2008 SUBARU OUTBACK Electrical System Problems

Four Subaru dealership licensed service centers in Maine and New Hampshire have had for some 8 weeks my Outback to evaluate, diagnose, and -upon my approval- service. Every one of the four Subaru locations was been unable to resolve a single one of these chronic problems of the Outback's erratic 1) start/no-start, 2) triggered security light and activated alarm, 3) dashboard battery and brake icons lighting/pulsing, 4) error code 55 (or SS) and 5) car headlights pulsing. The above problems compound with the issues Subaru's service teams have failed to resolve since early days of new car ownership (despite repeated repair) for 1) brakes regularly making noise, 2) radio randomly changing volume or shutting off, and 3) back tail light not working. Note: During the first two years of ownership, Subaru's service stated it "could not replicate" the problem with the brakes I'd reported within weeks of purchasing the new car. But a few weeks out of warranty, the same Subaru service location stated "I need whole new brakes" and quoted some $1,800 in repairs. A few months later, Subaru issued its first admission to the defective brake system. These four Subaru dealership licensed service centers in part or full 1) held my car at least 2x - 4x longer than quoted, while upselling me on the loaner model, then missing several by which they'd a written diagnostic report , 2) refused diagnostic report and when sought provided scant or impractical information, 3) demanded under threat of rental fees if loaner was not retuned within a couple of hours .... during a business day (including at distant locations too far to reach by deadline), and 5) sought many hundreds of dollars in payment for undisclosed and unapproved work without ever diagnosing issue, which they demanded in conjunction with the rental fees ginned up by dragging out and then failing to do the diagnostic work. Subaru USA added years of delay and refuses to honor manufacturer's or licensee-issued warranties.

The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brakes failed to function. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the failure and replaced the brakes. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer and the battery was replaced. Soon after the battery replacement, the front headlights began strobing and the taillight wiring caused the lights to fail. Additionally, there was moisture behind the A-pillar applique trim. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that the alternator needed to be replaced. Additionally, the wiring and bulbs in the taillights needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

The Rear Gate Harness wires that are in the grommet wear and break from the rear gate going up and down. This issue has many issues. Rear lighting and break light, rear wiper, also rear locking mechanism and other unknown issues.

EVER SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR FROM CARMAX THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 10+ TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DEC. 2016 THAT I WILL PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, (WHILE THE CAR IS PARKED AND TURNED OFF, IN ORDER TO TURN IT ON) AND THE ENGINE WON'T TURN OVER. I HAVE TO TOGGLE THE GEAR SHIFTER IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TO RESPOND AND THEN THE CAR WILL TURN ON. (ONLY AFTER I AGITATE THE GEAR SHIFTER WILL THE IGNITION THEN RESPOND). I RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL FOR SUBARU OUTBACK 2008 FOR IGNITION-RELATED ISSUES BUT WHEN I LOOKED UP MY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBER, MY VEHICLE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A PART OF THE THE RECALL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN HAVE MY CAR BE CONSIDERED IN THIS RECALL, I KNOW THIS IS A RELATED PROBLEM.

Mileage: 96,000

MY VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH AN INTERMITTENT AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATING, INDICATING AN ISSUE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. SPECIFICALLY IN MY CASE, IT INDICATES THAT THE OVERHEAD AIRBAG INDICATOR SYSTEM IS IN A FAULT STATE. THIS IS EXTREMELY COMMON IN THIS VEHICLE AND AGE, WITH MANY OTHER OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE WITH NO RECALL ACTION FROM SUBARU. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR IF NOT ADDRESSED AND CAN RESULT IN THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. COST FOR AN OWNER TO REPAIR (AND IN MY CASE) IS $300+ AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY SUBARU.

Mileage: 155,000

THERE'S SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE WIRING ON 2005-2009 SUBARU OUTBACK/LEGACY MODELS THAT AFFECTS BOTH THE AIRBAG AND THE LOCKING MECHANISM. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE THREADS ONLINE WHERE THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON SPECIFICALLY INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY BE AFFECTED AND SENSORS MAY BE FAULTY? THERE IS ALSO A COMMON ERROR IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN WHICH WHEN YOU LOCK THE CAR - ALL LOCKS ACTIVATE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE REAR TAILGATE WHICH POSES A SAFETY RISK OR TOTAL THEFT OF THE CAR. THESE PROBLEMS OCCUR UPON VEHICLE IGNITION AND WHEN THE CAR IS ON OR OFF (FOR THE LOCKING)

Mileage: 100,000

THE LIGHTS AND THE RADIO ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CONSTANTLY GO OFF AND ON SITTING STILL OR MOVING I TOLD THE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP AND IT HAS NOT STOPPED AS OF 6/7/2017

THE WIRING HARNESS PASSING FROM THE VEHICLE BODY THROUGH TO THE HATCHBACK IS CHAFFING AND HAS BROKEN WIRES. I DISCOVERED THIS WHEN MY REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING. AFTER REPLACING THE MOTOR THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. ONLINE SEARCH PROVIDED MANY REPORTS OF THIS PHENOMENON. I CALLED SUBARU SERVICE AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REPORT THE FIX IS AROUND $500-600 AND ENTAILS REPLACING THE WIRING HARNESS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRES GET BRITTLE WITH AGE AND IT IS A TIGHT FIT. MY ISSUE IS ON THE RUBBER BOOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN MY GARAGE AS I WAS TROUBLESHOOTING THE INOPERATIVE REAR WIPER MOTOR. 85,150 MILES ON THE CAR, NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, AND ALWAYS PARKED IN GARAGE. I CAN UPLOAD PHOTO DOCUMENTS IF REQUESTED. AS BARE WIRES ARE PRESENT IN THIS AREA I FEEL THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD. REAR WIPER IS ALSO INOPERATIVE DUE TO BROKEN WIRE AND COULD RESULT IN LIMITED REAR VISIBILITY. SERVICE MANAGER WAS VERY AWARE OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM. ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWED REPORTS OF REAR BACK UP LIGHTS BECOMING INOPERATIVE AS WELL.

Mileage: 85,150

WIRE HARNESS GOING TO REAR HATCH HAD MULTIPLE WIRES SEVERED BY REPEATED OPENING/CLOSING OF REAR HATCH. LOCK AND TAIL LIGHT WIRES WERE BROKEN THOUGH. 4 OTHER WIRES HAD THEIR INSULATION CUT AND THE CONDUCTOR WAS EXPOSED. IN SEARCHING THE NET THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ISSUED? FAILURE OF BRAKE LIGHTS OR TAIL LIGHTS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE.

Mileage: 120,000

REAR HATCH WIRING INSULATION FAILED AFTER 8 YEARS & 70,0000 MILES RESULTING IN (AMONG MANY OTHER PROBLEMS) FAILURE OF ALL BRAKE LIGHTS. WIRES SHORTED OUT RESULTING IN BLOWN BRAKE LIGHT FUSE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FAILURE OF BRAKE LIGHTS ON ANY DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW LONG THIS VEHICLE (KNOWN TO HAVE UNSAFE AIRBAGS) WAS ALSO DRIVEN WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS. THIS IS A KNOWN COMMON FAILURE POINT AND SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL.

Mileage: 70,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE, AND OTHER UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

Mileage: 128,000

BOUGHT A USED 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK IN APRIL OF 2015, AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS BEGAN SEEING THE AIRBAG DASH LIGHT OCCASIONALLY UPON STARTUP. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, AND WOULD OFTEN COME ON AND STAY ON WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AGAIN. OVERHEAD PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR ALSO WAS MALFUNCTIONING, AND DID NOT INDICATE ON OR OFF. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP ON 3/22/2016, AND THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE (PART # 92151AG13AOR) WAS REPLACED TO REMEDY AIR BAG CODE 26. TOTAL COST WAS $182.95; $130.45 FOR THE NEW CONSOLE, AND $52.50 FOR THE LABOR. THIS MALFUNCTION IS FAR TOO COMMON IN SUBARU VEHICLES ACROSS SEVERAL YEARS,AND IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT REPAIR AND A DANGEROUS SAFETY CONCERN. THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS INOPERABLE WHEN THE DASH LIGHT IS ON, AND SHOULD BE A RECALL SITUATION FOR ALL SUBARU VEHICLES THAT HAVE THE DEFECTIVE CONSOLE.

THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS BLINKED OFF & ON AND THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING, THEN STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. IT GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF INVOLVING A SHORT CIRCUIT. THIS HAPPENED BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE MOVING.

Mileage: 86,700

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE AUDIO AND THE WHOLE PANEL RELATED TO THE HEAT/AIR AND DEFROSTER FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUDIO AND H-BACK CONTROL PANEL LIGHTS WERE BLINKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

Mileage: 37,000

(VEHICLE HAS 112K MILES) BEGINNING APPROXIMATELY IN THE MARCH 2015 TIMEFRAME, THE RADIO CONTROLS/DISPLAY BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. AT FIRST, THE RADIO DISPLAY WOULD BLINK OFF/ON, AND THEN PRESET STATION BUTTONS STOPPED/STARTED WORKING, THEN THE CD/RADIO/AUX CONTROL KNOB STOPPED/STARTED WORKING, ETC. CONTROLS FROM THE STEERING WHEEL APPEAR UNAFFECTED. THERE WOULD BE ONE PROBLEM ON ONE DAY, WHICH WOULD SEEMINGLY "GO AWAY." THEN, AT RANDOM (SOMETIMES DAYS OR WEEKS LATER), ANOTHER PROBLEM WOULD PRESENT ITSELF. IT, TOO, WOULD "GO AWAY" IN SHORT ORDER AND THE PROCESS WOULD REPEAT ITSELF. THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR ON START-UP AS WELL AS SUDDENLY WHILE IN MOTION (IN MAY 2015, I HAD THE RADIO GO OFF ABOUT MIDWAY ON A 150-MILE TRIP.) ON SEPT 16, THE RADIO CONTROLS BECAME COMPLETELY INACTIVE, BUT THE UNIT FUNCTIONED AND THE DISPLAY WAS ON. THEN, ON SEPT 24, I WAS TRAVELLING AT NIGHT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS AND RADIO/AC DISPLAYS SUDDENLY WENT DARK. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY CONCERN. THE HIGH BEAMS AND RUNNING LIGHTS REMAINED FUNCTIONAL, BUT THE REGULAR LIGHTS NO LONGER FUNCTION. I DID NOT TEST THE FOG LIGHTS AND I AM NO LONGER DRIVING THE CAR. I AM USING MY WIFE'S CAR. UNTIL I CAN TAKE THE CAR FOR SERVICE, ITS USE IS LIMITED TO DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE ISSUE HAS REMAINED AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE "GOING AWAY". WHEN YOU TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS, THE RADIO/AC DISPLAYS GO BLANK AND THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT.

Mileage: 112,000

HVAC FAILS TO OPERATE. DEFROSTER WILL NOT OPERATE. SYMPTOMS ACCOMPANIED BY FLASHING CONTROL PANEL FOR HVAC AND RADIO. WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM SHARED ON CAR OWNER INTERNET FORUMS.

Mileage: 115,234

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS FREQUENTLY ON FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME (DAYS, WEEKS,MONTHS). THE ISSUE AND SUBARU'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ADDRESS IT ARE WELL DOCUMENTED IN COMPLAINTS FILED WITH NHTSA BY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS AND ON VARIOUS SUBARU OWNER WEBSITES. FOR EXAMPLE, SEE HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2008/SUBARU/OUTBACK/AIR_BAGS/PROBLEM.ASPX THERE IS CONFLICTING ADVICE ON WHETHER ILLUMINATION OF THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT MEANS THE AIRBAGS ARE DISABLED OR NOT. EITHER WAY, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.

Mileage: 55,000

THE WIRING FOR THE REAR LIFT GATE LOCK IS BROKEN. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN 2013. DEFINITELY FAULTY DESIGN. SUBARU SAYS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS TO THE LIFT GATE FOR $500+.

Mileage: 74,000

THE WIRES IN THE BOOT BETWEEN THE HATCH AND BODY BECOME BRITTLE OVER TIME AND CAN SNAP WITH HATCH USAGE. I REMOVED THE BOOT AND FOUND ONE WIRE COMPLETELY SEVERED (OPERATING THE HATCH LOCK WHICH HAD STOPPED WORKING). OTHERS WERE FRAYED AND REQUIRED REPAIR (INCLUDING THE WIRES FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS). *TR

Mileage: 120,000

THE AIRBAGS LIGHT IS ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE TECH AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM IN THE CONNECTION IN THE MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. HE INDICATED THE AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY CORRECTLY. IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2008 OUTBACKS AND OTHER POSTERS HAVE INDICATED THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK IF DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. APPARENTLY MANY FOLKS HAVE FOUND A WEAK/AGED SOLDER POINT TO BE THE CAUSE OF AN INTERMITTENT CONNECTION. GIVEN THE LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS ENCOUNTERING THIS PROBLEM, SUBARU SHOULD INITIATE A RECALL BASED ON THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF A AN AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILURE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

HAVING AIRBAG LIGHT COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY ALONG WITH PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT. MECHANIC SAID AIRBAGS PROBABLY ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. COST FOR REPAIR WOULD BE BETWEEN $350-$400. FROM READING OTHER COMPLAINTS, THIS IS AN EASY AND CHEAP FIX BUT DANGEROUS IF IT'S NOT REPAIRED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL! *TR

Mileage: 55,000

I'M UPDATING MY 2/3/15 COMPLAINT 10680982. I CONTACTED SUBARU DIRECTLY ON THE SAME DAY AND INCLUDED A COPY OF THE COMPLAINT I FILED WITH NHTSA AND MY BILL FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OVERHEAD AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE. IN THE REPORT THE SUBARU TECH SAID THE UNIT WAS SHORTING OUT, SHOWING CODE "26 FOR PASSENGER?S AIRBAG INDICATOR FAILURE AND S8 AIRBAG LIGHT ON." I ALSO GAVE SUBARU MY TALLY OF MY FIRST CURSORY SEARCH OF THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS DATABASE ON THE WORD "AIRBAG" FOR ALL MODELS OF SUBARU FROM 2000 TO PRESENT. THE SEARCH RESULTED IN 145 COMPLAINTS. AFTER I LOOKED THROUGH THE FIRST 60 COMPLAINTS I FOUND 45 OF THEM THAT SEEMED TO BE ABOUT THIS EXACT PROBLEM - THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD AND/OR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG OVERHEAD INDICATOR GOING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THESE COMPLAINTS WERE ACROSS EVERY MODEL OF SUBARU AND YEARS FROM 2003 TO 2013. MY 2008 OUTBACK HAD THE MOST COMPLAINTS - 13. OTHER SEARCHES FOR DIFFERENT KEY WORDS AND SPELLINGS OF AIRBAG RESULTED IN MANY HUNDREDS OF RESULTS, TOO MANY FOR YOUR DATABASE TO DISPLAY, PROBABLY MANY OF THEM WERE ABOUT THE RECENT AIRBAG RECALL ISSUE. SUBARU'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND ON 2/12/15 THEY PROMISED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE ENTIRE $352, THE TOTAL COST OF PARTS AND LABOR TO REPLACE THE MODULE. I URGE ALL SUBARU OWNERS TO TEST THEIR PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHTS AND THOSE WITH PROBLEMS TO LODGE A FORMAL NHTSA COMPLAINT AND REPORT IT TO SUBARU. SINCE THE AIRBAG DOESN'T WORK WHEN THE LIGHT ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM! ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA WILL HELP PRESSURE SUBARU TO FINALLY LET ALL POTENTIALLY AFFECTED OWNERS KNOW ABOUT IT. *TR

Mileage: 71,000

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE IN HEAVY SNOW, SUDDENLY LOST POWER, THE DASH LIGHT FLASHED, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDLES MOVED AS IF THE CAR WAS STARTING UP. COULD NOT RESTART ENGINE, WOULD NOT CRANK. ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WORKED. SAT IN HEAVY SNOW FOR TWO HOURS (NO TOW TRUCKS AVAILABLE UNTIL NEXT DAY). SUDDENLY AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART AFTER MANY FAILED ATTEMPTS, IT DID. DROVE IT HOME FINE. STALLED NEXT DAY ON WAY TO REPAIR SHOP. HAD CAR TOWED AND SHOP FOUND ONE CODE, BUT NOTHING ELSE WRONG. DROVE HOME FINE, RAN CAN FOR 45 MINS, FINE. NEXT DAY DROVE FOR 35 MIN TO WORK, FINE BUT LEFT WORK AND IMMEDIATELY STALLED JUST LIKE FEW DAYS BEFORE. TOWED TO SUBARU DEALER AND TOOK A DAY TO FIGURE OUT WAS MAIN ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS. REPLACED WITH MINIMAL CHARGE OF $50, EVEN THOUGHT THREE MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN FINE SINCE THEN. *TR

Mileage: 28,000

DASH AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, AND THIS DISABLES THE AIRBAG. DEALER STATES THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT CAN ONLY FIX BY TRIAL AND ERROR REPLACING (EXPENSIVE) COMPONENTS. IT HAPPENS MOST ON COLD WET WEATHER DAYS, OFTEN GOES OFF WHEN CAR WARMED UP, SO PROBABLY ELECTRICAL. HAS CONTINUED FOR YEARS NOW, STILL HAPPENING AT 105,000 MILES. MANY MANY EXAMPLES ON INTERNET BOARDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL! *TR

Mileage: 55,000

RECENTLY REPLACED HEADLIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE ON A RETURN TRIP HOME. THEY TURNED OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED. *TR

Mileage: 81,000

HVAC / RADIO (CD 6 DISC CHANGER MODEL) FAST FLASHING, ALL FUNCTIONS STAY ENABLED BUT CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED FROM THE PANEL. CAN NOT TURN ON DEFROST UNIT OR ADJUST TEMPERATURE OR RADIO CONTROLS WHILE FLASHING OCCURS. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY FOR A YEAR AND HAS GOTTEN SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE WHERE CONTROLS ARE UNAVAILABLE FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE AT A TIME. DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WINTER WHEN YOU CAN NOT USE THE DEFROST BUTTONS TO DEICE WINDOWS OR CONTROL WINDOW FOGGING. *TR

Mileage: 67,000

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ON/OFF LIGHT MALFUNCTIONING. SOMETIMES CEILING CONSOLE PASSENGER INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON TO INDICATE BAG IS OFF (SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN WHEN LESS THAN 25 LBS IN PASSENGER SEAT) AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. SOMETIMES DASHBOARD RED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON TO INDICATE MALFUNCTION WITH BAG AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER AIRBAG ON/OFF LIGHT SHOWS DIMLY AS IF IT'S TRYING TO ILLUMINATE. SEEMS LIKE A WIRING PROBLEM BASED ON INTERMITTENT ILLUMINATION BUT DEALER SAID NEEDED NEW $300 PLUS INDICATOR SWITCH BUT THEY WERE SURE AIRBAG WORKING PROPERLY. HAVE ALREADY HAD SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH QUALITY OF WORK DONE BY THIS DEALER SO UNSURE OF WHETHER THEY REALLY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. WHY NO RECALL FROM SUBARU? I SEE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS HERE ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 55,000

AIR BAG LIGHT IN DASHBOARD COMES ON AND AIRBAG LIGHT IN OVERHEAD CONSOLE DOES NOT DISPLAY PROPER INFO. 55000+ HITS IN INTERNET POINT TO BAD SOLDER JOINTS IN OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BOARD. ONCE LOOSE RESISTORS ARE RE-SOLDERED PROBLEM GOES AWAY. DEALERS ARE CHARGING UP TO $500 TO REPLACE OVERHEAD CONSOLE. THIS PROBLEM OF BAD SOLDER JOINTS GOES OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A SAFETY RELATED RECALL OVER AIRBAG ISSUES WHICH EXPIRE WHEN WARRANTY EXPIRES? THERE SHOULD BE NO EXPIRATION DATE ON SAFETY! *TR

Mileage: 44,000

VEHICLE STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS 2 MONTHS AGO WHEN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HOMELINK WOULD ONLY HAVE POWER INTERMITTENTLY. PROBLEM PROGRESSED TO THE REVERSE LIGHTS AND NOW AFFECTS THE HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AT NIGHT AS I WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT, A DEFINITE HAZARD. HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON SUBARU ONLINE FORUMS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT INDIVIDUAL WIRES IN THE WIRING HARNESS HAVE A TENDENCY TO CRACK AND BREAK AT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE LIFTGATE. THIS VEHICLE HAS 2 COMPLETELY BROKEN WIRES AND MOST OTHERS WITH BREAKS IN THE INSULATION. OTHER OWNERS DESCRIBE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

Mileage: 102,000

THE RADIO AND HEATER, A/C AND DEFROSTER CONTROLS ARE ALL ONE PIECE IN MY CAR. THE DISPLAY SCREENS ON BOTH GO BLANK WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS NOTHING WORKS, MOST IMPORTANTLY THE DEFROSTER WHEN YOU BAD WEATHER WHILE DRIVING. THE OUTPUT TEMPERATURE AND FAN SPEED CANNOT BE CHANGED AND THE DEFROSTER CANNOT BE TURNED ON OR OFF. THE FACTORY RADIO-A/C CONTROL UNIT WENT BAD AND WAS USELESS. SUBARU WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE PARTS SINCE IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE NEW, ONLY AS A REBUILT UNIT, AND SUBARU HAS NO CORES TO REBUILD NOR DO THEY KNOW WHEN THEY WILL GET ONE. I BOUGHT A USED RADIO-A/C UNIT FROM A JUNKYARD AND INSTALLED IT ABOUT A YEAR AGO. NOW THIS UNIT IS STARTING TO GO BAD. I HAVE CONTACTED PANASONIC TO FIND AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITY AND THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY MY RADIO EVEN WITH THE NUMBERS ON THE TAG THAT SAYS MADE BY PANASONIC, SO THEY CANNOT TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET IT REPAIRED. SUBARU HAS BEEN JUST AS USELESS. I CAN LIVE WITHOUT A RADIO, BUT WHEN MY WINDSHIELD FOGS UP AT 60 MPH AND I CANNOT TURN THE DEFROSTER ON OR IT'S 20 DEGREES OUT AND I CANNOT TURN THE HEAT ON, THIS BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE. I CHECKED A SUBARU OWNERS WEBSITE AND FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH 2005-2008 MODELS SAYING THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE NEW AND BESIDES CHANGING THE OIL MYSELF, ALL OTHER REPAIRS ON THE CAR HAVE BEEN DONE BY A SUBARU DEALER. THE DEALER EVEN INSTALLED THE JUNKYARD RADIO. THE LAST CONTACT I HAD WITH THE SUBARU FACTORY, THEY ARE BLAMING THE PROBLEM ON ME USING AN AFTERMARKET RADIO. MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER CONFIRMED THRU SERIAL NUMBERS THAT THE RADIO FROM THE JUNKYARD IS THE EXACT SAME RADIO-A/C UNIT THAT CAME IN MY CAR WHEN NEW. SINCE SUBARU NO LONGER USES PANASONIC RADIOS, THEY ARE NO LONGER PROVIDING ANY PRODUCT SUPPORT ON PANASONIC PRODUCTS. SUBARU IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO PROVIDE SERVICE PARTS FOR AT LEAST 7 YEARS AND THEY ARE NOT DOING IT. *JS

Mileage: 50,000

WIRES IN THE REAR HATCH BREAK REPEATEDLY. WIRING HARNESS COMES FROM THE ROOF AND INTO THE REAR HATCH; MOST OF THE WIRES WORN AND MECHANIC HAS SPLICED MORE THAN HALF INCLUDING THE ANTENNA WIRE.

SINCE THE CAR WAS NEARLY NEW THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AND NOW STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY, RENDERING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED BUT THE DEALER SAID NO FAULT CODE WAS FOUND. IN DECEMBER 2012 THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON CONTINUOUSLY. I BROUGHT IT TO THE SUBARU DEALER TO DIAGNOSE AND SERVICE THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE LIGHT IN THE MAPLIGHT MODULE, AND IF SOMETHING IN THE MODULE GOES BAD THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON AND PREVENT THE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING. CONSEQUENTLY I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MAPLIGHT CONSOLE AT A COST OF $510 ($110 TO READ THE CODE PLUS $400 FOR THE LIGHT MODULE) TO FIX A DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT AND DESIGN FLAW THAT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SUBARU. *TR

Mileage: 2,000

ONE WIRE LEADING TO THE REAR CARGO HATCH (RIGHT SIDE) BROKE AND 3 OTHERS HAD CRACKED INSULATION DUE TO A LACK OF RESILIENCE AFTER FLEXING. THESE WIRES ARE FLEXED EVERY TIME THE HATCH IS OPENED AND CLOSED. ALL ELECTRICAL PARTS ON THE HATCH TRAVEL THOUGH THIS WIRING HARNESS (WIPERS, LOCK, ETC.). HAD THE FAILURE OF THE LOCK NOT BEEN NOTICED, FURTHER WEAR COULD HAVE CAUSED A SHORT AND A FIRE. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 4 AND A HALF YEARS OLD. MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS GOING BACK TO AT LEAST THE 2005 MODEL. *TR

Mileage: 116,100