2018 Subaru Outback Electrical System Problems
- 47
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 47 stored complaint records:
- 0 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- does work · 10 records
- head unit · 9 records
- back camera · 9 records
- backup camera · 7 records
- infotainment system · 6 records
- hands free · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 41 |
| 30–60k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System
I was driving and the entire display went blank! This renders all electronic features controlled by the screen inoperable and also violates federal law mandating backup cameras on 2018 or newer cars. Though technically my vehicle is still equipped with it, it doesn't matter because the display is completely dead. This is such a common problem the part is backordered for at least a month, in the meantime i will…
ODI 11152962
Electrical System
8- inch touch screen system is completely blank. As a result, the backup camera does not function. This is the second time this has happened. The first time, the unit was replaced after a one week wait for the part to be delivered. After several months,this unit went out. Subaru 'a month wait for new unit due to repair demands.'
ODI 11151841
Electrical System · Unknown Or Other
2018 subaru outback: per dealer: original battery "bad" & replaced by dealer after it failed (unable to start & won't hold charge) after 10,500 miles at 9 mo. Battery also failed in our previously owned 2015 outback after only 3 weeks, & in a 2015 subaru legacy after 35 months. The 2018 outback's touch screen (& back-up camera screen, etc) has also stopped working twice, at about 2 months (while backing out of the…
ODI 11151647
Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. While driving approximately 55 mph at night, the fuel range dropped and the vehicle lost power and shut off. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. The manufacturer's roadside assistance was called, but no one answered. The contact called the police for assistance due to the darkness. The contact called triple a and was provided some fuel to drive…
ODI 11163859
Electrical System · Unknown Or Other
Bluetooth will randomly disconnect. Sometimes it lasts a few minutes, sometimes a couple hours. Unable to re-connect once it does, so we have to mess with settings while driving to switch to aux cable, radio, etc or pull over and restart the car completely. We have verified the issue with 6 different devices. None of the devices demonstrate the same issue with any other bluetooth devices (we use a speaker for hours…
ODI 11171897
Electrical System · Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
** 2018 subaru outback ** this has happened three times** driving car when car shuts off complete loss of power engine turns off without warning at various speeds - seems to occur when the low fuel warning system turns on at 1/4 tank of gas. This 3rd time almost got me killed traveling at 45mpg when it happened today inside a major intersection. Software / sensor for the low fuel system? Something is very seriously…
ODI 11139365
Camera · Electrical System
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. While the contact was driving, the automated driving system stopped working and the back-up camera did not function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (steve moyer subaru, 201 s centre ave, leesport, pa 19533, [redacted]) where it was diagnosed that the computer that controlled the electronic and safety systems malfunctioned. The dealer explained that the failure was…
ODI 11145005
Electrical System · Engine · Unknown Or Other
I recently purchased a 2018 outback. I was driving it going about [redacted] by my house and it shut down out of nowhere, dash lights came on, gas pedal wouldn't work, the only way i got it to go was shutting it off completely and restarting it. They car has 3500 miles, i dropped it off at the dealership on 8/25 and they have had it since. They replaced the fuel pump saying it was the cause of it shutting down on…
ODI 11132656
Electrical System · Engine
Vehicle developed drip from transmission approximately mid june 2018. Took to dealer & unable to find source after 11 days in shop. They put dye in and i drove until 7-30-18 when drip returned. Car in shop 6 days for new transmission. Car returned 8-9-18. 11 days later 8-21-18 major oil leak & vehicle towed to dealership. As of 8-24-18 they are still attempting to locate leak. Will have to pull engine. May not get…
ODI 11122165
Electrical System
Soft keys for radio programming go to initializing and stay there rather than show the siriusxm channel that was set in memory. Head unit is extremely bright at night it does dim but there are white sections that should be inverted at night this makes it distracting at night. Radio boots up to a white screen now and nothing works. Radio was replaced on 5/31/18 and at that time it had additional issues but all appear…
ODI 11119433
Electrical System
The radio head unit will randomly not connect to apple car play. It will also get stuck on a fm radio station and not respond to anything until the battery is disconnected. This happens while driving and there is no way to control the volume or anything. I have been for software updates.
ODI 11122969
Electrical System · Steering
Our outback started to pull to the right at around 3000 miles. Currently (at 9000 miles) the car still does that. It feels as if there is strong side wind pushing the car. The car also started making knocking sounds when turning the wheel in both directions while at stop or moving slowly. We are currently scheduled for an inspection at the dealership. The second major issue is the tire pressure monitor. The tire…
ODI 11170464
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Unknown Or Other
Radio and maps went to a black screen several times at 5k miles. It was sent to the dealership for update. Still had issues, but not as many. Then the lighting went out on the radio buttons. Replaced main head which was covered under warranty w/a 100 dollar deductible. Automatic door locks work intermittently when put in gear, drivers window control panel does not work for any windows in the car other than the…
ODI 11277788
Electrical System
I have 6000 miles on my 2018 subaru outback and rodents ate the electrical wires in my engine which caused me not to be able to operate the car and could have caused a major accident. I found out my wires are soy based which attracted the rodents.i was driving on the highway when my dashboard indicators lit up indicating there was a problem. I immediately drove to the subaru service department and had the wiring…
ODI 11098707
Electrical System
When i turn on the hazard emergency flashing lights on while parked and engine off and i lock the car , both keyless remotes stop working when i try to unlock the doors to enter. To be able to access car need to use the manual key, alarm horn goes off and then push the engine start button and all seems to work fine again. Has happened multiple times.
ODI 11096987
Electrical System
Rear tail gate opens without activation at 35 mph while vehicle is in motion. I have a video but it is too big to send. My wife and i were on a busy highway after just purchasing flowers and plants at a local nursery when the tailgate just started to open all by itself spilling some of the plants on the highway. The tailgate locked in the open position at about two feet in the open position.
ODI 11091702
Electrical System
8" navigation/display frozen. No back-up camera when in reverse. Does not respond to inputs either on the display or from steering wheel. "power" switch did not power down the unit. Stopping the engine and restarting did not reset the unit. Stopping the engine, open and close the drivers door and restarting did not reset the unit. Remained inoperative during morning commute (30 min). Center console remained on after…
ODI 11073988
Electrical System
On occasion, and while in motion, the head unit (navigation display, radio, etc), in our 2018 outback limited w/ eyesight, will freeze up and no hard or soft buttons will reactivate the system. I must shut car down for a few minutes before a "reboot" takes place. I have seen numerous other complaints on subaruoutback.com.
ODI 11044153
Electrical System
After putting on hazard switch and leaving vehicle, i came back to vehicle and the keyless entry would not function. System did not seem to recognize my smartkey as the door handle sensor did not operate. I tried the buttons on the smartly fob and they too did not function. Also tried the mobile remote app and that too failed. I had to use the mechanical key to enter vehicle. Of course the security horn goes off,…
ODI 11043616
Electrical System
The car is parked. The flashers are activated. The car is then locked from the outside with the key fob. After returning to the car a short time later (maybe 5 minutes or so) the key fob is totally unusable. Lock, unlock, rear hatch or panic do not work. Must then use the key in the door lock, to unlock the door. Then, of course, the alarm sounds until you can put the key into the ignition to silence the alarm.…
ODI 11041865
Electrical System
The volume of the phone ring: this is another problem going on for years, throughout different year models, and very well documented on the internet in several forums as well (https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/2018-w-nav-phone-ring-volume.497495/). Every time my cellphone rings, it's ear piercingly loud. It makes one jump loud. I did try to get help at the dealership but sadly there is no remedy. The problem is…
ODI 11302115
Electrical System
These incidents are ongoing problems from purchasing my first outback 4 years ago. The question/answer below (*when did this happen?) cannot be answered truthfully, pinpointed to an exact date. It was a brand new car purchased from the dealer and my current, second one with the same exact issues are also a new purchase from the same dealer. The hazard flashers: when the car is in parking and hazards are on, if one…
ODI 11302114