From the manual p119 The doors can be locked or unlocked when the car is being washed or exposed to a significant amount of water touching the door handle while the key slot is still in the operating range. p. 157-8 Tailgate can open suddenly – CONTINUED – Tailgate (Outback) 1572 Keys and doors
in the following circumstances if someone keeps the access key near the vehicle. – Washing the vehicle by hand and/or by machine. – There is an object in the rear of the vehicle in a tight space. – Attaching a carrier to the rear of the vehicle – Attaching a trailer – Snow removal Move the entry key out of the operating range or turn the function off when you do not want to activate the Power Rear Gate hands-free function. It refers to “Hands-free Power Rear Tailgate Switch” FP158. p358 Deactivate the Auto Vehicle Hold function in the following cases. Otherwise, the vehicle may move suddenly, causing serious injury or accidents. – When you wash your vehicle at an automatic car wash. p464 Outback: Since your vehicle is equipped with a rear wiper, the automatic car wash brushes can become tangled around it, damaging the wiper arm and other components. Ask the automatic car wash operator to prevent the brushes from touching the wiper arm or to tape the wiper arm to the rear window glass before starting the machine.
When I’m done here, I plan to email the SOA with a copy of the above and an important recommendation that the infotainment system include a simple home page app button to prepare the vehicle for a wash. It should also include a software switch to return the setting to the previous settings after washing the car. A simple pre-wash and post-wash selection and status is what I expect.
