2025 Subaru Outback problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 82 owner complaints about the 2025 Subaru Outback, or 45.9 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (complaint index 1.14, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 86 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #56 of 86 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Subaru models its rate is 26% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 13% lower.
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
Complaints filed between 2024-11-14 and 2026-10-07. Median delay from incident to filing: 7 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2024) drew 35.5 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2026) drew 35.0 per year, fewer than this one.
The most common problem area is Unspecified or other (22.0% of complaints), followed by Electrical (17.1%) and Driver-assist systems (15.9%). Unspecified or other complaints are 2.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 7 reports (8.5%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 11 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (60% of incidents). In the last 12 months 54 new complaints were filed, versus 28 in the 12 months before — up 93%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles1.14
- vs. other Subaru models1.26
- vs. other 2025 models0.96
- vs. other Midsize SUVs0.87
- #56 of 86 · 2025Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Body & structure · Electrical · Unspecified or other · Engine · Driver-assist systems · Transmission / powertrain · Airbags & seat belts · Steering · Brakes · Fuel system
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 5
- Fires reported: 2
- Injuries: 1
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 11 months
What owners report
The brakes failed and could be inspected upon request. My safety and the safety of two other passengers was put at risk because my vehicle rear ended an another vehicle at a red light.
When engine auto-restarts after Auto Start-Stop has started engine, steering wheel jerks violently if it is not completely straight, dislocated my 5th finger.
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving on the freeway in stop-and-go traffic with the automatic braking system activated, the vehicle erroneously reversed and failed to immediately stop while depressing the brake pedal.
July 4, 2025 car had about 4100 miles Severe dangerous phantom braking on highway CA 280 N just prior to foothill expressway exit at about 7:30 pm.
While traveling along I-94E outside of Macomb County on September 10th at around 8:30AM, forward collision warning triggered twice while facing the direct sun. It triggered for around 6 seconds.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2025 · Midsize SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Dodge Durango | 8 | 4.5 | 0.11 |
| 2025 Toyota Highlander | 10 | 5.6 | 0.14 |
| 2025 Honda Passport | 42 | 23.5 | 0.58 |
| 2025 Nissan Pathfinder | 54 | 30.2 | 0.75 |
| 2025 Subaru Outback | 82 | 45.9 | 1.14 |
| 2025 Ford Explorer | 105 | 58.7 | 1.45 |
| 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 115 | 64.3 | 1.59 |
| 2025 Kia Telluride | 119 | 66.6 | 1.65 |
| 2025 Kia Sorento | 134 | 75.0 | 1.86 |
| 2025 Chevrolet Traverse | 183 | 102.4 | 2.54 |
| 2025 Honda Pilot | 209 | 116.9 | 2.9 |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe | 232 | 129.8 | 3.22 |
| 2025 Hyundai Palisade | 249 | 139.3 | 3.45 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.