The Subaru Outback is reported to have drained battery and electrical issues.
In this report, I'll give an account of one owner's struggle with his 2022 Subaru Outback and the dealer where he purchased the midsize SUV. Dr Vishal Hansraj, a physician practicing in Alberta, Canada, sent me this email asking for help with his car and the dealer. Here are excerpts from his email.
Note: I have omitted the Canadian Subaru dealer's name. This report intends not to discredit the dealer but to look for answers.
Dr Hansraj says, "In March 2022, I purchased a brand-new Subaru Outback Wilderness. Before my new car was shipped, the selling dealership registered me on the Subaru Starlink app. Shortly after, I started receiving numerous emails stating that my car had various electronic faults."
"I contacted the sales manager (the person who sold me the car), and he texted me back saying, "Your car battery was dead when it was loaded; it will be replaced in Calgary."
"When I picked up my car in Calgary, they jump-started it and handed it over, saying, "Everything is good. Run it for a few hours, and it will be fine."
The Outback's Battery Was Dead the Next Morning
Dr Vishal Hansraj says, "After picking up the car, it wouldn't start the next day. I had to take a taxi and missed work that weekend (an urgent care shift). I ended up replacing the car battery myself. Over the next few months, numerous electrical faults followed:"
"The car's cruise control and automatic braking wouldn't work. I received an email every time this happened. The car would suddenly shut off completely, leaving me stranded, only to come back to life after 5–6 minutes."
"Whenever this happened, I'd get the same email stating, "Numerous electrical faults with your car."
What Should an Owner Do If They Experience Problems With a New Vehicle?
Dr Hansraj did the right thing by contacting Subaru and taking his car back to the Subaru dealer.
He says, "I complained to Subaru Canada and requested that they either fix the car, replace it, or refund my money."
"They claimed they had investigated the matter and said I should contact (the Subaru dealer) to handle the replacement or address why they sold me a car with a dead battery."
"The sales manager at Subaru mentioned they would need to keep my car for several months, have someone drive it, reproduce the faults, and then fix them."
"In September 2022, they reluctantly took my car to investigate but called me back the next day, saying, 'There is nothing wrong with your car. We'll drop it back today.'
This is Where Things Begin to Go Wrong
Dr Hansraj says, "I declined to take back a faulty car, and then they offered to purchase it for $14,000 less than the price I paid. As a "gesture of goodwill," they also proposed leasing me an Acura RDX for a 3-year term from an Acura dealership owned by the same dealer."
"I was astonished by this. I wrote to Subaru numerous times, but their replies were unresponsive, rude, and arrogant."
"Subaru must have been conducting tests on my car because I continued to receive notifications from Starlink until the spring of 2023, even though the car was with the dealer. When I called Subaru, they said their Tier 3 team was investigating my account. None of it made any sense to me."
What Should a Customer Do Now?
First, you should never decline or refuse to take the vehicle back. The dealer said they could not replicate the problem. At this point, an owner should take the car, drive it, and see if the problem still exists.
If the problem still happens, the Subaru Outback will be covered under the new car warranty, and the dealer will have to fix the issue. If not, Canada unfortunately does not have a Lemon Law.
The Dealer Begins To Charge Storage Fees
There were numerous email exchanges between Dr Hansraj and the Subaru dealer, which I cannot share because of confidentiality and disclosure issues with the dealer. However, the discussions did not go well.
Because Dr Hansraj did not want the vehicle and left it at the dealer, storage fees began to increase. At $35 per day, the final amount came to $29,050 before tax in the last email from the dealer. You can imagine his response to this fee.
Is it Lawful for a Dealer To Charge Storage Fees?
It is lawful for a dealer to charge a customer storage fee if they don't pick up a vehicle if the fees are clearly outlined in the purchase contract or other agreement.
The next step is to contact a government agency, as Dr Hansraj did.
He says, "I contacted AMVIC, but they said they couldn't help since a BC dealer sold the car. Subaru repeatedly told me to contact AMVIC (Alberta's automotive industry regulator) and refused to take responsibility."
Which Agency Should a Canadian Customer Contact for Help?
Unfortunately, Canada does not have a Lemon Law. However, the Canadian Office of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) says a Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP) can help customers resolve disputes with automobile manufacturers by providing binding arbitration that may be an alternative to court.
Dr Hansraj says he did not want to involve an attorney. "I did not take any legal advice since I have not really had good experience with lawyers in the past."
Is the Dealer at Fault?
Dr Hansraj says the Subaru dealer was "very unethical" in the whole situation.
I checked the BBB and DealerRater. Some customers complained about the Subaru dealer's service and customer service.
One customer on DealerRater said that the dealership is unethical and misleading and that they force their salespeople to lie.
Another customer on DealerRater said that the dealership is incapable of handling issues and that they ghost their responsibilities.
A Better Business Bureau website customer complained about a warranty issue and said that the dealership asked them to contact their mechanic before diagnosing the problem.
Lessons from Dr Hansraj's Experience
Other owners have reported issues with the Subaru Outback, such as a drained battery.
A report from The Utopian says The Outback issues are "Primarily due to a problem with the Data Communication Module (DCM), which can continuously try to access the now-retired 3G cellular network, leading to excessive battery drain."
A class-action lawsuit and a subsequent battery settlement with Subaru addressed this issue. You can read my report here for more information.
Final Thoughts and Questions
Mistakes were made on both sides, buyer, and dealer, of this unfortunate 2022 Subaru Outback purchase.
Have you purchased a Subaru Outback with a drained battery and other electrical issues? How did you get the problem resolved? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.
Check out my 2022 Subaru Outback report titled; The 2022 Subaru Outback Fails To Make Consumer Reports Most-Reliable Midsize SUVs
I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Dr Hansraj
Comments
I purchased a 2024 Forester…
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I purchased a 2024 Forester Wilderness in December, 2024 and have exactly the same issues described
Dealer replaced battery to no avail. Same rudeness from corporate. I'm currently trying to get the car lemon lawed. This must be a known issue that Subaru is trying to cover up.
I had the same issue with…
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In reply to I purchased a 2024 Forester… by Bryce Merritt (not verified)
I had the same issue with battery. The moment I drove of the dealership lot. The horn started to go off. People thought I was crazy. This problem went on and off but never stopped. I took it back to same dealership but the service manager was no help and wanted me to bring back the vehicle back on mid week and paid for a rental. I gave him some harsh words. A few month later, the battery was dead and towed to another dealership to replace it. A couple months later, I sold the vehicle. I believe this 11.6 touch screen drains the battery if you do not started the vehicle after 6 weeks. Try it and you will know. I had prior Subaru. Parked 2-4 months and the battery did not die in me. Subaru supported to be safe!!
This is very likely the…
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In reply to I had the same issue with… by Jimmy (not verified)
This is very likely the radios transceiver that has a code to phone home. There is. Fix for this, but for now look up radio causing battery to die which fuse to pull to test it
I purchased a2019 with 44…
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I purchased a2019 with 44,000 miles on it. The battery went dead a few days later. Jumped it
and drove it for a week. Left it parked for a couple of days and it was dead again. I had the battery checked they said it had 2 dead cells. I bought a new battery and put a 30 dollar battery maintainer on it. I plug it in every night and now have no problems. I had a battery maintainer on my last car as well. I live in Alaska and often don't go anywhere for a few days so the battery drains.