2020 Subaru Outback: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Nov 21, 2023 · Electrical, Lights · CA

Automatic Braking system has almost caused a rear-end collision 5 times, because it thinks a shadow is an object. We’ve brought the car to the dealership but they told us twice that they can’t replicate the problem. That doesn’t change the issue. I don’t want to wait until we have a collision and have to go through physical therapy and repairs to address this. Front headlights are blinding other drivers causing them to flash their brights at us regularly on the freeway and local roads which then blinds us and causing us to slow down and break. The dealership say that the lights can be adjusted but this is a serious risk to us and something that happens every night. It’s stressful to drive the car anticipating this all the time. We’ve replace the starter last year and having issues again. The car struggles to start. Last year they said this was a known issue and also replaced the battery. But it’s happening again. This indicates a more complicated issue in the electrical. I don’t want to have to replace the starter every year.

Filed Mar 29, 2022 · Lights · PA

Headlights do not have a true low beam. When low beam is selected it partially blocks the top of the high beam. OK if on a dead flat road. On one that undulates at all at some point cars coming the other way are blinded by the full brightness of the headlight. Often because of this oncoming cars are flashing their high beams at me thinking that I haven't dimmed mine. If a driver is blinded by the high beam brightness it could cause an accident. Or it could cause a road rage incident by someone offended by my high beam. In my state the Police have fined drivers for not dimming their lights. Selecting low beam creates a very obvious horizontal cut off of the high beam. But a bounce or by meeting another vehicle while I going up a grade will shine the full high beam in their face.

Filed Dec 29, 2021 · Lights, Visibility · CA

1.) Headlights. They are extremely bright to oncoming traffic and oncoming traffic is always flashing or beaming you with their high beams as they think your brights are on when they are not. This is dangerous. Also LED lights do not put off enough heat and the headlamp body itself freezes over in cold rain or snowy conditions severely reducing your ability to see during low light situations. Wipers. The windshield wipers do not last. They should be silicone and they are rubber which is terrible for longevity.

Filed Dec 26, 2020 · Electrical · 7,900 miles · IL

On tuesday 12/22/20 at approx 3 pm I got in my car to run an errand and it wouldn't start. I had moved it the evening before from the street to the driveway. I did not open anything but the drivers side door and locked it when I exited the vehicle. I had not used the lift gate in the last few days and all doors were closed. I had not turned on any interior light either or headlights. I had it jumped the next morning and it started.

Filed Oct 23, 2020 · Lights · 20,000 miles · CA

Headlights are aimed too high - they are similar to high beams on other cars. Whenever I am driving at night - especially when outside the city, almost every car passing me flashes bright light because they think I have my high beams on. They are pointed too high off the ground and cause glare for other drivers (which I also experienced when my wife was following me in the subaru while I drove our other car. It is really obnoxious and does not seem safe to other vehicles on the road. Dealership said there was nothing wrong and there is no way to adjust lights to point down towards the road.

Filed Oct 19, 2020 · Lights · CA

Low beams need to be adjusted, as they are too bright for oncoming traffic. I get flashed at night multiple times, even by truckers who sit higher in their vehicles. This is a safety concern because it impairs the vision of oncoming traffic, as well as had drivers have road rage towards me, by them shining their high beams at me.

Filed Aug 13, 2020 · Electrical · 7,500 miles · NH

My radar detector rereads battery voltage and when u was driving down the highway, I noticed the battery voltage dropped from 14.4v to 12v when ever the accelerator pedal was depressed. Turning on the headlights, wipers or heater while depressing the accelerator will cause to voltage to go back to 14.4v. I do have videos showing this issue. I noticed a lot of people on line that do a lot of city driving are complaining about dead batteries. My results shows that the charging system has an issue, since the battery voltage should never go to 12v with the engine running. The video was taken with my celll phone with the extension of .mov and therefore I can't upload it using this app.

Filed Jul 3, 2020 · Electrical · 335 miles · IL

Vehicle would not start. Lights were flashing and giving systems not working. Headlights flashed continuously. It was in the garage but couldn't get tailgate open. Turned out issue was battery for the ignition. Subaru emergency arranged towing and told me they would bring it back to me. Then when I requested they said it would be $168 to bring it back. It is a week old and 335 miles on it and they were going to charge me to return it to me.

Filed Mar 6, 2020 · Lights · 10,000 miles · MN

The low beam's angle on the self-leveling headlight units is too flat blinding oncoming traffic (every other car and third truck flashes their high beams at me). The implementation of the handsfree bluetooth protocol is inadequate as incoming call volume is too low (even after increasing speaker volume to maximum). It makes handsfree operation of your mobile phone all but worthless while handsfree operation is required by law in my state. Both issues are safety issues as far as I am concerned.

Filed Dec 21, 2019 · Lights · 2,700 miles · MN

The low beam headlights are too bright, or angled too high. I'm constantly having other vehicles "flash" me at night thinking I have high beams on. This has happened worth people I know telling me and strangers. Both on highway and city streets.

Filed Dec 20, 2019 · Lights · 400 miles · LA

My 2020 subaru outback headlights are too bright and appear to be aimed too high. Driving at night is a very real problem due to the number of other drivers who keep putting on their high beam lights thinking mine are on when they are not.also I can see my beams pointing higher down the road then for any other car I have owned. I contacted first the dealership and then subaru of america, the dealer was apologetic and explained there are no adjustments to be made on the aim of lights because none were built into the car at the factory. Subaru of america confirmed this when I contacted them and said, without even seeing my particular car that my headlights are aligned properly and there is no way to make any adjustments to brightness or aim. This is a hazard due to blinding oncoming drivers and they in turn putting their high beam lights on blinding me. How can they make lights with no adjustment available?

Filed Dec 16, 2019 · Lights · 5,550 miles · WA

The headlights on this car are too bright or not adjusted correctly. I have been high beamed on many occasions. 9 times one evening, 13 times another evening, and 17 times on another evening. This is a safety concern not only for me but for the other divers as well. I have complained to subaru every time this has happened to me. I have also had it in for service and was told "that's just the way they are" "just ignore the other drivers" well, I can't do that when I am constantly being high beamed from so many other vehicles. Not just cars. Cars, full size pickup trucks, semi's, SUV's etc. I have even been high beamed not only on our 2 lane highways but on a 4 lane highway with me in the far right lane and the other driver going the opposite direction in the far right lane. This is not acceptable. I talked with subaru again today and was told "if you take it in for service, and the technician says that there is nothing wrong with the headlights then, there is nothing we can do." again, this is not acceptable. I have never in all my years of driving been high beamed so many times.