Dash warning lights

Asked by DSBelew Mar 31, 2015 at 04:18 PM about the 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Went to start the car last night and all the idiot lights were on. Brakes, check engine, cruise, traction control all on and some flashing. Any idea what might be wrong??

135 Answers

3,305

I pulled this off of the NASIOC Forum Not sure if it will help---Sounds like an alarm system is being triggered. Any chance your car could have an alarm installed that perhaps was only partly removed (e.g. doesn't sound horn/siren anymore)? If it was placed in an inactive mode, like valet mode, disconnecting and reconnecting the battery might very well have reset/reactivated it. Since 95% of aftermarket alarm "brains" are installed under the driver's side dash, I'd start looking there. Let us know what you find.--- Have you done any battery replacement or anything like that

42 people found this helpful.
370

Dash lights were all flashing..took to mechanic..they reset codes. Thought maybe parking brake got turned on during travel...hoping not computer

37 people found this helpful.
620

I have a 2010 Subaru Outback. First time it happened, about a year ago, found out the gas station didn't put the gas cap back on. It then happened again 2 months ago. Took it to my mechanic. He unhooked the battery terminals for about 5 minutes, then hooked them together for about a minute. It has happened again twice in the last 3 weeks. I have just unhooked the battery for a few minutes. It resets everything, but nobody seems to know why it keeps happening.

62 people found this helpful.
300

I had the exact same thing yesterday on my 2011 Outback when I started it up after work. Drove home, husband looked at it, turned it off and on a couple times and the lights cleared. Seems fine now.

30 people found this helpful.
610

I was having an issue where my at oil temp light, my traction control light and my brake light would all pop on at the same time randomly throughout the day I pull over, stop and start my car again twice and then they would turn off. There didn't seem to be any Rhyme or Reason as to why it happened and I didn't have money for any expensive repair (my legacy has been a money pit) so I kind of just ignored it and held my breath. Then I was told my brake lights had it been out for a while. I replaced them and as soon as I did all those emergency lights never came back on.

61 people found this helpful.
920

SEALdad104 and others. This happened to my 2012 Subaru Outback the first 6 months I owned it. Dealer told me the gas cap was not tightened. It happened again a week later and the dealer finally confessed that the fuel system must maintain constant pressure. If the pressure changes then all the dash lights will start flashing. Dealer replaced a seal where the cap connects to the metal and said the seals will break and prevent proper pressure. Happened again just last week and I'm back at the dealer. Unfortunately, it is happening a lot but Subaru will not issue a recall to fix.

48 people found this helpful.
920

The only way to get this recalled is post more complaints to NHTSA.... NHTSA ID Number: 10465487

41 people found this helpful.
210

My new driver son told me our subaru was doing this same thing as you all are talking about so here I am looking it up. Oh wait! He just informed me the car wasn't turned on! lol !

21 people found this helpful.
630

2014 Outback 3.6 - I should have read this last night. When driving home from work, all the dash warning lights popped on. Had a major panic attack, wondering what was actually wrong with my car..was it the brakes, the oil, the traction control, the transmission...What!!!!!! Have it in the shop now.

63 people found this helpful.
770

I have this with my Subaru Outback right now. It's a 2011. It's done it off and on for a few years. Usually it's the Emergency brake light, the traction control light and the cruise control light(sometimes oil temp light).They're telling me it's a bad valve body and want to replace the entire transmission. For DASHBOARD LIGHTS. It's the only thing wrong with the car. Typical symptoms of a bad valve body aren't present, and this problem has been going on for, again, 2 years. It's driving me insane. When they're on, I can't use cruise control, because it's the cruise control light. Otherwise, when they're off, I can use cruise control and no issues.

77 people found this helpful.
500

Same thing keeps happening to me, and nobody could figure it out, even the Subaru dealer!

23 people found this helpful.
260

Figured i would just be like everyone else in this thread and add noise (and no solution). Same issue is happening to my 2015 Subaru Outback and have been told three times now i need to make sure that gas cap is tight.

26 people found this helpful.
190

I have a 2013 Subaru Legacy, and mine just started doing this...I've owned it for almost two years and never seen it before.

19 people found this helpful.
790

I can't speak to Outback or Legacy but just as an FYI, This problem is covered under warranty for the following models. My 2012 Impreza is at a Dealership now in NJ. They say it is the Valve Body (it's a module in the Transmission). Cost to fix is around $1400-$1600 if not covered under warranty. If you own a 2012-15 Impreza, 2013-15 CrossTrek, 2014-15 Forester or 2015 WRX, your CVT warranty is automatically extended by Subaru of America to 100k miles or 10years, whichever occurs first. My 2012 is at 99500miles exhibiting these same symptoms, Check Engine, ABS, Traction control all on. Oil at Temp and Cruise on and flashing as well. For the record, based on easy fix suggestions here as well as other forums I've searched looking for help when I started having the issue, I've replaced Gas Cap with OEM as well as Brake switch and all brake light bulbs, just trying to fix the problem myself to avoid a dealer visit.

52 people found this helpful.
380

I have had this problem for quite some time. This seems like a total scam by Subaru as on my last visit they told me there were 4 different things causing this and it would cost over a $1000 to fix. As I have had it "fixed" twice already for much less money I no longer trust them. I will NEVER buy another Subaru after this which was my third one. BTW if the cruise control worked while this is going on I wouldn't really care about the lights. How is this not a recallable item???

38 people found this helpful.
450

2013 Legacy - One morning the dash warning lights came on while driving. Took it to Subaru, and they said that my cabling harness had been damaged by rodents. Since we live in a semi-rural area and had rats and mice in the neighborhood, I found this explanation plausible. State Farm paid out $1100 for the new harness and labor, and all was well. Until yesterday. The car was parked in a public lot all day, and when we returned and started the car, same symptoms. We drove home, and I kept thinking that it was the same problem with EXACTLY the same symptoms! By morning that didn't feel reasonable, so I found this site. I made sure all of the headlights, tail lights, brake lights and turn signal were intact. I then noticed my gas cap door was not closed and my gas cap was hanging. Secured both, turned on the car, same symptoms. Disconnected the battery, waited a couple of minutes, reconnected the battery, started the car and all was well. So, I can buy the "loose gas cap" explanation for the second incident, but what caused the first? Rodent damage? I'm not sure. I'll see if the problem reoccurs. 12/16/2018

29 people found this helpful.
300

We have had the same problem 5 times now in 2 years. The dealer knows it is an issue that Subaru keeps dodging. The dealers actually like it because it is a simple reset to fix and yet they alway find a reason to charge $100 to $2000 to try things. Their adds are all about the Subaru "Love" but their actions are simple "disrespect".

30 people found this helpful.
90

We are having same issue and same year as yours. 2010 legacy.

9 people found this helpful.
450

Four days after the actual loose gas cap episode on 12/25 - no reoccurrence. Maybe it does have something to do with leaky/loose gas caps - That keeps coming up. If it happens again, I'll replace the gas cap assembly and see what happens. (BTW: My step-son's Honda had a warning light for a loose gas cap - but it was just a singular "Check Engine" light, not what we are seeing.)

16 people found this helpful.
270

2012 outback. Cruise and brake lights blink while ABS and check engine steady on. Noticed white residue on bottom of spark plugs when changed. Resetting battery lasts a day. Notice that lights go off longest after an oil change. Notice car runs more smoothly when lights off. Dealer keeps coming up w a different reason.

11 people found this helpful.
150

Same issues with the idiot lights flashing on our 2011 Subaru (our 3rd, drove our 1983 for 23 years without an issue) . Each time it happened the lights would go off after disconnecting and reconnecting the negatve battery cable. I ordered a new (year specific 2010-2012) Subaru gas cap. The lights haven't come back on yet. Subaru ought to include the door button clip for holding the gas cap on. I managed to not break mine, but for $20+ the new button clip should not be an xtra $6 . Hope this is a 10 year fix, because I hope to get 300,000 miles out of this one too.

15 people found this helpful.
240

I have the same issue happening on my 2011 Outback now. It happened and I read a bunch of these comments here and on other sites so I disconnected the battery to clear the codes. Yesterday I went and bought a new gas cap at Subaru. Last night it happened again. I'm not going to pay the dealer to invent a solution I can pay for just going to file a complaint to help the case for a recall.

24 people found this helpful.
370

Has happened twice on my 2013 Outback. First time it was the gas cap. The dealer identified that as the problem and also told me that it would take a few days of driving to clear all the lights which it did. Tonight, it happened again. Checked the gas cap and it looked ok but tightened it just in case. Drove the car for a few minutes and the ABS light and AT Oil lights quickly went off. Brake, cruise control and check engine still on but the car drives and brakes fine. Hope the others go off soon, it is worrisome to see lights and flashing on the dash. This is my 2nd Subara and was planning on a 3rd but finding this forum and knowing that they have ignored the problem for years makes me think twice about another one.

28 people found this helpful.
290

I have a 2010 outback, and this has happened to me 4 times , my mechanic replaced the oxygen sensor the last time, 2 weeks later it recurred. It ALWAYS happens at highway speed when I have the cruise control on. Basically there are 4 lights on: the break and cruise lights blink, and the check engine and skid lights are solid. Came home today after a long trip and disconnected the battery. Looks like that did the trick. I’ll continu to do that for now on.

11 people found this helpful.
60

I have an Outback MY10 and suddenly this is happening to me. No reason at all. Cannot use cruise as it flashes and engine, brake and skid lights are all Amber. This has to be a recall for sure.

6 people found this helpful.
80

Marin County dealer first time said oxygen sensor was the cause, repaired under warrant. Same problem a few months later, dealer now says valve guides have slipped down from head and cost is over $4000.00 to do head job. Should I believe him this time ?

8 people found this helpful.
290

Hell no! 4000 bucks should be a down payment on a new car. Try disconnecting your battery. If that doesn’t work, start shopping

18 people found this helpful.
50

2012 Impreza. Hit a pothole in Toronto. The lights lit the next day. It was a loose gas cap. Who knew?

5 people found this helpful.
100

This just happened to my 2015 Forester with 77 K miles, all of the warning lights went on. Of everything that was mentioned on line, a bad gas cap seemed the least likely to me, but also the least expensive. So I tried that first, I bought a new after market gas cap and put it on. It took some time but after a few of hours of on and off driving everything returned to normal.

10 people found this helpful.
80

I have a 2017 outback. Had a 30,000 mile check up. 2 weeks later The car wouldn’t start. Not the battery. Told by dealer it was the harness chewed by rodents. Replaced for 1200$. 1 month later the map and clock stopped working. Restarted car and it was ok. 2 weeks later now all the warning lights are on. We’ll see what they say. I have a 95 legacy station wagon- have never have issue one with it. We have a 2004 Impreza- also no issue. Now this new one... maybe the electronics are bad? Glad I bought the extended warranty!

8 people found this helpful.
100

I have 2011 3.6r outback. Just had car serviced as 96 month warranty expired last month. Now all the dash lights are on. Disconnecting battery doesn’t help. Am very disappointed with the car. Constant problems.

10 people found this helpful.
140

Same problem on my 2008 Tribeca. We have replaced the gas cap several times over the past few years and the last one was from Subaru. It seems to happen every 6 months or so, not sure what the real problem is but between this and going through headlights every 6 months I’m about done with Subaru.

14 people found this helpful.
60

Exact same issue on my 2009 Subaru Forester. I will file a compliant tomorrow.

6 people found this helpful.
140

My 2012 Subaru Legacy has had the same problem since January of this year. I took it to the stupid dealer where they charged me 1000 to fix what they thought was wrong and the lights are all on still. Then they told me it might be such and such. Key word, might be and it would be 3200. I told them he'll no give me back my car and the light have been going on and off since. It drives good I will keep driving it till it breaks down figured I would rather keep it since it's almost payed off. Good luck everyone. And beware of those expensive so called repairs at the dealer.

14 people found this helpful.
520

Tonight my 2010 Outback started doing this out of the blue, all warning lights flashing but most alarming was the emergency brake functioning WHILE I was driving! Thank God I wasn’t on the interstate. The gas cap was fine, checked twice. My husband lifted the hood, investigated, & discovered the battery lever on top (of battery) had a missing bolt & the positive side’s red cap was OFF. The mechanics had neglected to rebolt & put the cap on, so there were sparks flying & electrical issues as I was driving. After he secures everything, I went for a test drive & all is good now. For now. I need to check after mechanics’ work. And btw, in case those of you who don’t know, if you own a Subaru Outback before yr 2015, Subaru of America ensures customers DO NOT pay for headlight replacement (bc the bumper needs to be removed). Actually my local Subaru dealer fussed at me but I showed him the paper as proof: all Subaru dealers are supposed to replace the headlights NO CHARGE up to a million miles. If you need help or proof, call Subaru of America & have them email you a copy of this warranty.

50 people found this helpful.
420

wow, what a joke on Subaru's part. We have a 2011 Outback and its doing the same crazy warning light thing. we have had it reset many times and the dealer told us they were not sure what it was but gave us a few options THAT MIGHT fix it.. costs range up to $1,800! What a joke. I tried contacting corporate Subaru and they said due to not being under warranty they can't help me! yup, they turned their back. I sent an email to the CEO of Subaru and NO response. Another turning their back. We are totally done with this manufacture - insane the lack of support. Here is the worst part...if we keep reseting these lights and there really is an issue - what will Subaru due when there is a major incident. Wonder if they will turn their back again!

23 people found this helpful.
270

Update: tried new gas cap, no change. Replaced valve gaskets....no lights for a month.

12 people found this helpful.
240

2013 Legacy. This started for me last week.. i replaced the gas cap and unplugged the battery but that didn’t work. I’m lost as to what to do next, but i clearly won’t be taking it to the dealer. This is our second Subaru and this is making me very hesitant to purchase a third

8 people found this helpful.
90

I was posting something but it seems to have disappeared so let me just say this as insane as it may sound: Also check your engine oil level.

9 people found this helpful.
30

Have 2016 Forester with only 45K miles....idiot lights keep turning on when car is close to a certain location (which is near a radio station).....reset easy but a real nuisance...dealer looked at it twice....no answer

3 people found this helpful.
260

Oh my! it happens to my 2013 outback this morning, and still on. There was no sign and just suddenly all the dashboard lights turned on, amber, red and/or flashing! Scary! turned on the emergency lights and pulled to roadside - can't find anything wrong other than those dashboard lights! check into this site and seems I am not alone! Tried turning it off and on a few times, open the oil check port, those lights are still on... well, some lights went off but check engine, brake, cruise control light still crazy! called services but none is available until next week... What should I do? this is the only car I have and I need it for commute. Is it still ok if I drive it slowly in town?

26 people found this helpful.
270

My lights came back on. Replaced spark plugs and 1 bad ignition coil. Lights off for now.

4 people found this helpful.
60

2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R, and have had this problem ever since I bought it. The previous/original owner thought he had the problem fixed when the replaced the ECM and some other electrical issue, spending a couple thousand in the process, but a few months after I bought it all the lights started flashing. Error codes came up as misfire problem, and I put in new spark plugs and ignition coils. Problem came back within a week. Car runs fine and I really like it, but am seriously disappointed that Subaru seems to be intentionally ignoring this obvious problem.

6 people found this helpful.
420

its crazy, but i have been following this list for a while, and a ton of things tried and a ton of money fixed at dealers with NO solution that stays fixed. I have contacted corporate and was told they can't help as its out of warranty - YUP! corporate Subaru turned their back. I have found the only solution is to pull the battery cable, wait about 5 min and then replace cable and the lights clear. Its really a shame that its a nice and safe car and Subaru just turns their back on this issue. I am DONE with Subaru after this one dies

13 people found this helpful.
240

Took to our local mechanic- he’s concerned there is a major communication problem between all the systems. So now I’m taking yo the dealer on Friday. I have 171k miles on my 2013 legacy but I’m not ready to get rid of it. We have 2 Subaru’s and expected to get 200k + miles on both of them. I’m so disgusted that this is a common pro and corporate is not addressing it. These will be our only 2 Subaru’s.

12 people found this helpful.
40

Yup, my 2012 Outback is doing the same thing. Mechanic said the code comes up as catalytic converter. Tightening the gas cap hasn't worked, but an acquaintance said using ethanol-free gas has turned them off for a while, so I'll try that.

4 people found this helpful.
240

Took my 2013 Legacy to the dealership 2 weeks ago after our local mechanic could not determine the cause of the light show. The dealership told me I was their 2nd car that week with the same issue. They diagnosed it as needing a new valve on the transmission. I had them do the work - $1,800. The lights have not come back on since that. Fingers crossed.

4 people found this helpful.
250

I had this problem and might have found the answer. I can only guess that this is the solution because the lights are gone and it makes some sense. There isn't enough radiator fluid in the engine. I only think this because a month or so it started happening, I checked and changed all the light bulbs in the car and did most of the stuff that didn't cost a fortune on this forum. Yesterday on way to work my radiator hose blew off. I stopped by gas station and refilled radiator went to work checked on it later in the day and it seemed full. Flash forward to taking my son home and all the idiot lights came on. I stopped tried to restart car, no go, I was thinking I blew the engine. Nope radiator hose blew off again.The back pressure of not enough fluids I think. I went to the house and proceeded to put the most radiator fluid I have ever put in a car in my life. Started car idiot light still on but the car started. Took for test drive and was expecting the car to explode but as I was driving the idiot lights suddenly stopped blinking. I know this isn't scientific at all but cause and effect. So check your fluids and maybe its the pressure or lack of fluid that is triggering something in the system.

18 people found this helpful.

I have a 2012 Subaru with the same problem. When we brought it to the dealer they said we needed to replace a chip because it was giving us codes for the wrong thing... for $600-$800 that we didn’t have. Not sure if we can do it for a while. It’s been happening for quite a while now. I really hope it’s figured out and doesn’t cost an arm to do it.

10

Good Grief! Scrolling through these issues is frustrating....many "causes" for the same problem. My dash lights all started flashing on Friday. I called and they said I should make at least 3, 15-minute trips and that should fix it. And I should also check the oil. I made 4 of those 15 minute trips, oil is OK...lights still flashing. This Dealership doesn't seem to answer the phone....you have to leave a voicemail. 3-1/2 hours, now and still waiting. I can hardly wait to see what their conclusion is.

1 people found this helpful.
30

https://www.motorsafety.org/subaru-recalls- 1303530-vehicles-for-brake-light-switch-issue/ Our 2015 Forested has this issue and the above link states the recall should solve the problem: "Depending on the particular vehicle model, this may have a harmful effect on the functioning of brake-lamp illumination, shifting from park, push- button ignition, the anti-lock brake system, vehicle dynamics control (VDC) and Eyesight operation."

3 people found this helpful.
220

@Tage: That's not your issue. Radiator caps let the system pressurize up to 10-15 PSI, and then they let any excess pressure out. Either the valve spring in your radiator cap is sticking and letting too much pressure build up, or there is pressure entering the cooling system from somewhere else... Normally the dreaded old school subaru head gasket blowout. Inspect and possibly replace your Radiator cap. If that doesn't fix it, get a cylinder compression test done.

3 people found this helpful.
50

I believe this is malware getting in through dealership tools or through WiFi or bluetooth connections with smart phones.

5 people found this helpful.

My 2014 Crosstrek Hybrid does the same thing. Though it has steadily got worse where a year ago the lights would come on every month, when now the lights are on every morning. Yet if I turn the car off/on after driving for a few minutes the lights will go off!

30

My Subaru has been one of the best vehicles I've owned. Love it, accept for this! Once it was the gas cap, then bad gas. Not sure about now. I'll check battery cable and fluids. See what happens!

3 people found this helpful.
170

Add me to the list. 2013 2.5l Outback, 135K miles. All the same lights as everybody else started about two weeks ago. After a few days those lights went off, then the next day the abs light and a few others came on. Pulled the car over, and then couldn’t restart it. Got a tow. And shop said I needed a new alternator. Replaced the alternator. Drove great for 3 days then all the original lights started going again. Tried disconnecting the battery, didn’t do anything. Took it into the dealer today who says I need to replace cvt control valve body ($2,176). The rest of the symptoms of a bad control valve body are not present, so we shall see. This thread has been quite interesting and illuminating.

8 people found this helpful.
20

ok, me too, exact same lights. Gonna try the gas cap and then to disconnect the battery.

2 people found this helpful.
40

This forum is great! Our 2011 Outback did the same thing last night. It is a little disconcerting. We did have a tail light out and as soon as it was replaced, all the lights cleared. If it happens again, we will check the gas cap or disconnect the battery.

4 people found this helpful.
130

2011 Subaru Impreza - bought from a used car dealer about a month ago. Now this happening just as described by other posts. Cruise, tire pressure, traction control lights on, check engine light on. Check engine code P0420 - catalytic converter. Going to try other suggestions first.

3 people found this helpful.
20

I’ve got a 2009 Impreza that’s fairly new to me. I’ve been camping this weekend and it’s had the security off/I haven’t locked it. This morning I noticed the security light flashing — as it is now with the car off. About 1-2 hrs into driving the check engine and skid lights came on, and the cruise light is flashing. I’ve put in gas and tightened cap — something I learned from my last Subaru. Was going to take to dealer where I bought it in am. Think I’ll try disconnecting battery and maybe new gas cap first.

2 people found this helpful.
30

Wow, this is insane. My husbands 2011 outback just started doing this. The dealer told him it was the transmission control module. However after reading all of this we are going to try replacing the gas cap and other easy fixes first. He was really upset because he needs his car for work. This is our 5the Subaru. We love the brand however, corporates lack of action on this known issue is disturbing.

3 people found this helpful.
170

Hi, I commented on this before and said the dealer said I needed a new cvt control valve body. Decided to suck it up and I went ahead with the $2K+ repair nearly a month ago. I've got to admit the car is now running better than it has for awhile. I didn't realize how much power it was lacking, probably because it happened over time, until I got it fixed. All the dash lights are off. $2K is a lot of money, but definitely cheaper than a new car. (my car is '13 2.5i Outback, 137K miles)

9 people found this helpful.
70

2014 Forester 53k miles - my lights all came on last night and I immediately had the codes read (get the codes read... Don't just change your gas cap and cross your fingers). I threw 4 codes all to do the transmission pressure. Subaru replaced my CVT transmission 3 weeks ago. Since I've had this car it's had 2 ball joints replaces, 2 bearings, 2 different senors replaces and now the transmission that is either not holding pressure or the shop didn't put enough fluid in. I really like the space my car provides but as of next week, I'm going to be driving a Toyota. I'm so over this.

6 people found this helpful.
60

2012 Legacy w/ 188000 miles. Dash lights came on a couple years ago for the first time. Cleared codes and they stayed off for a year. Cleared them again and another year. Now they came on again. Car runs great without any noticeable issues. The only difference this time was I had my trans serviced by Subaru as it seems to be shifting hard into second. They told me they have seen this many times but failed to give an explanation. Asked that I bring it in so they can look at it. I pulled the codes and it came back with a Torque Converter Clutch Pressure Solenoid switch P2762.

2 people found this helpful.

2012 Subaru Legacy. My sons car. Battery died and jump started the car, abs, traction control and flashing brake light came on. Cruise will not work. Replaced thin rear brakes and checked fluid, still have lights on. Tried tightening gas cap still on. Unhooked battery for 30 minutes and lights still on. Going to check oil, radiator and power steering fluids tomorrow which I don’t see causing this issue but will check anyway. Then going to buy a new gas cap to see if that works. Not dropping a couple grand into this car, but my feeling is that jump starting the car fried something. What I’m just not sure. Frustrated in West by God!

80

I have been dealing with this issue for a couple of months with my 2010 outback! So frustrating. It happened one day driving home from work, I thought I was going to have to try to miss work & get to my dealership to see what was wrong with my car. I can't afford an expensive fix nor time off work! I decided to look on the Internet & found this site. I tired a couple suggestions and have made sure the gas cap is tightened every time I fill the car & have resorted to taking the Battery cables loose each time & that re-sets it but it keeps happening! I get regular oil changes, just replaced brake light twice in 6 months on the drivers side, Headlights a few times as the lights on this car tend to go out a lot & have kept good care of any issues that have come up! It seems to be rampant in Subarus' & until they recall it we are all stuck! A friend suggested putting a by pass switch on my battery so I can just turn the switch disable the battery let it re set then turn it back on instead of always removing the cables which will eventually harm them. I haven't done this yet but from the sounds of all the things I am reading here it may be my best bet!!!

8 people found this helpful.
60

Subaru replaced my trans valve body for $1200. So far the lights are still off. I truly believe this is an issue with the CVT’s and Subaru knows about it but is unwilling to fix them all.

4 people found this helpful.
50

2013 Subaru outback the lights start flashing on the dash, no cruise control, unhook the battery cable, and goes away for a month or two, this is the last Subaru outback for me!!

5 people found this helpful.
320

I've been dealing with this issue since June this year. 2012 Outback 3.6R I've tried everything I can think of to determine the cause. It's gotten to the point where I'm disconnecting the negative terminal every 24 hours. The car generally performs well, I can now tell when the lights are about to come on. Usually it happens from stand still at lights or at a stop, I accelerate in 1st no worries then on the switch into 2nd it feels like the power is gone and the car will rev high, if I don't back off the accelerator immediately it will suddenly and sharply thunk into 2nd. A minute or 2 after that the lights will all come on again. First time it happened I thought I'd been rear ended its that violent. It honestly feels like it's not engaging 2nd properly and so it revs like crazy and then suddenly it figures out what gear it should be and "THUNKS" into 2nd. All the other gears are fine and after the lights are on the car generally performs as normal. I got want to screw up my transmission any more with this problem so I'm taking it to my Dad's mechanic, let him drive it for a few days to experience the issue and maybe he can work it out. I'm going to try one last thing in the hopes of fixing this issue cheaply. I purchased and installed a pretty average battery and I noticed that the negative cable end never properly tightens onto the peg. So I'm going to buy a premium battery designed for the extra accessories in the 3.6R and get a new battery cable end for the negative terminal. If i learn anything I'll post back here. Cheers

11 people found this helpful.
70

Wanted to submit a follow up. My replacement CVT they installed had a seal improperly placed. It leaked my trans fluid into my wiring harness. So pressure dropped and my harness was fried. Had to take it BACK into the shop obviously. No problems since... But the issue I took it in for was never fixed, even though the dealership thought it would be by replacing the transmission. (I thought my car was making humming noises due to a bearing... Guess what,it was. 4 visits later they replaced a 3rd bearing and noise is gone. I doubt they even touched the first 2 they claimed to fix and they obviously never tested the car after "fixing" anything).

1 people found this helpful.
60

Had this problem and was starting to panic after reading all of the above. Took it to my mechanic (not the dreaded dealership) and they quickly found corroded abs sensors. 169$ and problem solved (crossed fingers). Just chiming in because I think the discussion above are examples of the exception and not the norm. My advice is find a mechanic that is competent and that you trust and don’t panic. My advice to Subaru is don’t wire your cars like Christmas tree light in the past. There is a reason people aren’t screaming “one goes out, they all go out” anymore.

6 people found this helpful.
30

This is happening in real time with us. My daughter is an hour and a half from home, and the dashboard just lit up while she was driving our 2010 Outback. She pulled off to the side of the road and has called AAA. They suggested it be towed somewhere. But we can't decide if that actually needs to be done, or if she can drive it home safely, and we can get our trusted mechanic to take a look at it.

3 people found this helpful.
20

I have a 2005 outback Legacy Subaru and having all the same problems since I have had the car for a year and half. The dealership told me the ABS sensor was going to cost about $2300 and that’s not including the speed sensor. Today the power steering suddenly went out on me while I was driving plus my brakes, I was terrified! I was able to pull over to check all my fluids and they were good. I was able to have my battery checked and get my brakes working enough where I could try to get the car home. Unfortunately the car started jerking and slowing down , all kinds of lights lit up in the dashboard and then the car died. I couldn’t even get it into park and had to just put the emergency break on. I have been trying to trouble shoot what the heck happened and found this site of same complaints! I know my battery was fine. I do know it was throwing a transmission code recently for a sensor but was told it was not an issue but looks like it could be...... it left me stranded. I am just confused on the power steering situation.

2 people found this helpful.
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I have a 2014 Outback. The brake light, cruise control, and check engine will randomly come on. My repair man hooked it up and got no error codes for it. Unhooked the battery, hooked it back up and good to go. Then it happens again randomly. I think it was happening more right after I turned the cruise off. He suggested using the brake to turn off the cruise rather than the cancel button. It seems to have helped. I use the brake only to cancel the cruise and then turn the cruise off until I need it again. This (knock on wood) has worked for me for a couple of weeks now. He thinks there could be something in the cruise control switch that is causing it. I'm happy as long as the lights are all off! Whether it happens again or not, is another story.

4 people found this helpful.
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I just brought my car in for the same exact thing. All my lights are on and cruise doesn’t work. They told me it might be my trans valve ($1200) or my transmission but I would have to bring it back in for a lengthy diagnostic. This was after already being there for six hours (new tires, ball joint, alignment and battery). Wondering if they could have done the diagnostics during that time? I wouldn’t have gotten all those things done if my transmission was bad and would have purchased a different vehicle.

3 people found this helpful.
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Back with a small disheartening update. New battery didn't help, in fact made it worse wtf! Pretty much every time I drive now, after about 10 to 15 minutes of driving the lights will come on. Given up, stopped disconnecting the negative terminal to reset and I've just left it now. Taking it to the Subaru Stealership in 2 weeks and I'm just going to say "fix it!" and pay whatever that cost is. Sadness. I'll report back when/if I get it all fixed up

3 people found this helpful.
420

i have been following this for a while, clearly Subaru has an issue they are not sure how to fix and their corporate office told me due to mileage they are not responsible. Shocking no recall yet. I have found pulling the battery cable, waiting 5 min and replacing cable seems to work for a while. MY recent experience now the lights come on and then go away on their own. Subaru still has no clue per my dealership

1 people found this helpful.
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I have a 2016 Forester 2.5i Limited. Problem happened after replacing battery at a shop where they plugged in a "Memory Saver" to the OBD port. Blew the 7.5 amp fuse for EG1-B. After replacing the fuse to get the OBD port working again, the car threw 7 codes and like the other people here all the dash warning lights started flashing. tried removing the negative cable for a minute with no success. tried erasing the codes with no success. Fluids are all good. i note now it takes two tries to start the car. Will try driving the thing tomorrow for about 20 miles and will report back.

1 people found this helpful.
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My husband and I have a 2010 Outback we recently purchased. The engine has low mileage (45K I think) We had problems with the headlights so replaced both front headlight units. Shortly after, we were driving and check engine light, slippery light, abs light came on solid and the brake light came on flashing. Took it to the dealer and ABS sensors on right side were replaced and codes cleared. As soon as the car reached about 20mph all the codes came back on. Dealership suggested change the spark plugs so we did that, didn't work. This is our first and last Subaru! Not sure if it will pass inspection. My husband thinks we need to junk it.

2 people found this helpful.
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So I am reporting back with good news for my specific issue. I am now convinced that this thread is documenting a bunch of different issues with the same symptom, bloody Subaru. I decided to bite the bullet and take it to the Scooby-doo dealership, they looked at it and told me nothing was wrong and that the fault was a problem with the wiring harness which they inspected and found no fault, they also could not replicate the issue. About 30 seconds from driving away the issue occurred again so I drove straight back and said "fix it!" spoiler alert: they didn't. After another few hours they said I needed a new gear box for $6000AUD (around $4000) like close to 50% what I paid for the vehicle. Last ditch effort I took it to a transmission specialist for diagnostic. The guy was quite confident stating that this is a common problem. My particular issue ended up being the number 2 speed sensor on the Transmission turbine. The specialist drove the car and replicated the problem (weird thunking shift into 2nd followed by all the lights coming on on the dash) they then hooked up their diag computer and replicated again to confirm. They ordered the replacement speed sensor and installed today. All in all it cost $1550AUD (about $1000USD) Have driven quite a bit today and so far so good, usually would have occurred again by now. I'm going to fix the car up real nice and drive it till it dies, probably never going to buy a Subaru again because of the run around but who knows. The car should hopefully last another 5 to 10 years. My advice is to follow up wiring issues and transmission issues as the probably cause but it seems like there might be outliers so I wish you luck. Thank everyone for your help and insight. Good luck!! Tim from Australia

18 people found this helpful.

My 2016 Forester 2.5i. When I start it, no lights and no codes. Put it in either R or D and 7 lights (all amber) come on, still no codes. Drives fine with all the lights on. Next time I start it is a repeat of all the above. Not sure why seven lights don't trigger some codes, but I'm guessing that none of the systems for which the lights come on actually have a problem with the exception of maybe the AT Oil Temp light! Funny thing is it was 31 degrees this morning when I started it, so temp shouldn't be an issue. Been this way for the last 5 days!

20

This is happening too to my 2008 Forester. I'm just wondering if anyone else is also having aircon issues? Sometimes works and sometimes takes forever to cool. Have checked aircon gas and is full and mechanic can't find anything wrong with it. I wonder if it is the temp gauge and it is somehow related to the dashboard issue. Maybe loose wiring or connection issues.

2 people found this helpful.
140

Clearly everyone has an opinion about this problem. My daughter had the same problem on her 2010 outback 3.6R. Since she lives in the country, first thought was critters eating through the wiring. She took it to her garage and after $500 and 500 miles of test driving, they turned off the lights and shrugged their shoulders. Problem reoccurred within a month and I did some research... Subaru seems to specify barely sufficient batteries (a little corrosion and forget it). I took the car to Autozone and said I wanted the biggest battery that would fit along with all the anti-corrosion stuff they sell. Brought the car home, turned off the idiot lights, and it hasn't reoccurred in over a year... YEAH!

5 people found this helpful.
30

2011 Outback. Check engine light on. Dealer reset it and sold us a $200 battery. Next day after parking for an hour, check-engine-light on and car would not start. Having already read all the Subaru NO-FIX entries here, I had the car towed to our trusty independent mechanic. He found a problem with the CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, fixed that, and car has been fine ever since. Generally I haven't seen that sensor mentioned. Other sources indicate it may not always give a code. Symptoms include rough running and not starting in addition to the unhelpful check-engine-light.

3 people found this helpful.
130

My daughter bought a used 2011 Impreza that started having this problem. Found that the grounding straps from Chassis to Engine were corroded away. Replaced them and no problems reported in a few months. Now I bought a 2008 Subaru Outback and it is having this issue. Grounding straps are intact on this one. Back to the drawing board.

2 people found this helpful.
140

Problem returned after a year on 2010 Outback 3.6R. The service manager at my local dealership was willing to talk about it... he is having the same problem with HIS Subaru. According to the service manager, Subaru decided that any time the check engine is triggered the car shuts down a number of systems and triggers their idiot lights also. He said it could be as simple as the gas cap issue, a cylinder misfire (even temporary and too brief to notice), or anything else in the integrated computer systems that run these cars. His advice is to look at the codes to figure out the triggering event and fix that problem to get rid of the other waterfall of codes. It does make you wonder why a loose gas cap should make the car turn off the traction control but apparently that's how it works. It does explain why loose gas caps, faulty grounds, and the assorted other "fixes" listed above seem to work. If they had self driving car, the computer would probably take over and drive you to the dealer regardless of where you wanted to go. Anything to get under the hood and into your credit card.

9 people found this helpful.

Have a 2007 Tribeca and the same thing started a week ago. Cruise, slid, break lights are on. We read all the replies and have disconnected the battery. If that doesn't work, we will try a new gas cap which we already had replaced a year ago.

50

This happened to us and am still trying to figure it out. When it happened I was going 55-60 and don’t believe I had the cruise set. Have checked the tail lights, brake lights, changed gas cap, filled radiator back to full...didn’t need much...oil level is fine...we did have an aftermarket radio installed so I disabled the alarm and that hasn’t helped. I will see in next 2- 4 days if it just magically disappears (all the lights lit up)....not overly concerned yet something minor appears to trip it. Taking off negative battery cable for 5 minutes does reset it and was fine for about a week last time. Odd...if the cruise still worked (as use it) I wouldn’t be too concerned as appears to run good.

2 people found this helpful.
30

My son just called from the interstate with the identical problem. I told him to check all critical systems, and if everything was okay to drive on. I was going to buy a brand new Subaru in the coming year or so, but after reading these posts, I think I will stick with Toyota.

3 people found this helpful.
100

My 2000 Subaru outback started this for the first time in about 10 years of ownership since I bought it used. It has been an awesome car until yesterday when my dashboard warning lights were behaving like a pinball machines, coming on and off at different times and sometimes all going off for a bit and then coming back on. I got home and kind of forgot about it until this afternoon, (a bout 24 hours later) I hopped in and turned the key....and silence. Battery is either dead or something else has failed and is blocking it from making contact. Charging battery now which was corroded and hoping for the best. I lost my original gas cap about 1 1/2 months ago when I forgot it at the gas station and bought a aftermarket cap which I have been using since then, may be related. It doesn't look like anybody in here has found the answer or the cure. I am joining this unhappy family.

2 people found this helpful.
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Mine ended up being speed sensor 2...in shop now...be aware you don’t need to replace whole valve body as you can find the speed sensor 2 alone online and save $$$...will post after i get it back from shop and how well changing just the sensor works

3 people found this helpful.
10

I have same problem with 2011 Outback,....dealership said that the only way to solve problem was to replace the entire transmission! I was gullible and did that and things seemed fine...but only for 13 months...one month past transmission replacement warranty! The exact problem has returned...dealership will do nothing since the warranty has expired on replacement! They said it must be another issue that makes all of the lights come on! We are frustrated. SUBARU MUST ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM! I have tried all of the "simple" fixes and nothing works! We will NOT buy another Subaru!

1 people found this helpful.
20

2017 WRX: same issues. Very frustrating. It’s been doing it on/off for about a year. Only bought the manual for the Eyesight and it shuts off, just like cruise control, when the car tries to get smart. It continually freaks out my wife, but understanding there’s nothing really wrong with the car, I occasionally undo the negative battery terminal. This is total BS by Subaru. I would have bought another Accord- got 300K on that with no issues ever.... seriously disappointed.

2 people found this helpful.
50

Happened to My 2012 Impreza last week. The battery cable was corroded. I cleaned it, steel wool, baking soda. All is well.

70

2018 Outback here, my first Subaru, bought used from the dealer’s wife, and while stuck in traffic all the idiot lights came on and the A/C stopped blowing cold air (still blew air, though). It’s the hottest I remember it being here today - 104*F - so was thinking a fuse blew because the heat+A/C+traffic was too much. But, after reading the above, it could be that gas/air in the gas tank expanded from the heat and caused the gas cap to lose its seal. I’ll try re- sealing the cap after things cool down. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try taking the NEH battery cable off for a few minutes. I’ll let you know how it goes.

1 people found this helpful.
70

Sooo... I started my car and left it idling while I opened the gas cap and then closed it tight. I drove about 35 miles round trip that day. I didn’t drive it the next day. The third day, I got into the car to go somewhere and voilá! No idiot lights and the A/C blew cold again. Everything’s been fine since then.

6 people found this helpful.
50

Check the main sbf fuse in the fuse box under the hood. That was the issue with mine.

5 people found this helpful.
130

tough to troubleshoot this issue. My daughter's Impreza was a grounding issue (see my post above) The issue with my Outback was spark plug cables. Check engine code was for a misfire. replaced cables and it fixed the misfire as well as the dash lights issue. Seems that one thing goes wrong and it causes all kinds of dash lights.

3 people found this helpful.
150

2017 Outback Just happened yesterday. Check Engine is on, Cruise control blinks (which the manual says it will when check engine comes on) and X Mode is blinking. Tightened gas cap. Pulled off the battery cable. When I restarted they disappeared but came back after I started again.

3 people found this helpful.
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2020 Subaru Outback Touring XT - just found this thread doing a google search. Same exact issue. Ours started when we started the car this morning. Tried shutting the engine off and back on several times - still on. Just unhooked the negative cable for 5 mins and that cleared the lights. Now we'll see if it lasts. I have an appt at the dealer in a week so they can scan it. I'll report back.

6 people found this helpful.

Just happened twice today with 2018 Subaru Outback. First time I turned car off and on, and it cleared. Happened 10 mins later when I was stopped. I put on parking brake and it cleared (as checking if the brake light that came on was about parking brake or brake issues). I’ll tighten gas cap and keep fingers crossed.

20

Same issue on my 2011 Legacy 3.6R (which has a 5 speed automatic, not a CVT). I discovered my gas cap was not tight; we’ll see if that fixes it. My educated (40 years in electronics/telecommunications) guess is that all of the causes mentioned above boil down to one common thing: electrical noise from intermittent sensors, corrosion, loose battery and ground connections, etc., is overwhelming the computer (ECU) and causing the light show. So, it really can be any of the causes thrown out there by the dealer. It seems like the ECU would store the code that would point to the faulty sensor, but wouldn’t know if the noise is coming from a loose connector. I’m thinking that maybe ferrite chokes clamped around the wire bundles would help.

2 people found this helpful.
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2017 Forester... dashboard lit up like a Cmas tree when I started the car. Got a new battery and codes cleared. Went off again when car started so I took off positive cable @ 2 min. Lights reset. Lights up @ every 10 days. Now I keep a socket wrench in the car to disconnect battery cable. First dealer actually wrote on the diagnostic that this was caused by a dirty windshield! This is my first and maybe only Subaru. When I bought it new, 2 windshields cracked! They blamed me. Had to have stereo system replaced under warranty bc it kept resetting. It still has this problem. I like the size, safety features & visibility... but am I getting what I paid for? I’m not sure that Subaru has quality control. I’m disappointed.

2 people found this helpful.
10

2014 Outback - went to start the car and all lights on the dash were blinking, wouldn’t turn over. Got it jump started and surprisingly it worked. After a new battery all is well again. This was not the behavior I would expect from a dead battery, especially after reading this post. Glad it was a simple fix.

1 people found this helpful.
30

I just had this issue after a coolant flush/change. I disconnected the battery for a few minutes to see if that would reset the CHECK ENGINE, BRAKE, CRUISE, and VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL indicator lights. 2012 Outback 2.5i AT CVT

1 people found this helpful.
30

After hooking the battery back up, all the warning lights were off. Let’s see if it stays that way.

2 people found this helpful.
420

So i am one of the early ones that started one of these strings, and used the pull the cable off battery - it seems to have solved it for the most part..... originally the lights came back on every few weeks and now its every few months... Really really crap support from Subaru as they have no clue what's causing it and how too fix it. Really a shame as we are totally done with Subaru due to this.

2 people found this helpful.
40

My wife's 2011 Outback Wagon had all of the dash lights come on tonight (1st time). We bought the car new, and have put 160k miles on it. Turned the car on and off a few times... let it sit and tried again. Lights stayed on. Her fuel was at an 1/8th of a tank, so we filled up. I made sure the gas cap was tight. Lights still on. I checked fluids... fine. So I pulled the positive on the battery for a few minutes (note: main nut felt pretty loose to me). Started the car, and lights were gone. One other note: I noticed that the parking brake light was on (the one on the button/lever and on dash) so I pushed it in and then pulled it out. I then realized that by doing this I had locked up the brake. It was only after pulling the battery that I was able to get the parking brake off. I had to pull the lever out and hold it for a few seconds until the brake disengaged. From reading the above thread, it sounds like there's a myriad of sensors that can trigger this phenomenon. I'll update if the issue persists and/or I discover a remedy.

4 people found this helpful.
10

I have a 2013 Subaru Outback, this same thing happened. Dash lights originally came on in July while on the highway, freaked us out, we pulled over, checked out the car and everything seemed fine. All dash lights have been one and flashing since. My spouse is a mechanic and works a lot on Subaru's, he has done all the suggested fixes here and nothing has helped and his fancy computer he has wont diagnose the problem. I dont think the car runs as smooth when the lights are on. It is now December and I noticed this morning while driving in the snow that my traction control does not work when the dash light is on, it was scary. I have always loved Subaru, we currently own 3 but this is extremely frustrating.

1 people found this helpful.
30

I have a Subaru 2010 outback that until recently drove without a problem. Today, after parking in a shady cool area for an hour, I returned to a full Christmas tree dashboard of cruise set, brakes, oil, engine, slippery etc. the car would turn over but wouldn’t start- even after a few goes with rests in between. I undid the fuel cap and let gas escape and resealed tightly. The car turned over and started but emergency lights remained. Mobile mechanic came and tested fuses and electronics and told me it was the crankshaft position sensor that was tripping everything else. He cleared that and it cleared all of the other lights. Drove it after that- all good and turned off and on a few times, still good. He recommended getting said sensor replaced.

3 people found this helpful.

Happened twice since getting recall complete for exhaust on 2016 outback limited. Called dealer and they said to check gas cap and bring it in if problem comes back. The gas cap seemed tight.

I have a 2017 wrx had the exhaust recall earlier this year now this is the second time I’ve had all these warning lights come up. When I took it in about the warning lights first time they said it was the catalytic converter, they must have fixed it as I had no warning lights. Until now 3 months later engine, cruise control, abs, traction control, and hill assist lights are all on. This getting beyond a joke it’s an inconvenience, I’ll call Subaru tomorrow if this shit happens again I’m getting rid of it. Damn shame

10

has anyone tested the systems that are being warned about? My son left the oil cap off after checking the oil for his mum. She drove it to toronto and back about 200 k. Now the lights are all on. in my driveway, I checked and found that ABS and traction control both no longer worked, apart from that the brakes worked fine. The next day, I went to have a look at it prior to getting it to my mechanic's and found that the lights were all off. I tested and found that I was able to toggle traction control off and back on (and it was working), and the ABS was working again. Changed the oil at the mechanic's, he figured there was no urgency and to keep an eye on the issue. This morning, my wife took the car to work, the lights came back on and she told me that the systems weren't working. An oil cap causes safety mechanisms to stop working? I have contacted Subaru

1 people found this helpful.

2014 Subaru with 50,000 miles - same lights came on after finding a dead battery. No reason for dead battery - not that cold. had the battery recharged - then a day later the lights as described. I noted some corrosion on the terminals. Mechanic said the battery was replaced in 2018 - not the battery. Assuming something is draining the system. Flashback - I've been having problems pumping gas into the car. Seems like it has to be "burped" to take gas. Maybe a new gas cap? Maybe a pressure problem in the tank? But, would this drain the battery? There must be something that's draining the system. Made an appointment. Glad for the thread. Will see what this mechanic says and get back.

20

I have the same problem with my Subaru Outback 2012. The Mechanic can reset all the lights. I was thinking and thinking about this, it happened often, sometimes every second day, and then it took 2 days for the car to recover by itself, without doing anything. Finally I thought it might be DEW. Directed energy weapons. It is like an EMP (Electromagnetic pulse).. It screws with the computer. So I got a grounding strap and attached it to the exhaust pipe, and it drags on the ground and takes all the static out immediately . It worked like a charm for 6 weeks. Yesterday I noticed that the strap was not touching the ground anymore. I went for a long drive anyway, and sure enough, it happened again. Grounding straps are cheap. Try it for yourself. I am buying another one for 10$ now and attach it. I am totally sure that this is the solution.

2 people found this helpful.

Wow, this is like a Science Fiction novel. This am - battery wouldn't start the car, just clicked, but all idiot lights came on while trying to start. Jumped the battery, started ok. Battery's only a year old. Lights went out. Drove to Auto Zone, check battery, ok. Drove around, stopped and shut it off a couple of times. Went out to check it a few hours later and the Security Light was on and blinking whether the car was running or not! So, based on all of your advice...I'm going to check the gas cap, disconnect the battery for a few and if that doesn't help (and I can get it started) I'll take it to Auto Zone and get the codes checked. Please pray for me...

10

Subaru Outback 2015 2.5i, showed Christmas tree effect, found out the wrong battery had been installed in the car, got it changed out, didn’t fix the problem. Had to do to the dealership after going to my mechanic. Been told it’s the valve body, cost for part alone 4K, due to all the issues with cvt, I have asked for “goodwill” gesture. Waiting to see what the answer is.

1 people found this helpful.
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I have a 2011 outback diesel. Traction control, Abs and Parking lights call came on. Car still drove fine but the cruise control didn't work. Mechanic had no codes come up initially and eventually figured out that the ABS pressure sensor needed replacing. Replaced an ABS unit for $550USD. Car is now working fine and Cruise control is back working.

2 people found this helpful.
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so i keep reading how Subaru clearly has an issue - which appears to be electronic.. the latest from David H seems to tell us it has NOTHING to do with the engine or exhaust systems - He is using diesel and has the same issue. I would be willing to bet David will get the issue back in the next 3-6 months - David please tell us when you see the issue agin. The only thing I have found that clears the errors is to pull the battery cable for a few min. I hate to say it, but I have a feeling when Davids car was updated with an ABS unit they pulled the battery cable to be safe and artificially cleared the errors. I am so done with Subaru as they won't accept they have an issue, even the corporate office said they can't help. Such a shame as they keep advertising how safe they cars are, but we keep getting these crazy errors and no help from Subaru

3 people found this helpful.

2011 outback 2.5l Limited, check engine, cruise, traction control, and brake lights come on when engine turns over(cranks) will not start after 1 or 2 attempts. Eventually it starts, but lights come on. Got a P0340 code, which is camshaft sensor. Its been 4 months now. It eventually goes away for 2 to 3 weeks and returns. Noone knows what it is or what to do, besides trouble shooting. My first and last subaru.

I have a 2018 Subaru Outback and when the indicator lights started, I had the dealership install an Ambient Air Sensor last year that I thought was going to resolve the problem. It's happened twice now, both times while it's been idling in line for 20 mins in hot weather. The dealership cleared the message indicators the last time it happed but since it's happened. My question has anyone replaced the sensor and still had the lights come on? If so, any resolution?

30

This is happening to me now while 4 hrs away from my destination. I tried to bring it to the local dealership, but they said they couldn't look at it for 2 weeks, they were so booked up with appointments. I brought it to autozone to read the codes. P0700 - Transmission Control System, P2763 Torque Converter Clutch, P2763 Torque Converter Clutch. I brought it to a local shop and they said, "They don't touch cvt transmissions" and to bring it to a dealership. Called 3 dealerships and they were all booked up for weeks. WTH!!!.. A guy we talked to from the dealership, said if the car isn't having any issues you could drive it. So we drove it .... I got off our exit and thankfully slowed down enough, but noticed the breaks were very soft, then eventually the brakes went down to the floor. Brought it to a shop and they said I have a hole in my break line and needs to be replaced. So I'm having it done as I write. I'm thinking these lights can be thrown for anything. So be very careful and pay attention to your car.

3 people found this helpful.

Took my car to the dealer with the same issue, cost 1900 to replace the transmission valve body. This was my last option, I had tried replacing the gas cap and disconnecting the battery, but those did not work.

10

I have been having the same problem with my 2011 Subaru Outback Limited. I plugged in a FIXD sensor which said it was likely a gas cap problem. I bought a new OEM gas cap and that didn't fix the problem. Local garage couldn't find the problem. Car runs really rough at times, threatening to stall out. Other times, it runs fine. Ended up at Subaru dealer, said there was rodent damage to the fuel harness that runs under the car. I saw the damage when the car was up on the rack and my insurance company also saw it. It was $1500 to repair (part was $42, the rest was labor, shop rate $130/hour). Mechanic at Subaru dealer said the rodent damage and running rough were not connected. I had them check for other problems which the car was in the shop and they couldn't find anything. I've had the car back for about three weeks and today, it started running rough again. The check engine light and cruise control light and the traction control light came on. Then the check engine and cruise control lights cleared but the traction control light stayed on. I got to my destination and cut off the car. When I cut it back on, all the lights were gone and didn't come back on. I'm beyond frustrated and ready to ditch the car. I need something reliable.

1 people found this helpful.
420

We have had the issue for years - we gave up on Subaru dealer as they really don't appear to understand the issue - even years later. We have found pulling the battery cable to reset everything seems to work for a few weeks/month. I even called corporate Subaru who told me it wasn't their issue or concern due to the age of the car. We are so done with Subaru and their lack of support!

10

Took delivery of a new 2022 Outback 19 days ago! Having the same issue with warning lights. The car has been in the shop 16 days of the 19 days since we took delivery. This is obsurd !

1 people found this helpful.
30

The consensus here is.. Subaru Dealerships are just plain garbage. They have no idea what the problem is, so they are just sucking money from corporate by replacing SOMETHING and resetting your codes.. I believe the dealers have turned this into a corporate scam. From what I have been observing, the blinking and flashing lights on the dash seem to have different patterns based on the issue. one issue, these combination lights are on, another has a different combination of lights, etc.. Many of you have mechanics that can't afford a real diagnostics tool. There ARE codes present.. cheap OBD scanners are not capable of looking at all modules. you need a REAL diagnostics scanner.. $5-7,000..... These will give you ALLLL of the codes. I have had this happen 4 different times today.. With the proper scanner connected, each time, it's different number of codes. It would appear to be an electrical connection somewhere as there is ZERO rhyme or reason for it happening. Most of the codes being set would indicate an interruption in either power or communication between modules. I believe there needs to be a serious internal investigation into Subaru dealers and Subaru themselves for ignoring the issue. Dealers I will pretty much guarantee are just taking advantage of this situation and not fixing anything, or just throwing parts at the situation and laughing their way to the bank. Seriously start looking into this folks...........

3 people found this helpful.

Thank you everyone! I had this issue of suddenly having every light flashing on my 2014 Subaru Outback dashboard (check engine, cruise control, brakes, etc.). I was afraid to drive anywhere, and was relieved to get home. How ridiculous! Before finding a mechanic I did a search online. After reading posts here, I checked the gas cap, and then disconnected the battery for a few minutes. Problem solved. Many thanks.

20

2010 outback all dash lights came on. Did the research first and found that this happens when a major part malfunctions. First check codes, mine was a shift solenoid in the valve body. I found a rebuild one 500$ new 1000$. I replaced it myself, not to difficult. That code went away but another code for a trans pressure sensor came on. Ordered that and replaced. Problems solved for 650$, dealer wanted 2000$. Little DIY goes a long way thanks to utube videos !! Hope this helps.

2 people found this helpful.
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We have a 2016 Subaru Outback. Same Christmas tree lights that others describe, but it also would shift out of low gear. Sunday evening. Found one dealer open, who advised checking gas cap. We did and all lights went off and car drove normally. Next morning, all lights back on with same dreivability issue. Local dealer says gas cap solution is a myth and it was just a co-incidence that worked. Hearing same guesswork about rodents affecting electrical harness, low voltage issue, and transmission problems. Don't know what to do. ANYONE ELSE GET DRIVABILITY ISSUES with all the lights?

1 people found this helpful.

"Brakes, check engine, cruise, traction control all on and some flashing". I had the same problem happen will I was driving. My mechanic could not figure it out. I took it to the dealer and they said it had to do with a stuck door lock switch. That's hard for me to believe. It just happened again! I think I'll try to disconnect the battery and see what happens.

I just started having this problem on my 2010 Outback, with all the trouble lights coming on at the same time. A little background first: the car was in at an independent mechanic last week for a power steering fluid leak. To make this repair, several other components on the bottom of the engine needed to be taken off in order to replace and install the needed parts. The car continued to show spots of fluid on the driveway which the mechanic said was residue from the old fluids still dripping off. A day later, all of the lights are on and there was an odor. Turning the car off and on did not correct the problem and I returned it to the mechanic. He now says that the hose on the radiator fill was cracked and the clamp separated. All of the lights are coming on due to the radiator losing fluid and not having pressure. This seems to confirm what another person said in this thread that the problem was corrected after fixing a leaking radiator. As of right now, the trouble lights remain off. As for the cruise control light coming on, it was posted on another site that Subaru designed that light to come on in conjunction with any other trouble light as they do not want the car to remain in cruise control if there is a real malfunction in any other system.

10

I have a 2010 Outback 3.6R (5sp conventional auto) with about 170k kms on it. Bought about 3 months ago. Last week just after a normal school run - about 20kms - it threw up those 4 lights, cruise blinking and not functional, just as everyone else has described. Remarkable that it occurs in such a range of models, ages, and transmissions. What is common between them all??? A bit of other background which may or may not be relevant... Since I had it, it is has occasionally run a little bit rough, almost like one of the cylinders wasn't quite getting enough fuel, but the sensation stopped when I would manually change up the gears. Then I started to notice something much more heart-stopping... when the tank was about an eighth full - so the indicator going into the bottom segment on the fuel gauge, and going up a reasonable incline, it would randomly loose power in a stuttering random fashion. Pretty much every time the fuel has got down to the low level, the phenomenon occured. Flipping between gears seemed to help, but not really sure if that was pure coincidence. However - I've never had that experience when the tank was more full. So - back to these pesky dash warning lights and the recommendation here about checking the fuel cap and also removing and re-attaching the negative terminal. The fuel cap made no difference, but checkign the battery I noticed the neg terminal had heavy green fuzz. I got the battery tested - tech guy said voltage was excellent but cranking amperage marginal. So I removed the neg terminal to clean up and replace. What a mistake. I simply could not get a good enough connection between the neg terminal and the clamp. Got a new battery fitted and they did a good job at reattaching the terminal. That was 5 days ago. Lights have re-appeared. Wondering if in fact the poor (high resistance) earthing through my old battery was in fact the real problem. Hasn't made any difference to the occasional rough running, and also the occaisonal hard clonk from third into second which I see someone else wrote about. That does not happen below about 30km/h incidentally. Anyone any ideas about the (possible) fuel starvation when going uphill with about eighth of a tank of fuel?? Otherwise a magnificent smooth engine and gearbox. Love it!!

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