2015 Subaru Legacy Electrical Problems

I have had several battery issues that I just believed to be bad luck and would get a new battery under warranty but it has gotten worse lately. It led me to look online and I notice I am not nearly the only one as this complaint has been brought up my numerous people. It is in regards to my 2015 Subaru legacy and how I’m not certain if my car will start if I make a few short trips where I’m “in and out” of the car more than 3 times in a short period of time. There is definitely a parasitic draw issue from the vehicle and it is a safety concern in not knowing if your vehicle is going to start or if you’ll need a jump or worse be stranded. With the amount of complaints on this issue I would have thought there would be a recall. I know there are safety bulletins but nothing that the dealer or Subaru themselves will address. I have also signed up for the battery settlement case but have not heard back in regards to this. I am really wanting to know if there is a solution because I’ve read a lot of reviews where this is happening in newer models also. It needs to be addressed and a resolution should be offered because it is happening to A LOT of Subarus. My other concern was the seats and moonroof. The leather driver seat has torn up and I have put covers over it to look similar but I use a sun screen for the vehicle often and it still tore up the seat. Lastly the moonroof has a defect that the dealer wouldn’t address. There is something wrong with the seal and loud wind gets in somewhere and makes the vehicle shake as though you turned up a base speakers to the loudest setting. The battery issue has been going on for years as well as the moonroof that has a spot that is allowing in air and causes the vehicle to shake. Please help hold subaru accountable for these issues and get back to me with some sort of solution! Thank you for your time.

NHTSA ID

11582009

Incident

Apr 18, 2018

We have owned two 2015 Subaru Legacy sedans. Both of them have had major battery problems. We've had to have battery tenders (trickle-chargers) installed on both cars, and we're still having battery problems. We've been stuck in various parking lots, unable to start the car, and had to get jumps from others. This is a royal pain, and a potential safety hazard if we are stuck in a remote location. We've been told by our mechanic that this vehicle does not really "turn off" when you shut it down. There are several devices in the car which continue to have a "parasitic draw" on the battery, which it is not capable of sustaining. We've had the battery and charging system checked out multiple times, and everything checks out fine. Replacing the battery will NOT solve the problem. Replacing the battery with a deep-cycle battery will NOT solve the problem. It is an inherent defect in the electrical system of the vehicle. Available for inspection: YES Safety issue: being stranded with a dead battery in a dangerous location Confirmed by an independent service center: YES Inspected by anyone else: NO Warning lamps or messages: NO

NHTSA ID

11492991

Incident

Nov 8, 2022

Car battery is draining very frequently which is causing the battery to die. Even for short periods of not using the car, the will fail to start due to the drained battery.

NHTSA ID

11487413

Incident

Oct 1, 2022

Battery continually dies. Driven daily and even after driving same day battery will be dead. Issue occurs more frequently when headlights are set on auto. Seems battery drains when car is off but still pulling a charge. Have been stranded numerous times since purchasing the car 2 years ago. Have had battery checked and told it is fine.

NHTSA ID

11485015

Incident

Sep 10, 2022

The battery has a parasitic drain, and if left off for more than 8 hours, is completely dead on attempt at restart. This has also killed my passenger side forward window which can no longer go up or down.

NHTSA ID

11472283

Incident

Jun 30, 2022

I just brought this car a few months ago and i have been having alot of problem with it from engine oil low when it not to tpms light coming on and going off to now eletric parking brake locked up now i cant move my car and i work seven days a week and always maintain my cars was getting checked its really weird

NHTSA ID

11458082

Incident

Mar 23, 2022

Extremely high, abnormal parasitic draining of my battery, in my 2015 Legacy whenever vehicle is not running. This parasitic drain on battery will leave you stranded, if parked for a few days, causing a safety issue, as you can imagine. I always connect and use a battery tender/maintainer with hood up, after every time I use car, when I return car to garage. If I did not have a garage, I would have to connect to this battery charger/maintainer and close the hood to deter exposure to the elements, such as snow, ice, and rain. It is not actual fault of battery, as new perfect battery will drain within a few days with this extremely high parasitic drain. I thought possibly if I blocked the battery remotes from contacting the car, I could reduce this drain. I placed the two remotes into a metal container and then I placed this into a second metal container. This did not resolve the parasitic battery draining issue.

NHTSA ID

11455212

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

I am the original owner of the vehicle in question. I have been experiencing excessive electrical drain issues throughout the life of my vehicle. I have had to jump it at least 10 times and have replaced the battery 4 times throughout my 7 years of ownership. This is quite excessive and has caused safety issues in the past as you never know when the battery suddenly no longer has enough power to start the vehicle. My fiancé was recently on a ferry and upon landing the vehicle would not start and this caused quite an issue with the ferry operator and resulted in undue stress and anxiety on her. I have also always had an issue with the Adaptive Cruise Control system (EyeSight) in which under what I believe are specific circumstances, the system fails to detect the roadway and road markers in front of the vehicle and abruptly shuts off. This hasn't been a major issue as I am still actively driving the vehicle, but when you are driving 50mph on a highway and suddenly you are decelerating without brake lights indicating so to others around you can cause a sense of alarm. The somewhat specific situations this occurs in is when there is very little to no ambient light on the road. Although my headlights are on, they don't seem to provide enough light for the system to 'see' at all times.

NHTSA ID

11451733

Incident

Feb 12, 2022

Electrical system drains battery very frequently. I have had alternator checked and is fine. This vehicle drains batteries leaving the car unable to start. The batteries will be dead by the 2 year warranty. I see there is a lawsuit in NJ showing the CAN electrical system does not go to sleep when the car is off.

NHTSA ID

11445842

Incident

Dec 29, 2021

battery drainage problem, transmission jerking

NHTSA ID

11442811

Incident

Dec 6, 2021

When the car sits unused for more than several days, it goes completely dead. I have had both my mechanic and the dealer check the entire charging system ( battery, alternator, engine drive belt etc ) to no avail. Everything tests as working within given parameters and my 2015 vehicle w/ 67,000 miles is currently on it's 4th battery ! The dealer has refused to perform the two Technical Service Bulletin(s) issued by Subaru corporate unless l pay for them, as they claim they can find no evidence to show they are needed. As a disabled retiree, I cannot depend on this, my only vehicle, to go to doctors appointments, food shopping and other normal necessary daily activities. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11424580

Incident

Jul 13, 2021

Bettery drained

NHTSA ID

11424576

Incident

Jul 13, 2021

Battery drainage and replacement more often than usual

NHTSA ID

11424571

Incident

Jul 1, 2019

Battery has failed repeatedly. 6yr old car on 4th battery. First replaced by Subaru, then AAA, then by AAA by warranty

NHTSA ID

11424488

Incident

Jun 10, 2021

I have experienced two separate occasions where my vehicle accelerated even though my foot was on the brake pedal. Once, I was slowing down on a main street for a stop light behind several other cars. My vehicle began to accelerate and would have rammed the car in front of me if I had not been able to swerve into an empty turn lane. Due to the acceleration, I figured I must have accidentally hit the gas pedal, so I lifted my foot and hit the other pedal--which was the accelerator, and naturally just accelerated the vehicle more. I then put my foot back on the brake and the car came to a stop. The second time, my son was backing into our driveway. He had the brakes on. The car was slowing down. Then it suddenly accelerated backward. My son said his foot was still on the brake pedal when the car accelerated, and he did the same thing I did when I had the issue: he moved his foot to the other pedal, thinking he had made some kind of error, but found that the switch only made the car accelerate more, so he switched back to the brake pedal and the car stopped. In both of these instances, the car was initially braking when the brake pedal was applied, then began to accelerate without a change in foot positioning. The accelerator was not touched in either instances because the vehicle was going slow enough not to need much pressure, and the accelerator is positioned far enough away from the brake as it is impossible to touch both pedals at the same time. The floor mats were properly secured at both times (as they always are) and could not possibly have interfered in any way. Thankfully no one has been hurt or experienced any property damage during either of these episodes, but I am worried that one of these days, something horrible will happen if this problem is not corrected! I will give the date of the most recent occurrence in the information included with this report.

NHTSA ID

11424191

Incident

Jul 6, 2021

CAN ( Controller Area Network) is causing a parasitic draining of my battery causing me to have to jump my car regularly and I changed the battery less than a year ago. I know that I'm not the only person that has had this issue, I'm aware of the current class action lawsuit out against Subaru for this current situation. This is a very costly a serious issue that demands attention now. It's very dishonest of Subaru to tell you that nothing's wrong or offer any fix, all while taking our hard earned money. I'm very frustrated because I can't afford to continue messing with this issue nor can I simply go out and buy another vehicle. I have been left stranded both at home and aboard leaving my wife and kids not too mention myself at risk. I have taken the vehicle in and haven't had any remedy. No other failures at the time of this reporting.

NHTSA ID

11419898

Incident

Jun 7, 2021

I have a 2015 subaru legacy 2.5i engine. The problem i have is a blown fuse in the main compartment F26 (backup). I have read subaru forum(s) and in earlier years this is same issue that I current have in my car. In the older models this was recalled and the issue was reworked at subaru repair centers at their cost. This issue also said it could cause a over heating and possible cause a fire. Please look into this issue. Kind Regards, Doug Whittemore 57 lexington ave. haverhill, MA 01835

NHTSA ID

11419586

Incident

Apr 29, 2021

When I was in the garage (about 2 months ago) trying to start my car, it tried to start but did not. Repeated attempts to start the car failed, and it acted like the battery was low. I measured the battery voltage and it was only 5.9 volts. I recharged the battery and took it to an auto parts place to get a new battery. They tested the battery and said it was still good and would not recommend replacing it. The car has been fine since. I realize this is not exactly a safety issue except if it had happened someplace remote and not in my garage where I could work on it it could have been bad. I just found out there is a class action lawsuit against Subaru over their CAN system that sometimes fails (does not go to sleep) and causes the battery to run down faster than it should. It sounds to me like that is what happened to my car. If you are keeping up with complaints about Subaru's CAN system I guess you can add mine to the list (or database). Thanks for your efforts.

NHTSA ID

11418671

Incident

Mar 31, 2021

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STOPPED WHILE DRIVING, ON 5 OCCASIONS. MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE BATTERY TERMINAL PART ON 3/31/21 ON 5/12/21 40 MINUTES INTO MY DRIVE, THE AIRBAG MALFUNCATION ICON CAME ON. AS WELL AS AN IDIOT LIGHT IN THE CENTER PANEL OF THE DASH BOARD BY THE MPHIL GUAGE.TWO HOURS LATER THE IGNITION LOCK LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING AND CAR WOULD NOT START. CONCURRENT TO THIS THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW CAN NOT BE OPERATED FROM DRIVERS SIDE. ON 5/14/21, 40 MINUTES INTO MY DRIVE THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ON THE DASHBOARD. ALL THE SAME STUFF HAPPENED AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11416609

Incident

May 12, 2021

Mileage

41,600 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACTED STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT HIS RESIDENCE. HE SAW SMOKE ILLUMNIATED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FIRE STARTED AROUND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY THE CONTACT WHO THREW SNOW FROM THE OUTSIDE INTO THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE NO INJURIES. NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE POLICE WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED TO NO LOCAL MECHANICS OR LOCAL DEALER, THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11384436

Incident

Dec 17, 2020

Mileage

102,000 mi

SRVD DISABLED AT 39000 MILES. BLIND SPOT DETECTION SYSTEM FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11098468

Incident

May 16, 2018

Mileage

39,000 mi

CLOCK SPRING IN STEERING COLUMN IS BAD. HORN DOES NOT WORK. DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG MAY BE INOPERABLE. CONDITION EXISTS WHEN VEHICLE IS STATIONARY WITH IGNITION OFF AND WHILE IT IS IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID

11093270

Incident

May 6, 2018

Mileage

90,000 mi

AFTER TURNING ONTO MY INCLINED, SOMEWHAT LONG DRIVEWAY, AND APPLYING A SOFT BRAKING WHEN ENTERING MY GARAGE, THE CAR SUDDENLY SPED UP TO A HIGH SPEED AND CRASHED INTO THE WALL WHICH HAD TWO LAYERS OF PLASTIC STORAGE BOXES IN FRONT OF IT. THE BOXES PUSHED THE WALL INTO MY HOUSE WHICH PUSHED MY DINING ROOM HUTCH FORWARD CAUSING THE TOP PART TO FALL BACK AND BREAK JUST ABOUT ALL THE CRYSTAL AND HEIRLOOM ITEMS INSIDE IT. THE TOP PART OF THE HUTCH IS UNREPAIRABLE. MY CAR WAS DAMAGED, MY HOME IS DAMAGED, AND MY HUTCH IS RUINED. I AM NOW AFRAID TO EVER PARK IN MY GARAGE AGAIN WITH THIS VEHICLE. I AM ALSO AFRAID OF THIS HAPPENING ELSEWHERE WHERE I MIGHT POSSIBLE INJURE OTHERS OR MYSELF.

NHTSA ID

11078561

Incident

Feb 23, 2018

Mileage

60,000 mi

2015 SUBARU LEGACY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A WIRING DEFECT. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE'S MIRROR LINK APP MALFUNCTIONED. *JS

NHTSA ID

11029811

Incident

May 1, 2017

AFTER SITTING IN DRIVEWAY FOR 3 DAYS, VEHICLE WOULD BARELY START, STRONG EXHAUST SMELL, RAT NEST ON TOP OF ENGINE AND CHEWED HOSES AND WIRING. HAD TOWED INTO DEALERSHIP. ADVISED OF RODENT DAMAGE. REPLACED: ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, TRANSMISSION HARNESS, TRANSMISSION INSULATION, FIREWALL INSULATION, HOOD INSULATION, FUEL TRANSFER PIPES, AND FUEL LINES AT ENGINE BAY. CLEANED EXCESS DEBRIS FROM ENGINE BAY AND FUEL BAY (THEY HAD TO DROP THE FUEL TANK). REASSEMBLED. FINAL COST, INCLUDING TOW CHARGE: $4557.42. THANKFULLY, INSURANCE COVERED, MINUS OUR $1000.00 DEDUCTIBLE. GREEN CARS, NOT GREEN IN THE WALLET.

NHTSA ID

10943708

Incident

Sep 19, 2016