Subaru Outback Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 8,070 complaints about the Subaru Outback with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system and windshield visibility, and NHTSA lists 55 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Outback to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2011, 2016–2020 and 2022 as years to avoid and rates 2024 as a better year. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
8,070
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2026)
278
Complaints citing a crash
55
Recall campaigns
7
Years to avoid
Most-reported Subaru Outback problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2007–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 2,153 | 27% | 25 | 28 | 6 |
| Visibility / wipers | 2,029 | 25% | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 783 | 10% | 26 | 6 | 8 |
| Engine | 640 | 8% | 23 | 27 | 10 |
| Air bags | 489 | 6% | 73 | 3 | 51 |
| Service brakes | 401 | 5% | 66 | 2 | 13 |
| Steering | 315 | 4% | 15 | 1 | 6 |
| Exterior lighting | 284 | 4% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Of all 8,070 complaints, 278 (3%) report a crash, 66 (1%) a fire and 130 (2%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (1,990 complaints), the most-reported areas are windshield visibility (821), the electrical system (445), automatic emergency braking (173), the engine (109).
Subaru Outback complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine, which compares each Outback model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 230 | 8 | Air bags | — |
| 2009 | 112 | 13 | Air bags | — |
| 2010 | 360 | 18 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2011 | 653 | 16 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2012 | 295 | 16 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2013 | 297 | 12 | Engine | — |
| 2014 | 208 | 10 | Air bags | — |
| 2015 | 509 | 5 | Visibility / wipers | — |
| 2016 | 643 | 4 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2017 | 921 | 4 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2018 | 816 | 3 | Visibility / wipers | Avoid |
| 2019 | 1,036 | 3 | Visibility / wipers | Avoid |
| 2020 | 906 | 6 | Visibility / wipers | Avoid |
| 2021 | 300 | 4 | Visibility / wipers | — |
| 2022 | 466 | 4 | Visibility / wipers | Avoid |
| 2023 | 89 | 2 | Forward collision avoidance | — |
| 2024(new) | 101 | 0 | Visibility / wipers | Better year |
| 2025(new) | 83 | 0 | Forward collision avoidance | — |
| 2026(new) | 45 | 0 | Electrical system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Subaru Outback recalls
NHTSA lists 55 recall campaigns across Subaru Outback model years 2008–2026. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V292000May 11, 2016 | 2015–2017 | Steering — column | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a…NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 20V001000Jan 2, 2020 | 2008–2014 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered,… |
| 20V003000Jan 2, 2020 | 2008–2014 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered,… |
| 20V002000Jan 2, 2020 | 2008–2014 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in… |
| 19V297000Apr 11, 2019 | 2008–2014 | Electrical system — ignition / switch | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a… |
Best and worst Outback years
- Years to avoid: 2011, 2016–2020 and 2022.
- Better years: 2024.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Subaru Outback years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Subaru Outback
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Visibility: test the wipers at every speed, washers, defrosters and the climate system (fogging is a common complaint).
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Subaru Outback can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Subaru Outback reliability FAQ
Is the Subaru Outback reliable?
Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 8,070 complaints about the Subaru Outback with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system and windshield visibility, and NHTSA lists 55 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Outback to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2011, 2016–2020 and 2022 as years to avoid and rates 2024 as a better year. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Subaru Outback problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, the most-reported areas are the electrical system (2,153), windshield visibility (2,029), the transmission (783) and the engine (640). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are windshield visibility, the electrical system and automatic emergency braking. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Subaru Outback should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2011, 2016–2020 and 2022 as years to avoid and rates 2024 as a better year. Each model year is compared only with other Outback years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Subaru Outback last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 2.1% of 22,258 used Outback listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 10.3% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 9.3% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Subaru Outback have?
NHTSA lists 55 recall campaigns covering Subaru Outback model years 2008–2026. The one covering the most model years is 16V292000 (steering, 2015–2017). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Subaru Outback?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Outback reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Subaru Outback, model years 2008–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each Outback model year only with other Outback years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Outback compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.
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Subaru Outback reliability by model year: