2016 Subaru Outback
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 642 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 26 Outback model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 22 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 13 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, air bag/restraint control moduleDec 19, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been installed that is not compatible with the passenger air bag module, possibly affecting air bag deployment.
In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUX-09.
Campaign 19V910000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, columnDo not drive until repairedMay 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.
The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 16V292000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, driveshaftNov 24, 2015
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.
If the drive shaft detaches from the rear differential, it may strike the fuel tank and result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the fastening nuts, and tighten or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 10, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is WQV-57.
Campaign 15V794000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, driveshaftAug 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.
If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.
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.
Campaign 15V502000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
309 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Mar 16, 2021
BATTERY DRAINS UNEXPECTADLY AND SWIFTLY. TURNED OFF MOTOR AND LEFT KEY IN IGNITION WHILE WE SAT OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. WE WERE STRANDED IN THE DESERT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 16, 2021
BATTERY OFTEN GOES DEAD. HAVE REPLACED BATTERY 3 OR 4 TIMES SINCE WE PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2015. BATTERY DIED IN GARAGE AND IN PARKING LOT.
Electrical system, Mar 16, 2021
I HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY 3 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2016 DUE TO IT DRAINING SO LOW IT COULDN'T BE CHARGED. PURCHASED A BATTERY VIA AAA
Electrical system, Mar 16, 2021
BATTERY DRAINS QUICKLY. CHANGING BATTERY DOESN'T HELP.
Electrical system, Mar 13, 2021
BATTERY DRAIN WHICH CAUSED ELECTRICAL AND LIFT GATE TO STOP FUNCTIONING.
Electrical system, Mar 13, 2021
BATTERY CONTINUES TO GET DRAINED OF POWER FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE HAD TO GET A JUMP START SEVERAL TIMES EVEN AFTER DRIVING FOR 3 OR MORE HOURS. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS FINE, BUT NEEDED TO BE CHARGED. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE REASON FOR THE DEAD BATTERY WAS BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT STARTED FOR 2 OR MORE DAYS. LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THIS VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN AFTER A 4 HOUR DRIVE.
Electrical system, Mar 11, 2021
KEY INTERMITTENTLY CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION. IT IS OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY.
Electrical system, Mar 10, 2021
BATTERY DIES FREQUENTLY WITHOUT OBVIOUS CAUSE, EVEN AFTER REPLACING BATTERY SOONER THAN EXPECTED. IT HAPPENS AFTER DRIVING FOR 30 MINUTES, TURNING IT OFF FOR A SHORT PERIOD LIKE 15-20 MINUTES, THEN TRYING TO RESTART, AS WELL AS AFTER SITTING FOR 8-10 HOURS.
Electrical system, Mar 3, 2021
PARASITIC DRAIN OF BATTERY BY FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVERNIGHT.
Electrical system, Mar 2, 2021
IN FOUR YEARS AND 18000 MILES, I AM NOW ON MY THIRD BATTERY AS OF TODAY. I HAVE READ OF RECURRENT ISSUES WITH 2016 OUTBACK BATTERY FAILURES. THE SECOND BATTERY I BOUGHT AT THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 13888 MILES. THE BATTERY WAS PURCHASED 5/15/19. TODAY, 3/2/21 I HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY.
Electrical system, Feb 28, 2021
BATTERY CONTINUES TO DIE EVEN AFTER BATTERY REPLACEMENT. THIS ISSUE STARTED TO HAPPEN 1 YEAR POST OWNERSHIP
Electrical system, Feb 26, 2021
I BELIEVE I AM EXPERIENCING BATTERY DRAIN DUE TO SOME FLAW IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I'M ON MY 2ND. BATTERY AND JUST FOUND I COULDN'T START CAR AND NEEDED A JUMP.
Electrical system, Feb 20, 2021
THE CAR BATTERY STARTED DYING FREQUENTLY. IT WAS REPLACED TWICE, FUNCTIONED FINE FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND THEN DIED AGAIN. IT WAS JUMPED ONE DAY, DIED AGAIN 4 DAYS LATER, JUMPED AGAIN AND WAS DEAD AGAIN 5 HOURS LATER.
Electrical system, Feb 17, 2021
OUR SUBARU OUTBACK ORIGINALLY DIED AFTER MY WIFE WAS SITTING IN THE CAR LISTENING TO THE RADIO FOR 10 MINUTES. THE DEALER STATED THAT LISTENING TO THE RADIO WAS THE CAUSE AND CHARGED UP THE BATTERY. COUPLE WEEKS LATER AND THE CAR DIES AGAIN THIS TIME JUST SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. WE INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY IN HOPES THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED. THE CAR HAS DIED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE THE NEW BATTERY FROM SIMPLY SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. NO INTERIOR LIGHTS LEFT ON AND POWER LIGHT GATE CLOSED. AGAIN THE DEALER CHARGED THE BATTERY AND SENT US ON OUR WAY. WE CANNOT LEAVE THIS CAR SITTING ONE DAY WITHOUT THE BATTERY DRAINING. WE ARE NOW ON BATTERY NUMBER TWO.
Electrical system, Feb 17, 2021
BATTERY DRAINS CONSTANTLY. CAR CANNOT SIT FOR MORE THAN A FEW DAYS WITHOUT BATTERY BEING DEAD. SUBARU DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. CAR NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN 20 TO 30 MILES EVERY DAY AS A SOLUTION? PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR MONTHS AND BATTERY IS ONLY 1 YEAR OLD.
Electrical system, Feb 15, 2021
2/15/21 DEAD BATTERY VEHICLE PARKED IN HOME GARAGE STATIONARY. BATTERY ONE MONTH OLD REPLACED ON 1/21/21 PLUS UPGRADED SOFTWARE. PREVIOUS BATTERY WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. 2/15/21 HAD TO GET CAR TOWED FROM HOME GARAGE. OUTBACK STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND WE PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM SUBARU. REMOVED BULB FROM HATCH BACK PER SERVICE MGR. AUTOMATIC STARTER ALSO UNRELIABLE AND WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. FACTORY INSTALLED. VEHICLE UNRELIABLE. SERVICE UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM. NEED TO PURCHASE A LARGER STRONGER BATTERY FOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON OWN TO SEE IF IT HELPS BATTERY PROBLEM. DEALER WILL ONLY GIVE 550 BATTERY.
Electrical system, Feb 9, 2021
I HAVE NOW HAD TWO COMPLETE BATTERY DISCHARGES REQUIRING JUMP STARTS WHEN THE HATCH IS OPENED AND CLOSED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING TURNED ON. OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW HOURS WHEN I OPENED AND CLOSED THE TRUNK WITH THE AUTOMATED OPEN/CLOSE ABOUT 4-5 TIMES THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DISCHARGED REQUIRED JUMP START. THE FIRST TIME I BOUGHT A MEW BATTERY FIGURING IT WAS BAD. THE SECOND TIME NOW I KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE BATTERY/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY BOTH TIMES.
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Feb 1, 2021
KEY GETS STUCK ON IGNITION SWITCH WHEN I TURN CAR OFF AND PUT IT IN PARK. KEY WILL NOT RELEASE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES, SOME TIMES UP TO 20 MINUTES FOR THE KEY TO RELEASE FROM THE COLUMN. VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE STARTED AND TURNED OFF SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE KEY RELEASES. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW, VERY FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS AS HAVING TO START AND STOP THE VEHICLE HAS DRAINED THE BATTERY TWICE NOW AND I HAVE HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE JUMP STARTED. HOPEFULLY THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE.....
Electrical system, Jan 31, 2021
I AM CONTINUING TO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK WHERE IT STRUGGLES TO START ALMOST ALL THE TIME IN COLD TEMPERATURES AND THE BATTERY OFTEN DIES. MY SUBARU DEALERSHIP "FIXED" THE ISSUE LAST YEAR BY REPLACING THE BATTERY. NOW THAT COLD WEATHER IS BACK, THE PROBLEM IS BACK. JUMPING THE BATTERY ALWAYS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. NOTE THAT EVEN IN WARM TEMPERATURES THE START ALWAYS SOUNDS "ROUGH".
Electrical system, Jan 30, 2021
WE STARTED DRAINED BATTERIES AT 57,000 MILES (WE ARE AT 61,000 MILES NOW), WHICH WAS ABOUT NOVEMBER 2020. AS OF TODAY, THIS IS OUR 4TH TIME HAVING A DEAD BATTERY. WE HAD A SERVICE CHECK FROM VAN SUBARU KANSAS CITY, MO IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO. THEY TOLD US NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BATTERY, AND THAT WE LIKELY WEREN'T DRIVING IT ENOUGH. WE DRIVE IT DAILY, BUT NOT FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, EXCEPT 2 DAYS A WEEK. WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY JUMPED BY OUR ROAD SIDE SERVICE. WE WILL HAVE IT JUMPED MONDAY 2/1/21 AND GO BACK TO VAN SUBARU. WE READ OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. WE BELIEVE IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. EACH TIME IT HAPPENED WAS IN HE MORNING AFTER THE CAR SAT IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT.
Electrical system, Jan 30, 2021
REPLACED ORIGINAL BATTERY WITH SUBARU BATTERY 12/2019. NEEDED TWO JUMP STARTS AFTER VIRUS TRAVEL PROTOCOLS BEGAN (3/2020). CAR PARKED FOR 3 DAYS (1/28-30/2021) BATTERY WON'T START ENGINE.
Electrical system, Jan 29, 2021
I IF THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN STARTED AT LEAST EVERY 2 DAYS THE BATTERY IS DEAD AND WON'T START. YOU ALSO CAN'T LEAVE THE DOORS OPEN WHILE VACUUMING THE INSIDE OR THE BATTERY WILL DIE ON YOU. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT THIS MANY PLACES CALLING IT A PARASITIC DRAIN. THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH SUBARU FOR SEVERAL YEARS, WHICH NEVER SEEMS TO GET ADDRESSED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT NEW.
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 29, 2021
STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND ALL LIGHTS LIGHT UP ON DASH THEN VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF. TRIED TO JUMP VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WILL START BUT TURNS OFF A FEW SECONDS LATER. SUBARU ADVISE IT WAS A DEFECTIVE BATTERY. SUBARU THEN REPLACE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY ON 11/05/2020. THE BATTERY WAS NOT EVEN 1 YEAR OLD WHEN IT WAS REPLACED. TODAY ON 01/29/2021 IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. LUCKY BOTH TIMES I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED LIKE ON A HEY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ON THE SIDE STREET. NOW I'M WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TOW MY VEHICLE TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP.
Electrical system, Jan 23, 2021
THE BATTERY WILL NOT HOLD A CHARGE. I HAD A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO AND FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS THE CAR WILL NOT START IF IT IS NOT DRIVEN FOR MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO. I'VE HAD THE CAR JUMPED MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAD THE TERMINALS REPLACE LAST WEEK DUE TO CORROSION. AND TODAY, FOE THE THIRD TIME IN TWO WEEKS THE CAR WILL NOT START. RESEARCH ON THIS WEBSITE AND ON THE INTERNET IN GENERAL TELLS ME THIS IS A KNOWN AND ONGOING ISSUE WITH SUBARU ELECTRICAL AND THEY NEED TO FIGURE A FIX FOR IT ASAP.
Electrical system, Jan 22, 2021
WHEN I TRIED TO START MY CAR THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THIS HAPPENED TWICE LAST YEAR AND I THEN REPLACED THE BATTERY. THIS NEW BATTERY IS ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD AND YESTERDAY IT WAS DEAD AGAIN. EACH TIME A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED SINCE THE CAR HAD LAST BEEN DRIVEN. IT SEEMS THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR THAT IS DRAINING THE BATTERY. IN ADDITION, POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE DEAD BATTERY THERE WERE A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN WE FOUND THE BACK HATCH WIDE OPEN. THE BATTERY WAS NOT DEAD AFTER THIS HAPPENED.