio, CD and CarPlay audio

2020 AscentFiled Nov 14, 2021NHTSA #11440371
Audio loss
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I purchased this car new, and it has less or about 20.000mile. I am using it daily. Yesterday suddenly the sound system stop playing. Neither the radio, the CD player, or the car play. Just the sound. Today, the battery died, but all the buttons will flickering and would not stop. My husband had to remove the battery cables so to stop. I also have notice in the past that the frond windows will close in a slower pace than normal. I saw here that there is a class action about this issue. Very disappointed, if this issue will not resolved I am driving my kids daily and I cannot have this happening in the middle of a road or while it is feeezing outside.

Public record. Verify by searching #11440371 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Touch screen goes blank, dropping cruise, EyeSight, climate and GPS; updates did not fix

2021 OutbackFiled Nov 7, 2021NHTSA #11439615
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
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2021 outback purchased Feb 2021. Within 2 weeks the touch screen, which controls the cruise control, heating, all eyesight controls went blank. This causes cruise control at highway speed to quit, causing sudden deceleration at highways speeds. Sometime the screen reboots, most times it requires driver to pull car over to reset. This also controls GPS and Heating/Air. There have been times when I have working canines in the car and loss of air conditioner in summer months has been extremely problematic requiring pulling car off road to open windows to ventilate. Multiple trips to dealer, and open case with SOA results in no resolution, as there apparently is no fix. Recently 11/1/21 instructed when this happens to push my front defroster button five times after reboot to record codes. How distracting while driving is this? Feel like this is severely underreported as owners frustrated. Receiving dealer instruction to look at touchscreen while driving causes the cars alert function to activate saying “keep eyes on road”. Why are they advising this unsafe action? Recent software updates as late as last week of October installed and does not fix issue, verified by dealer service manager. Multiple incidents, recorded on my phone video, last incident occurred 7/12/2021.

Public record. Verify by searching #11439615 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Speakers produce no sound with radio on; dealer cited a possible update issue

2020 AscentFiled Nov 2, 2021NHTSA #11439026
Audio loss
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I drove the vehicle Tuesday October 26th 2021 and the radio was on, but no sound coming from speakers. I found this odd as no changes were made to settings and dismissed this as something I would take a look at when home and not driving. The car was parked and turned off in the garage from Tuesday October 26th until Friday October 29th 2021. My husband went to run errands Friday October 29th and the car was dead- couldn't get the battery to charge with jumper cables or even put the car in neutral to have it towed. We called a tow truck Saturday morning October 30 2021 and the tow driver jumped the car to start- it started up fairly quick and was able to attach to the truck to be towed to Byers Subaru in Columbus Ohio. The technician told me the battery died as a result of leaving the keys in the car when it was not being used. I asked why the stereo speakers appeared not to work and I was told that was likely an update issue and unrelated to the battery being dead. I asked that they take a second look at the car and keep another day till Tuesday November 2nd 2021 so they did and then texted me there are no issues with the car and refused to replace the battery or address the stereo issue.

Public record. Verify by searching #11439026 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Onboard display blacks out and reboots, disabling climate, navigation and radio controls while driving

2021 OutbackFiled Oct 30, 2021NHTSA #11438733
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
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The vehicle on board computer system periodically goes completely black (i.e., completely shuts down) disabling all of the operator controls (heater/fan/defrost controls, seat heater controls, temp controls, navigation, radio and other dash monitoring and informational controls, etc.). I am not sure of all features/functions that are lost because it happens when I am driving and I cannot investigate to see what all functions/indications I have lost. It remains out of service for a short period (the times of the shut down seem to have varied) of time and then comes on and reboots itself. Sometimes it comes back to where/when it shut down, and sometimes it just comes back to the initial ignition/start screen. This requires action by the driver (which is a safety concern because it requires the driver's attention and is distracting) to reset control settings. Navigation sometimes requires resetting an address because the computer lost its destination. This is dangerous. I just had the vehicle serviced for this issue and had a Subaru "FIX" installed - that apparently did not work. The problem still exists.

Public record. Verify by searching #11438733 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Home screen goes blank at highway speed; cruise cancels and 360 camera fails

2021 OutbackFiled Oct 25, 2021NHTSA #11438084
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
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The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the home screen on the center console would go blank without warning. Once while driving 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the center console went blank and the cruise control deactivated with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that vehicle abruptly slowed down due to the failure and the 360-camera feature failed to operate as needed. The dealer was notified and acknowledged the failure; however, they informed the contact that there was no remedy for the defect. An independent mechanic was also notified and provided the contact similar information as the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

Public record. Verify by searching #11438084 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Infotainment reboots and screens go black at speed, disabling safety features despite replacement unit

2020 OutbackFiled Oct 21, 2021NHTSA #11437686
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
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My 2020 Outback Touring has had several issues including the infotainment system rebooting and turning off all safety features: ABS, Forward Collision Warning, EyeSight, Adaptive Cruise Control randomly turning off (not just adjusting speed), I lose control of ALL electronics including the digital speedometer. A new infotainment system had been installed and the problems STILL exist. The date below was the most serious as I was on the highway traveling at high speeds when the system decided to fail and the screens went black. Subaru of America has been informed of these issues but there is no resolution.

Public record. Verify by searching #11437686 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Backup camera will not display and console screen is completely inoperative

2019 AscentFiled Oct 11, 2021NHTSA #11436311
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
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The backing camera won’t come on when I’m baking and if there is cars it won’t beep, the apps on the screen won’t display and console screen is not operational at all not even for the radio.

Public record. Verify by searching #11436311 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Touchscreen repeatedly freezes, goes black and reboots, disabling Bluetooth and rear camera

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 2, 2021NHTSA #11435233
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
The 2019 Subaru Outback Multimedia Touch Screen has stopped working multple times even when the software was updated. When the touch screen stops working there are two significant safety issues, hands free/blue tooth no longer works and the rear view camera stops working. 09/20 Touch Screen froze, stopped working 10/20 Touch Screen Call end button redialed previous number, touch screen froze 12/20 New Radio installed 04/21 Touch Screen had loud buzzing sound, black screen and then rebooted 08/21 Touch Screen loud buzzing, black screen, rebooted 09/21 Touch Screen rebooted Subaru of American contacted 08/21 no resolution as of yet

Public record. Verify by searching #11435233 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Car audio, navigation prompts and hands-free calling lost on several occasions alongside battery failures

2019 CrosstrekFiled Oct 1, 2021NHTSA #11435156
Audio loss
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2 battery failures in 2 years of purchasing vehicle. I am on my third battery in less than two years. Incidents occurred 15, 19, 23 and 24 months into car ownership. 4 battery / electrical related dealer service visits in 2 years. 2 times the car was immobilized due to battery failure, would not start and required a tow to dealership service. On 3 occasions lost car audio - no audio map directions, no hands free phone calling, no radio. On 1 occasion lost all internal lighting on entire instrument panel and all switches during night driving on one occasion creating a serious driving hazard and safety issue. All issues occurred with no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms. Only Subaru Dealer service has inspected and replaced/ recharged the batteries. Dealer service claimed they could not reproduce the problem once they replaced or recharged the batteries.

Public record. Verify by searching #11435156 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Infotainment shuts down blank while driving and radio sometimes blasts at full volume

2021 OutbackFiled Sep 29, 2021NHTSA #11434917
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Infotainment system suddenly shuts down while driving blank screen often triggered while using GPS. Radio will turn on spontaneously at full blast creating a startle effect, often unable to turn off. Had to pull over and turn car off. Daily event has been escalating. Apparently dealerships aware Subaru has been non-responsive. Telling dealerships there is a software fix issue, finally communicating to me there is no current fix. Multiple communications have led to no response. Despite near miss of an accident due to these issues. Almost daily over last 2-3 months

Public record. Verify by searching #11434917 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Infotainment randomly shuts off along with safety features; head unit already replaced under warranty

2021 LegacyFiled Sep 12, 2021NHTSA #11432643
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screen
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There seems to be an issue with the infotainment system. The system will randomly turn off which also turns off the safety features. I would like to associate this while CarPlay is in use, but I have witnessed it happen without CarPlay. Subaru has already replaced the head unit under warranty, but the problem continues. For the cost of the car, this should not be an issue.

Public record. Verify by searching #11432643 on NHTSA's 2021 Legacy page.

Radio randomly powers off and EyeSight crashes at highway speed; screen replacement failed

2021 OutbackFiled Sep 10, 2021NHTSA #11432405
Safety impactAudio lossOther failure
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There are multiple issues at hand. The radio system continues to randomly power off and or not work and often times the entire eyesight system crashes and shuts off when driving at highway speeds disabling the cruise control. The screen has already been replaced once but the issue is still there.

Public record. Verify by searching #11432405 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Infotainment reboots unpredictably, taking Bluetooth and safety systems offline; distracting while entering traffic

2020 OutbackFiled Sep 6, 2021NHTSA #11431892
Safety impactBluetoothRebooting
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Without warning or repeatable cause the "infotainment" system will reboot causing the Bluetooth, LKAS, forward watching camera, emergency braking, and RAB to also stop working and reboot. This problem has occurred numerous times over the past several months. It happens without any predictability and I have not been able to find a common factor that triggers it. In May it happened once on a 4 hour drive west, but on the return trip it happened 4 times in a 2 hour window. The problem did not occur again until the first week of June and happened multiple times over a 3 day period. The software for the car has been recalled and reinstalled twice and the problem still occurs without warning or explanation. I have reported the issue in mid-August to Subaru's customer service and was told "a software update" was 2 weeks away. I do not believe this report from their customer service because no other documentation was provided other than a call back. I followed-up with a call back and an email to Subaru asking for more details for which I have not gotten an answer. The incidence of it happening on Aug 20, 2021 occurred as I was entering into traffic from Baggage Road to Hwy 220 South in Rockingham County, NC. The system rebooted as I was entering traffic and created a distraction at a crucial moment I was crossing 4 lanes to turn left to proceed south on Hwy 220. Presently the system's issues seem to be limited to a reboot of Bluetooth, radio and all safety related systems. If the system had triggered a shutdown of the car or if the safety systems had caused the car to stop I would have been in the middle of a US Highway with traffic approaching from both directions at 60+mph. I am disappointed by Subaru for not addressing this issue with a formal company statement and promises of an update have not materialized.

Public record. Verify by searching #11431892 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Center screen goes blank and reboots; HVAC, Bluetooth and navigation lost; module replacement failed

2021 OutbackFiled Aug 24, 2021NHTSA #11430389
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact’s wife was driving 40 MPH and noticed that the center console display screen went blank and rebooted independently after a few minutes. However, the failure reoccurred and affected several safety features on the vehicle including the HVAC controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and navigation on the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and duplicated of the failure the but could not determine the cause of the failure. The dealer was able to install a software monitor to replicate the failure so the contact could notify the failure to the dealer. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer where the dealer replaced the center module in an attempt to repair the vehicle however, the failure still occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.

Public record. Verify by searching #11430389 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Radio blared and kept changing channels and could not be turned off

2020 ForesterFiled Aug 18, 2021NHTSA #11429611
Other failure
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I was in a parking lot at the time driving very slowly to pick a spot. When I went to turn right into the spot my car accelerated at an alarming speed. I had not control over it as it kept turning. It hit the car parked in front of my space pushing it and went on to hit the car parked to the right damaging both the front left and right sides of my vehicle and the 2 parked cars before coming to a stop. Fortunately it was 9am and not very crowded, there were no passengers in both vehicles and no one walking in between or by the cars which could have been tragic. I was wearing a seatbelt. The police were called and completed a report. The Subaru dealership was called and Subaru of America was called. The car was inspected by a Bosch.-EAA representative for Subaru on 8/4/2021. I have not heard back from Subaru so far although I was told it could take several weeks. There were no warning lights prior to the incident but afterwards there were several warning lights on. A few months before I got into my car and the radio was blaring and constantly switching channels and I was not able to turn the radio off. When I got home and turned off the car and turned the ignition back on 30 minutes later it had stopped. We notified the incident to Subaru at the next oil change. I immediately notified USSA car insurance and filed a claim. I have not had the damages assessed for repair because I have to wait for the inspection results from Subaru. I felt it was important to document this incident in case other 2020 Forester owners have experienced the same thing. Frightening.

Public record. Verify by searching #11429611 on NHTSA's 2020 Forester page.

Infotainment goes blank and reboots, losing backup camera, EyeSight, cruise and climate controls

2021 OutbackFiled Aug 17, 2021NHTSA #11429460
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
My problem is an intermittent one. The infotainment display goes blank and reboots. When this happens I have lost Rear Automatic Braking, the Eyesight System, cruise control, the backup camera display and driver monitoring along with other non-safety related systems (radio, environment control). The dealer has not been able to reproduce, but has gotten error codes to send to Subaru of America (SoA) along with print out of error messages received via the My Subaru website. The vehicle has been to the shop 6 times in the first 9,000 miles. There has been no inspection of the car by SoA, just dealer service. There is no warnings until the issue occurs. SoA has been notified via Certified Letter and has been unresponsive as to a fix since 7/19/2021.

Public record. Verify by searching #11429460 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Center display locks up and resets during navigation, including via CarPlay

2020 LegacyFiled Aug 14, 2021NHTSA #11429123
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
There is an ongoing problem with the center display in this vehicle. While normally just an inconvenience, it will randomly stop working / lock up / restart while driving. When this becomes a problem is when using the built in navigation or Apple Car Play for navigation. Multiple times now, it has locked up and reset while using Google Maps via Apple Car Play. Additionally, on the one trip where I attempted to use the built in navigation while on a trip, it simply stopped navigating without warning. The issue is that when you don't know where you are going, it becomes hazardous to interface with the system to restart navigation. The dealer admits there is a known issue with the system, yet there is not yet a repair being offered. At this point, my system is in some dealer diagnostic mode. I've been instructed to hit the defrost button four times when it does something abnormal so the system can be reviewed.

Public record. Verify by searching #11429123 on NHTSA's 2020 Legacy page.

Computer, radio and navigation shut down while driving, disabling backup camera and safety systems

2020 OutbackFiled Aug 10, 2021NHTSA #11428463
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
While driving the car the car's computer/radio/navigation system will randomly shut down. This has been occurring since approx 6500 miles. When this occurs all of the safety systems/HVAC/Rear Camera/Radio/Navigation systems all will fail with the associated warning lights. The car now has approx 9000 miles, this appears to be random occurrences about every 200-250 miles. Dealer states that they are aware of the problem and was told to contact back late June/early July that SOA was going to release a software fix. Well time has passed and nothing has occurred. When driving this car and the failure occurs all of the safety systems are totally inoperable thus the computerized safety systems are not functional. So, far I have been able to maintain full control of the car. The time for the systems to comeback online is highly variable and sometimes I have to stop, and turn the car off for approximately 10 minutes to have the systems return to being functional. For example, the automated cruise control if in operation will fail to operate, the backup camera will be inoperable, the side space warning will fail, lane assist will fail, and so on for all of the safety systems that this particular car has will all fail. Fortunately, I have been able to safely find a safe place to stop, but what happens when this failure occurs and there is not a place to stop/pull over to rest the car/computer. I can't be the only owner/driver that is having this problem(s) they are all interrelated when the master computer shuts down all of the other systems then follow. It is only a matter of time that a potential crash with associated injury and or loss of life can potentially occur. Dealer is unable to replicate and therefore unable to repair/replace parts. Once this failure can be rectified/corrected this is a wonderful car. At this point, I am unable to determine the cause nor am I able to prevent these failures.

Public record. Verify by searching #11428463 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Monitor and CarPlay malfunctioned for a morning alongside trunk and door-lock problems

2020 OutbackFiled Aug 3, 2021NHTSA #11427551
CarPlay / Android AutoOther failure
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I was trying to open the trunk with the button in the car, it didn’t work, so I pulled the car forward thinking it was the problem, but it wasn’t. I got out of the left the door open and attempted to open it, but it would not. With the keys in my hand, I shut the driver’s side door, and attempted to push the button on the back, but that still didn’t work, even using the key fob. I went back to the driver’s side, only to find that the doors somehow became locked with the car on and the keys in my hands. The doors would not unlock even though I touched the driver’s front and the passenger’s front doors. Using the key fob did not work. Luckily this car has the key in the fob and that’s what I had to use to enter the car. Actually, this is two incidents in one, the trunk would not open and the doors locked with the car running and the keys in my hand. The trunk oddly just spontaneously started to work again after the analogue key was used on the door. Of note, the monitor and Apple CarPlay had been on the fritz all morning and continued. I’m not sure if the electronics caused a problem with trunk opening and the car doors locking while the car was running.

Public record. Verify by searching #11427551 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Head unit reboots repeatedly while driving, disabling EyeSight and other safety systems until restarted

2020 OutbackFiled Aug 1, 2021NHTSA #11427341
Safety impactRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
The head unit (Entertainment Center) of my car will re-boot several times while driving. This re-boot process will also disable Eyesight, speed control, lane departure warning, and other safety systems on my car while driving. These safety systems will not re-enable without pulling over, turning off the car, then turning the car back on again.

Public record. Verify by searching #11427341 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment crashes often; about half the time EyeSight and cruise control drop out

2021 OutbackFiled Jul 22, 2021NHTSA #11426016
Safety impactOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
Subaru has apparently integrated their Eyesight Collision avoidance system with their infotainment system and the infotainment system crashes constantly. When it crashes about 50% of the time Eyesight goes offline and kicks cruise control off. At highway speeds this is VERY dangerous. The vehicle will slow down 5-10 mph between when the system crashes and when someone realizes what has happened in order to put their foot on the gas pedal to keep their speed up. I've almost been rear-ended multiple times now because of this. Subaru has been aware of this issue for TWO FULL model years now and is going into a 3rd year with the SAME problem. The update they issues in Spring 2021 made the problem worse not better. Subaru must be forced to either fix the issue immediately or recall the entire system and replace it before someone dies in a highspeed accident caused by this system. Until two days ago Subaru of America's employees were arrogant, condescending, and beyond unhelpful. Wendy Clough has stated Subaru plans to issue an update in August has no actual confirmed timeframe. Subaru has done NOTHING to communicate with owners or dealers on mitigation options, if any, nor to warn customers of potential risks. Subaru must be forced to notify all owners of the issue immediately.

Public record. Verify by searching #11426016 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Main control module goes blank while driving and reboots; replacement unit failed again

2020 OutbackFiled Jun 24, 2021NHTSA #11422171
Black or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
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.

Public record. Verify by searching #11422171 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Head unit rebooted soon after starting, leaving no rear-view camera while backing out

2020 OutbackFiled Jun 14, 2021NHTSA #11420866
Safety impactRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
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.

Public record. Verify by searching #11420866 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment crash blacks out the screen and shuts down EyeSight and climate access

2020 LegacyFiled Jun 12, 2021NHTSA #11420703
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
1. The infotainment system crashed (happens often), which caused the touchscreen in the center control stack to turn black and become unresponsive. This also caused the EyeSight safety system, adaptive cruise control (with lane keep assist), and reverse auto braking to all shut down (my dashboard lit up with warning lights and errors). 2. Not only is this an annoyance, but having all of the safety systems in my car unexpectedly shut down is extremely unsafe, especially adaptive cruise control. Other functions of my car, such as the radio and climate controls are also inaccessible when this happens. 3. A Subaru dealer has replaced the touchscreen in my vehicle to try and remedy the slowness and crashing, but it did not seem to fix anything. My car safety systems have not shut down prior to this incident, but on this day (June 6th), they did when the system crashed, which was after the replacement. After waiting weeks to get a replacement which didn't fix anything, I felt as if I needed to go elsewhere for help with this issue. 4. Only the manufacturer has inspected this issue, and I've also emailed Subaru directly after this incident, as to which I have not gotten a response yet (emailed on Monday, June 7th). 5. The warning lamps (for EyeSight, reverse auto breaking, and adaptive cruise control) all appeared on my dashboard as soon as the infotainment system crashed on June 6th. Prior to this, my vehicle had no warning lamps. They went away a few minutes after the system rebooted (all while I was driving on the highway), and system functionality returned to normal. Other Notes: This vehicle only has about 15k miles on it, and is only 1 year and 3 months old. Issues like this should not be happening. Before the replacement of the touchscreen, I had issues with it being extremely laggy and crashing, but my car's safety systems never shut down before. This is a new issue, which prompted me to report it to NHTSA.

Public record. Verify by searching #11420703 on NHTSA's 2020 Legacy page.

Intermittent infotainment faults: apps greyed out at startup, harsh speaker noise, music cutting off

2021 OutbackFiled Jun 6, 2021NHTSA #11419812
Audio lossOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
I believe the computer system malfunctions. It is available for inspection upon request. The first problem noticed was the automatic door locking system. Since this is keyless entry, putting your hand in the driver's door handle unlocks the driver's door with accompanying 2 beeps (setting I have chosen). But intermittently my passenger door also unlocks when my passenger puts their hand in their door handle(adds either 1 or 2 beeps to my 2 beeps). Dealer could not duplicate. They assumed I had it set wrong. Dealer confirmed setting was set to driver's door only. I have it set to driver's door only for anti carjacking. I also had an incident when starting the car that only the driver's front speaker was on and it was a HORRIBLE loud tinny, staticy sound. I turned my radio on and off repeatedly. Cleared to normal after 1 mile of driving. Sometimes several of my Apps are greyed out when starting the car. After 5 minutes of travel they will usually become active. I had one episode of the digital and analog speedometers not matching. The analog was 5 over the digital. When stopped at a light my analog was at 5 mph. Most of the time my analog is 1 sometimes 2 miles more than digital. Also, normal operation is that music continues to play until the driver's door is opened. Twice I have had music turn off when ignition is turned off. It has been to the dealer once, but they didn't find anything. These problems started after a month of ownership. It currently has 2600 miles after 6 months of ownership. I drive 3 miles round trip to work, with occassional trips across the state to see family. It is unknown how many different ways the safety of the driver and occupants could be affected with a malfunctioning computer system. When will it do something unexpected that has serious consequences? The dealer is completely unconcerned which does anger me.

Public record. Verify by searching #11419812 on NHTSA's 2021 Outback page.

Head unit stops functioning for months at a time alongside other electrical complaints

2019 AscentFiled Jun 5, 2021NHTSA #11419729
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
Unknown. Electrical failures including eyesight, the dealers lie about the work they do, the latest was recent - they said sludge was everywhere which causes the timing to be off and said the entire engine needed to be replaced but refused to do so. I do not trust they were honest about the spot welds, as my VIN and contract were mysteriously changed after I took delivery. Battery dies, amp dies, head unit stops functioning for months at a time. Eyesight slams on brakes at last minute. I am told it’s normal to shut up and leave. For example the last time I took it in less than 30 days ago they said they changed the filters as well. They did not. According to them they owe me a new engine. I have Starlink and documents oil is changed by Subaru yet they claimed they had no record, and it is my fault so I need to replace engine.

Public record. Verify by searching #11419729 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Center screen and electronics black out while driving despite recall reprogramming

2020 OutbackFiled May 27, 2021NHTSA #11418739
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
The electronic controls black out while driving the entire center screen and electronics shut down disabling the warning lights and I think also the electronic systems that function to control the safety warnings and functionality. This has been a problem on an ongoing basis since the purchase of the vehicle. This has been "repaired" multiple times by the dealer under the direction of Subaru. There was a recall earlier this year that was supposed to correct the problem it added some functionality, but primarily this recall reprogramming of the electronics was supposed to correct the blacking out of electronics and the disabling of the safety systems. The recall reprogramming has not corrected the problem. When I complained to Subaru they suggested that I take a video of the failure when it happened. I explained that this was not possible because I was driving at 70 MPH when it happened and could not just grab my phone and start a video while driving on I-95. Last week I was able to get a video of the failure as it happened while my wife was driving and I was a passenger. The entire panel blacked out and she pulled to the side of the road and I took a video of the 4 minutes the system was out. I will attach this video to this report. In addition there is an additional problem that occurred related to the lane keep assist function. There are four options to configure this function they are: 1> OFF 2> Warning Buzzer Only 3> Lane Keep function Only 4> All Functions. My understanding of the operation of this system has one function that shuts the system Off that is obviously the OFF function. #2 although only a buzzer has the system on, #3 has the functionality working but no warning buzzer (my preferred choice) and #4 that has all functions operating both warning buzzer and lane keep functions. My concern is that if you use #3 the system shows a warning light on the dash that shows the system if OFF. I have video of the electronics but don't know how to upload it.

Public record. Verify by searching #11418739 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

After recall update, screen goes black, reboots, shows no-audio message, loses phone contacts

2020 OutbackFiled May 17, 2021NHTSA #11417516
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenRebootingAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
After taking my car to dealer for WRI20 RECALL on 03/10/21, I have experienced intermittent issues with the touch screen and steering wheel controls. My touch screen will go black, act as if rebooting, radio button non responsive, “No audio” message across top of screen which affects radio and phone (safety issue) and contacts from phone appear and disappear. On my dash, the message ‘keep your eyes on the road” would continue repeatedly with my eyes staring straight at the road (irritating and safety issue)- voice control would not respond at all or it would ask if I wanted to set it up (already done). I drive over the Sierra (Donner Pass) quite frequently and need the security of a working navigation system (blank screen - no navigation) and an operational phone. I brought my car in for service initially 04/01/21 but it was returned 04/02/21 with no issues being replicated and car in “normal” working order. My car has now been sitting at the dealership since 04/25/21 with the same issues as before and I am driving a loaner. I have been in touch with Subaru and a case has been opened. I was supposed to hear from them today but no contact locally or from corporate. The only thing I have been told is - if they can not replicate the problem they can not do anything. I have provided photos of some of the issues (when I could safely take pic) but still been told nothing can be done under warranty if they can’t replicate it. I am so frustrated that Subaru wants to return a car to me that I DO NOT feel safe driving.

Public record. Verify by searching #11417516 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Center screen went black at highway speed for four minutes despite repeated reprogramming

2020 OutbackFiled Apr 21, 2021NHTSA #11413186
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
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 TOLD ME I SHOULD TAKE A VIDEO OF THE DASH IF THIS HAPPENED AGAIN BUT IT IS HARD TO TAKE A VIDEO WHILE DRIVING IN THE EXPRESS LANES AT 65 MPH. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT AFTER ALL THESE REPROGRAMMING ACTIVITIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED. WHEN THE DEALER HAD INSTALLED THE REVISED PROGRAMING I ASKED WHAT TO DO IF THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AND HE SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE A VIDEO THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. WELL IT DID HAPPEN AGAIN. I IMAGINE I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO FIND THIS REOCCURRING BUT I CAN'T BE SURE OF THAT. IT IS MOST DISCONCERTING TO THINK THAT ALL OF THE SAFETY CONTROLS THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TO OBTAIN ARE OUT OF USE FOR 4 MINUTES AS I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE RADIO ON WHILE DRIVING AND SUDDENLY IT WENT OFF I LOOKED DOWN AT THE SCREEN AND IT WAS BLACK COMPLETELY OFF. I ASSUME THAT ALL OF THE SAFETY FUNCTIONS THE SCREEN CONTROLS ALSO WERE OFF. IT STAYED THAT WAY FOR 4 MINUTES AND THEN RESTARTED AS IF I HAD JUST STARTED THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT KEEPS RECURRING.

Public record. Verify by searching #11413186 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Map and radio screen behaved erratically after a jump start; dealer updated radio software

2019 ImprezaFiled Apr 14, 2021NHTSA #11408077
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
II BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW IN 2019. I HAVE HAD 8 TIMES WHICH I WOULD BE OUT SOMEWHERE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I LIVED IN FORT WORTH AND AAA WOULD COME. AT NO TIME HAS SUBARU ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE OF WHY IT WILL NOT START. I HAD TO TAKE IT TO CLEO BAY IN KILLEN ON SATURDAY THE 10TH BECAUSE I WAS AT LUNCH IN BROWNWOOD AND WHEN I TRIED TO START IT IT WOULD NOT. I HAD TO GET IT JUMPED AND THEN THE SCREEN FOR THE MAPS AND RADIO ACTED LIKE IT WAS ON DRUGS. SO I DROVE AND LEFT IT WITH CLEO BAY SUBARU. THEY SAID THEY DID AN UPDATE TO MY RADIO BUT WON'T ADDRESS THE REAL ISSUE OF WHY THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND I HAD TO GET IT JUMPED.

Public record. Verify by searching #11408077 on NHTSA's 2019 Impreza page.

Control module freezes, restarts or blanks; CarPlay and voice control lost, safety systems offline

2020 OutbackFiled Apr 12, 2021NHTSA #11407736
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THE PROBLEM THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING WITH MY CAR. THE CAR'S CCM WOULD OCCASIONALLY FREEZE; SAY APPLE CARPLAY IS UNAVAILABLE AND RESTART; THE CCM WOULD GO BLANK, BUT STILL BACKLIT; OR JUST FREEZE ATTEMPT TO RESTART, BUT NOT TURN BACK ON RENDERING ITEMS IN THE CAR USELESS, LIKE VOICE CONTROL AND JUST EVERYTHING!! SUBARU CLAIMS THAT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG AND I JUST HAVE A GRIEVANCE. I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S THE CASE, WHEN THERE'S VIDEO EVIDENCE. I HAVE A LOANER CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP, AND TURNED OFF THE DISPLAY (I DIDN'T KNOW THAT COULD BE DONE), BUT THE VOICE CONTROL WORKED IN THE LOANER THAT WAS NOT HAVING A PROBLEM AS OPPOSED TO MINE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS WRITTEN IN WITH THAT COMPLAINT. OF NOTE, I'VE BEEN GOING INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM SINCE OCTOBER 2020, AND I'VE ONLY OWNED THE CAR SINCE JUL 2020. I HAD IT CHECKED IN VIRGINIA AND OKLAHOMA CITY. I RECEIVED A LOANER CAR ON THURSDAY, 8 APR 2020, FOR THE PROBLEM ONLY AFTER I NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I CONTACTED SUBARU ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I RECEIVED A TEXT STATING THAT THE CAR WAS READY, BUT NO RESPONSE AS TO WHAT WAS DONE. AGAIN, I RECEIVED THE 'SOFTWARE IS UP TO DATE'. BE AWARE THAT WHEN THE SCREEN GOES BLANK, YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER ANYTHING, NOT EVEN VOICE CONTROL. I DID TEST THAT WHILE MY CAR WAS MALFUNCTIONING A D ALSO DISPLAYING THAT EYESIGHT AND REAR ASSIST BRAKING WERE ALSO NOT FUNCTIONAL. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, BECAUSE I WAS UTILIZING NAVIGATION SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING AT THE TIME. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME DURING NAVIGATION THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED. ALTHOUGH I RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE FROM THE CAR VIA TEXT ON EASTER SUNDAY, THE MY SUBARU APP SENT AN 'ALL SYSTEMS FUNCTIONAL' FOR 30 DAYS, BUT I JUST HAD ERRORS A FEW DAYS PRIOR. IT'S LIKE THE HEALTH REPORT IS ONLY FOR THAT MOMENT IN TIME AND NOT REALLY FOR 30 DAYS.

Public record. Verify by searching #11407736 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Console reboots randomly after a software recall update, disabling driver-assist safety functions

2020 OutbackFiled Mar 27, 2021NHTSA #11405122
Safety impactRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
EVER SINCE THE RECALL FOR THE COCKPIT CONTROL SYSTEM SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED ON MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK TOURING ON MARCH 1, 2021 THE CONSOLE RANDOMLY REBOOTS. IT HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES IN 3 WEEKS. ON A RECENT TRIP ON THURSDAY MARCH 25, 2021 THE CONSOLE REBOOTED 3 TIMES IN A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR. WHEN THAT HAPPENS THE SAFETY FUNCTIONS ARE DISABLED - PRE-COLLISION BRAKING, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, PRE-COLLISION THROTTLE MANAGEMENT, LANE DEPARTURE AND SWAY WARNING WITH LANE KEEP ASSIST, ETC.

Public record. Verify by searching #11405122 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment repeatedly crashes and goes dark; one episode saw unresponsive controls at highway speed

2020 OutbackFiled Mar 24, 2021NHTSA #11404678
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS OF THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM CRASHING OR GOING DARK AND BEING UNRESPONSIVE. TODAY DURING ANOTHER EPISODE THE VEHICLES ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF CRUISE AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE AT SPEED. PLACED VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE ENTIRETY OF ELECTRICAL CONTROLS WERE UNRESPONSIVE. THE INFOTAINMENT CRASHING AND BECOMING INOPERABLE ARE A RELATIVELY COMMON EXPERIENCE, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE EXPERIENCED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

Public record. Verify by searching #11404678 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Radio and control unit restarts and freezes, with no audio and USB ports affected

2020 LegacyFiled Feb 15, 2021NHTSA #11396240
Safety impactUSB dropoutsBlack or frozen screenRebootingAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
RADIO AND CONTROL UNIT RANDOMLY RESTARTS AND FREEZES, AFFECTING THE RADIO FROM WORKING, THE VEHICLE CONTROL AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE OPTIONS, AND THE TWO USB PORTS WHICH ARE THE ONLY POWER SOURCES IN THE VEHICLE FROM WORKING CORRECTLY. I HAVE NO AUDIO AND CANNOT RESET THE RADIO AND CANNOT CHANGE VEHICLE CONTROL FUNCTIONS. WHEN I SELECT CERTAIN BUTTONS IT DOES NOTHING.

Public record. Verify by searching #11396240 on NHTSA's 2020 Legacy page.

Infotainment screens black out or fail entirely; two dealer updates did not fix it

2020 OutbackFiled Jan 27, 2021NHTSA #11390292
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
INFOTAINMENT CENTER SCREENS BLACK OUT OR DON'T WORK AT ALL. DEALER HAS DONE TWO UPDATES ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS.

Public record. Verify by searching #11390292 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Radio keeps resetting, shutting off randomly, and staying on after the car is off

2019 AscentFiled Jan 19, 2021NHTSA #11388930
RebootingOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
VEHICLE STARTED OFF WITH THE RADIO NOT SAVING CHANNELS. IT WOULD RESET THE RADIO EVERY FEW DAYS. A MESSAGE WOULD COME ON THE DASHBOARD WHICH WOULD SAY THE CAR WILL BE RESTARTED IN A FEW HOURS. AND A LIGHT NOT WORKING. TOOK IN AND THEY SAID IT WAS BATTERY. REPLACED. THEN GOT BACK. WITHIN WEEK OR SO. CAR HAD ALL LIGHTS COMING ON AND OFF ON DASHBOARD. STARTED JUMPING. EVEN DROVE BACKWARDS WHEN PUT IN DRIVE. TOOK IN AND THEY REPLACED TRANSMISSION. WITHIN THE WEEK AFTER GETTING BACK, THE CAR WAS SKIPPING GEARS. ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. THEN BACK IN FOR RADIO NOT SHUTTING OFF WHEN CAR OFF AND LOCKED. WOULD RUN FOR HOURS. ALSO THE TRUNK DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK. TOOK AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SWITCH. RADIO AGAIN STILL RESETTING. RADIO WILL RANDOMLY SHUT OFF AND THEN TURN BACK ON. THE REAR TRUNK WILL LOCK AND THEN NOT UNLOCK. CAR IS STILL DRIVING ROUGH. CLEARLY THE CAR HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. IT IS BACK IN NOW.

Public record. Verify by searching #11388930 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Display freezes during CarPlay and resets to black, disabling EyeSight and reverse automatic braking

2020 OutbackFiled Jan 17, 2021NHTSA #11388596
Safety impactCarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
WHEN APPLE CARPLAY IS BEING USED, THE MULTIMEDIA DISPLAY HAS FROZEN SEVERAL TIMES AND WHEN IT FREEZES, THE RESETS ITSELF TO A BLACK SCREEN. ONCE IT RESETS TO A BLACK SCREEN, THE EYESIGHT IS DISABLED AND RAB (REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING) IS DISABLED. I HAVE HAD A MOMENT WHERE THE SCREEN WAS COMPLETELY BLACK AND BOTH THINGS WERE DISABLED FOR OVER 15 MINUTES WHILE I WAS DRIVING. UNTIL THE MOMENT I TURNED OFF THE CAR DID IT STOP SHOWING THE ISSUE BUT THIS WASN'T THE FIRST INSTANCE OF IT HAPPENING. THE MOMENT I DO NEED THE EYESIGHT WOULD BE TOO LATE SINCE IT'S DISABLED. I'VE RECORDED SEVERAL VIDEOS OF THIS HAPPENING AND I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY TELL ME NOTHING CAN BE DONE SINCE THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE AND THAT THE VIDEO RECORDING IS "HYPOTHETICAL." I'VE UPLOADED SOME OF THE VIDEOS I'VE RECORDED ONTO YOUTUBE FOR YOU TO CHECK AND VERIFY. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CHANNEL/UCNA9Z1X9ITGGUPUO_AL_BLG

Public record. Verify by searching #11388596 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Stereo sound cuts out frequently and Bluetooth keeps deleting paired phones

2020 AscentFiled Jan 15, 2021NHTSA #11388299
BluetoothAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
V1.THE BATTERY DIED WITHIN 6 MONTHS 4 TIMES :FIRST TIME AUG. 21. 2020 , THAN DEC. 03.2021 , DEC 24.2021 AND JAN.04.2021 2.THE STEREO SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY SOUND CUTTING OFF FREQUENTLY. 3.BREAK PROBLEM. BEFORE 6 MONTHS THE BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED AND ARE STILL MAKING GRINDING UNUSUAL NOISE. EVEN AFTER MULTIPLE DEALER SERVICE NO IMPROVEMENT. ACTUAL BREAK ACTION NOT CONSISTENT AND NOT RELIABLE SAVE. 4.THE AC SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY - KICKS IN EVEN WHEN IN HEATING MODE. IN USING THE REMOTE START THE AC KICKS IN IMMEDIATELY AND CHANGING THE SETTINGS WILL NOT HELP. 5.THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON WHEN THERE IS NO PROBLEM? INSTEAD OF BEING A SAFETY FEATURE IT IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM FEATURE. BECAUSE IT IS NOT RELIABLE MAKES SAFE DRIVING VERY DIFFICULT ? AND WE HAD CONSIDERED THIS SYSTEM AS A PLUS WHEN DECIDING ON SUBARU ASCENT. 6.PROBLEMS WITH TRUNK OPENING ? SOMETIMES WILL NOT WORK WITH KEY OR FROM THE INSIDE ? HAS TO BE OPENED MANUALLY. 7.OIL LEVEL SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. 8.THE VIN NUMBER WAS LISTED TO HAVE A RECALL ? BUT WHEN CHECKING IT OUT IT SHOWED 0 RECALLS. WE CONSIDER THIS VERY STRANGE. 9.AFTER EACH VISIT TO THE DEALER, WE ARE TOLD THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE ? BUT ONE OR TWO DAYS LATER THE SAME PROBLEMS SHOW UP AGAIN. 10.BLUETOOTH SYSTEM KEEPS DELETING PHONES. 11.RPM GAUGE NOT FUNCTIONING. 12.MPG INDICATION NEVER CHANGES SHOWS ALWAYS SAME VALUE ? EVEN UNDER COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DRIVING CONDITIONS. I AM FILING THIS CLAIM FOR MAY DAUGHTER [XXX] BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR AT THE TIME. ALSO THE PROBLEMS ARE ONGOING SINCE THE DATE LISTED BELOW INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Public record. Verify by searching #11388299 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Radio stops working completely at times; amplifier replaced and serviced repeatedly

2019 AscentFiled Jan 12, 2021NHTSA #11387795
Audio loss
Read the owner's complaint
BATTERY HAS DIED AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR. ALSO ONGOING ISSUES WITH THE RADIO- RADIO HAS STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY BEFORE TWO INSTANCES WHEN THE RADIO DIED. AMPLIFIER HAS BEEN CHANGED IN CAR AND SERVICED MULTIPLE TIMES. ONCE WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING IT AND STEERING LOCKED.

Public record. Verify by searching #11387795 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Head unit has a connection problem the dealer acknowledged

2020 ForesterFiled Jan 3, 2021NHTSA #11386233
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
VEHICLE HAS SOME ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE TPMS THAT LESS THAN A YEAR IN, ONE OF THEM IS SEEMS TO BE GOING OUT. THEE HEAD UNIT (INFOTAINMENT SYS) ALSO HAD CONNECTION ISSUE THAT WAS AWARE AND KNOWN BY SUBURA DEALER REP WHEN CALLED AND AS TO BRING IN FOR MAINTENANCE. BLINDS POT MONITOR ON THE RIGHT HAS TENDENCY TO NOT FLASH OR ALERT EVERY SO OFTEN.

Public record. Verify by searching #11386233 on NHTSA's 2020 Forester page.

Stereo system defective and replaced three times

2019 AscentFiled Jan 3, 2021NHTSA #11386207
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
WINDSHIELD CRACKED BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD AT 45MPH. STEREO SYSTEM DEFECTIVE. STEREO HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES ALREADY

Public record. Verify by searching #11386207 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Failed software update left the vehicle without a display; whole radio replaced

2020 OutbackFiled Dec 26, 2020NHTSA #11384986
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
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.

Public record. Verify by searching #11384986 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Failed software update left the vehicle without a display; whole radio replaced

2020 OutbackFiled Dec 26, 2020NHTSA #11384978
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
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.

Public record. Verify by searching #11384978 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

CarPlay malfunctioned from day two; dealer visits and software update did not fix it

2020 OutbackFiled Dec 10, 2020NHTSA #11382826
Safety impactCarPlay / Android Auto
Read the owner's complaint
ACCORDING TO WISCONSIN'S LEMON LAW, THE VEHICLE THAT I OWN MEETS WI'S LEMON: * I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW CAR(ONLY 4 MILES WERE IN IT) * FROM DAY 2 (AFTER PURCHASING), THE CARPLAY MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING ISSUE AND NEVER SOLVED. DEFECT WITHIN A YEAR AND THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE WARRANTY. * DEALER FAILED 5 TIMES TO FIX THE SAME ISSUE. I PAID 50K FOR THE VEHICLE NOVEMBER, 2019 WHICH IS STILL UNDER THE WARRANTY YET THE PROBLEM IS NOT BEING RECTIFIED. OVER A YEAR LONG BATTLE, I AM STUCK WITH BROKEN CAR. SERVICE MANAGER FROM THE DEALER ADMITTED THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SUPPORT FROM CORP WHICH LED SOFTWARE UPDATE DOES NOT WORK. A FEW TIMES, I ALMOST RARE ENDED THE FRONT OF CAR DUE TO CARPLAY MALFUNCTION. WOULD YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS?

Public record. Verify by searching #11382826 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment computer replaced, then later updated because the system kept going black

2020 OutbackFiled Nov 28, 2020NHTSA #11376777
Black or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM REPLACED CONTROLLING COMPUTER ON APRIL 17, 2020 AND ON JULY 16, 2020 AN UPDATE WAS PERFORMED DUE TO SYSTEM GOING BLACK

Public record. Verify by searching #11376777 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Entertainment system crashes and reboots, freezing the rear camera image while reversing

2019 CrosstrekFiled Nov 20, 2020NHTSA #11375662
Safety impactBluetoothBlack or frozen screenRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND BEGINNING TO REVERSE AWAY FROM MY HOME, THE REAR VIEW CAMERA FROZE FOR 10 SECONDS, NOT SHOWING ANY CHANGE IN MOVING OR STATIONARY OBJECTS. THIS HAPPENED DUE TO THE DRIVER SCREEN INTERFACE/ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM CRASHING AND REBOOTING. THE CRASH/REBOOT USUALLY HAPPENS IF THE CAR PAIRS BY BLUETOOTH WITH A PHONE THAT IS IN THE HOUSE, AND THEN GETS OUT OF RANGE WHEN THE CAR BACKS AWAY OR DRIVES AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. IF IT CRASHES WHILE REVERSING, THE SCREEN EITHER GOES BLANK OR FREEZES THE REAR VIEW IMAGE IN PLACE. IF THE SYSTEM CRASHES WHILE DRIVING FORWARD THEN THE REVERSE CAMERA IMAGE IS NOT AFFECTED. WHEN THE CAMERA FREEZES WHILE REVERSING, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IT GIVES THE DRIVER THE FALSE VIEW THAT NOTHING IS BEHIND THE CAR WHEN THERE COULD BE A CHILD OR OBJECT.

Public record. Verify by searching #11375662 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Radio stopped working in a car that also has battery problems

2020 AscentFiled Nov 2, 2020NHTSA #11372598
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
1600 MILES AND CAR WILL NOT START, BATTERY KEEPS DRAINING/DIEING AND RADIO STOPPED WORKING.

Public record. Verify by searching #11372598 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Infotainment went blank about ten seconds while driving and rebooted, disengaging safety features

2020 OutbackFiled Oct 12, 2020NHTSA #11363911
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
I JUST PURCHASED A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK LTD AND WHILE DRIVING THE ENTIRE INFOCENTER WENT BLANK, AND ALL SAFETY FEATURES WAS DISENGAGED. THE SCREEN REMAINED BLANK FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS BEFORE REBOOTING. I CALLED SUABRU AMERICA AND WAS INFORMNED THAT THERE IS A CLITCH IN THE PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO FIX UNSUCCESSFULLY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR DUE TO ITS SAFETY FEATURES. SHOULDN'T I HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THIS POTENTIAL COMPUTER CRASH THAT AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS, WHICH INCLUDES MY 85 YEAR OLD MOTHER?

Public record. Verify by searching #11363911 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Infotainment and GPS audio suddenly lost while driving

2020 AscentFiled Oct 4, 2020NHTSA #11362644
Audio loss
Read the owner's complaint
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ON A TRIP, MY 2020 ASCENT SUDDENLY LOST ALL AUDIO FROM THE INFOTAINMENT AND GPS SYSTEM. THEN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT, THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. NO SYSTEMS WERE LEFT ON AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SO THE CAUSE OF THE DEAD BATTERY AND THE LOSS OF AUDIO IS A MYSTERY.

Public record. Verify by searching #11362644 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

All audio stopped working; manufacturer reset procedure did not restore it

2020 AscentFiled Sep 26, 2020NHTSA #11361265
Audio loss
Read the owner's complaint
THE AUDIO FOR ALL FUNCTIONS AND RADIO STOPPED WORKING. IT WAS WORKING, PARKED IT FOR 1.5 HOURS IN GARAGE, STARTED VEHICLE AND NO AUDIO. STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE CAR STILL NO AUDIO. FOLLOWED MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS TO RESET THE AUDIO/NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND STILL NO AUDIO. LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT AND IT STILL DOESN'T HAVE ANY AUDIO. TRYING TO GET AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP.

Public record. Verify by searching #11361265 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Audio system completely silent; repeated radio reboots did not restore sound

2020 AscentFiled Jul 28, 2020NHTSA #11341879
RebootingAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE LATE MAY 2020, AND I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 2,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. ON 7/25/20, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS NO SOUND AT ALL FROM THE AUDIO SYSTEM - RADIO, NAVIGATION, VOICE COMMANDS, ETC. WERE ALL MUTE. I REBOOTED THE RADIO BY HOLDING DOWN THE POWER BUTTON UNTIL IT RESTARTED, BUT THIS DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE, DESPITE MULTIPLE REBOOTS. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE EACH DAY ON 7/26 AND 7/27, AND THE AUDIO DID NOT COME BACK. ON 7/29/20, I PLANNED TO CALL THE DEALER TO REPORT THE ISSUE. WHEN I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE, WHICH IS KEPT IN MY GARAGE, I DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. AS SOON AS I TRIED TO START THE CAR, THE TAILGATE BEGAN BEEPING, AND THEN THE HEADLAMPS FLICKERED RANDOMLY FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE. THERE IS NO POWER AT ALL IN THE VEHICLE, AND I AM UNABLE TO LOCK/UNLOCK THE CAR OR OPEN THE TAILGATE, EVEN MANUALLY. THERE WERE NO DOORS LEFT OPEN, NO LIGHTS LEFT ON - THE BATTERY SIMPLY DIED.

Public record. Verify by searching #11341879 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Screen freezes and sometimes goes black while driving; volume blares or audio cuts out

2019 WRXFiled Jul 21, 2020NHTSA #11340581
Black or frozen screenAudio lossOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
THE SCREEN FREAKS OUT. IT FREEZES, JACKS UP THE VOLUME SOMETIMES AND JUST FEELS LIKE THE SCREEN HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. IT GOES BLACK SOMETIMES BUT OVERALL JUST FREEZING. ITS REALLY ANNOYING AND FRUSTRATING WHEN THE VOLUME STARTS BLARING OR DECIDES TO NOT LET YOU LISTEN TO IT AT ALL. IT'S USUALLY WHEN ITS IN MOTION. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY. I HAVE NOT NOTICED A PATTERN AS TO WHEN THE FAULTS HAPPEN.

Public record. Verify by searching #11340581 on NHTSA's 2019 WRX page.

Touchscreen radio functions frequently fail to work, sometimes for days

2019 ForesterFiled May 4, 2020NHTSA #11323195
Black or frozen screenOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
THE TOUCH SCREEN SYSTEM (RADIO-AM/FM AND SATELLITE) FREQUENTLY DO NOT WORK ON THE TOUCH SCREEN SYSTEM. TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, TAKING THE KEY OUT AND REPEATING THE STARTING PROCESS OF THE VECHICLE DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT OCCURS ABOUT 1 OUT OF 3 TIMES STARTING AND/OR DRIVING THE VEHICLE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS ELECTRONIC SYSTEM IS GOING TO WORK OR NOT. SUBURU NEEDS TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE. IT HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, STATIONARY, OR DRIVING. IT MAY NOT WORK FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THEN STARTS WORKING AGAIN.

Public record. Verify by searching #11323195 on NHTSA's 2019 Forester page.

Bluetooth hands-free incoming call volume too low even at maximum speaker volume

2020 OutbackFiled Mar 6, 2020NHTSA #11316511
Safety impactBluetooth
Read the owner's complaint
THE LOW BEAM'S ANGLE ON THE SELF-LEVELING HEADLIGHT UNITS IS TOO FLAT BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC (EVERY OTHER CAR AND THIRD TRUCK FLASHES THEIR HIGH BEAMS AT ME). THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HANDSFREE BLUETOOTH PROTOCOL IS INADEQUATE AS INCOMING CALL VOLUME IS TOO LOW (EVEN AFTER INCREASING SPEAKER VOLUME TO MAXIMUM). IT MAKES HANDSFREE OPERATION OF YOUR MOBILE PHONE ALL BUT WORTHLESS WHILE HANDSFREE OPERATION IS REQUIRED BY LAW IN MY STATE. BOTH ISSUES ARE SAFETY ISSUES AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED.

Public record. Verify by searching #11316511 on NHTSA's 2020 Outback page.

Center display control buttons do not always function

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 25, 2020NHTSA #11311376
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
STEERING SYSTEM/CAR FEELS UNSTABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ESPECIALLY WHEN WINDY. CENTER DISPLAY CONTROL BUTTONS DON'T ALWAYS FUNCTION. WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED WITHOUT ROAD HAZARD INCIDENTS

Public record. Verify by searching #11311376 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Infotainment touchscreen intermittently becomes unresponsive, distracting the driver

2019 ForesterFiled Feb 25, 2020NHTSA #11311368
Safety impactBlack or frozen screen
Read the owner's complaint
INFORTAINMENT TOUCH SCREEN BECOME UNRESPONSIVE TIME TO TIME, CAUSING UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION TO OPERATE RADIO, NAVIGATION.

Public record. Verify by searching #11311368 on NHTSA's 2019 Forester page.

CarPlay and Starlink freeze with a loud ringing sound until the car is restarted

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 20, 2020NHTSA #11310333
CarPlay / Android AutoBlack or frozen screenAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
APPLE CARPLAY AND STARLINK WILL FREEZE AND MAKE A LOUD "RINGING SOUND" UNTIL VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND TURN BACKED ON.

Public record. Verify by searching #11310333 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Audio system produced loud popping noise

2019 OutbackFiled Feb 16, 2020NHTSA #11309501
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
WINDOW SLOW/STOP GOING UP ON DRIVER SIDE DOOR, AUDIO SYSTEM WAS HAVING LOUD POPPING NOISE, SYSTEM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU WHEN HOW CLOSE YOU ARE TO ANOTHER CAR/AUTOMATICALLY BREAK- TURNS OFF ON OWN/SAYS NO SIGHT CAMERA.

Public record. Verify by searching #11309501 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Backup camera freezes while reversing, then the infotainment reboots

2019 CrosstrekFiled Dec 15, 2019NHTSA #11289092
Safety impactRebootingBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC TO COMPLETE STOP, AS I WAS ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE STALLED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE. I HAVE HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT WHEN I WAS BACKING UP TO PARK MY CAR IN MY GARAGE, MY BACK UP CAMERA FROZE WHILE IM STILL IN MOTION THEN THE INFOTAINMENT REBOOTS.

Public record. Verify by searching #11289092 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Radio volume suddenly blasts when a phone call comes in; dealer could not reproduce

2019 AscentFiled Dec 13, 2019NHTSA #11288929
Safety impactBluetoothOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
BRAKES MADE LOUD NOISE EVEN WHEN DRIVING OFF THE LOT. TOLD IT WAS A NEW CAR AND IT WILL SUBSIDE. THE NOISE DID NOT SUBSIDE. IT GREW LOUDER. TOOK CAR TO SUBARU DEALER WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE ROTORS WOULD NEED TO,BE CUT! ON A NEW CAR WITH UNDER 900 MILES! TOOK IT HOME AND THE NOISE WAS LESS BUT GREW LOUDER AS THE WEEK WENT ON. BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO SUBARU AND THEY INDICATED THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ROTORS AND THE BRAKE PADS. OF COURSE, THEY DIDN'T MENTION IT WOULD TAKE OVER A WEEK AND A HALF TO GET THE PARTS. NOISE WAS WHEN BRAKING WHETHER STATIONARY OR MOVING. ANOTHER ISSUE IS WHEN MY CELL PHONE RINGS, THE RADIO STARTS BLASTING! I ALMOST RAN OFF THE ROAD. THIS HAPPENED TWICE AND THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T SEEM TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NOT HAD TO RESOLVE BOTH THE BRAKES AND RADIO ISSUE WITH ANYONE ELSE IN THEIR DEALERSHIP. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE, UNLESS THEY DID NOT SELL MANY ASCENTS. I AM ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS I KEEP HEARING PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT.

Public record. Verify by searching #11288929 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Touch screen keeps resetting and voice activation turns on by itself

2019 OutbackFiled Oct 28, 2019NHTSA #11271571
Rebooting
Read the owner's complaint
WHILE PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH NO TREES OR CARS NEARBY, MY WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED FROM THE DRIVER SIDE ALL THE WAY TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. I HAVE FOUND THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUES WITH SUBARU INVOLVING A LOST LAW SUIT IN 2018, AND A CURRENT 2019 LAW SUIT ON GOING. THERE ARE NEARLY 100 COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA.GOV, COUNTLESS ARTICLES, AND FORUMS FROM 2019 SUBARU OWNERS. IN ADDITION, MY REAR WINDSHIELD FLUID DOESN'T WORK. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ELECTRONIC ISSUES INCLUDING THE TOUCH SCREEN CONSTANTLY RESETTING, THE VOICE ACTIVATION TURNING ON BY SELF ITSELF, AND NOTIFICATION ALARMS GOING OFF FOR NO REASON (LIKE OBSTACLE IN ROAD WITH NOTHING THERE) JUST TO NAME A FEW. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM HELP WITH THE WINDSHIELD THEY WERE VERY RUDE AND DISMISSIVE, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN BEGIN TO LISTEN TO ME OFTEN INTERRUPTING ME WHEN I SPOKE AND REFUSING TO HELP ME WITH MY ISSUES. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT SUBARU DIRECTLY SINCE THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. I AM BEGINNING TO WONDER IF I NEED TO PURSUE A LEMON LAW CASE OR IF I CAN ACTUALLY BE HELPED AT ALL WITH THESE ISSUES. I AM A LONGTIME FAN OF SUBARU AND WAS GREATLY LOOKING FORWARD TO OWNING MY OWN FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Public record. Verify by searching #11271571 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

CarPlay and Bluetooth microphone stopped working

2020 AscentFiled Oct 20, 2019NHTSA #11269800
CarPlay / Android AutoBluetooth
Read the owner's complaint
IN AM TAILGATE FOUND OPENED (BY ITSELF), BATTERY DEAD , 3 JUMP STARTS OVER 24HRS BATTERY STILL NOT RECHARGING AFTER 6 HRS CONTIN. OPERATION, NOW CARPLAY AND BLUTOOTH MICROPHONE NOT WORKING, MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE RE THIS, NO MANUAL TAILGATE OPENING, AND NO WORKING BATTERY SHUT OFF OF TAILGATE OR ITS LIGHT IN SOFTWARE

Public record. Verify by searching #11269800 on NHTSA's 2020 Ascent page.

Radio/touchscreen resets itself with loud static beforehand; presets erased; system replaced without fix

2019 CrosstrekFiled Aug 19, 2019NHTSA #11245112
Safety impactRebooting
Read the owner's complaint
I PURCHASED MY 2019 CROSSTREK IN NOVEMBER OF 2018. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE RADIO / TOUCHSCREEN RESETS ITSELF. HOWEVER BEFORE EACH SELF STARTED RESET A LOUD BUZZING OR STATIC NOISE COMES ACROSS THE SPEAKERS SCARING THE EVER LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME (THE DRIVER). THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN / HAZARD AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ON ONE OCCASION OF THIS. I HAVE HAD THE WHOLE SYSTEM REPLACED BY MY DEALERSHIP AT NO CHARGE 1 MONTH AFTER PURCHASE. YET THE RADIO STILL HAS THE SAME ISSUES. ALL RADIO STATIONS I HAVE PROGRAMMED IN ARE ERASED WITH EACH SELF RESTART OF THE RADIO / TOUCH SCREEN THAT GOD AWFUL NOISE STILL HAPPENS. SUBARU DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE ARE NO SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE UPDATES AT THIS TIME. SO WHAT THE HECK GIVES!! SERIOUSLY SOMEONE IS GOING TO CRAP THEIR PANTS AND HAVE A HEART ATTACK DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WHAT THE RADIO BLASTS STATIC AIR WAVES ACROSS OUR SPEAKERS!

Public record. Verify by searching #11245112 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Bluetooth voice is distorted and CarPlay will not connect after remote starting

2019 ForesterFiled Jul 9, 2019NHTSA #11230315
CarPlay / Android AutoBluetooth
Read the owner's complaint
WHEN I START MY CAR VIA SUBARU STARLINK THE FOLLOWING TECHNICAL ISSUES OCCUR VOICE OVER BLUETOOTH GETS DISTORTED, APPLE CARPLAY DOES NOT CONNECT OR AFFECTS RADIO FIRST WAS NOTICED JAN 23, 2019. ALSO, POWER REAR GATE DOOR WOULD FAIL AND WOULD NOT OPEN WITH REAR GATE BUTTON, DASH BUTTON OR VIA KEY FOB AS THIS ON AND OFF PROBLEM ALSO NOTICED AFTER CAR IS STARTED VIA REMOTE APP STARLINK. POWER GATE PROBLEM REPORTED FIRST ON JAN 23, 2019 AND CONTINUES THROUGH THE PRESENT DATE. EYESIGHT FAILED ON JUL 06, 2019 WHEN CAR WAS STARTED VIA STARLINK, JUL 07, 2019 EYESIGHT BACK ON AND FAILED AGAIN ON JUL 08, 2019 WHEN CAR WAS MANUALLY STARTED FROM PARKING POSITION. WHEN EYESIGHT FAILS IT EFFECT VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL WHICH ANALYZES STEERING ANGLE, ENGINE SPEED AND BRAKING CONDITIONS. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO WORK ANS WELL SUBARU REVERSE AUTOMATIC BREAKING. TOTAL MILES ON THE CAR 7321 AS OF JUL 08, 2019.

Public record. Verify by searching #11230315 on NHTSA's 2019 Forester page.

Starlink head unit failed within days of delivery, disabling camera, audio, phone and navigation

2019 ForesterFiled Jun 11, 2019NHTSA #11219312
Safety impactBackup camera lostAudio loss
Read the owner's complaint
I TOOK DELIVERY OF A 2019 SUBURU FORRESTER ON FRIDAY JUNE 7, 2019. LESS THAN 3 DAYS LATER THE ENTIRE STARLINK COMMAND HEAD UNIT FAILED LEAVING THE BACKUP CAMERA, RADIO, AUDIO, CELL PHONE AND NAVIGATION SYSTEMS INOPERABLE. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. A NEW UNIT MUST BE ORDERED.

Public record. Verify by searching #11219312 on NHTSA's 2019 Forester page.

Radio unit froze while reversing, disabling backup camera; dealer says replacement needed

2019 OutbackFiled Jun 6, 2019NHTSA #11218229
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE, THE RADIO UNIT FROZE MAKING THE BACKUP SCREEN INOPERABLE. THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR WITH 200 MILES ON IT. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THEY WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE HEAD UNIT. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE UNIT WORKING, HOPEFULLY UNTIL THE NEW HEAD UNIT ARRIVES, BY PHYSICALLY DISCONNECTING THE CAR BATTERY. UPON RESEARCH, IT TURNS OUT THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE PROBLEM FOR SUBARU. HAD I KNOWN, I WOULD NEVER HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM AND WORRY I WILL BE LEFT WITH A CRIPPLED CAR WITH NO WARRANTY OR REDRESS. SINCE A BACK UP CAMERA IS A REQUIRED SAFETY FEATURE UNDER FEDERAL LAW, SUBARU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SELL THESE DEFECTIVE CARS UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS FIXED, THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY, AND A FULL RECALL SHOULD BE ORDERED. JUST GOOGLE 'SUBARU HEAD UNIT FAILURE.' HOW MUCH MORE INFORMATION DOES NHTSA NEED BEFORE IT ACTS? DOES A CHILD NEED TO BE KILLED IN A BACK UP ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE BACK UP CAMERA BEFORE APPROPRIATE ACTION IS TAKEN? IT IS CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT TO ALLOW THESE CARS TO CONTINUE TO BE SOLD UNTIL SUBARU HAS PROVEN THAT THEY HAV FIXED THE PROBLEM!

Public record. Verify by searching #11218229 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.

Radio preset stations disappeared weeks after being programmed

2019 CrosstrekFiled Mar 29, 2019NHTSA #11192359
Other failure
Read the owner's complaint
MY NEW SUBARU CROSSTREK HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE RADIO PRESET STATIONS. I PROGRAMMED THEM SOON AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR BUT 6 WEEKS LATER THE PRESET STATIONS DISAPPEARED AND ONLY THE PRE-INSTALLED (FREE TRIAL) STATIONS ON SXM RADIO WERE WORKING. I HAD TO REPROGRAM THE STATIONS. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, AUTO FAIR OF HAVERHILL, MA, THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE 'RECALL' (THEIR TERM NOT MINE) BUT THAT THE RECALL WAS RECALLED DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE 'SOFTWARE UPDATE '. THEY ASKED ME TO CALL AGAIN NEXT WEEK TO SEE IF A SOLUTION IS AVAILABLE

Public record. Verify by searching #11192359 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Apple CarPlay glitches shortly before repeated engine shutoffs

2019 CrosstrekFiled Mar 4, 2019NHTSA #11184214
CarPlay / Android Auto
Read the owner's complaint
CAR HAS REPEATEDLY TURNED ITSELF OFF WHILE DRIVING. TWICE, WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKES WHILE EXITING THE HIGHWAY, ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS (EYESIGHT ALARMS, CHECK ENGINE, ETC.) WILL TURN ON. WHEN THE CAR COMES TO A STOP, THE OIL LIGHT ALSO TURNS ON AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, ESSENTIALLY PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. THE DASH INSTRUCTS TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE CAR STARTS AGAIN AFTER PUSHING THE IGNITION TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND TURNING IT BACK ON AGAIN, BUT WILL HAVE THE SAME THING HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED AND THE CAR SLOWS DOWN. IT HAS TURNED OFF TWICE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, GOING SLOWLY. AFTER THREE FIRST INSTANCES OF THIS PROBLEM, THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND A "FATAL ERROR OF THE ECM" AND THE MAIN COMPUTER IN THE CAR WAS CHANGED AND THE GROUNDS WERE TESTED. THE SECOND INSTANCE OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED ON THE SAME DAY THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP FROM REPAIRS. THE CAR HAD ~200 MILES WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED AND HAS LESS THAN 250 CURRENTLY. IN SUMMARY, THE CAR HAS TURNED OFF, MAKING IT UNABLE TO ACCELERATE, WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THERE WERE ISSUES WITH APPLE CARPLAY GLITCHING JUST BEFORE EACH INSTANCE OCCURRED. THE INSTANCES WERE EXACTLY ONE WEEK APART.

Public record. Verify by searching #11184214 on NHTSA's 2019 Crosstrek page.

Radio and Bluetooth electrical problems persist after repeated dealer visits; replacement radio/phone unit ordered

2019 AscentFiled Jan 23, 2019NHTSA #11171634
BluetoothOther failure
Read the owner's complaint
HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL (RADIO/BLUETOOTH) ISSUES SINCE 2 WEEKS AFTER TAKING POCCESSION. BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES . NO RESOLVE LOOSE STEERING IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT AN APPROX.SPEED OF 65 MPH IN WINDY CONDITIONS ON NOV.3 2018 GARDEN STATE PKWY THE WIND ENCAPSULATED THE VEHICLE CAUSING INABILITY TO CONTROL. VEHICLE MOVED RELENTLESSLY SIDE TO SIDE MAKING A WHITE KNUCKLE EXPERIENCE. SIDE WINDOW LANE DEPARTURE LIGHTS WERE ALMOST ON CONSTANTLY. FELT LIKE THE WIND WAS LIFTING CAR FROM GROUND. HAD TO PULL INTO 2 REST STOPS AS STRESS OF TRYING TO CONTROL VEHICLE WAS UNPREDICTABLE AND STRESSFUL. AS FOR ELECTRONIC ISSUES DEALER REPLACED AMPLIFIERS AND PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS NEW RADIO/PHONE UNIT ORDERED BUT NOT INSTALLED DUE TO MY FILING LEMON LAW

Public record. Verify by searching #11171634 on NHTSA's 2019 Ascent page.

Navigation system freezes and takes down the radio and backup camera

2019 OutbackFiled Jan 11, 2019NHTSA #11166434
Safety impactBlack or frozen screenBackup camera lost
Read the owner's complaint
NAVIGATION SYSTEM FAILURE! I HAVE 3200 MILES ON MY 2019 OUTBACK AND SINCE DAY 1 HAVE HAD PROBLEMS USING THE NAV SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM FREEZES UP COMPLETELY CAUSING EVERYTHING NOT WORK RADIO BACK UP CAMERA ETC. SYSTEMS STAYS ON AT NIGHT DRAINING BATTERY. IT SPORADICALLY WORKS AND WORKS LESS AND LESS EVERY DAY HAD A DEAD BATTERY ALREADY ON A 2019 VEHICLE. *TR

Public record. Verify by searching #11166434 on NHTSA's 2019 Outback page.