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The Worst New Subaru Outback Option You’ll Regret Buying

There is one 2024 Subaru Outback option that you should avoid buying. Many owners report it's the worst feature and wouldn't buy it again.
2024, 2025 Subaru Outback phone charger

I've discussed the worst Subaru feature on the Outback and other Subaru models. The Subaru Auto Stop/Start feature. But here is the worst Subaru option you will regret buying on the 2024, 2025 Outback, or any other Subaru model.

So Many Options On The Outback 

You may not know, but you can order 115 accessories for the 2024 Subaru Outback. If you bought them all, the additional price of an Outback would be well over $5,000.

  • The Most Popular: (32) 
  • Audio/Media (2)
  • Comfort and Convenience (12) 
  • STI Brand (2) 
  • Style (15)
  • Lifestyle (17)
  • Pet Friendly (16) 

Recently, I wrote this related story: The New Subaru Outback - A Fully-Loaded Touring XT Will Empty Your Wallet

However, one new 2024 Outback accessory is available on the midsize SUV and many other new Subaru models that you should avoid buying. Owners of the Outback say it's the worst new feature, and they regret buying it. 

Here's One Option You Should Avoid 

The wireless phone charger is the least liked option, and owners say they would not buy it again if they were purchasing the car. This information comes from a current Outback XT owner and many other Subaru owners who say it's the worst available feature.   

Here are some Outback owners' comments on Reddit and why it's the worst option you can buy.  

DankVectorz says, "I hate mine and consider it pretty much a scam from Subaru. At best, it charges 1-2% in 30 minutes before overheating my iPhone til it shuts down. At worst, it doesn't charge before overheating my phone until it shuts down. The cubby space it replaces would have been far more useful to me."

Acceptable_Ad1685 says, "If it makes you feel better, that cubby space is almost useless without it as well, lol."

Hopeful-Sun-1073 says, "Absolutely correct. What a waste. The phone charger turns blue while charging and then turns orange when the phone overheats. Waste of money."

Subaru of America says, "Conveniently charge your phone without the hassle of tangled wires. The Wireless Charger is a Qi-certified device with Intelligent Charging Profiles, cell phone battery protection, temperature control technology, and short circuit safeguards. It is compatible with all Qi-enabled devices."

The Wireless Phone Charger Is Not Money Well Spent 

The Subaru wireless phone charger at $347 as a factory option seems like a good value. But owners say there are three reasons why they don't like it. 

The Subaru charger does not charge quickly. The charger is slow to charge, so you won't get a fast charge if your battery is drained. 

The space needs to be bigger for your cell phone. The charger is located just above the gearshift lever. With the gearshift in Park, there is very little space to fit the phone into the charging area. I see that Subaru engineers didn't have another place to put the charger, so it was more of an afterthought. 

Heat Can Damage Your Phone

Your phone will get hot. Because of the tight space for the cell phone charger, your cell phone will get exceptionally hot. It does not have air circulating around it, and it can overheat. 

"It can cause major performance issues and reduce speeds," said Kelly Arger with BatteriesPlus. "Your phone could even unexpectedly shut down, and, in some cases, it will not turn back on." Exposure to heat can cause permanent damage to the lithium battery."

With your charging cable, you can charge your cell phone in your Outback or other Subaru model. Save the money and don't buy a phone charger option. Owners say they regret buying it. 

IT'S YOUR TURN

Do you regret purchasing the wireless phone charger for your Subaru? If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this new Subaru Outback phone charger story. See you tomorrow for my latest Subaru Report.

I am Denis Flierl, a top Torque News and Subaru reporter since 2012. I’ve invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

I’ve got you covered! - I cover all Subaru all the time. 

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Photo credit: Subaru

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Comments

Will (not verified)    April 27, 2024 - 2:24PM

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Just picked up a ‘24 Crosstrek Sport the other day that has the charger built in to the cubby space standard. Haven’t used it yet but cubby definitely smaller than my last one which was a ‘21 Crosstrek Sport. To be honest, I have wireless chargers at home and they suck in general in terms of performance and speed of charging. In a car they’re just as worthless especially when there’s literally 2 USB ports right above the charger cubby in the car. I’ll opt to use cable chargers instead of the built-in one seeing it appears like a useless feature. I’d say it’s at least 50% smaller cubby space than before which is disappointing cause I used quite a lot in the last car.

Leo (not verified)    April 27, 2024 - 3:49PM

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The charger is horrible. Slow and phone heats up. It makes a small cubby smaller. I want to rip it out so I can have a place with more room to put my phone while plugged in without it getting hot. A waste of money.

Eric (not verified)    April 27, 2024 - 5:57PM

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Completely agree! The charger was a waste of money and seemed ready to melt my iPhone. I returned my vehicle to the dealership the same week I took delivery and asked that they remove it at no cost. They did take it out and reinstall the factory cubby at no cost but did not refund me for the charger.

Doug (not verified)    April 27, 2024 - 7:36PM

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If you use the higher voltage by doubling pressing till orange light starts blinking it’s pretty fast and stays cool

Louis Fasani (not verified)    April 28, 2024 - 10:23AM

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Absolutely do not buy this option! It's a scam but the factory will deny there's a problem. They had me jump through hoops at the dealer for 3 hours only to say it's working as designed. Their solution was to give me a credit for service and accessories but was only good for one year. What a joke, the car is brand new. I still wasn't happy, I went to the manager of the dealership and he agreed it doesn't work and was nice enough to refund our money. He shouldn't have to do that, Subaru should stand behind their product.

Mathew (not verified)    April 29, 2024 - 1:26AM

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I recently bought an Outback XT 2023 with the charger installed and use it every time I drive. Although it is a tight fit with a larger phone or case, during long road trips I’ve never had overheating issues. I can use wireless CarPlay the entire trip and not worry about it dying. I’d definitely like to see some design changes in the future, but it’s really not as bad as some people make it out to be and I’d buy it again.

Veronica (not verified)    May 4, 2024 - 7:46AM

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I have a 2024 Crosstrek Limited with the wireless charger and I have to agree, it is a "meh" feature at best. It is great in a pinch but on my 35 mins drive it will only charge like 5%. I haven't experienced the overheating but it does sometimes mess with my Bluetooth connecting to my phone. I do still love the feature but it could be way better.

Barbara (not verified)    May 21, 2024 - 8:02AM

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I took mine back to the dealer within two weeks and say get it out. The storage bin is so much better even though that too was small. My phone didn’t even fit in that charger with a case. It is so close to the gearshift was a horrible idea, I say everybody take their back to the dealer and get it removed and get the storage bin instead Subaru got rid of all the storage I have no idea. It is also so annoying that the driveshaft is not flat like the prior model. it’s curved so you cannot put anything on it , come on Subaru. Talk to your customers and get feedback who needs to screen the size of the dashboard when there’s no storage whatsoever.