2015 Subaru OUTBACK: complaints, problems and recalls

THERE IS A GLOSS FINISHED PLASTIC TOUCH PAD KIND OF COVER THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THIS IS APPROXIMATELY 6"X8". IT IS NOT ONLY THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM, BUT THE RADIO, FUEL INFORMATION, ETC. IT IS SLANTED AS PART OF THE FRONT DASHBOARD, AND WHEN THE SUN HITS IT, IT BOUNCES DIRECTLY INTO THE DRIVERS EYES. THIS NAVIGATION SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECESSED INTO THE DASH, OR AT A MINIMUM, A MATTE FINISH INSTEAD OF A GLASSY FINISH ON THE PLASTIC. IT IS DEFINITELY A HAZARD TO THE DRIVER, AS IT IS BLINDING. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ON TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 7 miles reported. Look up ODI 10638384 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE ENGINE SEIZED AS THE KEYLESS ACCESS SYSTEM DISABLED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY CONNECTOR IN THE WIRING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10653380 at NHTSA ↗

RED ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR DIED. LOST ALL POWER/ DRIVE. NEEDED TO COAST TO BERM. WOULD RESTART, BUT DIE IMMEDIATELY. EVERYTHING WAS IMMOBILIZED. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT 70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE! OUR WAS VERY CLOSE TO BEING REAR- ENDED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 149 miles reported. Look up ODI 10653480 at NHTSA ↗

BLINDING DASHBOARD GLARE AT CERTAIN AUTOMOBILE/SUN ANGLES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10661002 at NHTSA ↗

THIS CAR HAS A SCREEN IN THE DASHBOARD THAT CONTROLS THE STEREO, PHONE, AND OTHER FUNCTIONS. IT HAS A VERY REFLECTIVE GLASSY FINISH. THE SCREEN IS NOT SURROUNDED BY A HOOD OF ANY SORT AND IT IS TITLED AT ABOUT A 50-DEGREE ANGLE. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS SCREEN REFLECTS A LOT OF SUNLIGHT, BUT IT WAS MORE OF AN ANNOYANCE THAN ANYTHING. ON THIS OCCASION, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT ABOUT 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, GOING EAST ON A HIGHWAY. THE DASHBOARD SCREEN WAS REFLECTING THE SUN INTO MY EYES SO DIRECTLY THAT IT WAS PAINFUL. IT WAS …

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10663557 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 856. UPDATED 02/18/15*LJ UPDATED 9/12/2017*CN

Owner-reported narrative. 856 miles reported. Look up ODI 10669374 at NHTSA ↗

AFTER BEING PARKED OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW 0 DEGREES F, THE VEHICLE STARTED FINE THE FOLLOWING MORNING BUT HAD NUMEROUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE (POWER STEERING, AT OIL TEMPERATURE, AMONG OTHERS) WHILE IDLING IN MY DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE WARMED UP FOR 5 MINUTES. ONCE WARMED UP, OWNER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART 20 MINUTES LATER. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART BUT OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS (LIGHTS, RADIO, ETC) WORKED BUT THE STARTER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS OF WHAT APPEARS TO B…

Owner-reported narrative. 450 miles reported. Look up ODI 10671119 at NHTSA ↗

IN NOVEMBER 2014, I TOOK DELIVERY OF A NEW 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK, 3.6 LIMITED. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL PREMIUM ELECTRONICS PACKAGE, AND THE EYESIGHT COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM. AFTER ABOUT THREE WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP, I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE RANDOM MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE KEY-LESS IGNITION, AND THE KEY-LESS ENTRY SYSTEMS. THE IGNITION PROBLEMS ALL INVOLVED ENGINE START, AND OCCURRED IN SCENARIOS WHERE THE KEY-FOB WASN'T RECOGNIZED. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM STARTED TO DISPLAY ERRONEOUS LOCATIONAL DA…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10678404 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-09-19 (September 19, 2014)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Outback vehicles manufactured January 22, 2014, to August 18, 2014, and equipped with a Subaru accessory trailer hitch assembly. During installation, the trailer hitch mounting nuts may have been overtightened, potentially resulting in failure of the trailer hitch mounting studs.

Consequence: The mounting nut(s) may not provide sufficient force to remain attached to the studs or the studs themselves might break. If this were to happen while a trailer is being towed, the driver might not be able to operate the vehicle as desired or the trailer may detach from the vehicle. Either situation could increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace all eight mounting nuts for the trailer hitch assembly, and will inspect all eight mounting studs for damage, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2014. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQN-50.

Reported: 2015-06-12 (June 12, 2015)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.

Consequence: If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.

Reported: 2015-08-10 (August 10, 2015)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.

Consequence: If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQU-56.

Reported: 2016-04-27 (April 27, 2016)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Consequence: Poor performance of the electronic stability control system when it is activated may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will perform an ABS activation, then flush and replace the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTC-64.

Reported: 2016-05-11 (May 11, 2016)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.

Consequence: The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.