Complaint volume
796 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
796 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Subaru Outback, grouped by component category.
796 Total complaints
26 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 26 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?
26 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 196
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 93
VISIBILITY 37
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22
STEERING 22
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 19
ENGINE 13
STRUCTURE 12
BACK OVER PREVENTION 10
796 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | STRUCTURE | The front windshield (driver's side) cracked out of nowhere. Now there's a large crack that runs from the driver's side through the middle of the windshield. There were no visible chips on the front windshield prior to the incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact mentioned that his wife was out at the store and went into the store; after exiting the store the contact noticed that the front windshield was cracked from the passenger’s side straight across the middle to the driver side. The contact looked around to see if an object had struck the windshield however, no object was found. The windshield was not inspected or repaired. The dealer was contacted however, informed the contact that there was no recall under the VIN. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,800 | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,800 |
| Aug 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Went into my office yesterday morning and came out on my break to a cracked windshield. It was a perfect crack that seems to have started right at the edge of the glass extending to the middle of the windshield with no point of impact noted. As per Subaru it’s not covered under our Gold Warranty Plan even when we explained the glass seems to have just cracked on its own. After research it’s seems to be an issue with Subaru that they do not want to handle and with my insurance deductible being $500 I will have to cover the whole windshield for $471. At this point I will just leave eyesight off because it’s around another $600 to recalibrate that. ** accidentally uploaded a picture of an email and was unable to delete it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I was driving when suddenly the windshield cracked. It cracked in a Y shape. I took it to the Subaru dealer and was told that was due to a stone chip. When he is saying is a stone chip is where the the glass split into the y shape. They said that they will not cover under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Repeated battery failures. Two battery replacements and battery still is not holding a charge. First battery replacement at 17,120 miles - 5/30/2020 Second battery replacement on 21,300 miles - 2/20/2021 Latest, battery died on 8/22/2021 with about 24,000 miles. Had to be jumped. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, when he noticed there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,822. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,822 |
| Aug 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ON 2 OCCASIONS MY BATTERY WENT DEAD FOR NO APPARENT REASON . I brought it in to the dealership. The dealership suggested that i leave it for a complete diagnostic evaluation. they came back saying nothing was wrong. someone sent me an article about a man who is suing Subaru for the exact problem i had. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The fuel tank evap system has stopped working and is not venting the fuel tank properly. When I take the gas cap off there is a lot of pressure released. Filling the tank is slow (0.5 gallon per pump click) and leads to some (very small amounts) fuel spilling from the fill hole. Also, the check engine light/code for this disables the cruise control (traction control I assume) and possibly the ABS. (The first time the check engine light came on, the ABS and Brake light also came on.) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | After filling the vehicle with gas, the vehicle was able to start but with only enough power to drive at 15-20 miles per hour. I drove directly to the Subaru dealer (at 15 miles per hour) where they diagnosed a "bad cell" in the battery. They sold me and installed a replacement battery which resolved the problem. The vehicle was 2 years old with 42,581 miles on it at the time. There were no warnings prior to this incident and the vehicle and faulty battery were not inspected by anyone other than the mechanics at the dealership. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Cracked windshield due to no impact. This is third windshield in 3 years. Known problem. Distracted visibility. Will take to dealer for repair. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Sunday,August 1, 2021, at 9:05am, I backed out of my garage and when I attempted to turn my car, the steering locked, the car was drifting backwards and I had no brakes. As a result the car kept drifting backwards , off the driveway into the woods, hitting a tree. Once stopped, I was able to start the car and drive it out of the woods. The entire driver’s side was sideswiped and mirror torn off. I was not injured, but could have been. I called insurance that day. On Monday, we contacted the Subaru dealership. The local police were notified and documented the report. The insurance adjuster determined the car unsafe to drive and it was towed to the dealership August 4, 2021. There was no warning or indicated problem prior to the incident. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery drained and died for no reason within 2 weeks of purchase. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that there was a popping sound coming from the front windshield. The contact stated that one morning it was discovered that the front windshield had several cracks that had extended across the windshield from the top to the bottom of the windshield. The cause of the cracks was not determined. The contact stated that no object impacted the windshield to cause the cracks. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Aug 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery is not keeping charge, unable to start vehicle even after daily driving. With an infant, we need something more reliable, being stranded is not an option. Vehicle has not been inspected, upon further review this is a constant problem with lawsuits requesting for a resolution against Subaru. Battery indicator light would turn on and lights would flash when able. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Fuel injector fuel delivery line rupture and leaking. Left on vacation in this 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring on 07/23/2021, noticed the strong smell of gasoline when stopped, less so when interstate driving, with the fuel gauge declining more rapidly than it should. Stopped by Wheeling Volkswagen/Subaru Dealership just before their daily closing. They inspected and found the above ruptured fuel line, leaking onto the pavement under the engine compartment. They determined it was unsafe to drive, but did not have a replacement part. They found there were less than 10 of these fuel injector fuel delivery lines available in the whole U.S. Had to leave the vehicle with them, and the repair was completed 4 day later. The faulty component was observed by the service department personel, and by myself. I have no photos to submit, but have the repair invoice covered under Subaru's drive train warranty. This component failure could have easily resulted in a vehicle fire or explosion, and I feel very fortunate that did not happen! This fuel line is flexible rubber, not metal, and I think is made of faulty materials. I have never heard of such a failure personally. There were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms, other than the strong smell of gasoline. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery randomly discharges to zero voltage. Passenger window randomly cannot be operated from drivers side. Sometime it can, sometimes not. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery corroded excessively so much so that when it was able to be removed the connector for the battery broke. Battery was replaced and the passenger window can't be operated from driver side, one touch driver window no longer works either. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | OEM battery failed at ~17,800 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | To: Subaru Motors Consumer Reports NHtSA I, Richard McNitt, am the very unhappy owner of a 2018 Subaru Outback (4 cylinder “Touring” model with 33,900 miles), VIN 4S4 BSATCT J3362742. Primarily on the basis of “glowing” Consumer Reports Reviews I chose this model….sad to say this was an unfortunate choice. I list some of the troubles endured: • Shortly after delivery the “radio-GPS” failed, replacement was in short supply(!), Did without several weeks and the re-installation had a glitch. •We were informed that the radio would always “come on” when the car was started, My wife finds this very annoying, •We find the road noise to be excessive, especially at around 25 mph, •We were left sitting twice with a “dead” battery, once at the end of a two hour trip when the radio was on after for less than 15 minutes. ••But the worst situation was this…..My daughter, granddaughter, and I were 500 miles into a 600 hundred mile trip to a North Carolina Beach when we exited the Interstate at Laurenburg NC at about 3PM on a very hot day. At the first intersection stop sign when the accelerator was pushed at first nothing happened…that is the car did not accelerate, then abruptly the car lurched forward. Alarmed we drove it around a large parking parking lot, stopping, then trying to start again..we found the hesitating, then lurching forward to continue, so we changed drivers with the same result. As it was now late on a Saturday afternoon in this small town with no local garages open, we had the car “Roll-Backed” to the nearest Subaru Dealer in Fayetteville, NC and as there were no local car rentals available, we had a family member drive 108 miles (each way) to get us and take us to the beach. The Fayetteville Subaru Dealer called on Monday morning and said “they could find nothing wrong”, and to pick up the car (another 100+ miles each way). Needless to say, I was very nervous the whole way home from the beach ..but the trip was without incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The vehicle was parked with no one driving at the time and the windshield developed a crack in the glass for no apparent reason "while parked". There was no road hazard or reason for the crack to occur and the vehicle was not even in motion, and I could not understand why it happened, until I began reading the incidents online about multiple other owners experiencing the same issue. I replaced the windshield almost immediately to avoid further cracking and issues with visibility and having to look past the crack. Cost $333.40 to replace. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 mph, a semi-truck crashed into the vehicle causing severe front-end damage but no airbags were deployed. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The vehicle was no longer drivable and was towed to the home. The cause of the failure was not determined. The insurance company was currently reviewing the vehicle to determine if it is a total loss. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 13,000 |
| Jul 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Stopped at a stoplight when a crack started in the bottom corner of the windshield and by the afternoon it had gone almost completely across the windshield. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I was driving straight on a divided highway and heard a loud pop. I didn't see anything at first, but as I continued to drive, a crack appeared at the bottom, driver-side of the windshield. The crack continued to grow and has now extended more than halfway across the windshield, obstructing my vision while driving. I have not taken the vehicle to be inspected by a dealer or insurance agent yet since it was a holiday weekend. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at 70 mph, a rock struck the front windshield. The contact stated at the time there was no cracks on the front windshield. The next day upon entering the vehicle, he noticed a crack going along the passenger’s side of the front windshield. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer nor independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that they would call the contact back once an assessment was made. The failure mileage was approximately 25,182. | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,182 |
| Jul 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | On July 4, 2021, about 9:45am, near Greeley, CO, our windshield cracked for no apparent reason. The temperature was about 80 degrees on a clear day. The crack on the passenger side is about 18 inches long and goes the the edge of the windshield. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |