2019 Subaru Outback: problems, recalls and reliability

“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the touch screen on the radio failed to properly operate. The screen was delaminated, causing unintended operation of the radio, distracting the driver. This failure caused the back over prevention to become inoperable, and the HVAC defroster options were inoperable. The touch screen and the functions were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electrical system failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Feb 2026

“Battery completely dead after 4 days of not driving; this is after I purchased a $210 brand new batteyr from Autozone. Looks like there is potential class action lawsuit based on the parasitic draw by the DCM unit. I need this repaired at Subaru's expense.”Owner report · Electrical System · Feb 2026

“Front exhaust pipe bellows cracked, allowing exhaust gases including carbon monoxide to enter the passenger cabin. This is the same defect Subaru acknowledged in Service Program WUJ-95R (2015-2016 models) and Warranty Extension WI22-013 (2017-2018 Foresters). The failure pattern extends to 2019 model year vehicles and should be investigated for a recall expansion. This is a design flaw, consistent problem across multiple years, and a dangerous problem that needs to be addressed. My local Subaru dealer diagnosed and acknowledges the issue but won't cover it. Subaru of America won't cover the full cost--only 25%. Thank you for your help.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2026

“The Tumble Generator Valve (TGV) assembly within the intake manifold failed on my 2019 Subaru Outback at only 48,000 miles causing catastrophic engine failure. This is a critical engine component that is expected to last significantly longer than the vehicle's current low mileage. The premature failure of this part triggers engine warning lights and disables key driver-assist safety features (such as EyeSight), creating a distraction and potential hazard while driving. This indicates a material defect in the TGV components used in this model year, causing catastrophic failure well before reasonable service life expectations.”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2026

“The car repeatedly drains the battery after being left for a short time (a day or 2). This has now happened at least four times and has destroyed multiple batteries. I have taken it to the dealer and complained multiple times. They check for software updates and sell me a new battery and then the same thing happens again. Because of this, the car is essentially unusable because I can't trust it to run. The problem seems to come and go, though that may simply be due to having a new battery for a while. There doesn't seem to be any indication before this problem occurs.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2025

“We were driving down an interstate highway going 70 mph on a foggy Christmas Eve 2025 approximately 7 a.m. No cars were close around us. We had been on the road for 30 minutes or so, and it was in the 50-60 degree temperature range. Suddenly we heard what sounded like a gunshot right above our heads. We opened the sunshade under the sunroof, and saw that our sunroof had exploded and left a hole. Before this, we heard nothing strike the sunroof or the car. It seemed like a spontaneous explosion. The explosion noise is recorded on our dash cam video. I was unable to upload the video because it must not be in the correct format.”Owner report · Structure · Dec 2025

“I was involved in a car crash where another car crashed into me at an angle and hit the driver side door and part of the front and the wheel air bag not deploy. The side air bags did. I was going 30, this other car was going 40-50 mph.”Owner report · Air Bags · Dec 2025