Honestly, my CVT could be shredding itself as I drive, but this is the one annoyance I notice every time I turn on my car. So I really hope an update changes this "feature", but doesn't induce additional instability to the headunit software.

 

The solution would be epic simple
* you turn off the radio before shutting down the car --> radio off at the next ignition on
* you leave the radio on before shutting down the car --> radio will turn on at next ignition on

in this way you will make happy who like radio always on and who does not

 

It's so epic simple (and correct) that it completely boggles the mind why it wasn't designed like that in the first place.

 

It is my understanding this HAS been fixed with that most-recient software update. (some dealerships are not aware of it yet)

 

This must be the case. Just got a new '18 with an April build date that the the radio doesn't come on automatically. The Starlink logo will display but if the radio was off prior to last shutdown it will be off on next startup.

 

Good news that this is being addressed except this statement from Subaru US displays an incomplete understanding of the problem. Audio coming back on when you start the car is not the problem for many of us. Switching to RADIO from USB when you STOP the car is the problem (so two separate problems, really). There needs to be a way to disable fallback to radio when the USB is powered off. I wish I could also reprogram the useless "Radio" button to be a Media button. I never want Radio but I often want a shortcut to get to the Media screen.

 

That is your particular item on the wish list for system behavior. Other people have complained about the sound level and it appears that this fix is directed at their requirements.

It is highly unlikely that they are going to give anyone the option of reprogramming buttons to have some other function. Maybe you should clearly quantify what you want and see if there is a consensus of people who want the same thing.. then speak for that group in a separate request to Subaru for a "capability enhancement" to add a media button.

 

I think SOA is full of crap and just patronizing you guys. The fix will never happen. It would of been fixed yesterday if it was do able.
Just like many of the dealerships with their canned line " we can't duplicate the problem" for whatever the issue is.
They need an upgrade in their customer service overall. Thankfully my Subaru is pretty solid as I'd hate to have to deal with them often.

 

This from Subaru, dated June 4, 2018

15-211-17R
Technical Service Bulletin
Reprogramming File Availability Offering Additional Optimiza...

Reprogramming File Availability Offering Additional Optimization of Harman Gen 3 Audio and Navigation Head Units
Jun 4, 2018

I'll report back on the results of applying this update that I'm having performed tomorrow.

and btw, this has all been discussed in other threads.

one fix is to set your radio to Sirius channel 0 and this problem won't happen to you.

 

I'm a "glass half full" guy. So if there is a fist to this great!

Hey by the way - since my 18' outback got nailed (officially totaled now) I've been in a Nissan Rouge. You want to talk about a complete POS? JHFC what a POS - audio is stone age trying to present itself and what I don't know. The "eyesight" slams the brakes on in parking garages when you decent levels.

Comparatively speaking -the outback is MOAR better.

 

It's love that makes a Subaru, not necessarily a logical user experience.

 

Praise the Lord...

 

Yes!!!

 

This was also an issue with Chrysler’s and jeeps I’ve rented over the last year or two. I’m glad to announce Chrysler and Jeep finally fixed this issue. And they went above and beyond in their fix. The recent ‘18 Charger I had as a loaner now let’s you turn off the radio and it stays off. If you mute the radio it stays muted the next time you start the car. And if you forget to do either there is a volume limiter so the next time you start the car you don’t get your ears blown off if you were jammin the last time.
Can’t wait to see the Subaru fix.

 

In the grand scheme of things, I am not that irritated by this problem, but I would like it fixed.

 

My dealer had my wife's '18 Legacy 3.6R all day yesterday in order to perform what should be a simple update to the latest software. I called mid-afternoon because I hadn't heard from them. They stated they were having a tough time getting the entire update to load onto my car's headunit. It finally worked and now we have the "latest and probably not greatest" version of the firmware.

 

I had mine updated early this year, and I had the same experience: all day to get the update done.

 

Even if I turn the radio off before turning off the ignition it comes on when the ignition is turned on next time.
The Subaru dealer says that that is what it is designed to do (presumably by someone who always wants the radio on).
Hopefully what I read in the Forum is true, and Subaru will fix this mis-design and then let those of us who want the radio to go off when the ignition is turned off, and stay off until we turn it back on, will be given an easy way to make that happen, or an invitation to have the dealer do that for us, for free.

 

Thanks. Same problem here.

 

This is the least of their worries. 2018 3.6R Touring, so far 2 head units and one amplifier. Car is still at the dealer. I would NEVER buy another subaru!

 

A nice fix would be

I wish they'd fix having to hit play after selecting a source like USB or iPod. No other Subaru operated this way.
It's like Subaru added all this Eyesight technology because they knew you were going to have to take your eyes off the road more to deal with their new POS infotainment system.

 

I wish they'd fix having to hit play after selecting a source like USB or iPod. No other Subaru operated this way.

Did you try under [Settings][General][USB Device Automatically Play][On] ?

I don't know if that works for iPod, but it does for USB.

 

Can't quite remember, but easy enough to check. I did try using a USB stick but didn't like the load time, every time.
Sweet! That worked! Can't believe I didn't figure that out earlier.

 

I am sure this has been mentioned but.....what if you turn the radio volume down to 0 before turning the car off? Does that work? It's 1 second of your time if that works.

 

Yep, that works. But now I have to spend one entire second turning it back up when I want to hear the audio again. /sarcasm

 

Be careful what you ask for.

Like almost everyone else, I too had a problem with the radio always ON. However I am now used to a quick turn of the volume dial to "0". If given a choice between holding down the "OFF" switch for 3 seconds to shut off radio I think I'll just stick with a turn to "0". If any update ever does come out I sure hope it doesn't take 4 steps to turn it off !

Another case of be careful what you ask for.

 

Like almost everyone else, I too had a problem with the radio always ON. However I am now used to a quick turn of the volume dial to "0". If given a choice between holding down the "OFF" switch for 3 seconds to shut off radio I think I'll just stick with a turn to "0". If any update ever does come out I sure hope it doesn't take 4 steps to turn it off !

Another case of be careful what you ask for.

Good point. Turning down the volume to zero is super quick. It is just not something people think about doing (I did not think of it), because what other system behaves like this?

 

Did this ever get fixed? I recently bought a 2019 Outback, and it's one of the issues I find annoying.

 

Yes. And No.
With a software update if you press AND hold the power button, which is also the mute button and the volume knob BUT officially called the power button in the owners manual, the radio will physically turn and and stay off until you press the button again. It’s not ideal or like any other manufacturer’s where you simply have to press it.

 

that is easy to fix for the programmers at Subaru

add an on/off button to the radio screen and have the device remember what state it is in. btw they aer not the only clowns with issues...lol

My pops has a 2019 Jeep Cherokee and yup, no way to turn the radio off... talk about clown system design.

 

It's strange. I mean, plenty of programmers listen to music, and have familiarity with music files and their manner of ordering. And they usually have an even better understanding than your average music listener, since programmers tend to be technical, detail-oriented people who hone in on such issues. It's as if Subaru hired head-unit programmers from some other planet where there is no music. Maybe because they don't have ears on that planet? That's the only explanation.

EDIT: sorry, I got confused writing this post, and mixed it up with the other major music annoyance that I'm experiencing now. Still, the principle holds so I'll leave it!