2019 Subaru Outback
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 1,034 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 26 Outback model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 24 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 18 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpJul 29, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Campaign 21V587000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpApr 16, 2020
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.
If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.
Campaign 20V218000 on NHTSA.gov
StructureJun 26, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.
In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.
Campaign 19V493000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
363 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Dec 13, 2022
This model of vehicle has persistent electrical issues resulting in the vehicle dying or being unable to start. Replacing the battery does not resolve the issues. Placing the keyfob in Faraday cages to prevent drain also does not resolve the issues. Charging the battery to full before using the vehicle temporary delays the issues but 3-10 days later the vehicle will die again. The vehicle has undergone examination by a Subaru certified maintenance dealer and they insist no issue can be found and the vehicle passes all checks. Most recently the vehicle died within a few days of getting a complete check out and passing all tests. This affects safety because a vehicle dying from electrical failure may cause an accident due to an absence of power steering, braking, etc. The vehicle may also strand motorist in compromising environmental conditions such as extreme cold, heat, etc.
Electrical system, Nov 29, 2022
Bought car end of August off lease with 40K on it from local Subaru dealer. Dealer made point of telling me car had new tires and battery which was appreciated. Have added 900 miles since then mostly local. After not driving for a week in September car would not start. Charged battery all seemed fine been driving frequently after that no issues. Now with colder weather car does not start if not driven for 2 days or more. Using multimeter was able to find circuit for DCM (what Subaru refers to as the Data Control Module) was drawing power when car should be in sleep mode. Brought to Subaru dealer today and was advised the DCM needs to be replaced. I am aware of many other people with this particular car having similar issues with no identified culprit, recommend this be looked at as possible issue specifically the StarLink system.
Electrical system, Nov 26, 2022
I would have experienced the same battery issues for the last 14 months. 12 months ago I purchased a back up charged starting battery that I use on a monthly basis. Subaru did advise of the battery warranty extension of which I took advantage of today I’ve seen the other complaints in the nature site and being from the automotive industry myself, I believe that when you look back to the DCM issues from 2016 to 2018 and the latest issues on the 2023 you’ll find a common thread it’s not just a button. One key thing is that units of measure for the tire pressure monitoring system Arbitrarily change while you were in operation from psi to kilopascals. It indicates to me that there is still some Telematic related event and the vehicle isn’t sure where it is at a given time so it sets the units and the time to what amount to mountain time Canada. Just thought I’d give you a hint. I do believe you’ll find that and that poses a big challenge for the SOS button. If you can’t locate the vehicle or it isn’t where they think it should be , may not be the button.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 25, 2022, crash
I was in a parking lot pulling into a parking spot. My car sped with full power over a curb barrier and hit a parked car in front of me. The force was strong enough to push the car I hit back several inches. My airbag did not deploy. The forward obstacle collision detection did not work. My safety could have been at risk if this happened while on the road or freeway. There were no warnings that day, however a week or so earlier when I tried to drive the car it would not start (new battery installed approx 3 months ago) and all lights on the dash came on. I tried to start it a few times but after smelling gas I left it. Later that day it started with no problems. The car is up to date on services/recalls. It is scheduled for inspection with my insurance company on 11/30/22.
Electrical system, Nov 16, 2022
Problem started Aug 4, 2022. I went to start the car & the battery was dead. Jumped it, ran errands. Two days later dead battery again.Kept happening even though no lights left on when car turned off. Finally called dealership & they said battery was bad so it was replaced.3 weeks later battery went dead after car sat unused for 24 hrs. Was told car needed to be driven everyday to keep battery charged. I'm retired & don't drive everyday. Dealer then advised it was due to the control area network (CAN) system in the car & to contact Subaru of America. Apparently it doesn't go into sleep mode & drains the battery when the car isn't in use. Subaru is not being up front about this & it's dangerous.
Electrical system, Nov 12, 2022
the horn randomly gives several short beeps during vehicle operation. It seems to happen when the vehicle is stopped at red lights. This began after the dealer installed the Subaru OEM remote car starter.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakes, Nov 11, 2022
The car's battery is draining fast and the car's electric system stopped working after I replaced the battery three times. The car is currently inoperable.
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The key fobs were inoperable. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a low charge and the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Electrical system, Nov 6, 2022
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.
Electrical system, Nov 5, 2022
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.
Electrical system, Engine, Oct 30, 2022
vehicle battery continues to fail due to unusual electrical activity, requires a jump to start.
Electrical system, Oct 28, 2022
Original battery failed 7/2022. As stranded AAA installed new battery. New battery gets drained while car is off within a few days. Subaru class action lawsuit states dealer to provide new battery replacement and provide diagnostic procedures. Dealer diagnosed the problem as excessive draw on battery when car off. However dealer refuses to provide supposed ecu flash to car unless a new subaru battery is purchased. Class action lawsuit does not contain any language stating customer must have a subaru provided battery in car to receive flash. Further class action language specifically provides relief and compensation when owners are “stranded” as a result of drained battery. This would supercede any implied requirement that owner would have had to locate and bring car to a authorized subaru dealer for repair. This subaru issue is in fact a safety issue as owners are caught in unsafe situations ie shopping malls, parking lots, gas stations with a dead battery. The car obviously has a defect in engineering and replacing batteries does not alleviate the underlying issue.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 24, 2022
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.
Electrical system, Oct 21, 2022
Battery dead. Got jumped. A week later has now happened again. I just replaced the battery with brand new in May’22, as previous battery had quit on me three times within a week or two in April - May’ 22 My previous Subaru Outback 2014 had same issues and I had replaced that battery three three times within a year ! Accused garage of selling me old batteries and used parts!
Electrical system, Oct 17, 2022
New battery will not hold a charge. Electrical system drains battery when vehicle is turned off.
Electrical system, Oct 12, 2022
I bought the vehicle in April 2019, the battery had to be replaced in February 2021. In September 2022 I starting having the same battery issues where it was constantly dying. I took it in to Subaru and they said the ECM was draining the battery and needed to be replaced which would be $1,000. I looked into the battery issue and Subaru has a class action lawsuit involving batteries prematurely dying. It also says that electrical issues are causing a parasitic pull on the batteries. So replacing the battery doesn't actually solve the problem. The suit settled and is replacing batteries, reimbursing battery costs and extending their warranties. But it does not address the actual electrical issues. Subaru has known of the electrical issues for years that are affecting multiple makes and have refused to acknowledge or address the issue.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 11, 2022
My battery has died over 7 times in the 3 years I have owned it. No systems were left on. It runs one day and won’t start the next. It shows the battery light. This first happened 6 months after owning the car leaving me stranded waiting for roadside assistance and causing me to miss work. It has happened 3 times in the past year. As I type this I am stranded again waiting for someone to come and give me a jump and praying that it will start once I get out of the grocery store. I’m afraid to go anywhere for fear of being stranded in a dangerous place. I always carry jumper cables with me now! The second issue is that it runs out of gas when there is a 30 miles left to empty notice. I ran out of gas in the left lane of a major highway at 4:45 pm bringing a friend home from the hospital. The gas station was 7 miles away. I was stranded there, waiting on Subaru tow service for hours until the police sent their own tow truck. It was very dangerous but I know better than to trust it now. It cost me 185 dollars. I was told this was a problem with 2018s but they thought they fixed it!
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Equipment, Oct 5, 2022
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.
Electrical system, Oct 4, 2022
Battery randomly dies. Replaced OEM battery with aftermarket and issue still occurs.
Electrical system, Sep 30, 2022
Battery continues to drain while parked. Vehicle was taken to dealer and told it's a common problem and car cannot sit for several days without charging the battery. Replaced OEM battery with new Optima battery. After 6 months dead battery issue is worse and now battery is dead after sitting for a day even after driving for several hours. We have turned off all dome lights and are careful to not leave the doors or hatchback open any longer than necessary. Engine cranks slowly even after stopping for fuel. I called Subaru dealer in White Bear Lake, MN to inquire about the problem and schedule an appointment but dealer has not returned my call. We cannot drive the vehicle without concern of being stranded.
Electrical system, Sep 29, 2022
Battery is failing more than 10 times during the course of the last 9 months.i bought the car brand new in 10/2021 It is a common issues on the same year. 50k miles. The battery will die if not driven everyday. Brand new battery with the same issues. It’s draining the battery while turned off bc the electrical system is too much.
Electrical system, Sep 28, 2022
I attempted to start my car, and found that the battery was completly dead. There had been no signs of battery trouble / fatigue prior to this incident. Due to this sudden, unexpected failure, I had the car towed to the nearest Subaru dealer, for cause and repair. World Subaru tested the battery and found it was damaged. They used analytics to determine the cause of the battery damage to be the "telematic module", which they claim was defective. They replaced the battery and telematic module, claiming both were defective. Since the telematic module is part of the car's computer system, I beleive it has an effect on vehicle safety.
Electrical system, Sep 27, 2022
Electrical system issue causing premature battery drain/failure.
Electrical system, Sep 26, 2022
Attempted to start vehicle, discovered battery was drained.
Electrical system, Sep 26, 2022
Battery died quickly.