2017 SUBARU OUTBACK Owners Manual

In case of emergency/Towing
shut off function when the vehi-
cle is struck from behind.
Front tie-down hooks:
The front tie-down hooks are located
between each of the front tires and the
front bumper.
Front Tie-down Hooks are for tying down
the vehicle. They are
not for towing. Rear tie-down holes:
1) Rear tie-down hole
The rear tie-down holes are located near
each of the jack-up reinforcements.
There is a plug in each rear tie-down hole.
To use the rear tie-down holes, remove the plugs. After using the rear tie-down
holes, return the plugs to their original
places.
WARNING
Use the rear tie-down holes only for
downward anchoring. If they are
used to anchor the vehicle in any
other direction, cables may slip out
of the holes, possibly causing a
dangerous situation.
&
Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your
vehicle. Use the following procedures to
ensure safe transportation.
1. For CVT models, shift the select lever
into the “P”position. For MT models, shift
9-16

the shift lever into the“1st”position.
2. Apply the parking brake firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
& Towing with all wheels on the
ground
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ”/“ OFF ”position while
the vehicle is being towed be-
cause the steering wheel and the
direction of the wheels will be
locked. .
Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater
effort to operate the brake pedal
and steering wheel.
CAUTION
. If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
. For CVT models, the traveling
speed must be limited to less
than 20 mph (30 km/h) and the
traveling distance to less than 31
miles (50 km). For greater speeds
and distances, transport your
vehicle on a flat-bed truck.
1. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
2. The ignition switch should be in the
“ON ”position while the vehicle is being
towed.
3. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Electronic parking brake –if
the electronic parking brake
cannot be released
Contact your SUBARU dealer and have
your SUBARU dealer release the electro-
nic parking brake.
In case of emergency/Electronic parking brake –if the electronic parking brake cannot be released9-17

In case of emergency/Access key–if access key does not operate properly
Access key –if access key
does not operate properly
CAUTION
Keep metallic objects, magnetic
sources and signal transmitters
away from the area between the
access key and the push-button
ignition switch. They may interfere
with the communication between
the access key and the push-button
ignition switch.
The following functions may be inoperable
because of strong radio signals in the
surrounding area or a low battery condi-
tion of the access key.
. Locking/unlocking doors including rear
gate
. Switching power status
. Starting engine
In such cases, perform the following
procedure. When the battery of the access
key is discharged, replace it with a new
one. Refer to “Replacing battery of access
key ”F 11-50.
& Locking and unlocking
1) Release button
2) Mechanical key
While pressing the release button of the
access key, take out the mechanical key.
Lock or unlock the driver ’s door with the
mechanical key in the procedure de-
scribed in “Locking and unlocking from
the outside ”F 2-6.
NOTE
After locking or unlocking, be sure to
attach the mechanical key back to the
access key.
& Switching power status
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift the select lever into the “P ” position.
3. Depress the brake pedal.
4. Hold the access key with the buttons
facing you, and touch the push-button
ignition switch with it.
When the communication between the
access key and the vehicle is completed,
a chime (ding) will sound. At the same
time, the status of the push-button ignition
switch changes to either of the following.
.When the keyless access with push-
button start system is deactivated:
“ACC ”
. Under other conditions: “ON ”
5. When the keyless access with push-
button start system is deactivated, press
the push-button ignition switch with the
brake pedal released. The status of the
push-button ignition switch then changes
9-18

to“ON ”.
NOTE
If the power does not switch even
though the above procedure was fol-
lowed precisely, contact your SUBARU
dealer.
&Starting engine
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift the select lever into the “P ”
position.
3. Depress the brake pedal.
4. Hold the access key with the buttons
facing you, and touch the push-button
ignition switch with it.
When the communication between the
access key and the vehicle is completed, a chime (ding) will sound. At the same
time, the push-button ignition switch turns
to the
“ACC”or “ON ”position.
5. After the push-button ignition switch
turns to the “ACC”or “ON ”position, while
depressing the brake pedal, press the
push-button ignition switch.
NOTE
If the engine does not start even
though the above procedure was fol-
lowed precisely, contact your SUBARU
dealer.
Trunk lid (Legacy) –if the
trunk lid cannot be opened
NOTE
If you open the trunk lid with a key
while the alarm system is armed, the
alarm system is triggered and the
vehicle ’s horn sounds. In this case,
perform any of the following opera-
tions.
. Press any button on the remote
transmitter.
. Insert the key into the ignition
switch and turn the ignition switch to
the “ON ”position.
For details about the alarm system,
refer to “Alarm system ”F 2-28.
The trunk lid can also be opened using the
key.
In case of emergency/Trunk lid (Legacy) –if the trunk lid cannot be opened
–CONTINUED –9-19

In case of emergency/Rear gate (Outback)–if the rear gate cannot be opened
To open the trunk lid, insert the key into
the key cylinder and turn it clockwise.
NOTE
For models with “keyless access with
push-button start system ”:
The mechanical key is directional. If the
key cannot be inserted, change the
direction that the grooved side is
facing and insert it again.
Rear gate (Outback) –if the
rear gate cannot be opened
In the event that you cannot open the rear
gate by pressing the rear gate opener
button (all models) or using the power rear
gate (if equipped), you can open it from
inside the cargo area.
1. Remove the access cover at the
bottom-center of the rear gate trim using
flat-head screwdriver.
2. Locate the rear gate lock release lever
behind the rear gate trim panel.
CAUTION
Never operate the rear gate lock
release lever with your fingers be-
cause doing so may cause an injury. Always use a flat-head screwdriver
or a similar tool.
Models without power rear gate
Models with power rear gate
3. Turn the lever to the right position
9-20

using a flat-head screwdriver or a similar
tool. Then the rear gate will open.Power rear gate - if power
rear gate does not operate
properly
&When the power rear gate is
deactivated
CAUTION
When operating the power rear gate
manually, do not use excessive
force. Doing so may cause a mal-
function.
NOTE
While the power rear gate is tempora-
rily deactivated, if it is struck by body
parts or objects and sustains a strong
impact, the temporary deactivation
may be canceled. The purpose of this
is to absorb the impact of the collision
and it is not a malfunction. In this case,
the rear gate will not open or close
automatically.
If the power rear gate senses a malfunc-
tion, an electronic chirp will sound and the
rear gate will stop opening or closing.
In order for the rear gate to open and close
automatically, carry out the following
operation. If the rear gate does not open and close automatically after carrying out
this operation, we recommend that you
have the vehicle checked at a SUBARU
dealer.
!
When the rear gate is closed
1. Press and hold the rear gate opener
button. If the rear gate does not open,
perform the procedure described in “Rear
gate (Outback) –if the rear gate cannot be
opened ”F 9-20.
2. Gently close the rear gate by hand
until it reaches the half-shut position.
3. Operate the power rear gate to confirm
it is recovered.
In case of emergency/Power rear gate –if power rear gate does not operate properly
–CONTINUED –9-21

In case of emergency/If your vehicle is involved in an accident
!When the rear gate is stuck at the
fully open position or does not fully
close
If the rear gate cannot be closed due to a
dead battery, etc., while the rear gate is
stopped midway, it can be closed by hand.
1. Gently close the rear gate by hand
until it reaches the half-shut position.
2. Operate the power rear gate to confirm
it is recovered.
& When the rear gate cannot be
opened
Perform the procedure described in “Rear
gate (Outback) –if the rear gate cannot be
opened ”F 9-20.
& When the rear gate cannot be
closed
CAUTION
. On areas which are not flat, such
as hills, do not conduct any of
the following actions. The rear
gate may close suddenly and hit
someone ’s head, face or catch
fingers and body parts in it,
resulting in injury.
. Even while conducting the fol-
lowing actions on a flat surface, be careful not to be injured by
getting caught in or hit by the
rear gate.
. When operating the power rear
gate manually, do not use exces-
sive force. Doing so may cause a
malfunction.
. After closing the rear gate by the
following methods, we recom-
mend that you have the vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer.
If the rear gate cannot be closed due to a
dead battery, etc., while the rear gate is
stopped midway, it can be closed by hand.
1. Gently close the rear gate by hand
until it reaches the half-shut position.
2. Operate the power rear gate to confirm
it is recovered.
If your vehicle is involved in
an accident
CAUTION
If your vehicle is involved in an
accident, be sure to inspect the
ground under the vehicle before
restarting the engine. If you find that
fuel has leaked on the ground, do
not try to restart the engine. The fuel
system has been damaged and is in
need of repair. Immediately contact
the nearest automotive service facil-
ity. We recommend that you consult
your SUBARU dealer.
Your vehicle has a fuel pump shut off
system. When the vehicle sustains an
impact in an accident, etc., the fuel pump
shut off system stops supplying the fuel in
order to minimize fuel leakage.
Perform the following procedures to re-
start the engine after the system is
activated.
Models without “keyless access with
push-button start system ”:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”
or “ACC ”position.
2. Restart the engine.
9-22

Models with“keyless access with
push-button start system ”:
1. Turn the push-button ignition switch to
the “ACC ”or “OFF ”position.
2. Restart the engine.
In case of emergency/If your vehicle is involved in an accident9-23