Problems with 2011 Subaru Outback EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Headlights burn out repeatedly, without warning or incident, sometimes both within a week. car is driven less than 10k miles per year, yet one or both headlights have had to be replaced annually on average. bulbs are very difficult for consumer to replace and must be done by garage or dealership. on one occasion both headlights were out before vehicle could be taken to get bulbs replaced.

Headlights burn out too quickly. i am replacing my headlights approximately every 12,000 miles.

Main headlamps burn out every 9 to 10 months causing a dangerous driving situation. replacement of these bulbs is unnecessarily cumbersome for the owner and subaru dealers charge $150 to replace a $15 dollar bulb. if not installed correctly you risk a fire hazard. this seems to be outside of reason, and a poor design that risks lives. i have found myself away from home with no working headlights several times now.

Headlights go out with abnormal frequency. driver's side bulb has needed changing on average every 3-4 months, even though the vehicle is rarely driven at night. passenger side has been replaced twice in the last year alone.

Traction control, brake, and check engine warning lights together periodically turn on, and occasionally the speed control light flashes. happens when car is stationary and while driving. no car performance has been affected, yet. unknown if these "symptoms" pose or could result in a safety issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru outback. the contact stated that the headlights and brake lights failed to operate. the contact had to repair the headlights three times and the brake lights four times. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the lights were faulty. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and suggested that the contact call nhtsa. the dealer was not notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

Headlight and other exterior light bulbs die prematurely. i received a letter from subaru about a warranty extension and that they would cover the costs. so far i've had 3 headlights go out in the last two years (after 85k miles) and also was told by a subaru dealer yesterday that 5 other exterior lights were out. the general consensus is that it's a power surge in the lighting/electrical system that subaru isn't addressing. the replacement of headlight bulbs is extremely difficult and recommended that a shop or dealer do the work, making it very inconvenient to replace lights. it is dangerous to have the headlights go out so often when driving at night and visibility is reduced. there has been no recall or technical service bulletin issued by subaru, that i know of, and a lawsuit pending. https://legalnewsline.com/stories/510725171-complaints-about-subaru-outback-s-lights-preceded-class-action

Cvt failure. while driving..car shuddered, dash lights came on and stalled out. mileage: 115.000...just over extended warranty. cost of repairs 9,597.70 plus tax. contacted subaru....they will not help.

Tamara recall i have had my 2011 outback for 4 months now and have gone through 3 sets of low beam headlights. not sure why they keep dying prematurely. i have gotten more expensive bulbs every time and now the $60 bulbs are doing the same thing. i feel there is an electrical issue and i have seen multiple forums describing the same issue from other people with the same year, make, and model.

Frequent headlight burnout (have had to replace headlight bulbs 4 times in the last year) review of data online indicates that subaru recognized this as a problem and was offering reimbursement for these costs to consumers. deadline was 2016. class action suits have also been filed. please help! this is ridiculous to continually need to replace bulbs so frequently and expensive since they are not easy to do on my own

Bought a 2011 subaru outback on february 7, 2018 from dealership, 90k miles. i've owed this car for 5 weeks and one day and i finally had time to go to the dealership to have the driver's side low beam bulb (which blew out about 3 weeks after purchase but is under warranty) and also both brow lights (daytime running lights). one was dim, the other was out. i brought the bulbs and gave them to the dealership to be installed. when finished replacing, dealership said i had a tail light out too. i told them i would replace and went across the street to purchase a bulb. drove home and went to replace tail light and noticed i had two out, one on each side?! confused, i grabbed a friend to verify and after a bit, i ended up tapping the light lense and the light came on. both of them did after tapping each lense. checked the bulbs and they were secure. also, about 2 weeks after purchase, i had a plate light out. again, i bought bulbs and when i went to replace, it was miraculously was working.

The subaru outback 2011 has a known issue with headlights burning out frequently. i replace 7 headlights on my vehicle since i purchased the vehicle used in september 2017 costing me $200. the outback has an extended warranty for lightbulb replacement, but that ends in 2021, and causes the driver the inconvenience of frequently taking the vehicle in to have headlights replaced. a recall needs to be created to fix this issue.

2011 outback and have replaced the drivers side low beam headlight 4 times as of today. seems to be failing way too often. vehicle has 41,000 miles and always garage kept, original owner.

I have replace all exterior lights multiple times over the 6 years i have own this car.

While driving home from work 11-09-2017 at around 6:30 pm both my headlights went out. i could not see the road and i drove off the side of the road and slammed my brakes on. i put the car in park and got out and looked at my headlights. they were both out. the high beams did work. i had to keep high beams on so i could make it home.

When put into gear, and you turn on headlights low beam, they are not working. car can be stationary or moving. the high beams work. fog light work. low beams are the problem. while driving, in motion the sensor light will blink on & off, then headlights go out. have replaced the headlights multiple times within past year. was already in for service, but now problem is back

Two low beam highlights burned out at same time after starting car at night around 10:00 pm. after that, the battery was getting worse and dead at the service center just before replacing the highlight bulbs. the manager said that the battery's situation was not related with the problem of the high light, and there was no clues.

I have replaced headlights in this vehicle five times and they keep burning out. the drivers side headligh is out again and needs to be replaced.

Low beam headlamps burn out very quickly - within 3-6 months, repeatedly. also, the low beam headlights only come on after dark. as day-time running lights they fail to come on. this occurs at all times regardless of speed, temp, or driving conditions.

Exterior lights burning out far too frequently.

My headlights have gone out 6 times! the last time i switched to an led system and now it has blown my rf headlight in 6 months! led it supposed to last longer! i definitely have some kind of electrical issue!

Head light low beams continue to burnout, have had for 3 years. have had to replace 3 low beam headlights in past year

The low beam headlights burn out ever 8-10 months. no matter what type of bulb used, the low beam bulb overheats and burns itself out faster than any other car.

The headlight bulbs on my 2011 subaru outback "burnout" every 4-5 months. i addressed the issue with the original dealer where the vehicle was purchased, to no satisfactory end. they basically said there was nothing they could do other than replace the bulbs. since the first instance i have personally replaced the bulbs a minimum of a dozen times. the latest burnout occurred this weekend while driving in a snowstorm.the original dealer is no longer in business so i took it to a different dealer. they explained that there is now a "warranty extension" in place to replace the bulbs for a ten year period from the date of purchase. when i questioned what they were going to do to correct the obvious electrical problem, the service writer stated "there is nothing that can be done other than replacing the bulb". a subsequent call to subaru of america produced nothing more than a "sir, we have extended the warranty for up to ten years to replace the bulbs" when i repeatedly questioned what was being done to fix the problem. i searched the internet and discovered this is a known issue that subaru is doing absolutely nothing to rectify. they are band aiding the problem with the "extended warranty". this is a major safety issue when headlight bulbs just "burnout", almost always at the worst possible time. is it going to take my vehicle burning to the ground due to an electrical short, voltage surge or whatever else is causing the burnouts, or worse yet a subaru owner being involved in an accident, before subaru initiates a recall to fix the issue they are well aware of. *tr

Repeated premature failure of headlights, marker lights, brake lights. i'm aware of the recall replacing the headlights but that is not fixing the problem.

Low beams just burnt out using auto setting, this happened while the car was parked overnight!!

Ongoing failure of both passenger and driver side headlamps. same complaint that others have documented that this is an ongoing issue and the headlamps are difficult to replace. serious safety hazard and can also lead to traffic violations. subaru needs to provide a fix, not just a one-time reimbursement of replacement headlamps.

Multiple headlight failure since car was new. atleast one headlight goes out every three months.

Right back brake light blew out. car has been having alot of various lighting problems since purchased in 2011. not sure when it blew out, someone in a parking lot told me it was out.

Multiple head light failures rotates between drivers side and passenger side at least one light goes out very three months.

Frequent replacement of low beam bulbs. not easy to replace and subaru service best equipped to do procedure. labor costs at various dealers for this service widely vary and can increase without reason. subaru of america recently sent out letter saying warranty on bulbs has been extended (not that there is issue with electrical system). soa will replace or refund, however, this does not solve the issue of continued (perceived) deficiency in the lighting system overall and refund requirements are very stringent per the letter they sent. i consider this issue as a safety defect. we have both an outback and legacy that are both affected by this. have owned legacy since new and replaced both bulbs four times since taking ownership. have tried other brand bulbs to no better result (hence my belief it is electrical system). per one of the service advisors i've spoken to in the past, the system is designed such that when one bulb burns out, more current flows to the one bulb still working and will burn it out prematurely (furthering my belief that it is a safety issue). they said this in recommending replacement of both bulbs at once. would like to see recall or greater effort on soa's part.

Have to replace a low beam light every year, just on the passengers side. when changing bulb i wear gloves ,not to touch my skin on the bulb. there really should be a recall on this. every time i get a bulb they say subaru is known for this. this happens every year since i purchace the car.

I have replaced many headlight bulbs. now it seems, i am replacing a headlight bulb about every 3 months!

I have replaced both left & right side headlight low beam bulbs at least 6-7 times since the car was new. one occasion they were both out and my wife drove home with only the parking lights on (she said "it sure is dark on route 9a"). i'm not sure i saved all the receipts, but i bet autozone has records withmy rewards account.

Low beam headlights burn out approximately every 3-6 months. about to replace a bulb for the 6th time.

Low beam headlights burn out - continuing problem and replacement involves a poorly designed access method requiring removal of wheel well plastic to get to the light bulb. vehicle is not safe with lights that burn out

Airbag recall this recall was in june and subaru it not taking any appointments to fix the problem.

Replaced low beam head light on passenger side,8months later needs to be replaced again. this also affects the daytime driving lights even thought the high beam lights are used at a reduced power for driving lights. high beam now does not work on passenger side. this happens in all operating conditions,with or without automatic light control on or off.

I have to replace my low-beam headlight every 3-4 months at a very expensive cost. this is very frustrating and a severe safety issue.

My low beam headlights both went out at the same time. after some research, it appears that this is a problem with the vehicle.

I have had to have the headlight bulbs (low-beams) replaced a minimum of 4 times over the past two years. the passengers side was first...then a few months later the driver's side. this continues for no apparent reason. last night leaving work...the passenger side is out again. i cannot believe i am the only subaru owner who has experienced this problem. replacing them is no easy task as after investigating, you have to go through the wheel well to get to it. again...both sides will now have been replaced 4 times withing the two years. minor issue compared to the other complaints, but nevertheless a safety issue.

The headlights have failed several times. the dealer has replaced them, because, due to the front end design, it is impossible to do it yourself. the dealer stated that the headlights fail because the front end design allows the lights to overheat.

This is 4th time that the headlight blows out. if it's not the headlight its the point lights. i filed a complaint on dec. 04, 2015 about other complaints. just noticed that the passenger side headlight blew out again while driving on local road at night the other night. jan. 29, 2016. high beams work, low beam is out. this is getting frustrating and subaru dealer tells me there are not recalls. i am sick of paying and taking time to drive 45 minutes to the dealer to get this fixed all the time. please do something. i have an appt. tomorrow feb. 2, 2016 with the dealer again to fix it. this seems to be an electrical problem.

Low beam headlight bulbs fail prematurely. necessary to frequently replace (less than 12 month service life).

Purchased subaru outback 2011 new. at approximately 65,000 miles low beam front headlights began to burn out quickly: 4 replaced over about 14 months. experienced an episode 1/8/16 where all front lights completely failed in the park and drive position but left low beam headlight worked intermittently when car was in reverse. all front headlights but 2 worked the following day when at the dealership. brake/rear car lights also stopped working intermittently during the time the auto experienced total front high, parking and low beam failure. whether or not rear car lights worked was also affected by whether car was in drive, park or reverse at times.this did not happen the following day at dealership. remedy :switch for brake lights was replaced: they felt it could be sticking at times thus causing the back lights intermittent failure and the 2 front headlight bulbs which were burned out were replaced.

Headlights on 2011 subaru outback continue to blow. replaced all front lights multiple times. reckless endangerment of their customers and will cause crashes as lights go out while driving vehicle. so far only one has gone out at a time for i am not holding my breath. appears that this is a very common issues that subaru fails to stand behind the issue. customers should not be forced into purchasing only subaru replacement product to achieve safety. this sounds like extortion since it appears the only answer is to purchase subaru original bulbs . this is getting frustrated and i do not hear or see of a recall for the problem. i see alot of complaints, but again, no recalls to fix the problem. subaru keeps taking my money to fix the problem

Headlights on 2011 subaru outback since owning it has blown out 3 times and pointer light has gone out 1 time. i am not sure if i am driving or if they blow when i put the lights on. this is getting frustrated and i do not hear or see of a recall for the problem. i see alot of complaints, but again, no recalls to fix the problem. subaru keeps taking my money to fix the problem. will not be buying anymore subaru's.

Subaru outback headlamp light bulbs burn out every 6 weeks or so even after careful replacement. there are many many complaints on this safety issue. yet no recallordered? i don't get it!

I have had to replace my headlight 6 times in the past 6 months. i replaced it last week and noticed today it is already out again. there needs to be a recall on this vehicle because every time i have to replace a bulb it is $40 with labor and cost of bulb.

Ascended steep hill and stopped at stop sign. processed to drive through intersection uphill. all lights on dash began to flicker on and off and car stalled out going down the road. after this occurred, i lost all electrical functions of car. i was not able to restart car, place car into park, apply emergency brake, turn on hazard lights, and the power brakes and steering were not present. i spent 5-7 minutes trying to restart the car and trying to figure out a way to stabilize the car since i was currently going down a steep hill without anyway of stabilizing it. after this time, smoke began coming out from under the hood. i had to coast car down hill into busy intersection and turn it onto next road in order to find a flat area to stabilize car so i could get out of it. when i got out, i began seeing flames drop down from front driver side of engine area. the car quickly caught on fire and most of the engine burnt out before flames were extinguished. the fire appeared to start in computer area. this car was bought new and have had no previous problems with the car, except we have had to change the low beam headlight bulbs several times while owning it. after i witnessed my car catch on fire and afterwards discovered subaru has a service bulletin for the torque converter, i believe the headlight issue and the torque converter issues are all connected. i believe what happened to my car is the torque converter failed that day causing an over voltage/over draw of power that was so bad it took out my computer unit, i then believe the battery continued to feed the computer unit, in its unresponsive state, until it caught on fire. the fire inspector told me sometimes bulbs will burnt out due to an over voltage situation. something is definitely overdrawing power and it needs to be looked into because it endangers every driver, passenger, and anyone around these cars.