Subaru Confirms Outback Drivers Can Disable DriverFocus as 9% of New-Car Complaints Hit ADAS Alerts
Updated
Updated · Motor1 · May 26
Subaru Confirms Outback Drivers Can Disable DriverFocus as 9% of New-Car Complaints Hit ADAS Alerts
1 articles · Updated · Motor1 · May 26
Subaru said owners can deactivate the DriverFocus distraction-mitigation system through the vehicle’s head unit, addressing complaints that the in-cabin camera issues overly sensitive “keep eyes on road” warnings.
722,000 TikTok views and a 22,000-view Outback forum thread amplified owner frustration, with drivers saying the system beeps during brief glances at scenery or music controls and can misread attentive driving.
9% of new-vehicle problems now stem from ADAS alerts, J.D. Power said, calling annoying warnings the biggest complaint category and a problem that has grown for five straight years.
Subaru argued many drivers still value the feature, citing an IIHS survey in which nearly 9 in 10 users said they use it most or all of the time and 70% want it in their next car.
2027 is the key backdrop: U.S. law will require new cars to include impaired-driver monitoring systems, even as regulators acknowledge the technology is not yet fully ready.
Why is the US mandating flawed driver monitoring tech when federal regulators admit it isn't ready for new cars?
Do driver monitoring systems actually reduce crashes, or are they just an expensive annoyance with no proven safety benefit?
Your new car will be required to watch you. Who gets access to that data and how will it be used?