2020 Subaru Outback Electrical System

My battery has died multiple times this summer, most often when the rear liftgate is open. I have 17,000 miles on this car and would expect the battery to last longer.

AFTER THE CAR SITS FOR 1 TO 2 DAYS WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN THE BATTERY IS COMPLETELY DRAINED. AFTER RECHARGING THE BATTERY AND GETTING THE CAR STARTED THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING LEFT ON (I.E. DOME LIGHTS) OR OPENED (I.E DOOR AJAR) WHICH WOULD HAVE CREATED A SLOW DRAIN ON THE BATTERY. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE JAN 2021

CAR WILL NOT START. BATTERY IS DEAD. WE DROVE IT MONDAY AND IT WAS FINE. WE DID NOT USE LIGHTS AND MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS OFF. TODAY, IT WOULD NOT START. BATTERY WAS DEAD!

About 10 months ago, right after purchasing the vehicle, after only 12hrs of using it, the battery went completely dead and I had to call Road Side assistance and I was late for work. I thought it was just a glitch. Two months ago the same thing happened, missing another time at work. Last week after being away for month for work, upon return, the battery was yet dead again. We jumped started it and let it charge completely. Two days later, my wife was stranded in the middle of the night because the battery was dead again.

I purchased the car new in the fall of 2020. In May, the vehicle did not start and the battery had to be jumped in order to get it running. I purchased a portable battery charger to keep in the car so that I would not be stranded again. Over the summer there were numerous times where the car would not start and I had to jump it………I became an expert. Recently, it got to the point where I was jump starting it on a daily basis! The Subaru dealership in a Norwalk, CT. replaced the battery under warranty last week. The car has about 5k miles on it. It is my understanding that multiple Subaru Outback owners have had similar battery issues that have required early replacement. Thank you!

Parked car, engine fan stated (very fast) and did not stop running until battery died. Could not start the car. One other Outback 2020 owner told me she had the same problem. Jumped battery. Subraru could not find any reason for the fan to go on and drain the battery. Car had under 9,000 miles, under 15 months old.

THE 2020 OUTBACK HAS DIED 3 TIMES IN LESS THAN 5 WEEKS (ONCE AT THE DEALERSHIP). AFTER THE SECOND TIME (AT THE DEALERSHIP) THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THREE DAYS LATER THE NEW BATTERY IS DEAD.

PARKED THE CAR AT LAKESIDE PARK AND WENT FOR A HIKE. RETURNED 2 HOURS LATER AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. NO LIGHTS OR DOORS WERE LEFT OPEN. FINALLY CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO JUMP START THE CAR. THERE WAS NO REASON THE BATTERY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD

I LEFT MY CAR PARKED FOR 6-7 DAYS AND IT'S COMPLETELY DEAD

Auto is mainly garaged since purchase 1-1/2 years ago. Battery went totally dead and car became inoperable in 2020 after non-use for approx. 4 weeks, requiring lengthy re-charge. Subaru checkup showed no malfunction, according to company. This month (Aug, 2021) battery again went totally dead, this time after non-use for approx. just 2-3 weeks, again requiring lengthy re-charge. This renders auto unusable for any form of travel when car must sit unused, perhaps in a garage or parking area, without possibility to periodically run car to maintain battery charge.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery failed. The contact stated that after the vehicle was driven for over one hour, the contact parked the vehicle turned the engine off. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up due to the battery failure. The contact stated that the battery failure was experienced several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 15,700.

VIN [XXX] there is a problem with the electrical system. The auto will not keep the battery charged sufficiently to start the car reliably. The battery has enough power to illuminate the control panel of the vehicle, but it will not start the engine. Overnight, he battery drains to a point that it will not turn the engine over. The dealer had the car for about five hours to diagnose the cause of the discharge. They found no trouble with the electrical system and said the battery and alternator functioned normally. The dealer found no adverse electrical leaks causing the battery to discharge overnight. The dealer suggested that we weren't driving the vehicle enough. They sold and installed a trickle charge device to alleviate the problem. The trickle charger has not helped. Safety concerns: we have to jump start the car EVERY day. We have to remember to disable the auto stop/start option to prevent the car from shutting the engine off during idle while waiting for a stop light to change. On numerous occasions we must exit the vehicle, attach a jump start battery pack to the car's battery and start it as traffic is whizzing by. We have been in remote areas where mobile/cell service is unavailable to call for help and only because we have the jump start battery pack are we able to start the the car. The dealer was unable to reproduce or verify the trouble. They were only able to state there was no problem found. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else. No warning of any kind is exhibited leading to the trouble. This problem is a hazard. It puts the occupants in harms way if the car shuts off in traffic. Having to start the car in bad weather is another risk. This problem has been going on since January of 2021. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

My 2020 Subaru Outback has had to be towed to service a battery that failed to start the car even after is was jumped by AAA and driven for 20 miles. Subaru assured me that the battery was simply not properly charged and the car was returned. Then a couple of months later I left my car unproven in my driveway while I was out of town for 2 weeks and my car would not start. I again had it towed to my Subaru dealership where Subaru ran the same test and told me that they replaced a bad battery. They also told me that when they jump started the car in their shop they discovered that the interior dome light had been left on while I was out of town. The later is inconsistent with my experience as I loaded my Subaru Forester sitting right beside my Outback in the dark before leaving town. Had the dome light been left on, I would have noticed the light as I packed my car. In addition their test of this battery later showed this battery to need to be replaced. My safety concern is I cannot trust this car to start. Had I driven my 2020 Outback to the airport for a 14 day trip rather than my 2020 Forester, I would have found myself on the 4th level of the terminal parking lot with a dead battery upon my return. This is the second time that I have had to have this car towed to the Subaru dealership to have the battery serviced under warranty. I cannot simply purchase and install a 3rd party battery under warranty.

With in the first few months of ownership it would not start. I used roadside assistance to get a jump. A couple of moths later same thing. Same driver from road side assistance jump started me and stated, " all I have been doing lately is jumping Subarus". It soon died again, the dealership tested battery and found it defective and had to wait for a new "stronger" battery. 4 days later I get it back. It was still under warranty.

My wife purchased this car last Dec. It was a demo with only 2811 miles (but the odometer showed 3411 when delivered). As we have 2 other autos, the Subaru is used sparingly and mostly on longer trips. The car now has 7100 miles. Since we owned it we noticed that it was often difficult to start and my wife claims that when cornering, it hesitates like it is going to stall. This week she was visiting a client and the car was TOTALLY dead...no electrical activity at all. No door locks, no lights, no seat adjustment, no driver identification....I thought it was a dead FOB so when I went to pick her up I brought the spare FOB. It did not work either. We live in a rural community and if the car is not able to be operated, there is very little in the way of support at night. The car is now at the dealer. BUT I did some research and realized that this is a frequent occurrence and there are 2 law suits in progress. The remedy that Subaru is telling its dealers is to replace the battery...but it is likely that the battery is the cause of the electrical faults. And there are no recalls even though my wife claims a problem when cornering. Please add my wife's name to your investigation. The car is registered in my wife's name, Caroline Schorr. 205 Foxgrape Hollow Road, Beech Mountain, NC 28604. Thank you...

The battery on my outback keeps draining. I’ve had the car for about 2 years and we are on out third battery.

After leaving this car in an airport parking lot for 4 weeks, it would not start. I also noticed that all of the doors except the hatchback were unlocked. I coincidentally had a jumper battery unit in the car and was able to start it with the external battery jumper. When I drove the car the 30 minutes to my home, I found that the battery had not charged at all. This meant that until Subaru fixed this on warranty, I could drive the car but would have to raise the hood, hook up the external jumper unit, start the car, disconnect the jumpers, close the hood and finally drive where I was going. This procedure grows old after doing it repeatedly to shop for supplies after being away for 4 weeks. The Subaru dealer fit me in the following day and confirmed the battery had been destroyed by the car sitting unused for 4 weeks. He recommended that I always leave a small charger on it whenever it will not be used for 2 weeks or more! That would have been impossible at the airport parking lot. I have taken this car on very many severe backcountry drives where failure to start when it's time to leave could be problematic or even fatal. Whatever is the problem should be fixed. If the new battery will fail the same way, it should be replaced with a battery that won't, on warranty. If it's the charging system that's at fault, then the faulty design should be corrected.

Purchased the car Friday 06/18/2021, Battery was dead two days later on 06/18/2021, Flemington subaru replaced the battery on 06/19/2021.

I have had to call Subaru Roadside Assistance at least five occasions. Randomly on occasion, when I go out to use my Car, I find my vehicle locked with the battery drained. Everytime it happens the dealer gives me a loaner vehicle while they try to troubleshoot the problem. Every time they say they cannot not find a power drain. The service department then said that I must have bumped the rear dome light and that drained the battery. I am pretty sure I did not bump the light so this last time I taped that dome switch with clear tape so that could not move. This morning 12/15/21 my started fine. I drove more than 50 miles to the VA Hospital in Tampa. I stopped my car a line for a pre-op COVID check. I turned the car off 5-10 minutes and when the line of cars moved again and I went to crank the car up again, it would not start. I got out and called Subaru Roadside Assistance and got locked out. I used my hidden key in the Fab. Subaru brought a gallon of gas which was not the solution and then he told me to try to start the vehicle. He said the battery was drained (which is strange because had just drove fifty miles to th location and the alternator should be keeping the battery full). He the connected a battery power pack jumper and successfully jumped the car. I have faithfully waited and been patient with Cannon Subaru explanations and reasons to no avail. I explained to a sales representative that my 2020 Subaru Outback Limited is a Lemon and I want to exchange it for a new car (Under the Lemon Law) or get my money refunded (I paid almost $37,000 cash for the vehicle). I was given Subaru of America's phone number 1(800)782-2783, and was told to contact them for a resolution. I was given a case number(1-7056862051) and was told a case manager would call me in an hour or two, which is yet to happen. I purchased my vehicle on June 22, 2020 and I am filing this complaint form to protect my rights under the Lemon Law, and the NHTSA. This about the fifth Incident.

Our 2020 Subaru Outback has less than 14,000 miles. In the last month the battery has failed 4 times. The last time we had Subaru tow come out and give it a charge. It seemed to work but when we took it out upon returning it failed again. We again had Subaru come out and charge it and we drove it to the dealer. The dealer had it Wednesday afternoon through Friday. (6/9/21 - 6/11/21). The notes from the dealer said, "upon inspection of the vehicle technician did not require a jump start to turn vehicle engine on. Tech performed a battery diagnostic test using the Subaru GR8 battery machine. Diagnostic battery results came back as a good battery.Vehicle battery was deeply discharged and required re-charging. Vehicle battery is operating as designed after performing service. No repairs or additional services required." Today, Sunday, won't start again. Yes, it is available for inspection. It hasn't been a risk at this point but certainly could be one.

Battery failed. 12 months, 5000 miles Battery Information: 620 AMPS LN2 20HR 62 AH 82110AN00A

I have had 2 batteries replaced under warranty. Without warning, vehicle will not restart leaving myself or my wife stranded.

The car only has 7500 miles on it, the battery has gone dead 3x, with the third time not possible to jump start. I had to have it towed to Subaru dealer, they replaced battery with another Subaru battery. From what I have read this one will likely go dead also.there has to be a better solution.

Four times in the last 3 months, the car has failed to start and required a jump. I now feel like I can't drive the car alone or to remote places, and I fear degrading the electrical system over time through constant jumping. The dealer has inspected the battery and done a full diagnostic and reports no issues. Their advice is that we're not driving the car often enough to charge the battery. But the last instances have been with a trickle charger, and with long drives on the highway. It seems clear that either the electrical system is draining the battery while the car is off or that the battery isn't charging efficiently while driving. We've checked all the internal lights and other devices that might be draining the battery. We haven't yet done a third party inspection but will do that shortly.

DEAD BATTERY, LESS THAN 14,000 MILES ON THE CAR, 14 MONTHS SINCE PURCHASE; CAR IS KEPT IN A HEATED GARAGE AND THEREFORE NOT SUBJECTED TO TEMPERATURE EXTREMES