Subaru Outback Unspecified or other problems

1.42 vs. all vehicles Rising

487 of the 3,816 complaints about the Subaru Outback (12.8%) concern Unspecified or other, making it the model's third-largest problem area. That share is 1.4× the Unspecified or other share across all tracked vehicles.

487Complaints · Unspecified or other

12.8%Share of complaints

1.42×vs. all vehicles

59Last 12 months

1.4%Share involving a crash or fire

0Related recalls

Analysis

59 Unspecified or other complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 41 in the 12 months before — up 44%.

7 of these reports (1.4%) describe a crash or fire, with 4 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.

No recall campaign addresses Unspecified or other for the tracked model years.

By model year

Year	Complaints	Share of complaints
2018	103	12.7%
2019	131	12.6%
2020	101	11.2%
2021	39	13.1%
2022	60	12.9%
2023	11	12.4%
2024	18	18.2%
2025	18	22.0%
2026	6	17.1%

When complaints were filed

Last 12 months: 59 · Previous 12 months: 41

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.

Unspecified or other · 2026-10-13 · ODI 11770844 · Fire
The air-conditioning/HVAC system repeatedly failed to cool and blew hot air. The vehicle was leased new on [XXX]; warm air returned within about two days.

Unspecified or other · 2026-10-07 · ODI 11769766
Unknown. Best assessment between 2:09 and 2:15 pm on the XXX pass outside of [XXX] heading west. There were wind gusts up to 27 mph. I was traveling highway speeds 75-80mph. I had been driving highway speeds since 10:30 am coming from [XXX] No warning.

Unspecified or other · 2026-09-27 · ODI 11767264
I am reporting a severe structural vulnerability regarding the component shielding on the 2026 Subaru Forester Touring.

Unspecified or other · 2026-09-15 · ODI 11764412
Infotainment unit in my 2018 Subaru Outback has had a recurring freeze/black-screen defect since new, and it directly affects the backup camera display and interaction with EyeSight safety features, creating a rear-visibility hazard while reversing and a…

Unspecified or other · 2026-09-12 · ODI 11763841
On our long driveway, the car strongly accelerated with no gas pressure. I firmly pushed the brake and brought it to a stop. Upon lifting the brake again, it immediately accelerated entirely on its own with no use of the gas pedal.

Unspecified or other · 2026-09-07 · ODI 11762582

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Related recalls

No recall campaign addresses Unspecified or other for the tracked model years.

Problem areas · Subaru Outback

Subaru Outback problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›