2019 Subaru Outback: What to check before buying

Batteries go dead again and again, often after the car sits for a day or two. New batteries do not fix it. Several dealers trace the drain to the data communications module (DCM), which does not fully go to sleep. Other dealers find no drain and send the car home. Some cars have gone through three or four batteries, with trouble often starting around 30,000 to 35,000 miles. The touchscreen head unit also fails. It delaminates, flips between screens, changes stations and makes calls on its own. Replacement parts are often back-ordered.

Windshields crack with little or no impact, often while the car sits in a garage or driveway. Cracks start under the wipers, near the rearview mirror or at the edges, then spread across the driver's view within hours or days. Many reports come in at around 10,000 miles. Some owners have replaced the glass two to four times. Dealers usually blame rock strikes and refuse warranty coverage. Some cracks run around the EyeSight camera, and owners report that replacement glass needs the camera recalibrated.

Cracks appear in the windshield while the car is parked or moving, with no impact heard, and they keep spreading. Most reports fall between about 29,000 and 46,000 miles. Cracks often come back after replacement, and some owners are on a third windshield. Dealers often call it a rock chip, not a factory defect, and deny warranty claims, though one owner got a free replacement from the manufacturer. In a separate report, the display flashes on and off and the backup camera stops working. That owner's car is not covered by the related recall.

The car wanders at highway speeds, starting around 45 mph. Owners describe a dead zone on center that forces constant correction, and they compare it to driving on ice or in a strong crosswind. Dealers often say it drives normally. Some cars pull left or right without warning, and lane-keeping assist over-corrects. Some owners notice it within the first few hundred miles. A separate problem involves the steering column adjustment lever, which lets the column collapse now and then. One complaint is listed as crash-related but gives little detail.

Glass cracks or shatters without impact in most of these reports. Windshields split on their own, sometimes on the third or fourth replacement. Sunroof glass explodes at highway speed, and in one case the hood flew open at 35 mph and blocked the driver's view. The power liftgate can stop partway up, beep and start closing. One owner was hurt holding it back with an arm. A failed front door seal let water flood the floor, and two owners question the spot welds under the dash.

The car surges forward at parking speeds while the driver holds the brake. It happens pulling into garages and parking spots, and waiting at gates or stop signs. Seven reports involve crashes into garage doors and walls, fences, trees, a power pole or parked cars. Mileage tends to fall between about 12,000 and 22,000 miles. Dealers usually cannot find a cause. On the highway, adaptive cruise control lets speed climb well past the set speed. One car sped up into the car ahead while on cruise control, and pre-collision braking did not activate.

Oil leaks from the cam carrier are the costliest problem in a small, mixed set of reports, and one dealer warned the repair may not hold. Transmission failures include chain slippage and a car that lost drive and was stranded on the freeway. Other reports describe oil burning, a carrier bearing whine starting between 10,000 and 11,000 miles, and stumbling with power loss that the dealer could not fix. One car caught fire after getting stuck in first gear. Another backed up on its own while in drive and injured the driver.

Airbags fail to deploy in front, side and rear-end crashes. Five reports involve crashes, with nine people injured. In one crash, the passenger airbag fired with the seat empty while the driver's airbag did not. Outside of crashes, the common problem is an airbag warning light that comes and goes. It is often traced to the front passenger occupant detection system, which misreads whether someone is seated and can switch the airbag off. Some dealers replace the occupant detection seat frame, and others find no fault.

The brakes fail to stop the car when it surges forward at parking speeds, the same pattern reported under speed control. These reports include five crashes and three injuries. On the highway, one car locked up and stopped after a light tap on the brakes, and following cars hit it from behind. Other owners say the pedal slowly sinks to the floor under steady pressure. One dealer found a leaking brake master cylinder, and the part was on back order for weeks. False automatic braking with no car ahead also appears.