car needed to be jump started

Sounds more like the battery to me...

Not enough information here to help you. Both the battery and charging system need to be tested to determine the cause of your problem. In some cases a failed alternator will stress the battery so it will fail as well, the opposite is also true.

Happened to me very recently...99 OBW w/ 117K miles and original battery. Turns out I just needed a new battery, which autozone installed for me in the parking lot.

LK

get a multimeter and hook up the leads to your battery while car is on. if it reads above 12volts or around 14 volts then your alternator is fine. just bring it to a auto parts store and they will tell you.

paul j

Get the battery tested & replace if it's cactus, but get them to check your charging rate at the same time. Kills 2 birds with one stone and saves one labour cost and another trip. Cheers

OB has a recall

"Subaru of America, Inc. has determined that your Subaru may experience a loss of alternator charging

due to a broken brush wire.

As your Subaru accumulates more miles, the brush wire may become fatigued and eventually break.

If the wire does break, the Charge Warning Light will illuminate providing ample time for the driver to seek repair service

(depending on battery condition, approximately one hour of vehicle operation.)

However, if the warning is ignored, the battery will eventually lose power and the engine will stop running.

Please contact your Subaru dealer and schedule an appointment to inspect and possibly replace the alternator at no cost to you.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, but we have taken this action to assure your vehicle?s proper performance."