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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2018 TO DATE IS ON ITS THIRD BATTERY, THIRD BATTERY REPLACED 8-7-2020 IS DEAD TODAY (8-13-2020). VEHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 65,000 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD MYSTERIOUSLY CRACKED ON THE LOWER THIRD OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IMMEDIATELY SPIDERED OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS LIKE A STARBURST EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING BY ITSELF IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN A LOWE'S PARKING LOT. THERE ARE NO CHIPS/GOUGES ON THE GLASS SURFACE ON EITHER THE INTERIOR OR THE EXTERIOR OF THE WINDSHIELD (WHICH MIGHT SUGGEST AN IMPACT). THE GLASS APPEARS TO HAVE CRACKED ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOUBLE PANE WINDSHIELD FOR NO APPARENT REASON OTHER THAN MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 59,000 |
| Aug 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | VEHICLE HAS 17,000 MILES, BATTERY HAS DIED AT LEAST 6 TIMES. BATTERY HAS BEEN FOUND DRAINED IN THE AM AFTER BEING PARKED IN GARAGE. DEALER REPLACED BATTERY AT 16,000 MILES. BATTERY PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. SUBARU TRIES TO EXPLAIN PROBLEM BY STATING INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE LEFT ON OR KEY WAS LEFT TO CLOSE TO CAR. TESTS SHOW THERE WAS NO PARASITIC DRAIN ON BATTERY. SUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO FIX OR ADMIT THE PROBLEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,000 |
| Aug 2020 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | THE ACCELERATION RESPONSE IS DECOUPLED FROM THE THROTTLE. I HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN. I TRIED TO MOVE AHEAD WITH A SLIGHT ACCELERATION TO GET A VIEW OF CROSS TRAFFIC, UNFORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TOO HIGH AND T BONED INTO ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS GOING ACROSS. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE PROBLEM IS MORE EVIDENT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM SLOWER SPEEDS OR FROM A STOP. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 3,000 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD SEEMED TO SPONTANEOUSLY CRACK FROM THE TOP PASSENGER SIDE WHILE PARKED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY KIND OF IMPACT. THE CRACK PROGRESSED OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL HOURS, INCREASING WHILE DRIVING OR WITH TEMPERATURE CHANGES. THIS IS THE SECOND WINDSHIELD IN 2 YEARS DUE TO SPONTANEOUS CRACKING, AND IT IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 38,200 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SIX MONTHS AFTER BUYING MY 2018 OUTBACK THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED DOWN BY THE DEFROSTER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT. I REPLACED IT WITH SUBARU GLASS BECAUSE OF THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM. COST WAS $1000. ONE YEAR LATER ANOTHER CRACK APPEARED AT THE TOP MIDDLE PART OF THE WINDSHIELD. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF A SMALL DING. THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS PARTICULARLY FRAGILE AND I UNDERSTAND OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACE THREE OR FOUR WINDSHIELD IN 40 YEARS OF DRIVING OTHER CARS BUT NOW HAVE TWO IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS ON THIS CAR. CAR IS OTHERWISE GREAT BUT CLEARLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 24,000 |
| Aug 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, BOTH STATIONARY AND IN TRAFFIC, THE DRIVER WINDOW INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT CLOSE NORMALLY. UPON ACTIVATION TO RAISE THE WINDOW WHEN IN OPEN POSITION, IT RISES ONLY PARTWAY, THEN BOUNCES BACK DOWN. ONLY AFTER REPEATED EFFORTS, USING MULTIPLE MANEUVERS OF THE POWER CONTROL, SOMETIMES REQUIRING PULLING OVER ON THE HIGHWAY SO AS NOT TO FURTHER DRIVE DISTRACTED, CAN ONE FINALLY RAISE THE WINDOW. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT IT REQUIRES DRIVER ATTENTION DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. IT IS ALSO A HAZARD WHEN NEEDING TO CLOSE THE WINDOW RAPIDLY TO AVOID DUST, DEBRIS, WEATHER PRECIPITATION, OR STRANGERS APPROACHING THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER TO FIX IT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME ARE TOLD THAT 1) NOTHING WAS WRONG (AGAIN, IT IS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTED WITH VIDEO 2) IT WAS SOFTWARE-RELATED AND THAT THEY UPDATED IT TO FIX IT AND 3) IT WAS THE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR AND ASSEMBLY (REPLACED TWICE). NONE OF THESE EFFORTS HAVE SOLVED THIS ISSUE AND THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING WITH A REASONABLE SOLUTION OVER THE PAST 2+ YEARS WHILE WE ARE APPROACHING OUR WARRANTY EXPIRATION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 33,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED SPONTANEOUSLY ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING. NO OTHER CARS WERE AROUND. TOOK INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD US IT WAS A ROCK CHIP THAT HAD CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD BUT THE CRACK STARTED AT THE TOP OF THE WINDOW AND WENT DOWN. NO IMPACT POINT IS VISIBLE. WE HAVE ALSO HAS ANOTHER SUBARU WHICH DID THE SAME THING BUT WHILE SITTING IN GARAGE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 11/16/2018 DEAD BATTERY FOR NO KNOWN REASON 6/15/2019 DEAD BATTERY FOR NO KNOWN REASON | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | WE WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE TO THE STORE AND GOT IN THE CAR AND TRIED TURNING IT ON AND WHEN WE INSERTED OUR KEYS AND TRIED TURNING ON THE CAR-THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND ALL WE COULD HEAR WAS A CLICKING CLACKING SOUND COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOOD. WE TRIED STARTING THE CAR AGAIN AND WE ENCOUNTERED THERE'S THE SAME ISSUE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT ALL. WE WENT IN OUR OTHER VEHICLE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO LET THEM KNOW THAT OUR CAR OF 2 YEARS WOULD NOT START AT ALL AND THEY INFORMED US IT MIGHT BE A BATTERY ISSUE AND THAT WE SHOULD CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR FURTHER HELP. WE ASKED IF OUR BATTERY WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW IT ALL DEPENDED ON THE MILEAGE AND WE INFORMED THEM THAT OUR CAR WAS A BRAND NEW 2018 MODEL WITH UNDER 21,000 MILES. THEY AGAIN SAID IF IT WAS A BATTERY ISSUE BEST BET WAS TO REPLACE WITH THEM AND THAT IT WOULD BE FOR A FEE OF $200 OR MORE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20,750 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM IN LESS THAN A WEEK. REPLACED ORIGINAL BATTERY ON 7/24/2020 (SEE COMPLAINT NUMBER 11341827). BATTERY DRAINS FOR NO REASON, LEAVING BATTERY DEAD AND CAR INOPERABLE. CAR WAS STATIONARY ON DRIVEWAY. COULD NOT START IT, SO CHECKED BATTERY WHICH WAS DEAD 0 VOLTS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | BATTERY DRAINS FOR NO REASON, LEAVING BATTERY DEAD AND CAR INOPERABLE. CAR WAS STATIONARY ON DRIVEWAY. COULD NOT START IT, SO CHECKED BATTERY WHICH WAS DEAD 0 VOLTS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,500 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | DEFECTIVE FRONT WINDSHIELDS. THE ORIGINAL HAD A LEGITIMATE CRACK FROM A ROCK HITTING IT. THE FIRST & SECOND REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS (SUBARU BRANDED) BOTH CRACKED STARTING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT MIDWAY UP. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT CRACKED AT SLOW SPEED AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB. THE SECOND CRACKED AFTER PARKING AND CLOSING THE DRIVERS DOOR. BOTH CRACKS IMMEDIATELY SPREAD LATERALLY ACROSS ALMOST HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD IN THE DRIVERS LINE OF SIGHT. THE ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON 4/3/2019 AND THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON 11/4/2019. THIS SECOND REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON 7/24/2020. NEITHER OF THESE LAST TWO CRACKED WINDSHIELDS WAS CAUSED BY ROCK OR DEBRIS HITTING THEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD EXPERIENCED SERIOUS MULTI-FINGERED CRACK, ORIGINATING IN THE TOP CENTER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD, WHERE THE 'EYESIGHT' CAMERAS ARE LOCATED. NO KNOWN CONTACT BY OBJECT FROM ROAD. APPEARED TO BE SPONTANEOUS. NOT CERTAIN IF VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY- DIDN'T NOTICE IT UNTIL ENTERING VEHICLE IN THE MORNING. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2020 | STEERING | THE STEERING SOMETIMES LOCKS WHEN CAR IS OPERATING IN REVERSE, TURNING OUT OF A PARKED POSITION. EXACT CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM IN MID-MARCH AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETECT THE FAULT. TODAY I ENCOUNTERED THE SAME STEERING LOCK WHEN BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND TURNING RIGHT TO GET ONTO THE STREET. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED OUT OF NOWHERE AND SPREAD QUICKLY. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN WE ENTERED THE CAR AND NOTICED A LONG CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. I NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN TO A WINDSHIELD BEFORE. THE CRACK KEEPS GROWING FOR NO REASON. | Crash: No Fire: No | 34,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RELIABLE SUBARU (438 S INGRAM MILL RD, SPRINGFIELD, MO 65802, (417) 720-8373) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | BATTERY DRAINS FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE PARKED OVERNIGHT IN DRIVEWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 42,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I HAVE HAD MY OUTBACK FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS. IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED 4 CRACKED OR BROKEN WINDSHIELDS. I AVOID DRIVING BEHIND TRUCKS/SEMIS BUT THE SMALLEST ROCK OR ANYTHING SEEMS TO HAVE DISASTEROUS RESULT OF BULLSEYE/CRACK ETC. I HAVE HAD MY WINDSHILED REPLACED TWICE AND NOW IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,500 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | THE TOUCH SCREEN ON MY RADIO/HEAD UNIT INTERMITTENTLY FREEZES. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP SERVICE IT IS LIKELY DUE TO BLUETOOTH, AND TETHERING INTERFERENCE BECAUSE THEY BOTH TRY TO CONNECT. DEALER RESET THE RADIO, AND I HAVE NOT CONNECTED THE BLUETOOTH AT ALL AFTER THE RESET. YET AGAIN SAME PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE DUE TO THE RECALL AND CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. IT STILL HAS ISSUES. THERE ISN'T ANY REAL TIME FRAME WHEN IT DOES THIS JUST RANDOMLY TURNS NON-RESPONSIVE ON THE MAIN TOUCH SCREEN. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED, AND HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 2 OR 3 TIMES NOW. | Crash: No Fire: No | 27,765 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | WHEN I PARK MY CAR IN THE GARAGE ON THURSDAY JULY 2ND AND CLOSE THE GARAGE WITH NO PROBLEM. ON JULY 4TH MY WIFE OPEN THE GARAGE AND GOT A CHAIR FROM HER CAR ACURA RDX AND WATCH THE FIREWORKS ON THE DRIVE WAY. LATER ON PUT THE CHAIR BACK IN HER ACURA AND CLOSE THE GARAGE. SUNDAY AFTERNOON I HAD TO GO TO THE GARAGE AND GET TOOLS TO FIX THE BATHROOM SINK AND SAW THE SUBARU OUTBACK HATCHBACK OPEN. I THEN FOUND THE SUBRARU OUTBACK BATTERY DEAD AND THE HATCHBACK ALL SCRATCHES. MY WIFE ONLY HAS HER ACURA CAR FOB, THE OTHER SUBRARU HANGING ON A CLOSET DOOR. MY SUBRARU KEY FOB IS IN MY WORK COMPUTER BRIEFCASE. DEFINITELY NOBODY TOUCH THE SUBRARU FOBS. HOWEVER, I ONLY DRIVE THE SUBRARU OUTBACK TO WORK ( VANPOOL MEETING LOCATION) ABOUT 4 MILES FROM MY HOUSE AND USUALLY ABOUT 5 MINUTES ONE WAY. THE CAR UNABLE TO STARTUP AFTER THE INCIDENT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,800 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | AFTER REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD ONCE WITH OEM GLASS. IT CRACKED AGAIN, IN ROUGHLY THE SAME PLACE AS BEFORE (BOTTOM MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD). THIS IS THE SECOND WINDSHIELD IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS! SUBARU CLEARLY HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR GLASS OR CLEARANCES AROUND THE GLASS. THIS ONE CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN A CARIBOU PARKING LOT. WE WERENT EVEN MOVING. NO ROCK CHIPS, NOTHING HIT THE WINDOW. ALL THE SUDDEN HEARD A "POP" NOISE, THEN SAW THE CRACK. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WAS DRIVING HOME FROM GETTING DINNER ON A SIDE ROAD NEAR HOME (40MPH ZONE), NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD, AND IT STARTED TO CRACK FROM THE BOTTOM MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WERE NO CHIPS, THE CAR WAS ONLY 6MO OLD. NO DRASTIC TEMPERATURE CHANGES OR ANYTHING. BELIEVE WHAT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING. I HAVE NEVER SEEN GLASS CRACK OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE THIS. I REALLY HOPE THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS STICK AS THERE IS CLEARLY AN UNDERLYING ISSUE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | LIKE MANY OTHERS, MY WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING IN 2 SEPARATE PLACES. ONE LONG CRACK FROM JUST ABOVE THE WIPER BLADE SPANNING 18 INCHES, AND ANOTHER ONE THAT STARTS FROM MIDWAY UP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT 2 FEET LONG THAT ALMOST LINKS UP WITH THE OTHER ONE. WINDSHIELD WAS NOT STRUCK AND JUST OCCURRED WHILE IN MY DRIVEWAY AND GARAGE IN FLORIDA. | Crash: No Fire: No | 52,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | MY 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE BATTERY AND THE CAR NOT STARTING. IT SEEMED TO HAVE STEMMED FROM THE LIFTGATE WORKING IMPROPERLY AND DRAINING THE BATTERY. IT HAPPENED ABOUT A YEAR AGO, BUT SELF-RESOLVED AFTER RESETTING LIFTGATE AND JUMP STARTING CAR. RECENTLY, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, IT STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE LIFTGATE AND BATTERY AGAIN AND WAS LEFT STUCK AT A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WITH A JUMPSTART. I BROUGHT IT TO SUBARU IN FAIRFIELD, CA, WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A LIFTGATE ISSUE THAT WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY. THEY RESET THE LIFTGATE AND THEN CHARGED THE BATTERY AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. TODAY 6/6/2020, MY CAR HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING AGAIN, TOOK A FEW TRIES TO START, THOUGH THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THE LIFTGATE. I BROUGHT IT TO SUBARU FAIRFIELD, CA AGAIN, WHERE THEY SAID THERE WAS A BATTERY FAILURE, I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY FOR A REPLACEMENT, AND WOULD BE CHARGED FOR A NEW BATTERY EVEN THOUGH THEY SAID THAT THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH A NUMBER OF RECENT SUBARU OWNERS WITH BATTERY ISSUES. DOING RESEARCH ONLINE, IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE, LEAVING OWNERS STRANDED RANDOMLY AND NEEDING A JUMP START, AND THAT BATTERY REPLACEMENTS ARE NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM, AS THE ELECTRICAL DRAINING ISSUE IS STILL THERE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 42,800 |