2025 Subaru Outback problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 75 owner complaints about the 2025 Subaru Outback, or 44.8 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.06, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #55 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Subaru models its rate is 14% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 16% 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 2026-08-22. Median delay from incident to filing: 7 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2024) drew 34.0 complaints per year, fewer than this one.
The most common problem area is Interior & equipment (22.7% of complaints), followed by Electrical (17.3%) and Driver-assist systems (14.7%). Interior & equipment complaints are 2.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Interior & equipment reports, owners most often mention “satellite radio”, “pop-up”, “siriusxm”, “navigation” and “wireless”. 6 reports (8.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 10 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (64% of incidents). In the last 12 months 52 new complaints were filed, versus 23 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles1.06
- vs. other Subaru models1.14
- vs. other 2025 models0.93
- vs. other Midsize SUVs0.84
- #55 of 85 · 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
Interior & equipment · Common terms in reports
- satellite radio3
- pop-up3
- siriusxm3
- navigation5
- wireless3
- distracting4
Electrical · Common terms in reports
- advertising3
- eyesight3
- functions3
- infotainment3
- screen4
- system6
Driver-assist systems · Common terms in reports
- lane departure6
- reason5
- emergency braking4
- eyesight3
- randomly4
- collision5
Problem areas: Body & structure · Electrical · Interior & equipment · Engine · Driver-assist systems · Transmission / powertrain · Airbags & seat belts · Steering · Brakes · Fuel system
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 4
- Fires reported: 2
- Injuries: 1
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 10 months
What owners report
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.
NHTSA Complaint Narrative — Draft On July 9, 2026, in the evening, my leased 2026 Subaru Outback Touring caught fire while we were driving home. We were stopped in a left-turn lane waiting on a left-turn signal.
Car battery has been failing since June it will not stay charged it started out losing power over weekends now it is every day. It is so bad I purchased a portable battery charger from auto zone to jump my car.
Needed to move quickly out of way of oncoming traffic, but delay/hesitation in CVT made it almost impossible to avoid traffic.
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving during heavy rainfall, the front windshield displayed a distorted view while the windshield wipers were activated.
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 | 7 | 4.2 | 0.1 |
| 2025 Toyota Highlander | 9 | 5.4 | 0.13 |
| 2025 Honda Passport | 35 | 20.9 | 0.5 |
| 2025 Nissan Pathfinder | 49 | 29.3 | 0.7 |
| 2025 Subaru Outback | 75 | 44.8 | 1.06 |
| 2025 Ford Explorer | 96 | 57.4 | 1.36 |
| 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 104 | 62.2 | 1.48 |
| 2025 Kia Telluride | 105 | 62.8 | 1.49 |
| 2025 Kia Sorento | 123 | 73.5 | 1.75 |
| 2025 Chevrolet Traverse | 173 | 103.4 | 2.46 |
| 2025 Honda Pilot | 194 | 116.0 | 2.76 |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe | 212 | 126.7 | 3.01 |
| 2025 Hyundai Palisade | 240 | 143.5 | 3.41 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2025 Subaru Outback?
75 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2025 Subaru Outback, or about 44.8 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2025 Subaru Outback?
The most common category is Interior & equipment, accounting for 22.7% of complaints.
Does the 2025 Subaru Outback have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Is the 2025 Subaru Outback still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 52 new complaints were filed, versus 23 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2025 Subaru Outback compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 75 owner complaints about the 2025 Subaru Outback, or 44.8 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.06, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #55 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Subaru models its rate is 14% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 16% lower.