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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2020 | WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO REASON ON JULY 25,2019. PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND HEADED DOWN THE STREET WHEN IT WAS STARTING TO CRACK. TOKE A PICTURE WHEN I GOT TO WORK. FIRST TIME IN OVER 40 YEARS OF DRIVING TO EVER HAVE A WINDSHIELD CRACK. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED ACROSS THE LOWER HALF FOR NO REASON. I WAS JUST DRIVING AND IT MADE A LOUD POP AND CRACKED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I HAVE REPLACE THE ORIGINAL WINDOW ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THIS ONE JUST CRACKED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 37,000 |
| Nov 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | BATTERY CONSISTENTLY DRAINS AND CAR WILL NOT START. BATTERY IS NEW, REPLACED IN 2020. CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR LESS THAN 12 HOURS WHEN IT WILL NOT START. CAR HAS BEEN JUMPED, TAKEN TO DEALER WHO STATE "NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT", THEN WITHIN 1-4 DAYS USUALLY HAPPENS AGAIN. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE 10/03/2020. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY CAR WAS PURCHASED IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR. WITHIN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS A CRACK APPEARED ON THE TOP RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER ANOTHER CRACK APPEARED IN THE BOTTOM MIDDLE OF MY WINDSHIELD. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A SMALL CRACK ON THE DRIVER SIDE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. NONE OF THESE WERE CAUSED BY ANY OBJECTS THAT I OBSERVED HITTING THE WINDSHIELD, BUT MAYBE A SMALLER ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD AT SOME POINT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK WINDSHIELD CRACKED AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF LIMITED USE. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, NOR DID ANYTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD. AS OF LATE, OTHER CRACKS HAVE STARTED TO FORM AND GROW ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. THEY ARE SO SEVERE, THAT I MUST REPLACE THE ENTIRE GLASS AS IT WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION OTHERWISE. I HAVE HEARD OTHER CLAIMS FROM SUBARU OWNERS AND WISH THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD FINALLY RECALL THE FAULTY PRODUCT AND SUPPLY US WITH A QUALITY PRODUCT LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHEN PARKED IN DRIVEWAY | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD ON THIS CAR HAS CHIPPED 10+ TIMES. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PIECE OF GLASS CHIP SO MANY TIMES. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH A SMALL PEBBLE MADE CONTACT WITH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CAUSING THE GLASS WINDSHIELD TO CRACK. ALSO, THE FRONT GLASS WINDSHIELD HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL CRACKS PREVIOUSLY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 45,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,000 |
| Nov 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,890 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, I DROVE OVER A BUMP. THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A LONG CRACK STARTING AT THE LEFT EDGE. THE CRACK CONTINUES UP AND TO THE RIGHT CROSSING IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER'S VIEW AREA. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MULTIPLE CHIPS INVOLVING THE WINDSHIELD, WITHOUT OBVIOUS REASON | Crash: No Fire: No | 42,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | OUTBACK 2018 WINDSHIELD STARTED SHOWING CRACKS WHILE DRIVING IN HIGHWAY. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 1 HOUR IN HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY SAW THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING . IN 15 MINS, THE CRACK GOT BIGGER AND IT WAS VERY TENSED CONDITION SINCE I HAD MY WIFE , NEW BORN BABY AND OLD PARENTS IN THE CAR. I PARKED THE CAR AND CALLED MY INSURANCE TO CHECK ABOUT THE CONDITION . I HAD SPEND MY NEW YEAR DAY ON HIGHWAY DISCUSSING THE ISSUE. IT WAS A DISTRESSFUL DAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,000 |
| Nov 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT CLOSE, WILL GO UP THAN DOWN HALF WAY. IF TRYING TO CLOSE THE WINDOW WHEN IT STARTS TO RAIN/SNOW AND IT DOES'T CLOSE CAN BE A DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF 70MPH. THIS HAS BEEN PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR AND REPORTED TOO SUBARU DURING THE WARRANTY, ALSO KNOW ON THE INTERNET FOR A LONG TIME. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF STOPPED OR DRIVING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 200 |
| Nov 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | BATTERY DOES NOT CHARGE AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT EVERY 200-300 MILES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 90,000 |
| Nov 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | PHANTOM LIFTGATE OPENING. THE LIFTGATE OPENS BY ITSELF WITH THE VEHICLE LOCKED, DRAINING THE BATTERY, AND DOES NOT SOUND AN ALARM. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, AT RANDOM TIMES OF THE DAY, WITH THE VEHICLE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. SUBARU HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT IT HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. SO FAR, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OPPORTUNISTIC THEFTS FROM BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT SINCE LOCKING THE VEHICLE SEEMS UNRELIABLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Nov 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | THE BATTERY HAS DIED RANDOMLY OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS. WE FINALLY REPLACED IT AFTER BEING FED UP WITH BEING STRANDED IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. MOST RECENTLY, IT DIED TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. BOTH TIMES I DROVE TO WORK, PARKED AND 2 HOURS LATER, THE CAR HAD TO BE JUMPED TO START. I TOOK THE CAR TO SUBARU AND THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME $250 TO INSERT THE SAME BATTERY. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WE HAVE HAD 3 CRACKED WINDSHIELDS SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE ON 3/31/18. WE HAVE HAD THEM REPLACED BY THE DEALER EACH TIME AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1100-1200 EACH TIME. EACH TIME WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 34,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | IN THE FIRST 1.5 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD TWICE. IT CRACKED THE FIRST TIME WHILE STATIONARY IN OUR DRIVEWAY IN THE COLD AND WAS REPLACED A FEW MONTHS LATER. ONE WEEK AFTER IT WAS REPLACED IT CRACKED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH NO VEHICLES WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE CAR. I'VE READ AND HEARD FROM OTHER OWNERS THIS PROBLEM IS ONE THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE OUTBACKS OF THIS MODEL YEAR. | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,500 |
| Nov 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | BATTERY DIES PREMATURELY, IF VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN FOR A FEW DAYS, OR IF PARKED AND REAR HATCH IS OPENED AND CLOSED A FEW TIMES. DEAD BATTERY LEFT ME STRANDED FIVE TIMES SINCE 3/5/2019. BATTERY TESTED WELL AT DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES, SO WAS NOT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL IT FAILED A DRAW TEST. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD JUST STARTING CRACKING FOR NO REASON. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Oct 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK, ONLY 10,500 MILES, BATTERY KEEPS DRAINING, AND FINALLY WOULD NOT CRANK THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED 10-24-2020 (SAT.) DEALER WHITE BEAR SUBARU WOULD NOT ANSWER HIS PHONE IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT. CALLED SUBARU ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY WOULD NOT TOW TO A SUBARU DEALER, ONLY A NEARBY INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY. I REJECTED THAT, AND SINCE IT WAS THE WEEKEND, I HAD TO PURCHASE A NAPA AFTERMARKET BATTERY, EVEN THOUGH SUBARU WARRANTY WAS STILL IN EFFECT. COST ME OVER $160,00. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,500 |
| Oct 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | BATTERY DIED MANY TIMES. CAR IS JUST UNDER 3 YEARS OLD, WITH 18,000 MILES STILL UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER SAID THE CAR MUST BE LEFT THAT THEY NEEDED TO TEST. THE CCA RATING IS 300 SOMETHING. A FRIEND IN COLORADO HAS A 2019 FORESTER WITH A CCA OF 620! VERY SIMILAR ENGINE, BOTH MODELS ARE TOURING. COULD IT BE THAT VEHICLES IN LESS COLDER AREAS ARE FITTED WITH INADEQUATE BATTERY CCA SO SUBARU CAN SAVE A FEW DOLLARS? ALSO THE RAB LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HOW IS THAT OK? THE INFOTAINMENT SCREEN HAS FROZEN MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEN IT DID THE VOLUME OF THE RADIO COULD NOT BE LOWERED..I WAS PARKED WHEN IT HAPPENED, (RADIO WAS LOUD) THEN STARTED DRIVING AND COULDN'T LOWER IT.. PLEASE NOTE: THESE ELECTRICAL ISSUES OCCURRED AT DIFFERENT TIMES ... I HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY'RE RELATED | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | CAR LIGHTS CAME ON AFTER SITTING NOT RUNNING. WENT TO START THE CAR, BUT NOT ENOUGH POWER TO START IT. BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON. THE NEXT DAY, THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. I HAD TO JUMP START IT SO I COULD GO BUY A NEW BATTERY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |