Problems with 2011 Subaru Outback EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The headlights and tail lights have failed (burned out) multiple times in the 4 years of owning the vehicle. some within 3 months of being replaced other might last 8 months to a year. i am wondering if this is a wiring issue causing such short bulb life. *tr

I purchased my vehicle new from dealer 18 months ago my vehicle requires a low beam bulb replacement every 6 weeks to 3 months. i have been pulled over by the police on numerous occasions due to this defect. poor access for headlight replacement is another safety issue that compounds this problem. i always leap a replacement headlight in my previous cars for such the rare occasion that a bulb burned out i could easily pull over and in 2-3 minutes be back on the road with functioning lights. i have never owned a vehicle that required laying on the ground, having to remove the inner fender and likely if you aren't a petite 5 foot tall individual such as myself you may also have to remove the tire to access a headlight. this is a serious safety issue and the dealership telling me there are no service bulletins pertaining to such a problem. all they(subaru dealer) can do is give me a new bulb and that i am no longer under warranty for a bulb if anyone other than they (subaru dealer)installs the bulbs . ridiculous! i feel more concerned about the bulb burnout shortout or whatever it is issue due to the fact that you just can't fix it along side the road if you had to. *tr

I purchased my vehicle new from dealer 18 months ago my vehicle requires a low beam bulb replacement every 6 weeks to 3 months. i have been pulled over by the police on numerous occasions due to this defect. poor access for headlight replacement is another safety issue that compounds this problem. i've always kept a replacement headlight in my previous cars for such the rare occasion that a bulb burned out i could easily pull over and in 2-3 minutes be back on the road with functioning lights. i have never owned a vehicle that required laying on the ground, having to remove the inner fender and likely if you aren't a petite 5 foot tall individual such as myself you may also have to remove the tire to access a headlight. this is a serious safety issue and the dealership telling me there are no service bulletins pertaining to such a problem. all they(subaru dealer) can do is give me a new bulb and that i am no longer under warranty for a bulb if anyone other than they (subaru dealer)installs the bulbs. ridiculous! i feel a greater concern about the bulb burnout shortout or whatever it is issue due to the fact that you just can't fix it along side the road if you had to. all car headlights should be easy to get to and replace they are just that important. especially when a car has really questionably operating headlights subaru. *tr

I have replaced six headlight bulbs since i bought the car in july 2011. i don't even drive that much after dark. i don't use the auto headlight feature either. *tr

Over the span of 4 years owning my subaru outback, i have had to replace the same headlight twice, as well as a parking light and a tail light. the headlights are impossible to reach unless you are a mechanic. my understanding is that this is a common issue with subaru outback. i would like subaru to acknowledge and fix this costly and potentially dangerous problem. *tr

Low beam headlight bulbs burn out approximately every 3 months requiring expensive replacements. combined with an overly difficult access to replace them, it's effectively an extortion scheme by subaru to force you to the dealership. *tr

i have owned several subaru's over the years and always loved the headlights. unfortunately, i have owned this one less than a month and i almost had an accident driving at night on the country roads in ct. the night time driving lights only illuminate to a very low height (10 feet maybe?) and have a cut off line which appears to bounce up and down on country roads, making it almost impossible to see the road or anything in the distance. when i took the car back to the dealer to have them adjust or replace the headlight bulb they said that is how it was manufactured and there was no adjustment needed. they said to drive with the high beams on it will help. i honestly think that this may (probably will if it hasn't already) cause accidents, it almost did for me and subaru should really look into a fix for this before someone loses their life. *tr

After owning this car for less than one year, i had to change the left headlamp. i do my own work and have never had as much trouble with changing a bulb than i have with this outback. i had no idea that this would become a "routine" service, alternating from left to right headlamp(s). after changing out the 5th one (3 left headlamps & 2 right headlamps) i phoned the dealer to see if there had been a recall, tsb or if other owners of this outback had the same trouble. i was told they could fix the problem at my cost. i was told they knew of a problem however there was no tsb issued and no recall for this issue. just yesterday (26-oct-2014) i have discovered the 3rd headlamp on the right side is out again (right on "schedule"). i don't remember how many low beam vs. high beam bulbs i have changed but know i have also changed out the fog light on the left side once. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru outback. the contact stated that the headlights did not provide proper illumination of the roadway. the contact stated that there were two different light shades where the top half of the light was dark and the lower part of the light was bright, making it difficult to drive at night. the dealer and manufacturer were notified, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 20 and the current mileage was 7,000. the vin was not available.

Subaru outback low beam headlights going out is a dangerous safety issue. purchased 2011 outback in nov 2010. july 2011 driver side low beam headlight replaced at dealer. nov 2011 passenger side low beam headlight replaced at dealer. july 2012 driver side low beam headlight replaced at dealer. dealer checked out lighting system and found no problems. dec 2012 both low beam headlights out. called subaru corporate and they said they had no reports of this problem (even though there are lots of discussions online). replaced at local mechanic because it was 17 degrees out and these bulbs are not easy or cheap to change (my cost was $40+ for 2 bulbs plus $38 for mechanic install). identified that dealer bulbs removed were philips. replaced with sylvania. march 2013 driver side low beam headlight out again. called corporate again. they suggested taking to local dealer (45 minutes away) to have them check the car out. corporate and dealer are sorry to hear of problem and will change the bulb ... but that doesn't eliminate the safety issue. in addition, it doesn't take care of the hassle or the costs. if you need more examples of this same problem (to prove it is not just my car), check out these other cases listed on this nhtsa website: 2011 ------------------------- date of incident: 03/01/2013 nhtsa id number: 10500919 date of incident: 05/03/2012 nhtsa id number: 10487940 date of incident: 09/13/2012 nhtsa id number: 10475296 date of incident: 08/17/2012 nhtsa id number: 10471366 2010 ---------------------------- date of incident: 11/01/2011 nhtsa id number: 10498055 date of incident: 10/01/2010 nhtsa id number: 10486749. *tr

with the headlight switch in auto mode the headlights come on and then turn off while going under interstate bridge overpasses. the hazard with this is: vehicles in front think they are being signaling at and they suddenly slow . also vehicles in oncoming lanes think they are being signaled at. they slow and stare. this issue i have taken to the dealers. they know its a problem but give no solution or have a correct replacement part.they say it is normal, "all subarus do this". there is an adjustment they have tried but either the lights come on too soon or they don't come on soon enough. at the happy medium they come on as describe above at every bridge overpass. this is not normal. i wish someone would address this defect. other owners i have talked with either manually turn their lights on when needed or they leave the headlight switch in the "always on" position. headlights are expensive for this model and leaving them on is not an option for me. sometimes i forget to turn them and i find myself driving in the dark. all my other cars have auto-on lights and naturally work properly. i would appreciate your attention to this potentially hazardous defect. if i was privy to this defect i would not have bought a subaru. *tr

The headlights do not cover enough visibility while moving forward down road. there is a noticeable line where the headlights shine. they beam very low to the road surface. we brought to dealer because of concern the response was that that is the way they are. no resolve. difficult to see driving in dark unless high beams are on. high beams are very nice. the line of darkness to lighted road is not prevalent. other drivers often shine brights on me when i have my lights on regular low beam.

Our 2011 subaru outback was purchased new in summer 2010 at continental motors, anchorage, alaska. the driver's side low-beam erratically dimmed and after three service requests over the next two years the dealer finally agreed that my complaint was valid and repaired the problem. the driver's side headlights have worked continuously since. last summer (2013) the pax-side low-beam died and the bulb was replaced. this summer it died again and is in the shop today for replacement (as is the small marker light in the same unit). i asked the service rep if this is a chronic subaru problem and he acknowledged that it is, especially in the lower 48. according to him the dealer(s) have submitted complaints to the manufacturer requesting a "fix" or redesign of the electrical circuitry. it certainly seems to warrant a recall and repair. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 subaru outback. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the low beams made it difficult to see at night which the contact believed to be a serious safety hazard. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and both the dealer and manufacturer stated that the headlights met government standards. the contact stated that the headlights needed to be adjusted and the manufacturer would provide no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 5,000.