2016 Subaru Outback: Problems & Reliability
YEAR TO AVOIDThe 2016 Subaru Outback has 0 NHTSA owner complaints, 464 manufacturer service bulletins, and 0 recall campaigns on federal record. Among the 12 Subaru Outback model years with federal records, it ranks 3rd by combined complaint and bulletin volume — one of the years to avoid.
Sources: NHTSA complaints (ODI), manufacturer service bulletins, recall campaigns, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Updated 2026-11-05 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology
0
NHTSA complaints
464
Service bulletins
0
Recall campaigns
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Avg. buyer-paid
How the 2016 compares to adjacent years
Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume. Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year). Full year-by-year table: Subaru Outback years to avoid.
Know what to pay for the right 2016 Subaru Outback — then negotiate it
Years-to-avoid tells you which year. Search live listings to see the target price and what verified buyers actually paid for it.
- Verified buyer-paid target price for your exact make, model & trim
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FAQ
Is the 2016 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 2016 Subaru Outback has 0 NHTSA owner complaints, 464 manufacturer service bulletins, and 0 recall campaigns on federal record. Among the 12 Subaru Outback model years with federal records, it ranks 3rd by combined complaint and bulletin volume — one of the years to avoid. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Subaru Outback?
Owner complaints for the 2016 Subaru Outback are not concentrated in a single component area; see the model-wide problem summary on the Subaru Outback years-to-avoid page.
Does the 2016 Subaru Outback have recalls?
No open recall campaigns are on federal record for the 2016 Subaru Outback in this dataset — but always run the VIN, because recall status is VIN-specific and repairs may be outstanding on the exact car you're looking at.
Is the 2016 Subaru Outback a good year to buy?
The 2016 is one of the Subaru Outback years to avoid by complaint and bulletin volume — the 2025 and 2024 model years show cleaner records. If the price reflects the risk and the specific car checks out by VIN, informed buyers still do fine; just don't pay clean-year money for it.
How do I check a specific 2016 Subaru Outback before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for the exact VIN — recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for this model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.