2024 Subaru Outback Engine Problems

The auto start/stop function on my vehicle malfunctioned while I was in heavy traffic. The auto start/stop function shut off while stopped in beltway traffic but did not start again when it was time to begin moving again. The dashboard lights flashed and I attempted to turn the car off and restart it, but the vehicle would not start. This was a serious safety issue because I was stranded in a busy highway lane with cars passing at high speed on both sides, unable to safely exit the car or move the car out of the 4-5 lanes of traffic. Fortunately, a police vehicle was stopped behind me and he was able to put on his emergency lights and secure a safe exit from the vehicle and clear the lanes closest to the side of the highway. He assisted me to push the car to the side of the beltway. I called AAA and the technician charged the battery. The car did start but I had it towed to the Subaru dealership in case the same issue happened again. The dealership took a week to replicate the problem and eventually came to the conclusion that it was the battery. They did not mention that this issue has been documented in some Subaru models. A Google search advised me that this has been a recurring issue and advised that I submit this report to NHTSA. The dealership replaced the battery and the issue has not happened since, however I have mostly been turning the auto start/stop feature off manually for fear that the same thing might happen again. Unfortunately I did not learn about this issue until after the dealership had returned the car to me. I believe they only replaced the battery and no further manufacturer inspections were mentioned. The battery part is PB001993.

NHTSA ID

11774163

Incident

Sep 25, 2026

I purchased this 2024 Subaru Outback three months ago with 19,000 miles. It currently has 26,000 miles and is still under its factory powertrain warranty. On October 25, 2026, after completing a short trip, I was stopped at a red light on State Road 524 in Cocoa, Florida. When the light turned green, the vehicle began to accelerate forward, but the Auto Start-Stop system failed to successfully restart the engine, causing the vehicle to completely stall in the middle of active traffic. I shifted the vehicle into Park, depressed the brake, and pushed the ignition button to restart it. Instead of cranking, the vehicle experienced total electrical chaos—the dashboard, infotainment screen, and interior electronics began flashing erratically, and the engine refused to start. The vehicle had to be pushed out of the path of traffic by hand and subsequently towed to a Subaru dealership. The dealership confirmed that the Auto Start-Stop system had critically drained the battery below operating thresholds. There were absolutely no prior warning signs, dashboard battery lights, or slow engine cranks leading up to this event. The vehicle simply died without warning in live traffic. This creates a severe safety hazard; had this stall occurred while merging onto a highway like I-95 during stop-and-go traffic, it easily could have resulted in a high-speed rear-end collision. Because Subaru does not provide a permanent override switch for the Auto Start-Stop feature, drivers are forced into a recurring safety defect with no warning indicators that the system is about to fail and strand the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11773633

Incident

Oct 25, 2026

Vehicle was not accelerating properly, so took to the dealership (Mike Shaw Subaru) to have work completed. Technicians indicated that the engine valves (shim valves) all had to be replaced and other work needed to be performed such as: Intake manifold, shim valves, gasket throt chamber. After dealership assured me that all work was performed and car was okay to take home, the next time it was driven it burst into flames. After filling the tank with gas the vehicle was at a red light. Once accelerator was pushed the vehicle engine burst into flames. Unsure if it is a faulty part or incompetent technician

NHTSA ID

11753053

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

My 2024 Subaru Outback has twice become inoperable while stopped at a traffic signal. In both incidents, the engine was off while stopped, but the vehicle remained powered on and would not restart. The vehicle also would not properly power down. The car could not be safely driven or moved and required towing both times. This created a serious safety hazard because the vehicle became disabled in active traffic and could not be restarted or properly shut down. After the first incident (on [XXX]), the Subaru dealership replaced the battery. Approximately 4 weeks ([XXX]) later, the exact same failure occurred again. The dealership has now had the vehicle for approximately three weeks and states they cannot replicate the issue. No cause has been identified and no repair has been made. During one of these incidents, my [XXX] child was in the vehicle while we were stranded in traffic. This appears to be a repeat electrical / ignition / operability failure affecting the vehicle’s ability to restart or properly shut down after stopping in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11729500

Incident

Feb 5, 2026

Was doing 55-60 mph in left lane of highway. Suddenly and without warning the car is decelerating, cannot accelerate any more, all warning lights suddenly flashing on dashboard. I was able to get over to the far right emergency lane, turn car off and put on hazards and started calling Subaru roadside assistance. While doing so I suddenly saw smoke coming out from under the hood. I got out of the car and continued my talk when the smoke suddenly turned to flames from under the hood and I called 911. Within 3 minutes of dialing for assistance, my car was completely engulfed in flames and it was burned to a crisp by the time the fire trucks put it out. My insurance company retrieved the car from wherever it was towed and has assigned it to someone to investigate.

NHTSA ID

11724586

Incident

Mar 11, 2026

My car is a lemon and has been unsafe to drive . They aren’t doing anything about it but lowball offers outside of ca lemon law provisions

NHTSA ID

11646571

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

The engine, running at idle in and out of gear, did not respond to input from the gas pedal. Pushing the gas pedal did not have any effect on the engine revs. This was dangerous because I was attempting to enter a busy roadway and suddenly was faced with zero throttle response although the engine was still running and was in gear. The car has 5,300 miles. The transmission failed at 1,300 miles and was replaced by the dealer. The present incident began when, for unknown reasons, the car battery did not have enough power to start the car after being parked for 30 minutes. I got a jump start, and after letting car run for several minutes, attempted to leave the parking lot as described above. The car would move in forward and reverse at idle speed, but there was absolutely no response to gas pedal input. The car was towed to the dealer who will look into this.

NHTSA ID

11600165

Incident

Jul 5, 2024

The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was revving, and the RPM became elevated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

NHTSA ID

11597569

Incident

Jun 14, 2024

Mileage

7,000 mi

My issue is that my 2024 outback wilderness has a idling problem when starting cold or hot engine the RPM’s are at 1800 rpm for 1 to 5 minutes .. I feel this is a hazard to public safety in cold weather conditions because it stays at high idle and therefore stopping on slick roads is a problem.. I’ve had this at just one dealership a they said car is normal I do not feel it is safe .. I am a [XXX] male and have had many new automobiles and never had a real complaint this is a very serious complaint I hope someone inquires about it asap . Subaru corp has to technical issues reported but this is a very serious complaint INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11546993

Incident

Aug 8, 2023