Complaint volume
805 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Subaru Outback Complaints
805 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Subaru Outback, grouped by component category.
805 Total complaints
27 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
10 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are visibility/wiper, electrical system, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 27 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 10 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 488 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 21,422 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to visibility/wiper, electrical system, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Subaru Outback?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Subaru Outback
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Subaru Outback complaints?
27 Crash
4 Fire
10 Injury
0 Fatality
19 Towed
7 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Subaru Outback complaint categories?
VISIBILITY/WIPER 210
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 197
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 97
VISIBILITY 37
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 23
STEERING 22
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 19
ENGINE 15
STRUCTURE 12
BACK OVER PREVENTION 10
805 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery continues to drain prematurely. It's been an issue since the very beginning of out ownership in June 2018. We replaced the battery after it would not hold a charge for more than two days. The replacement battery still wouldn't last for more than a day or two. Now in the cold weather it won't even last a day. Two days ago, I went in the grocery store for about 45 minutes and the battery was dead. I can't go anywhere without my portable jump starter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The windshield has had 3 different pressure cracks (there's never been any evidence of a chip or impact) and the cracks have all appeared spontaneously. The cracks spread quickly and end up having to be replaced. The first crack was in May 2018, the second was in March 2020, and the 3rd (most recent) happened December 30, 2021. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery loses charge overnight for no reason. New battery placed in vehicle and same issue still present. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | My husband and I were driving on the freeway at 10:05 am on 12/23/21. Suddenly we heard a slight noise that emanated from the windshield. I 13 1/2 inch crack appeared on the passenger side windshield. Upon closer inspection there is a minute ding mark near the bottom of the windshield that may have been caused by a very small pebble, causing the windshiedl to crack upon impact. The vehicle is available for inspection. Safety concerns are visibility of the road, other vehicles, and possible Eyesight system failure that is embedded in the windshield. I am reporting this prior to any inspection. I will now call the insurance and the manufacturer for repair. There was no warning system of any kind. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | STRUCTURE | Rock hit windshield and cracked windshield, from a small rock cracking the windshield and leaving this much damage if it was a bigger one it could have gone through and hurt us. This will be the second time I’ll have to repair the windshield. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | AIR BAGS | I was rear-ended on August 30 in this vehicle while at a traffic stop by a truck traveling 65+mph. Upon impact, I was pushed into the vehicle in front of me at a high rate of speed. Despite being hit from behind and pushed into the vehicle ahead of me no airbags deployed in the vehicle. As a result, my head struck the steering wheel knocking me unconscious, and has resulted in a traumatic brain injury, labyrinthine concussion, whiplash, and damage to my vision and hearing. The vehicle was totaled out by my insurance company and the vehicle was sold to CoPart and I don't believe anyone has investigated it even though all parties have been made aware of it. Prior to the accident there were no warning lights and all vehicle safety systems appeared to be in working order. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery is draining over time. Vehicle is now on 3rd battery in 3 years! Dealer replaced original battery during 2nd year and claimed it under warranty. Now that battery has failed and a different brand of battery has been installed (Dec 2021). Unknown cause of battery drain. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | We have a 2018 Subaru Outback with 87,000. As of yesterday our car is now on its third battery. The original battery lasted about a two years, then we purchased one from Autozone, that battery only lasted 15 months. There is obviously an issue with the electrical system on these cars causing the battery to have a shortened life span. With so many electronics in the car it seems the battery may be to small, it is only a 25 series battery. It could possibly be there are issues with the electrical system cause constant drain. We do know that the car showed no real signs of battery failure before the battery is dead. No slow starting, dim headlights, etc. Both batteries were working well, until all of a sudden they did not. I have read online where this seems to be a real problem with these cars from 2016 to 2019 and possibly the 2020 models. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | Carry Handle, Shell, Base | I was in an accident 11/26 and would need to replace my care seat | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery will not hold charge | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | BATTERY KEPT DIEING THE FIRST TIME CAR WAS ONLY 2 WEEKS OLDIT DIED AT LEAST 10 TIMES SINCE ALSO IF TAILGATE IS LEFT OPEN CAR BATTERY IS DEAD AFTER 5 MINUTES | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while approaching her parked vehicle, she noticed a crack on the middle of the passenger’s side windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 85,000 |
| Nov 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | A week ago, drove 5 miles to get a hamburger. While the car was parked I listened to the radio. When my husband returned with our food 8 minutes later, the car would not start. The battery was dead. This happened again today (11/19/21) when we drove 4 miles and parked. I left the key in the ignition for barely 3 minutes before removing it, but the battery was dead when I tried to start it again a few minutes later. Both instances we used a portable battery charger after having the same problem happen during the summer. Today my husband took the car in to have the battery checked, but it is within normal range (12.2 volts). Aside from the battery problem, the oil lamp also comes on a lot…after getting a complete oil changed which should last us 6k miles or so, the oil warning light comes on after 1,500 or 2k miles, forcing us to add a quart of oil which we always have in the car now. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked overnight and as he sat in the vehicle the next morning, he noticed a foot-long crack starting from the top of the windshield going down on the driver’s side. The contact looked around but could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and advised the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the repair because the warranty only covered minor cracks. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 32,000 |
| Nov 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I experienced premature draining of my car battery. I purchased the car in March 2021. It had approximately 19K miles and was in excellent/showroom condition. This is my first car with GPS and other advanced driving assistance safety features and collision avoidance systems. I'm still trying to understand all of these but some seem to have a mind of their own. I discovered the car's battery dead on the morning of 11/14/21. There was no warning that there might be a low battery problem and the car worked fine the previous day. I researched on-line about why this would suddenly happen and came across the Class-Action Lawsuit filed in April 2020 regarding these problems with Subaru Outback and Ascend models. I will also be contacting the legal team involved with the lawsuit, McKenzie Lake Lawyers, to verify if I need to take any steps prior to having my car fixed. Because Subaru of America and its dealerships deny there is a fundamental problem with premature battery draining, there is no verifiable source on how to repair the car, outside of simply replacing the battery, or how to reset the associated memory features. I have no idea of what electronic and safety features will or will not be operating properly once I replace the battery. I'm also very hesitant to take the car on a long trip over the Thanksgiving Day week. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | i own a 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited. In the last 18 months the battery has died three times while the car is parked. On the second occasion the battery condition was poor and I had to replace it. The third time occurred yesterday. Each time I have had to call for roadside assistance and wait, unable to start/use the car unti the help arrived. I have never had a similar problem with any previous car I have owned. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact noticed that the windshield was cracked from the bottom of the passenger’s side going upward. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,130. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,130 |
| Nov 2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer as well as Hudiburg Subaru (210 E Interstate 240 Service Rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73149) on several occasions. However, both dealers could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V587000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 65,000 |
| Nov 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My new replaced battery just died again. The first one lasted 27 months and after Subaru replaced a new one, it died after 15 months. I did report on the first one too. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery died for no apparent reason. This left me stranded after dark in Baltimore City. I was able to get a jump start to get home but the car would not start even after the battery was placed on a charger. There are numerous internet news items describing similar stories. I contacted the dealer who refused to assist and therefore replaced the battery myself. There was no warning that this would happen. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshields crack for no reason. We are on the fourth windshield. One was a stone hit. So while weak, that is not the main issue. But we then had the windshield suddenly crack from no contact driving slowly through a cemetery. We replaced that windshield at Subaru then again the next day it cracked. Again, nothing hit it and the speed was slow. Not cemetery slow. But about 40 miles an hour. This is a real problem! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery intermittently drains and goes completely dead. At times I have heard what sounds to be an electric motor running at night when the car is off in the garage without the key in the ignition. The dealer has changed the battery but that did not fix the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery intermittently goes dead without warning. When the car is off at times one can hear what sounds like an electric motor running. One time the tail gate was found up and the battery was dead. No one can remember leaving the gate up. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the next morning a large S-shaped crack was present in the middle of the front windshield. The contact indicated that the crack was not present after parking the night before and no object had contacted the windshield to cause the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred and was repaired. The failure mileage was 29,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 29,000 |
| Sep 2021 | ENGINE | I had pulled into our garage and had come to a stop. With my foot on the brake, I was reaching for the ignition button to turn the car off when the car suddenly accelerated forward and struck our large metal tool box, pushing it through the rear wall of the garage. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. No warning lamps or messages appeared. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |