Subaru touchscreen is not working

If your Subaru touchscreen is frozen or unresponsive, try a soft reset first: press and hold the power button (the volume knob) for about 10 seconds until the screen goes black and reboots. That fixes the majority of single-incident freezes on Starlink head units in 2017 and newer Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, and WRX models.

If the screen is dead entirely, skip to the fuse and power checks below.

Soft reset

The reliable combo on most 2017+ Subaru Starlink systems:

• Press and hold the power/volume knob for 10 to 15 seconds.
• The screen will go black, the Subaru or Starlink logo will appear, and the unit will reboot.
• Wait 30 seconds for it to fully come back up before touching anything.

Older non-Starlink head units (pre-2017 Forester, Outback, and Impreza) sometimes use a three-button combo: power button, tune knob, and CD eject simultaneously for 10 to 15 seconds.

A soft reset wipes nothing. Your paired phones, saved stations, and navigation history stay.

If the screen is frozen but the audio still plays

The display GPU has crashed but the rest of the system is working. Soft reset usually clears it. If it comes back within a day or two, you are looking at a firmware bug, not a hardware failure. Check for a software update at the dealer.

If the screen reboots randomly or flickers on and off

This is one of the most common Forester and Outback complaints on 2018 to 2021 models. The cause is usually one of:

• Low or marginal battery voltage. If the screen reboots only on cold mornings or after sitting for several days, load-test the battery. A weak battery dropping below about 11.5 V during cranking can crash the head unit.
• A loose ground or harness connector behind the unit (often after aftermarket work).
• A firmware issue covered by a service bulletin. Subaru has issued multiple TSBs for Starlink reboot loops. The dealer can pull the build number and tell you if a free update applies.

If the screen will not turn on at all

Check, in this order:

1. Fuses. Pull the cabin fuse panel cover (driver’s side knee bolster on most models) and check the audio/navigation fuses listed on the cover diagram. A blown 15 A or 20 A fuse points at a wiring short, not a random failure.
2. Battery and ignition. Confirm the rest of the dash lights up normally. If the dome light is dim or cranking is slow, fix the battery first.
3. Aftermarket tap-ins. If anyone installed a dashcam, remote starter, or sound system, the splice could be the issue.

If fuses, battery, and aftermarket connections all check out and the screen is still dark, the head unit itself is most likely failed. On a vehicle still under the 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty (or extended warranty), let the dealer replace it. Out of warranty, expect $800 to $1,800 for a replacement Starlink unit installed, depending on the trim level.

Software updates

Subaru pushes Starlink firmware updates via the dealer and, on some 2020+ models, over Wi-Fi. Symptoms that updating tends to fix:

• Apple CarPlay or Android Auto disconnects
• Bluetooth pairing failures with newer iPhones (iOS 17+)
• The map app reloading every few minutes
• Phantom touch inputs

You can check your current build via Settings, then Info, then Version. The dealer can compare it against the latest available release.

When to involve the dealer

Skip the DIY and book the dealer if:

• The vehicle is still under basic or extended warranty.
• The screen shows obvious physical damage (cracked glass, dead pixels, ghosting).
• A reset works but the unit reboots every time you connect a phone, which is a known firmware issue with a TSB.
• You smell burning plastic or see scorch marks behind the dash (very rare, but stop driving and call).

What to try before you spend money

In order: soft reset, fuse check, battery load test, dealer firmware check. About 80% of dead Starlink problems clear at one of those steps. The remaining 20% are genuine hardware failures, and there is no fix for that other than replacement.