2018 Subaru Outback electrical system problems

“The touchscreen has delamination and ghost touching of the apps. I spoke with my dealer and was first told it was covered by Subaru to replace, as it was a known issue, but when I took my car to the dealer, I was told I would have to pay around $1,500 to have it repaired/replaced. The ghost touching of the screen is so bad and consistent that it is very distracting while driving. It makes a beep sound for every ghost touch. Yesterday it phoned someone from my phone's address book. You can not use the screen for maps or destinations. 95% of the time the screen does not respond to my touch. I can not get the screen to do what I need it to do. I am at the mercy of the 'ghost' and what it selects. I find this dangerous while driving because you need to look at the screen and try to stop the ghost from touching selections. This is distracting, and I can't stop whatever the ghost is selecting on my screen. The radio/screen will not shut off - I have no choice but to put up with the problem. My dealer said 'when I can't stand it anymore, I should consider having it replaced at my expense." It is currently around 13 months that I have put up with this nonsense, because…”

“The 8-inch Gen 3 Harman STARLINK touchscreen is delaminating/bubbling. It registers phantom touch inputs and becomes unresponsive on its own while the vehicle is in motion, changing audio, navigation, and system settings without driver input. If a phone is ever attached, the screen will randomly calling phone numbers. These unintended inputs and lockups are an extreme distraction hazard while driving. This is a known defect previously covered under Subaru's extended warranty and the Udeen settlement, and now covered to 8 years/150,000 miles on 2019–2023 models. No crash or injury has resulted. These issues began many years ago (at least as early as 2020), when the car still belonged to my mother. Since the car was transferred to me last year, it has only gotten worse and the phantom inputs are sometimes constant and are an extreme distraction.”

“2018 Subaru Outback Infotainment center glass delamination causing the system to come on by itself start malfunctioning switching between channels or apps and potentially startle / distract the driver. Incident has been ongoing for over 8 months..”

“The car screens are delaminating and bubbling due to fault of the manufacturer. This is a widespread issue and causes safety issues due to the screen moving erratically while driving, messing with volume and function controls.”

“"I own a 2018 Subaru Outback VIN [XXX] . I have experienced a recurring failure with the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) three times within the same year. In January 2026, I brought my vehicle to the dealership and had to replace the TPMS sensors. Shortly after, the issue returned and I had to replace the TPMS module. I picked the vehicle up on Monday, May 18, 2026, and by Wednesday, May 20, 2026, I had to return it to the dealership again for the same recurring problem. This is the third repair for the same system failure within 2026. I have open case with Subaru of America regarding this matter (Case Number: [XXX]). Despite multiple repairs, the root cause has not been resolved. I am concerned this is a safety issue as a malfunctioning TPMS system can fail to alert the driver to dangerous tire pressure conditions while driving. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this is a widespread defect in 2018 Subaru Outback vehicles. I have spent over $2,000 out of pocket costs to date.”

“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Subaru Outback. The owner located a torn receipt with the discrepancy located in the vehicle. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 91,000 and at the time of it being discovered the mileage was 148,234. A Carfax report was received. The Sherriff was notified about the matter in Oregon.”