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 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | THE BATTERY KEEPS DRAINING WHEN NOT USED AND THEN THE CAR REFUSES TO START AND I NEED TO GET JUMP START. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS IF THE CAR NEEDS TO BE MOVED URGENTLY | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,000 |
| Dec 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN TWO WEEKS THAT OUR VEHICLE HAS FAILED TO START. A WEEK AGO IT LEFT US STRANDED AT A WALMART, AND TODAY IN OUR DRIVEWAY...THERE ISN'T ANY ELECTRICAL DEVICE IN THE CAR THAT WILL ENERGIZE. THE CAR WON'T EVEN RESPOND TO THE VEHICLE KEY FOB. WE CAN'T FIND ANY RECALLS ON OUR VEHICLE...BUT WE NOTICE YOU HAVE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS (401) WITH MANY BEING ELECTRICAL ISSUES ' FAILURES. THIS VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY DURING BOTH OF THE DESCRIBED ISSUES. I THINK THIS TIME TOTAL BATTERY FAILURE HAS OCCURRED. PLEASE NOTE THERE WEREN'T ANY INDICATORS WARNINGS THAT THE BATTERY WAS GOING TO FAIL. THIS VEHICLE IS LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD, WITH JUST UNDER 18,000 MILES NEVER DRIVEN ANYWHERE IN SNOW AREAS WHILE DEICERS WERE IN USE. WILL BE CONTACTING SUBARU THIS AM FOR ASSISTANCE | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,715 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | II WAS PARKED AT A FRIENDS RESIDENCE FOR ABOUT FOUR HOURS. WHEN I LEFT AND WAS STILL ON HIS DRIVEWAY I SAW THAT MY WINDSHIELD HAD A CRACK IN IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SIDE GOING UP ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WINDSHIELD AND CONTINUING TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT TEN INCHES. THERE HAD BEEN NO IMPACT WITH ANYTHING, THE CRACK APPEARED ON IT'S OWN. | Crash: No Fire: No | 46,050 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND CRACK SPREAD ACROSS LINE OF SIGHT. MY CAR WAS ONLY TWO MONTHS OLD. I DROVE MY PREVIOUS CAR ON SAME ROUTE FOR 10 YEARS WITHOUT BROKEN WINDSHIELD | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,000 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY SPECIFIC TRAUMA. I HAD IT REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP. | Crash: No Fire: No | 37,000 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT THE BASE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE. CRACK OCCURRED WHILE PARKED AFTER NO (OR NO NOTICEABLE) IMPACT. CRACK EXPANDED QUICKLY OVER SEVERAL DAYS. HIGHLY UNUSUAL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Dec 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | JANUARY 27, 2020 I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH ON NJ HWY 29 TO MY SON'S HOME. SMALL ROCK HIT WINDSHIELD AND MADE A SMALL CRACK, LESS THAN 1 INCH. I CALLED INSURANCE WHO WOULD SEND A MOBILE REPAIR TRUCK TO REPAIR IT ONSITE AT MY SON'S HOUSE. AS I WAS DRIVING, THE CRACK GETTING BIGGER. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT MY SON'S, 45 MINUTES LATER, THE CRACK WAS MORE THAN 7 INCHES LONG AND WIDENING AND GROWING HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY. THE CRACK SO SO BIG. THE INSURANCE REP SAID MOBILE GLASS REPAIR COULD NOT REPAIR IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO BIG. I HAD TO BRING IT IN FOR A WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT AND RECALIBRATION. I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR. WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON JANUARY 29, 2020 AT SAFELITE AUTO GLASS IN EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ THE TOTAL COST FOR WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT AND RECALIBRATION WAS $1,011.23. | Crash: No Fire: No | 19,000 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | PURCHASED SUBARU IN 2019 AND NOT EVEN TWO WEEKS AFTER OWNING FOUND THE WINDOW HAD A CRACK STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD GOING UP AND THEN THE WIDTH OF THE WINDSHIELD. I DID NOT SEE OR HEAR ANY ITEMS THAT WOULD HAVE CRACKED MY WINDSHIELD AND WAS NOT DRIVING WHEN IT CRACKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | ON ROUTE 6 WAS TRAVELING BEHIND A TRUCK AND HAD ROAD DEBRIS THROWN AT THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING PUTTING AND ONE WITH SPIDER CRACKS RADIATING FROM IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| 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 WHEN PARKED IN DRIVEWAY | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 SUDDENLY CRACKED WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| 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 | 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 | 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 |