2016 Subaru Outback · symptom sheet
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails
- 25owner reports
- 50,000median miles
- $500median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Dec 21, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
495 of the 643 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 25 of those describe infotainment.
Tick what matches of 25 reports
Infotainment on other Outback years
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
Screen complaints read like a list of small betrayals. The display goes black or freezes, the backup camera shows nothing when you shift into reverse, CarPlay or Android Auto keeps dropping, or the radio changes volume on its own. Many owners had a software update that didn't fix it. A narrower sheet covers backup camera failures on their own, and another covers screens that freeze.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the head unit or screen (20 reports) and the camera (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the electrical system covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
5 of the 25 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $173 to $500.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 13,000 and 58,000 miles, from the 16 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.
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic essential information during diagnosis and repair of the Infotainment concerns. (Applicable to all models with Harman or Denso CP1 Infotainment).
This bulletin provides information to help diagnose and address different conditions relating to customer concerns which may arise when operating the new-generation âGen 2â and âGen 2.1â F10 Navigation and Display Audio systems.
This bulletin announces new reprogramming file availability and the software installation procedure to address additional operational concerns received from the field and listed involving âGen 2â F10 Navigation and Display Audio units with 7â display.
6 more on the 2016 Subaru Outback page.
What owners wrote
“Media screen failure. Is available for inspection. Safety of pedestrians or other accident at risk because the screen is useless in bright sunlight. Planning to complain to dealer. No warning signal or alert when backing up when screen is unreadable. This has caused accidents x 3 for my family. Backed into another car with no warning.”
Filed Jul 5, 2024
“My battery failed to turn over one day and at the beginning there was a battery icon lit up in the dash, but later did not show up again. I received a jump from another person. The next morning my battery did work but not my radio. Now my radio will work at times and other times, not. I have not taken my car to a dealer or Calle them.”
Filed Oct 8, 2022
“The car drains the battery to the point of not being able to turn the engine on after >10 minutes of playing the radio while the engine isn't turned on. Happened three separate times where I had to request a jump. I replaced the battery with a new one but the problem persists.”
Filed Jul 16, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 25 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
Other problems on this car
- Battery dies or the car will not start 238 reports
- Windshield cracks or distorts 84 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 34 reports