Subaru Outback collision warning problems

Filed Sep 15, 2026 · Driver assistance · OR

I have owned this vehicle since January 2026. It's the first vehicle I have owned with a forward collision warning system and active emergency braking. And this is the first time this "failure" has happened, so far... On a 60mph 2 lane rural road with traffic behind me the forward collision warning system and active braking triggered of off a disabled vehicle parked safely on the side of the road on a sweeping left hand curve at 60 mph. There was nothing I could do as the vehicle actively emergency braked for no reason and unexpectedly, and the traffic behind me had to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid colliding with me. With no automatic collision avoidance system, this situation would have NEVER occurred. In 45 years of driving I have never collided with anything in front of me and the closest to an accident I have been is due to the automatic "safety" system included in my new car. I am actively considering looking for a 10 year old replacement vehicle as these new safety systems appear to be VERY dangerous... So now I have a solution to a problem I have never had, and it has created problems I never expected and I have NO control over.

Filed Sep 14, 2026 · Driver assistance · MI

While traveling along I-94E outside of Macomb County on September 10th at around 8:30AM, forward collision warning triggered twice while facing the direct sun. It triggered for around 6 seconds. Shortly after getting off the Shook Rd exit at around 8:45M and turning right, I had a full AEB activation while again facing the sun, almost causing the vehicle behind me to rear end me.

Filed Sep 10, 2026 · Driver assistance · AL

I own a 2024 Subaru Outback Limited XT, VIN [XXX]. While traveling approximately 45–50 mph on a four-lane road with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) engaged, my vehicle suddenly and rapidly decelerated and automatically applied the brakes as I approached a police vehicle traveling in the lane immediately to my right. There was NOTHING in my lane for at least one mile ahead of me. The police vehicle was not in my lane. It was traveling in the adjacent lane to my right. As I approached the police vehicle, my Subaru unexpectedly began rapidly decelerating and automatically braking. I did not apply the brakes. There was no warning beep before the automatic braking occurred. The vehicle behaved as though it had detected an imminent collision or obstacle directly in its path, even though there was no vehicle, pedestrian, or other obstacle in my lane for at least a mile. The event occurred while Adaptive Cruise Control was engaged. I am concerned that the EyeSight/Adaptive Cruise Control and/or Pre-Collision Braking system incorrectly detected the police vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane as an obstacle or as being in my vehicle’s path. The sudden automatic braking at approximately 45–50 mph is a serious safety concern. A vehicle traveling behind me could have struck my vehicle because the deceleration was unexpected and there was no warning beep. This type of false or inappropriate automatic braking could cause a rear-end collision or other crash. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate whether 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles equipped with EyeSight and Adaptive Cruise Control are experiencing unintended or inappropriate automatic braking, phantom braking, or rapid deceleration when vehicles are traveling in an adjacent lane. I would like this complaint associated with other reports involving sudden braking, rapid deceleration, Adaptive Cruise Control, EyeSight, and Pre-Collision Braking in 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles. I am willing to provide additional informati INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Filed Sep 9, 2026 · Driver assistance · MA

On at approximately XXX 5:30am, while driving my 2024 Subaru Outback Premium Northbound on [XXX] right in front of the [XXX], the EyeSight Driver Assist / Pre-Collision Braking system engaged with hard/sudden braking despite no vehicle, pedestrian, or object present in or near the roadway. There was a vehicle following behind me, and the sudden braking created a near rear-end collision. Road conditions were dry, weather was dark but clear, and traffic was light to moderate. I am concerned this represents a false-positive activation of the automatic emergency braking system that poses a collision risk. I am requesting this be logged as a safety complaint against the vehicle's Collision Avoidance/EyeSight system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 8, 2026 · Driver assistance · AL

I own a 2024 Subaru Outback Limited XT, VIN [XXX]. While traveling approximately 45–50 mph on a four-lane road with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) engaged, my vehicle suddenly and rapidly decelerated and automatically applied the brakes as I approached a police vehicle traveling in the lane immediately to my right. There was NOTHING in my lane for at least one mile ahead of me. The police vehicle was not in my lane. It was traveling in the adjacent lane to my right. As I approached the police vehicle, my Subaru unexpectedly began rapidly decelerating and automatically braking. I did not apply the brakes. There was no warning beep before the automatic braking occurred. The vehicle behaved as though it had detected an imminent collision or obstacle directly in its path, even though there was no vehicle, pedestrian, or other obstacle in my lane for at least a mile. The event occurred while Adaptive Cruise Control was engaged. I am concerned that the EyeSight/Adaptive Cruise Control and/or Pre-Collision Braking system incorrectly detected the police vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane as an obstacle or as being in my vehicle’s path. The sudden automatic braking at approximately 45–50 mph is a serious safety concern. A vehicle traveling behind me could have struck my vehicle because the deceleration was unexpected and there was no warning beep. This type of false or inappropriate automatic braking could cause a rear-end collision or other crash. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate whether 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles equipped with EyeSight and Adaptive Cruise Control are experiencing unintended or inappropriate automatic braking, phantom braking, or rapid deceleration when vehicles are traveling in an adjacent lane. I would like this complaint associated with other reports involving sudden braking, rapid deceleration, Adaptive Cruise Control, EyeSight, and Pre-Collision Braking in 2024 Subaru Outback vehicles. I am willing to provide additional INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Filed Aug 3, 2026 · Driver assistance · WI

Phantom Braking of Pre-Collision Braking 2023 Subaru Outback Turbo Wednesday, July 29, 2026. 9:30 am, sunny day Driving south on local city street. Brakes slammed on, car stopped, flashing yellow lights on left Combination Meter stating that Pre-Collision Braking was activated. There was no vehicle/obstacle/animal in the road. No parked cars, no cars backing out of a driveway. Road was completely clear. No strange shadows, no cracks in street. Pre-collision braking system hallucinated an obstacle and activated, throwing me forward into steering wheel, and dog in the back seat thrown forward into back of driver’s seat. Restarted car and drove off. Turned off system every time I drove the car until I took it to the dealer 2 days later. Problem was not reproduced by dealer . No messages or warning lights prior to incident. The repair order stated that there was a "sticky" substance on the windshield, but I had just had the car washed. I didn't notice anything on the windshield.

Filed Jul 19, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · NY

Vehicle Component Affected: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE / BACK OVER PREVENTION Description of the Safety Defect: The factory infotainment touchscreen in my 2015 Subaru Outback Limited (VIN: [XXX]) has suffered a severe manufacturing defect where the internal chemical gel adhesive has melted, creating large, oily liquid bubbles across the display. This physical degradation causes the screen to suffer from continuous "ghost touches," registering non-stop phantom inputs while the vehicle is in motion. This hardware failure creates three active, severe driving safety hazards: DANGEROUS OPERATOR DISTRACTION: The ghost-touching triggers a loud, high-pitched, non-stop audible dinging sound through the speakers that cannot be muted, severely compromising driver focus on the roadway. INOPERABLE NAVIGATION CONTROL: The system recently registered phantom touches that autonomously programmed a random destination into the factory GPS. The system then overrode all driver controls, preventing me from canceling the navigation instructions or turning off the screen audio while driving. OBSCURED BACKUP CAMERA VISIBILITY: The large, oily chemical delamination bubbles create a severe visual distortion on the screen. In direct or bright sunlight, the backup camera image is completely unreadable and obscured, creating an active striking hazard to pedestrians and vehicles behind me. This manufacturing defect began approximately in Jan 2023 and has gotten progressively worse over time, transitioning from minor cosmetic bubbling to severe, non-stop hardware malfunctions. This component failure is an active driving hazard that completely compromises driver attention and vehicle safety systems. Subaru of America is aware of this chemical breakdown across this generation of head units but is refusing to remedy the safety defect out of warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 5, 2026 · PA

I am writing to report a severe, escalating safety defect regarding the "ghost touching" / phantom input malfunction of the infotainment head unit on my Subaru Outback. This electronic defect has escalated from a minor distraction into a severe hazard that directly compromises the operational safety features of the vehicle, putting myself and my children at imminent risk of a crash. When this problem initially began, I investigated whether a safety recall had been issued. At that time, I was informed that my vehicle was outside of its standard warranty coverage period. Since then, the defect has degenerated significantly. The system now suffers from continuous, uncontrollable phantom inputs ("ghost touching"). Even when I manually power the radio off, the system overrides my command, turns itself back on, and initiates constant, rapid beep sequences. This continuous, high-volume auditory glitch creates a dangerous critical safety failure: the nonstop beeping totally masks and completely drowns out the vehicle's actual auditory collision avoidance and driver-assist safety alerts. Because of this defect, I am entirely unable to hear the safety tones meant to warn me of immediate hazards, including blind-spot detection alerts, lane-departure warnings, and cross-traffic alerts. This vehicle has become an active hazard to drive, as I am deprived of the core safety features I rely on to protect my family. I contacted Subaru of America to resolve this dangerous equipment failure, but they refused to offer any financial assistance or repair support. Subaru Corporate documented this refusal under Subaru Case #260603-1600711. Because Subaru refuses to address a known component failure that actively disables crash-avoidance warning systems, I am petitioning the federal safety agency to investigate this defect as a systemic safety hazard before it results in severe injuries or a fatal accident. I can share video, but it won't allow me to upload down below. Thank you.

Filed Jun 5, 2026 · Driver assistance · MA

When driving in the rain, the vehicle flashed a collision warning indicator and applied the brakes as if there was an imminent collision with an object ahead, but the street ahead was completely empty - no vehicles or other objects that would warrant deploying the pre-collision braking system were present. If there were a vehicle behind me at the time, it is likely that their safety would have been put at risk when my vehicle suddenly started braking strongly for no apparent reason. The vehicle has been inspected by a Subaru dealership, who could not identify any issue. The dealer attempted to apply a software update to the EyeSight camera system that controls pre-collision braking, but was unable to apply the update. It is my belief that the camera-based EyeSight system interpreted rain on the windscreen as an obstacle and erroneously deployed pre-collision braking when there was no actual hazard ahead.

Filed Jun 4, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · MD · crash

Report on Accident [XXX] 4TH DISTRICT wHEATON MARYLAND [XXX] [XXX] I was driving west on [XXX] at approximately [XXX]. As I approached the intersection at [XXX] the TRAFIC light cars were stopped . I was in the left hand lane because I was going to turn on to [XXX] . As approached the intersection I applied the brakes the pedal went close to the floor but the car did not slow down. I tried pumping the brake pedal with no effect. No collosion avoidance alert To try and slow the vehicle ran the wheel against the curb of the median which slowed the car down a little . I pressed the parking brake button with no effect. The collision avoidance system did not engage. I clipped the rear of the Toyota Corolla as I jumped the curb to avoid cars using the friction against the curb and move further left when oncoming cars were clear and was able to stop the car. (The car may have stopped because the front control arm bent which made the car drag. ) I am unsure whether the master cylinder failure or ABS overrode braking, but the car would not stop. I do not know if the black box captured the data as the there was no airbag deployment. The collision avoidance system did not engage to slow the car any time. I did not see any lights light on the dashboard did not check specifically as I was busy avoiding a collision other cars . Basically, pedal went down not all the way to the floor but car was not slowing down. I checked the master cylinder reservoir, and it still had fluid. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)