1,468 of the 3,749 complaints about the Subaru Outback (39.2%) concern Body & structure, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 4.3× the Body & structure share across all tracked vehicles.
1,468Complaints · Body & structure
39.2%Share of complaints
4.27×vs. all vehicles
23Last 12 months
0.2%Share involving a crash or fire
3Related recalls
Analysis
By model year, Body & structure complaints peak with the 2019 model (377, 36% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2025 model (6). 23 Body & structure complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 59 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.
Owners most often describe: “windshield”, “crack”, “impact”, “rock” and “side”. 3 of these reports (0.2%) describe a crash or fire, with 6 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
3 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 22V712000 (2022-09-22, model years 2022).
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while walking around the vehicle attempting to put her husband in the passenger seat, the hatchback opened independently, and they both got pushed independently from the vehicle on the ground…
Body & structure · 2025-11-20 · ODI 11700576
I opened the trunk door went to retrieve my groceries and the trunk door came down with extreme force on the top of my head without warning hitting me in the head causing a concussion.
Body & structure · 2025-11-15 · ODI 11699581
Primary Symptom: Spontaneous thermal stress fracture propagating across the front windshield. Origin Point: Extreme bottom-right outer edge, directly beneath the passenger-side windshield wiper blade.
Body & structure · 2026-08-14 · ODI 11757040
Large crack spontaneously formed in window whiled parked overnight. No visible indications of impact. Suspect related to it being very hot out.
Body & structure · 2026-08-12 · ODI 11756608
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.
Body & structure · 2026-08-07 · ODI 11755406
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH the front windshield cracked approximately 6 inches from the heat sensor, no warning lights were illuminated.
Body & structure · 2026-08-03 · ODI 11754601
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD Campaign 22V712000 · 2022-09-22 · Model years: 2022
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Impreza and Outback vehicles. The incorrect paint clearcoat may have been applied, which can cause the windshield to be insufficiently bonded to the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Remedy: Subaru will offer owners a vehicle exchange or repurchase, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 21, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-22.
STRUCTURE Campaign 19V493000 · 2019-06-26 · Model years: 2019
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES Campaign 18V935000 · 2018-12-31 · Model years: 2018
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.
How common are Body & structure problems on the Subaru Outback?
1,468 of the 3,749 complaints about the Subaru Outback (39.2%) concern Body & structure, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 4.3× the Body & structure share across all tracked vehicles.
Which Subaru Outback model years have the most Body & structure complaints?
By model year, Body & structure complaints peak with the 2019 model (377, 36% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2025 model (6).
Is there a recall for Subaru Outback Body & structure problems?
3 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 22V712000 (2022-09-22, model years 2022).