There are a lot of things I like about my new 2017 Outback, but it also has some serious flaws. The heater raises the temperature about 10 degrees above the setting. Subaru corporate says this is in accordance with the design (Case #20673319373 said the system is working correctly if you get a 10-14 degree temperature difference from where you set it. Did they really design this car to have bad controls?). Luckily the windows open okay. Then there’s the outside driver’s mirror which won’t adjust to the blind spot (but it will adjust so you can shave). And the blind spot monitor which doesn’t work if the car in your blind spot is going the same speed. And the always fun Terms and Conditions for the Starlink system which you have to read to believe. If you survive these deficiencies, it can be a nice car. It certainly is a major step down from my 2009 Forester.
Subarus are not the same anymore. Miss my '05 WRX.
Cars are made to be sold novadays, not to be driven for many years.
Would you explain how you know the temp is 10 degrees higher than the setting? Assuming auto temp. Also you might want to search for a Subaru based forum.
If you set the temp and it is uncomfortable just change it seems like a working plan.
The temp after driving for 30-45 min shows 8 to 10 degrees hotter than the setting on two thermometers I put in the car near the car’s interior temperature sensor location. Your plan for lowering the temp is sound except when you want the temp at 68. Lowering the setting to 60 causes the air conditioner to come on regardless of the interior or exterior temperature. On cold days, I’ve never been able to get the inside temperature below 71-72 … unless I open/close a window or turn the air conditioner on/off. Subaru says it’s operating as designed.
What a ridiculous concept! 10-14 degrees difference is nuts. In my part of the country 14 degrees above freezing is T-shirt weather. No wonder I can’t get the interior temp right. And if someone in the car has a hot flash all hell breaks loose trying to regulate the temp. Rolling down a window throws the whole system off. And I have had the same experience of having the AC come on automatically and it is unnerving and dangerously distracting. Very frustrating. Expected more from Subaru.
I’ve heart from a friend of mine that his 2013 Outback is not exactly stellar about keeping temperature under control, but he was comparing to his Lexus, so I took it with a grain of salt. His complaint was mostly about deviation in temp under control between sun and shade. Overall, it was OK.
I can not believe next generation made a step back.
I had good success with calling Subaru of America directly to describe my complaint when dealer “did not see any action items” on my issue, so this is what I would recommend to OP.
The key is to stay focused on one issue and to keep emotions down and state what kind of resolution will be satisfactory.
To me, this is very serious, and a safety issue. I’d escalate this as high as I had to.
On this note, I’ve always found that adjusting the rear mirrors correctly almost totally eliminated the “blind spot”, Which, by he way, usually requires adjusting the mirror close to it’s limit. And if I can’t do that, I would not feel safe in that car.
I think most people adjust the mirrors incorrectly, which led, indirectly, to the blind spot warning devices, and to, in this case, a mirror that cannot be adjusted correctly.
One way (in my opinion, but also in the opinion of click-clack) to adjust the mirrors is to check for overlap between the inside rear view mirror and the outside ones, and to minimize that overlap.
I agree, Gull. Subaru has really gone downhill since my 2009 Forester which was a great car. It really surprised me when Subaru documented that a 10-14 degree deviation is acceptable as a normal design. That says a lot more to me about the company policies than their engineering.
It may be that the location where the HVAC system measures the temperature is different from where you are measuring it. it’s not a simple thing to accurately measure the temperature, believe it or not. I think you’ll probably end up just turning on the AC or heater individually as required by the day’s weather, and adjusting the temperature a little higher or lower until it feels comfortable. On my Corolla, first I have no AC at all. For heat I have a mechanical slider control that goes from blue to red, and a heater fan. Three’s no digital display for the passenger compartment temperature. I have absolutely no problem achieving a comfortable inside temperature. Without opening the windows. True, I sometimes I to make slight adjustment to the heater controls. But on my list of my car’s problems, I’d say passenger compartment heat control is pretty much close to the bottom.
The mirror problems seems more complain-able. You’d think the mirror could move into all the directions drivers would want. Maybe they had to give up that one in order to provide the shaving angle 
Thanks for the advice. Been there, done that. Not only did the dealer try to get a fix from Subaru, but in early February I talked to a Subaru representative (Lisa) who was following up on my issue (Case #20673319373). She said that the 10 to 14 degree temperature errors are perfectly acceptable to Subaru and that I have no recourse in getting them to fix this “defect”. She understood that that temperature error made it impossible to heat the car to the desired temperature in the winter. I’m still trying to get a fix that works. Fortunately, the temperature is not as much of a problem in the summer.
Wow, that’s really sad it went downhill like that.
I loved this brand and used to have 5 of them in the past, so I was considering I could get back at some point, but it looks like not in current generation 
Hi Bill, I agree 100%. The AAA, Society of Automotive Engineers, Toyota, and many others also agree. The mechanic couldn’t believe that the Outback mirror wouldn’t adjust toward the blind spot so he tested three other Outbacks. They were all the same. He suggested using supplemental mirrors or twisting the whole mirror assembly. I think this must be a design flaw in the 2017 Outback (and perhaps other subaru’s as well).
Our 97 Honda used to have that problem where the drivers side mirror would not adjust out far enough to cover the blind spot. What I would do is run it inward until the mirror reached its limit and started clicking. After a half dozen or so clicks, it would then adjust outward to cover the blind spot. Go figure?
I have used this type of mirror on all our cars forever, maybe it will work for you.
Pic seems intermittent, buy one anywhere!
https://www.ebay.com/i/262898678257?chn=ps&dispItem=1
sounds like you are slipping a plastic gear…
Have any of the dealership mechanics bothered to check if the cabin air temperature sensor is in fact accurate
It’s not very difficult to determine that. It typically involves a chart, which correlates resistance versus temperature. A few minutes spent with an accurate thermometer and a decent multimeter would answer that question once and for all
I just don’t think putting thermometers on the dash near the auto temp sensor would really tell you anything. I seems the sun through the windshield would effect the reading. Maybe putting it on the passenger seat or taping it to the console would give a better reading of actual inside temp.
I still don’t understand complaining about automatic door locks. I might even pass on a vehicle without them.
I have noticed that by pressing not very hard on my Toyota Camry’s mirror I can click it in or out independent of the motor.
Thanks for the comments, George. I put two digital thermometers in my car and they agree. They also agree with the tester the Subaru garage used. It measured an 8 degree difference from the setting the day they tested it. I’ve been living with poor temp control for 6 months, but I find the constant adjustments distracting as I’m driving. I’ve got better things to think about, like improving my shave. 
If I’m being picky, it still doesn’t explain their written policy that 10 - 14 degree deviations from the setting are acceptable.
Thanks for the idea, Keith. I also tried that. It didn’t improve. Interesting that the local Subaru guys suggested twisting the whole mirror assembly outward. I’m currently trying that, but it flops back to the original position when I close the door.