Subaru Outback problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 3,816 owner complaints and 15 safety recalls for the Subaru Outback. That averages 71.8 complaints per year on the road — more complaints than typical (index 1.78 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Midsize SUVs segment it ranks #11 of 14 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 52.5.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 75% below the 2018 and 2019 models (68 early complaints per model year versus 297).
The 2019 model year has the highest rate (133.0 complaints per year) and the 2023 model year the lowest (23.5). Model years 2019 and 2020 run at least 50% above this model's average of 71.8 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years. Model years 2023 and 2024 run at least 40% below this model's average of 71.8 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Body & structure (38.7% of complaints), followed by Electrical (27.2%) and Unspecified or other (12.8%). Body & structure complaints are 4.2 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 131 complaints (3.4%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 65 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 280 complaints versus 264 in the previous 12 months — up 6%. The 2025 model year generated the most recent reports (54). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 21 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 15 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2021 (3). No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Dodge Durango, Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Passport and Kia Sorento, but fewer than Kia Telluride, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Hyundai Palisade.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 814 | 92.6 | 2.29 | 41 | 3 | Body & structure | View › |
| 2019 ▲50%+ | 1,036 | 133.0 | 3.3 | 24 | 3 | Body & structure | View › |
| 2020 ▲50%+ | 899 | 132.4 | 3.28 | 20 | 6 | Body & structure | View › |
| 2021 | 297 | 51.3 | 1.27 | 17 | 4 | Body & structure | View › |
| 2022 | 465 | 97.1 | 2.41 | 37 | 4 | Body & structure | View › |
| 2023 Fewest complaints | 89 | 23.5 | 0.58 | 10 | 2 | Body & structure | View › |
| 2024 | 99 | 35.5 | 0.88 | 42 | 0 | Body & structure | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 82 | 45.9 | 1.14 | 54 | 0 | Unspecified or other | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 35 | 35.0 | 0.87 | 35 | 0 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 280 · Previous 12 months: 264 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Body & structure ›
1,478 · 38.7% · 4.25 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Electrical ›
1,039 · 27.2% · 1.73 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Unspecified or other ›
487 · 12.8% · 1.42 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Engine ›
188 · 4.9% · 0.22 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Driver-assist systems ›
144 · 3.8% · 0.66 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Transmission / powertrain ›
100 · 2.6% · 0.22 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Airbags & seat belts ›
74 · 1.9% · 0.51 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Steering ›
73 · 1.9% · 0.3 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Brakes ›
65 · 1.7% · 0.28 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system ›
59 · 1.5% · 0.36 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
47 · 1.2% · 0.67 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
33 · 0.9% · 0.35 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
29 · 0.8% · 0.49 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 21 months
What owners report
My car caught fire this morning. It had been making a little noise but nothing I thought couldn't wait til the next service. It started to have a smell, and then while I was waiting at a light with my son in the car, I noticed smoke from under the hood.
I opened the hood all the way to add washer fluid. While doing so, the hood came crashing down on my head.
The read passenger tire Dunlop 255/60R18 100H exploded while driving at approx. 30miles/hour. The tire did not have any punctures and did not hit any board walk. No previous warning whatsoever.
The pre-collision breaking system activated while I was driving 35mph on a straight road with no cars or obstacles present. There was enough force generated in the abrupt stop that the seatbelt locked and unsecured items were thrown to the floor.
SUMMARY OF SAFETY DEFECT: The vehicle exhibits severe, premature corrosion and rust perforation of the front subframe (crossmember) assembly. This structural component is deteriorating at an accelerated rate, compromising the vehicle's structural integrity.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Midsize SUVs
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge Durango | 786 | 15.2 | 0.38 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 18 | Lighting |
| 2 | Nissan Pathfinder | 596 | 19.2 | 0.48 | Worsening | Rising | 12 | Engine |
| 3 | Honda Passport | 759 | 24.8 | 0.61 | Improving | Rising | 17 | Electrical |
| 4 | Kia Sorento | 1,446 | 33.7 | 0.83 | Stable | Rising | 18 | Engine |
| 5 | Chevrolet Traverse | 1,738 | 42.0 | 1.04 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 14 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 6 | Ford Edge | 2,244 | 44.4 | 1.1 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 20 | Engine |
| 7 | Toyota Highlander | 2,162 | 45.8 | 1.13 | Improving | Rising | 21 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 8 | Hyundai Santa Fe | 2,092 | 58.4 | 1.45 | Worsening | Rising | 27 | Engine |
| 9 | Honda Pilot | 2,945 | 63.4 | 1.57 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 27 | Engine |
| 10 | Ford Explorer | 3,270 | 64.0 | 1.59 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 77 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 11 | Subaru Outback | 3,816 | 71.8 | 1.78 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 15 | Body & structure |
| 12 | Kia Telluride | 2,014 | 74.3 | 1.84 | Improving | Rising | 17 | Body & structure |
| 13 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 3,477 | 82.4 | 2.04 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 53 | Electrical |
| 14 | Hyundai Palisade | 2,471 | 105.3 | 2.61 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 16 | Airbags & seat belts |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 15
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (3) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (6) · 2021 (4) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (0) · 2025 (0) · 2026 (0)
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.