2016 Subaru Outback · symptom sheet

Battery dies or the car will not start

238owner reports
40,475median miles
$200median quote
1involved a crash

Newest report Apr 13, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

309 of the 643 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 238 of those describe dead battery, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2016 Outback.

Narrower sheets: Car won't start (38 reports)

No recall on this systemas of Oct 2, 2026

1 crashin 238 reports

Tick what matches of 238 reports

dead after sitting a day or two

needed a jump start

battery replaced more than once

warning lights or messages

the dealer found a drain

115

the dealer found nothing

Dead battery on other Outback years

201587 reports 2016238 reports 2017336 reports 2018170 reports 2019283 reports 2020210 reports 202143 reports 202229 reports

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.

What this problem usually is

These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (238 reports), the alternator (23 reports), the starter (8 reports) and the module (5 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the electrical system covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.

What owners paid

19 of the 238 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $150 to $300.

$150$200$300

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 27,500 and 60,000 miles, from the 110 reports that gave a mileage.

Is this a known problem?

The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 10 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Subaru Outback that deal with this problem. Newest first.

Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.

Service bulletin15-308-23RAug 20, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or frequent jump-starts.This is an revised ...
Service bulletin15-317-24RMar 12, 2024
Subaru has extended the Data Communication Module (DCM) warranty from 3 years 36,000mi to 8 years or 100,000mi. In rare cases, customers may experience a dead battery as a result of the DCM continually trying to access the 3G network.
Service bulletin15-317-24Feb 27, 2024
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is extending the Data Communication Module (DCM) warranty from three years (36 months or 36K miles) to eight years (96 months or 100K miles), whichever comes first.
Service bulletin07-207-22RFeb 3, 2023
Subaru Battery Drain Product Liability Litigation.

6 more on the 2016 Subaru Outback page.

What owners wrote

“Vehicle only has 42,000 miles and I'm already on my 2nd replacement battery. Continuous battery drain by the Controller Area Network (CAN) causes premature/sudden battery failure. My battery is already groaning on morning starts and the temps are only in the 40s. Subaru needs to correct the problem, not just help pay for replacement batteries. There's no telling where you'll be when the battery dies.”
Filed Oct 20, 2022 · 42,000 miles

“New battery, less than 10K miles completely drained when vehicle was not used for 3 days. Similar problem with previous battery, died with 10minutes or radio use.”
Filed Nov 20, 2021 · 10,000 miles

“I have just had to put my fifth battery in my 2016 Subaru outback. I have experienced a dead battery twice. The first time this happened I was at a remote campsite and had the stock battery in the car. That battery lasted 25k miles. I brought my car to the dealer and they did a software update. Since then I have had two new batteries.”
Filed Oct 19, 2021 · 25,000 miles

“My battery dies often and doesnât seem to hold a charge as long as a typica new car Iâve had to jump it 6 times in the last 8 months- Regarding the side marker lane assist- it has been diagnosed as a loose sensor and had been re adjusted by dealership multiple times but end up failing again a couple weeks later.”
Filed May 27, 2021

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 238 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found