Nav screen is flakey

Yesterday the Nav screen in our 2018 Legacy 3.6R went out along with all the functionality including the radio. The screen was just off like when the car isn't running. Later in the day the system started working again but the screen was very pale with hardly any colour. I've made an appointment with Subaru service but this is a bit of a disappointment as the car has only 3000 miles or so and is only 3 months old. I hope it's something simple that won't require replacing the head unit. I am very leery of their ability to tear the dash apart and get it put back together properly. Anyone else experience this problem?

I had the same problem at 6k miles. currently have 9k miles and no issues. Please let me know what your dealer say. I'm planning to take the car back to Subaru if they if I get the same issues again.

Yep happened to me at 800 miles. Absolutely freaky. The radio was still playing at one point and the screen was blank, completely blank. Then it looked the way a cellphone screen looks when its damaged or submerged in water, luminous but blank. Then Turned the car off, several hours later it was like nothing happened, has been working fine since. Its first thing I have on my running list (very short list ) of issues and questions for my first service visit.

It is really kind of odd that the Subbie HU's are so bad. I just had one replaced and the new one isn't holding my sirius subscription. Every time I restart the car, the radio can't find the connection.

 

Here's a Subbie issue that I just found a link to today. I knew about it because the guy that bought my Volvo said he sold hi 17 OB because of various maintenance issues but he mentioned rodents and wiring.

 

"In addition to losing electrical functions, the danger of leaking fuel from chewed fuel lines is obvious as a simple spark could send the Subaru up in flames. The plaintiff says none of this would occur if Subaru would have paid more for insulation and refused to install soy-based wiring that mice, rats and other rodents love to eat.

 

Add in the censoring of subbies radio and it seems to be an odd duck radio.

 

"Much like HBO, a paid cable service, the programming on SiriusXM is not subject to the usual Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations on profanity. So for those of us that want to get our yuks off listening to Howard Stern, Chris Rock, or other comedians known for their colorful language, or the even more graphic Vivid channel, since we’re paying for the service, it’s really nobody’s business what we’re listening to. However, evidently Subaru feels differently. Tech blog Automotive IT News reports that Subaru has unilaterally decided to reprogram its SiriusXM radios to automatically default to “clean” stations. In the case of Vince Patton, an owner of a 2016 Subaru Outback in the Portland area, the radio automatically defaulted to the Sirius XM “Preview” channel every time he got back into his car. It also wiped out his presets to the Comedy channels. The channels could still be pulled up but only after manually tuning them."

 

According to the lawsuit, other manufacturers sell rodent-repelling tape that can be used to wrap soy-based wiring and fuel lines."

 

https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2017/subaru-soy-based-wiring-lawsuit.shtml

The problem has now gone away and the display is working normally. I have made a service appointment but there won't be anything to fix if they can't see the problem. Not a good sign.

I feel your pain. Tomorow my car goes to the dealer for several intermittent electrical issues. Will they or won;t they (elect problems) appear? Because you don't know if or when they will appear, intermittent electrical problems are the worst.

 

Good luck with it. I had to wait until mine got very bad, plus no voice commands and then the dealer took notice.

 

The problem has now gone away and the display is working normally. I have made a service appointment but there won't be anything to fix if they can't see the problem. Not a good sign.

Your center stack etc needs to have a sw update. I had the similiar effect with the BU camera, XM radio, & eyesight. It only took about 6 mo of phone calls to Subaru HO and the dealer.

 

Too much poorly designed & executed tech in todays cars & everything else. What do you expect? Just look at the I phone.

 

regards,

 

klxdrt

Yes, the head unit in my 2018 legacy is very iffy as well and the CarPlay is super random in when it wants to work properly.

I was at the dealer last week and I was told that the update contain corrupted files. To the point that the update didn't work and bricked the radio.

 

The dealer I use has stopped doing updates until SOA fixes the files. I was told it has been two months since the update problem started.

 

Your center stack etc needs to have a sw update. I had the similiar effect with the BU camera, XM radio, & eyesight. It only took about 6 mo of phone calls to Subaru HO and the dealer.

 

Too much poorly designed & executed tech in todays cars & everything else. What do you expect? Just look at the I phone.

 

regards,

 

klxdrt

I got the most recent software a few weeks ago and it made CarPlay issues even worse. I’m at my wits end with this infotainment system. It’s the most important part of a modern automobile and they can’t program reliable software for it!

 

If you have issues where it goes completely blank try a reset by holding the radio power button for about 10 seconds until it reboots and then see if you can turn it back on...

Your center stack etc needs to have a sw update. I had the similiar effect with the BU camera, XM radio, & eyesight. It only took about 6 mo of phone calls to Subaru HO and the dealer.

 

Too much poorly designed & executed tech in todays cars & everything else. What do you expect? Just look at the I phone.

 

regards,

 

klxdrt

 

Well, I hope that's all it takes. The problem hasn't happened again so it's possible that it's a s/ware issue. That said, I don't share your expectations for reliability in automotive tech. This wasn't a minor problem of the sort that we're all familiar with. It was a complete failure of the system, something I simply haven't seen before in a car and I've had lots of experience. To answer your question about expectations, I expect the systems in my cars to work generally as advertised and not to fail completely while in use. I said in a different thread that there is a definite and noticeable difference in quality between BMW and Subaru and that you get what you pay for. This is a good example. Nothing remotely like this has ever happened to the electronics with any of my BMWs.

 

As for the iPhone, it works as advertised and is completely reliable and I'm a critical customer. I only have Apps on my iPhone that work properly as well.

Mine seems fine, however our 18 Crosstrek Limited has an annoying issue - it will turn off the 3 blink feature for the turn signals. We turn it back on and it works, until a few days later and it turns itself off... Maybe an Exorcism is in order.

Just to update, I had the vehicle into the dealer and they told me it needed a s/ware update. Only took about half an hour. I was told that it might not fix the problem and that if it failed again they would have to replace the head unit. It hasn't failed since the original failure so I have no idea if the s/ware update fixed the problem. It changed a couple of other things which I guess could be viewed as improvements. For example, the radio is off now when the car is first started instead of returning to where it was before the car was last turned off.

 

I am actually skeptical of this fix but am hoping the problem never returns as I'm very leery of pulling the dash apart to replace the head unit. Annoying and unrepairable dash rattles are often the result of such surgery. Here's hoping it was a one time event.

Just to update, I had the vehicle into the dealer and they told me it needed a s/ware update. Only took about half an hour. I was told that it might not fix the problem and that if it failed again they would have to replace the head unit. It hasn't failed since the original failure so I have no idea if the s/ware update fixed the problem. It changed a couple of other things which I guess could be viewed as improvements. For example, the radio is off now when the car is first started instead of returning to where it was before being turned off.

 

I am actually skeptical of this fix but am hoping the problem never returns as I'm very leery of pulling the dash apart to replace the head unit. Annoying and unrepairable dash rattles are often the result of such surgery. Here's hoping it was a one time event.

 

Would you mind providing us with the Software version you have now?

Sure, I'll check it next time I use the car and post back.

I tried to check the s/ware rev level but couldn't find it. Where do I look?

Ok, I found it.

 

Rel_UO.18.22.20

Mine was in for a new windshield. Now upgraded to the 18.22.20 as well. Don't notice any difference really, but the volume numbers are larger.

If it happens again they added a feature to reboot the head unit. Press and hold the Volume Button for about 10 seconds and it will reboot for you.

 

I had my entire head unit replaced after it got bricked. I was reversing and it locked up. Once the screen went black it never came back back lol.

 

 

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My whole head unit die. 2018 Legacy 3.6R with 9k miles. Still waiting for the replacement (3 weeks wait). My dealer say that they are having a lot of issues with 2018 Legacy/Outback Nav. I'm glad I have a lease. Once my lease ends I'm going back to Toyota.

While the Legacy is now Consumer Reports highest rated mid-size sedan- the 2018 model year is poor with respect to in-car electronics and this has dragged the overall reliability to average for 2018. I haven't had any issues- though early on I learned to stick with Android Auto and not the Starlink app.

 

The reports here are somewhat distressing because they point to more than cellphone connectivity issues- but complete failures of the head units. Subaru needs to he more proactive in this area. It is not in the realm of recall- but additional user communications on related TSBs would be helpful.

 

At least our cars aren't diluting oil with fuel (Honda) or catching fire (Hyunda/Kia). Yikes ...Honda's brand reliability has slipped badly.

 

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Now days, most people are concerned with their stupid infotainment. Just get in, shut up and drive.

While the Legacy is now Consumer Reports highest rated mid-size sedan- the 2018 model year is poor with respect to in-car electronics and this has dragged the overall reliability to average for 2018. I haven't had any issues- though early on I learned to stick with Android Auto and not the Starlink app.

 

The reports here are somewhat distressing because they point to more than cellphone connectivity issues- but complete failures of the head units. Subaru needs to he more proactive in this area. It is not in the realm of recall- but additional user communications on related TSBs would be helpful.

 

At least our cars aren't diluting oil with fuel (Honda) or catching fire (Hyunda/Kia). Yikes ...Honda's brand reliability has slipped badly.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

Interesting. Matches my impressions of the vehicle. It is a great driving car, handles well, smooth powerful engine, AWD, good mileage on regular fuel, comfortable, good climate control. My concerns are with the unreliable infotainment system and electronics. At any time the head unit might just stop working. CarPlay suffers from annoying connectivity problems and Subaru voice recognition is so bad it's impossible to enter an address when the car is moving. The jury is out on the EyeSight system, for me at least. Get those things right and the car is a winner.

The jury is out on the EyeSight system, for me at least.

Unrealistic expectations do not constitude a product deficiency.

I have no unrealistic expectations of the system. I expect it to work as advertised, nothing more.