Couple Gets A Subaru Outback. Then They Realize It Has One Of The 'Dumbest Features' New Cars Now Have

"I want to stick an ice pick in the stupid camera!"

Photo by: adodd10 & Michael Kahn

Stacy Fernandez

By: Stacy Fernandez

May 26, at 6:00am ET

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Driver monitoring systems are supposed to make roads safer both for you and the people around you.

But a lot of drivers are finding them to be more of a nuisance than they’re worth. What do you think about driver monitoring systems?

In a TikTok with more than 722,000 views, content creator Alex Dodd (@adodd10) vents about a feature in his wife's new Subaru Outback. The car has Subaru's EyeSight driver assist system, which includes a driver monitoring camera mounted on the dashboard that watches your face and eyes while you drive.

The problem, he says, is that it's way too sensitive, at least in his perspective.

"If you veer off for two seconds, like if you look away like this, or if you're looking outside, I got mountains around us, right, I'm looking at the mountains, it'll flash and beep and say 'keep eyes on road,'" he says in the video.

Changing music on Spotify for two seconds, same result, he says.

"I get the idea of it, but this is the dumbest thing I've ever seen in a car," Dodd adds.

"Someone please help me turn this thing off.. It's annoying,” he adds in the caption.

What Is Subaru's DriverFocus System?

The feature Alex is describing is Subaru's DriverFocus distraction mitigation system, which works alongside EyeSight on select Outbacks. According to Speedway Subaru, the system uses an infrared camera to constantly monitor the position of the driver's head and eyes.

If it detects signs of fatigue or distraction, like eyes drifting off the road or head nodding, it sends an audio and visual alert. It also uses facial recognition to remember driver preferences like seat position and mirror settings for up to five drivers.

On paper, it sounds useful, but in practice, for some the system’s sensitivity can make it feel less like a safety feature and more like a backseat driver.

A thread on the Subaru Outback Forums with over 22,000 views shows owners expressing similar frustrations, with some saying the system fires warnings even when they're clearly watching the road. Others are just determined to figure out a way to disable it.

“I HATE THIS THING!! Not only does it not ‘see’ my wife and constantly want to have her reload her profile, it is always alarming and telling us to ‘Keep eyes on the road.’ You can be facing the road constantly and it will still alarm,” one wrote.

“I have gone through the menu and you can turn off the feature that remembers seat position, but not the driver alertness ‘eyes on the road’ part. I want to stick an ice pick in the stupid camera! So far all I have found is that if I put a rag over the camera it will ‘fail’ and shut itself off.”

It's Not Just Subaru

The frustration Dodd is describing isn't specific to Subaru — it's an industry-wide growing pain. According to a press release, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) alerts are the single biggest complaint category among new vehicle owners, accounting for 9% of problems, and that number has grown every year for five years running.

"The biggest issue consumers have with advanced driver assistance systems is that the alerts are annoying and bothersome," said Ashley Edgar, J.D. Power's senior director of global automotive supplier benchmarking.

“As more technology is added to vehicles, manufacturers need to ensure that driver assistance systems are integrated in such a way that enhances safety without detracting from the overall driving experience. Additionally, dealer personnel should focus on educating new-vehicle buyers about the purpose of various ADAS technologies to increase comprehension and satisfaction.”

The technology is only going to become more common. As Motor1 previously reported, a US law mandates that new cars include impaired driver monitoring systems by 2027—though regulators have acknowledged the technology isn't fully ready yet.