Is this the battery?

Get the battery charged and tested.

Susan, in case you didn't know, the AAA has a terrific battery service. They'll come to you, check your charging system for free as a member and sell you a terrific battery that's unconditionally guaranteed for 36 months. You probably have this done now, but, at least you'll know this for the next time. Which model Outback is yours and do you have the CVT ? I''ve got a 2010 as well and no problems with the oil burning. I hope you like yours as well, Let me know if it's been easy to maintain and how many miles are there on your car? I have 72,000 on mine and it runs great.

Most car owners should have a battery charger. If you don't have one you should get one so you can charge your own and save a lot of trouble. It does sound like your car needs a battery and if it is the original then it is 5 years old and due for replacement.

Mark, I appreciate your help. I had my battery replaced yesterday. Yes, I have the CVT on my Outback. I have never used those little paddles on the steering wheel. I should find out more about them. I have not had a single bit of trouble with this car until the battery, and I know that is to be expected after 5 years. I love the car. It has 45,000 miles on it. My only problem is the paint job. I did not know that I would need to wash the bugs off this car within 24 hours or I would lose the paint. The front is now a disaster. I had 2 black Acuras and never had this problem.

Hi Susan, glad you like your car and that's great that you have not had any problems or issues with your car other than the paint. Where do you live, could that be a factor? We live in Los Angeles and I don't have any problems like this. I normally get my car washed once a week and we park our car outside. 45,000 miles is extremely low mileage for a 2010 model year, did you purchase your car new? And, you probably don't have a long commute? As you know, Los Angeles is a enormous city and it's not uncommon to log 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year. Batteries are usually good for three to five years, so, I think you are very lucky if this is your first replacement. And, they die quickly with almost no warning. You should get your charging system checked to make sure that your alternator is working properly. The battery and alternator work together in a symbiotic relationship in your car. The alternator charges the battery as you drive and the voltage regulator ensures that the battery does not get over charged. So, you have NOT had any issues with oil burning on your 2010 Subaru Outback, correct? I have not had this problem, please share with me any experience on that. There's been issues on the 2013 models with the introduction of a newer engine. FINALLY, the paddle shifters, they're for down shifts or up shifts on your car. Normally, just put it in drive and forget it. If you want to slow down the speed of the car, just pull back the minus paddle quickly and let go, you'll notice that the number on the instrument panel will change to 5 and the car will slow down, pull back a second time and it will go to 4, and so on. If you want to upshift, pull the plus side paddle on the right. I use this a lot on mountain roads descending long grades to help control the speed of the car. In normal driving, you can just rely on leaving it alone. The car does allow for a "manual " shift mode and you can see that on the lever, but, I don't have a need to do that. What's your average fuel mileage? I'm getting around 23 in the city, and 29 on the highway without my teardrop trailer. With the trailer, I'm getting 21 miles per gallon towing on cruise control. Not bad for a Four cylinder engine. Seems like it has plenty of power. Here's a picture of my rig.

Susan, wow, I'm sorry that you're having such a problem with the paint job especially in the front, that the place you're most often looking at. As you can see, I'm not having this problem. Maybe you've got a defective paint job. I don't know if Subaru of America can help you, but, it's worth a call. The worst that they can say is no. I would definitely make the call, or it certainly would have been better to have raised this earlier.

Susan - I was researching something else on my 2010 outback and came across your post. I just had to say, while I love my Subaru, the part is an absolute disaster. I've had the same commute for 25 years. Many cars during that time. This is the only one whose paint job on the hood has not held up. paint chips everywhere. I have never had paint chip this badly on any of the 7+ vehicles I have owned.

cinjam- WOW, what state do you reside in? I live in Southern CA and leave my car outside in the driveway all the time..

Hi Mark - NJ. This started from year #1, so bad I brought it to the dealer. They blamed it on my commute, so I let it go. But, in what became a habit, I check every Outback's hood when I walk by them in parking lots. Some have chips as bad as mine, some do not. BTW, I have 135,000 miles.

cinjam-. Thanks for this information, especially 135,000 miles. Few questions, how's your CVT transmission holding up? Are you having any excessive oil consumption? Any problems with the head gaskets? I have 83,000 on my 2010 Subaru Outback Limited and it runs great.

Welcome. I had a torque converter go in May of 2015. I was stalling at a hard stop. It was covered under the extended warranty (thank goodness). As for burning oil: it's funny you ask that. I've only used synthetic and changed faithfully at every 5,000 miles. In my last two oil cycles, I have needed oil before the due date. Have you had reports on head gaskets failing?

cinjam-. At what mileage did you need a new torque converter? You have the CVT transmission? Some people on this forum are claiming that the entire CVT transmission has to be totally replaced? I'm not sure if this is true? My understanding is that the head gaskets from 2010 and NEWER are a better design and don't fail as much as in the past. I use synthetic oil and only see a very small consumption towing. My extended warranty on mechanical breakdown ends in May. And, I've had the transmission fluid changed at 70,000 miles, so far, so good.

Boxer engines tend to use a little more oil than INLINE engines.

Yes, I have 4 cylinder CVT. I was just under 100,000 miles when the converter it failed. Cindy

Hi Cindy, I've heard of these "STALLING problems" otherwise, your car runs good? SO, they just replaced the torque converter and it is as good as new??

Yes, car runs good! Just the torque converter and all was well. Occasionally it feels like the rpms drop at a quick stop, but really not where I would take it in for a repair. I am overall very pleased.

Cindy, that's great, 135,000 miles, no head gaskets. I imagine that you already changed your timing belt, maybe water pump, thermostat? If you do change the thermostat, be sure to use the original Subaru thermostat... My strategy is to keep my car at least 12 to 15 years and go at least 150,000 miles. Sounds like your doing fine, even with a little oil consumption. Fortunately for you and I we have the EJ Series Phase 2 engine. As you may already know, the FB series engines starting with the 2013 Subaru Outback was the subject of a huge lawsuit, finally settled..So, having the 2010s is very good. Take care...

The 2015 Outback has battery drain problems. Subaru must address. Only reason not more complaints is many drive their car every day and don't know yet.

Yes I have a 2015 Subaru Outback purchased new and battery problems already! Trying to find the right battery replacement with higher cold cranking amps for Chicago. Any recommendations? Eddtravis@gmail.com

Try Optima batteries which are probably the best you can get.

Agreed, spiral batteries are the best... Optima is a great start... Depends on how long you think you'll keep your car..