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
805 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Subaru Outback, grouped by component category.
Buyer interpretation
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
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.
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.
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 is available on 488 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 21,422 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
805 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2019 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. EACH TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,400. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,400 |
| Feb 2019 | STRUCTURE | WINDSHIELD SEVERELY CRACKED,POSSIBLY FROM SMALL PEBBLE AT APPROX 35 MPH APPROACHING FWY ON RAMP. WE WERE INFORMED BY CORPORATE THAT THE WINDSHIELD GLASS IS 'SENSITIVE' DUE TO THE 'EYE SIGHT' FEATURE CALIBRATED WITH THE WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED - AT OWNERS EXPENSE AT $1100. SIZE OF INITIAL IMPACT DAMAGE MARK ON WINDSHIELD WAS 1/16' OR 1-2MM. NEXT DAY IT SPREAD TO SEVERAL INCHES WHILE CAR WAS PARKED. SMALL PEBBLES OR COMMON ROAD DEBRIS SHOULD NOT CAUSE WINDSHIELD FAILURES ESPECIALLY IN VEHICLES THAT ARE ALL WHEEL DRIVE FOR OFF-ROAD. READ THAT OTHER VEHICLES OF SAME YEAR AND MODEL ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING WINDSHIELD FAILURE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Feb 2019 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I GOT INTO MY CAR, IT PARKED, CLOSED THE DOOR, HEARD SOMETHING FALL AND WHEN I CHECKED TO SEE WHAT THE NOISE WAS MY ENTIRE REAR WINDOW ON THE HATCH WAS SHATTERED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO FIX IT ON MY OWN, THEY ALSO SAID ANY OF THE WARRANTIES I PURCHASED ALSO DONT COVER IT. THEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT 4 PEOPLE ALSO CALLED THIS SAME WEEK WITH THIS ISSUE. I HAD A HATCH BACK CAR FOR 15+ YRS BEFORE PURCHASING THIS SUBARU AND THIS NEVER HAPPENED. JUDY DIDNT SEEM RIGHT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Feb 2019 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | RAN OUT OF FUEL EVEN THOUGH THE GAUGE HAD ORIGINALLY SAID 30 MILES TO EMPTY. THEN GAUGE WENT FROM 30 TO ---- AND THEN STALLED ALL WITHIN A FEW MILES WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Feb 2019 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I WAS DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WITH 1/8TH OF A TANK OF GAS REMAINING. GAS LIGHT CAME ON ONLY A FEW MILES PRIOR. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO A GAS STATION. CAR STARTED AFTER TURNING OFF AND BACK ON. ONLY TOOK 16.9 GALLONS TO TOP OFF. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE PREVIOUS TIME THE MILES TO EMPTY WAS SHOWING 50 WHEN IT STALLED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE CURRENT RECALL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 34,000 |
| Jan 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | BLUETOOTH WILL RANDOMLY DISCONNECT. SOMETIMES IT LASTS A FEW MINUTES, SOMETIMES A COUPLE HOURS. UNABLE TO RE-CONNECT ONCE IT DOES, SO WE HAVE TO MESS WITH SETTINGS WHILE DRIVING TO SWITCH TO AUX CABLE, RADIO, ETC OR PULL OVER AND RESTART THE CAR COMPLETELY. WE HAVE VERIFIED THE ISSUE WITH 6 DIFFERENT DEVICES. NONE OF THE DEVICES DEMONSTRATE THE SAME ISSUE WITH ANY OTHER BLUETOOTH DEVICES (WE USE A SPEAKER FOR HOURS ON END IN THE HOUSE WITH NO ISSUES). COMBINE THAT WITH THE INFOTAINMENT SCREEN BEING INCREDIBLY SLOW, THIS IS A FRUSTRATING ISSUE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,000 |
| Jan 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THE SCREEN HAS GONE BLACK AND SIDE LIGHTS BLINK, UNABLE TO USE ANY ITEM CONTROLLED BY THE SCREEN. APPEARS THE WARNING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE STOPPING TOO CLOSELY IS NOT WORKING AS WELL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Jan 2019 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SUNROOF EXPLODED AND SHATTERED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE WE WERE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,200 |
| Jan 2019 | STEERING | TENSION AND CONTROL DISAPPEARS IN THE STEERING, SO LOOSE IT FEELS LIKE YOU COULD SPIN THE WHEEL LIKE A TOP. LASTS A SECOND OR SO THEN CONTROL RETURNS. HAPPENS IN MULTIPLE DRIVING CONDITIONS. NOTICED IT FIRST DAY WE HAD THE CAR, DEALER SAID HE NOTICED IT TOO, AND WE JUST NEEDED TO BREAK THE CAR IN. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN HIGH WINDS, CAR FEELS OUT OF CONTROL, LIKE DRIVING ON SLICK ICE. NEVER HAD TO GET OFF A HIGHWAY BEFORE OUT OF FEAR AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING 40 YEARS. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE, TOLD ME TO CALL SUBARU CORPORATE, WHO SENT ME BACK TO DEALER. CAR IS BACK IN THE SHOP. I AM SO AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR IT ONLY HAS 2700 MILES ON IT AFTER 18 MONTHS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 250 |
| Jan 2019 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | A TINY PEBBLE STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD ON THE INTERSTATE, BUT IT SUDDENLY GREW TO A CRACK APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES LONG. NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, AND MY CAR IS FAIRLY NEW ON THE ROAD (LESS THAN 8,000 MILES, BOUGHT IN JULY, 2018). DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT SUBARU STILL HAS NOT FIGURED OUT ITS NOTORIOUS WINDSHIELD-RELIABILITY PROBLEM THAT HAS FRUSTRATED SO MANY DRIVERS THROUGHOUT THE PAST 5 YEARS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,300 |
| Jan 2019 | SERVICE BRAKES | I WENT TO TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND MY BRAKES FAILED. I SWERVED TO MISS THE CAR DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I HIT 5 OTHER CARS AND THE CAR FLIPPED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO CUT US OUT OF THE CAR.THIS WAS A BUSY STREET. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | 30,000 |
| Jan 2019 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | OUR OUTBACK STARTED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AT AROUND 3000 MILES. CURRENTLY (AT 9000 MILES) THE CAR STILL DOES THAT. IT FEELS AS IF THERE IS STRONG SIDE WIND PUSHING THE CAR. THE CAR ALSO STARTED MAKING KNOCKING SOUNDS WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WHILE AT STOP OR MOVING SLOWLY. WE ARE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR AN INSPECTION AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE SECOND MAJOR ISSUE IS THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR. THE TIRE PRESSURE THAT IT DISPLAYS DOES NOT MATCH THE ACTUAL ONE MEASURED WITH SEVERAL EXTERNAL INSTRUMENTS (CONSTANTLY 2 PSI LOWER ON ALL FOUR WHEELS). ADDITIONALLY, THE MONITOR SOMETIMES SWITCHES THE FRONT TIRE PRESSURE WITH THE REAR ONES, I.E. THE MONITOR DISPLAYS THE FRONT TIRE PRESSURE AS IF IT IS THE REAR TIRE PRESSURE. VERY CONFUSING! | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Jan 2019 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I WAS DRIVING AND THE FUEL INDICATOR INDICATED 70 MILES TO GO LAST TIME I SAW IT. I ONLY HAD TO DRIVE 10 MILES HOME AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED, THANKFULLY ON A LOCAL ROAD. SOME WARNING LIGHTS STARTED APPEARING AND I COULDNT MAKE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I TRIED TO RESTART A FEW TIMES UNTIL I DECIDED IT HAD TO BE FUEL. WE PUSHED CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD AND WENT TO GAS STATION TO GET GAS. CAME BACK WITH GAS, REFILLED AND CAR STARTED AND WENT HOME. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY FAULT, ALTHOUGHT I COULDNT EXPLAIN WHY THE LAST TIME A SAW THE FUEL GAUGE SAID 70 MILES AND I WAS JUST GOING HOME, NOT EVEN 10 MILES TO GET THERE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 70 |
| Jan 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WENT BLACK ON DECEMBER 17, 2018. RADIO, NAVIGATION SYSTEM, BLUETOOTH AND REAR CAMERA ARE ALL INOPERABLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,000 |
| Jan 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | WTZ85 - SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. (SUBARU) IS RECALLING 2018 MODEL YEAR LEGACY, OUTBACK, AND BRZ VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A CERTAIN COMBINATION OF HEAD UNIT HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE, DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF NONCOMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD TYPE: RECALL | SERVICE CAMPAIGN: WTZ85 | NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 18V-000000 OPEN RECALL DATE: JANUARY 02, 2019 DESCRIPTION 18 LEG/OUT/BRZ V3 HEAD UNIT REPROGRAM SAFETY RISK DUE TO A SOFTWARE ISSUE, THE HEAD UNIT MEMORY RETRIEVAL AND ASSEMBLY TIME MAY EXCEED THE DESIGNED TIME TO BEGIN THE BOOT-UP CYCLE. IF THIS OCCURS, THE HEAD UNIT DISPLAY WILL NOT BOOT, CAUSING THE SCREEN TO REMAIN BLANK. IN THIS CONDITION, WHILE BACKING THE VEHICLE, THE REARVIEW IMAGE MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED. THE FAILURE TO DISPLAY THE REARVIEW IMAGE CREATES A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 111 ' 'REAR VISIBILITY,' INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THERE ARE 1000'S OF THESE ON BACKORDER CAUSING US TO DRIVE AROUND IN UNSAFE VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN REPLACMENT UNITS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING A LOANER CAR IN THE MEANTIME. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A COMPANY THAT PRIDES THEMSELVES ON THEIR SAFETY!!!!! | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Jan 2019 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | OPEN RECALL FOR FUEL GAUGE NOT BEING ACCURATE. I ALREAY RAN OUT OF GAS ONCE AND WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER THEY SAID THERE WAS NO REMEDY TO MAKE SURE I ALWAYS HAVE A 1/4 OF A TANK OF GAS TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE! THIS HAPPENED TO ME ON JULY 13, AND I HAVE BEE WAITING SINCE FOR SOLUTION | Crash: No Fire: No | 100 |
| Jan 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM IS FAULTY. I HAVE NO BACK UP CAMERA, BLUETOOTH, RADIO, CAN NOT PROGRAM CLOCK. SUBARU DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO FIX OTHER THAN TO REPLACE HEAD UNIT. I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE DEC 14TH FOR THIS REPLACEMENT UNIT. WHILE AT DEALER I ASKED FOR A LOANER AND WAS DENIED. SUBARU SAID THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WHICH IS NOT TRUE SINCE THEIR BIGGEST SAFETY FEATURE ISNT ACCESSIBLE | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Jan 2019 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHILE FUEL RANGE INDICATED ON DASH JUST HIT 30 MILES TO EMPTY AND CAR RAN OUT OF GAS. WAS NEVER INFORMED BY SUBARU OF ANY RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,600 |
| Jan 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | DISPLAY PANEL SHUT DOWN, COMPLETELY DARK, DISABLED ARE RADIO, GPS, NAVIGATION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE BACK UP CAMERA. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITS THEY ARE SEEING QUITE A FEW OF THESE AND A NEW RADIO TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WILL TAKE 3 MONTHS TO ARRIVE, NO GUARANTEE THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. SO I WILL BE WITHOUT A BACKUP CAMERA, DEEMED CRITICAL ENOUGH THAT IT IS MANDATED ON ALL NEW CARS FOR ONE QUARTER OF THE YEAR. I ALSO ASSUME IF NOT FIXED BY MY NEXT STATE SAFETY INSPECTION I WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE THE CAR. SO FAR I HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING FROM SUBARU.THIS LOOKS A PRETTY BIG SAFETY ISSUE BEING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,000 |
| Dec 2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I HAVE OWNED TWO OUTBACKS A 2016 AND 2018 AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM OF FRONT WINDOWS WILL WORK AND THEN FOR WHAT EVER REASON I WILL ROLL WINDOW UP WITH POWER SWITCH AND WIND WILL AUTOMATICALLY ROLL HALF WAY DOWN AND STAY THERE IF I TRY TO ROLL IT UP AGAIN IT DOES THE SAME THING .UNTIL I PULL OVER STOP CAR AND RESET THE SWITCH THE WAY THE DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME TO DO ,THIS ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES SO I AM LEFT WITH MY WINDOW HALF WAY DOWN.THIS IS UNSAFE ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS RAINING AND MY WIFE IS TRYING TO PAY ATTENTION TO DRIVING WITH KIDS IN THE CAR .NOT TO MENTION LEAVING HER CAR WITH THE WINDOW DOWN UNSECECURED FOR SOMEONE TO GET IN HER CAR AND HIDE TO HARM HER ,MOST OF THE TIMES SHE CANNOT GET WINDOW TO RESET. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP WITH THIS ISSUE,ONE DEALERSHIP HAS CLAIMED THAT IT IS A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THEY KNOW HOW TO FIX BUT THEY ARE UP NORTH I AM FAR SOUTH. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I DROVE TO A NEARBY TOWN, INDICATOR SAID 40 MILES TO GO BEFORE EMPTY. PARKED. RESTARTED THE CAR AFTER HALF AN HOUR. MOST OF CENTER DISPLAY FUNCTIONS WERE DEAD. IT DID SHOW BACK-UP VIEW, BUT NO RADIO, NO MAP. DROVE TOWARD HOME AND GAS STATION. AFTER TWENTY MILES, ON CRUISE CONTROL AT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY, ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED RACING AS THOUGH IT HAD DOWN SHIFTED, I BRAKED AND HEADED FOR THE SHOULDER. NO TURN SIGNALS, NO INDICATORS, NO EMERGENCY FLASHERS - IT SEEMED THAT THE COMPUTER CRASHED WHEN I RAN OUT OF GAS. AFTER ADDING GAS AND RESTARTING, ALL WAS NORMAL EXCEPT THE THE RADIO MEMORY HAD BEEN WIPED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,950 |
| Dec 2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AT NIGHT, THE FUEL RANGE DROPPED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE POLICE FOR ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE DARKNESS. THE CONTACT CALLED TRIPLE A AND WAS PROVIDED SOME FUEL TO DRIVE HOME. TWO DAYS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V773000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GROOVE SUBARU (720-279-9409, LOCATED AT 5300 S BROADWAY, ENGLEWOOD, CO 80113) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,500. ..*BF*JB *DT | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,500 |
| Dec 2018 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V773000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE DEALER (SUBARU OF SANTA CRUZ, 4100 AUTO PLAZA DRIVE, CAPITOLA, CA 95010) CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | IN 2018 A NEW LAW WENT INTO EFFECT REQUIRING ALL NEW CARS CONE WITH REAR BACKUP CAMERAS. THE SUBARU STARLINK INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM THAT IS ON ALL NEW SUBARUS ARE DEFECTIVE, BUGGY, AND SUBARU HAS NO PERMANENT FIX. IT RENDERS THE REAR CAMERA UNOPERABLE, REPLACEMENTS ARE ON BACKORDER AND SUBARU MAKES OWNERS CONTINUE TO DRIVE THEIR CARD WHEN IT IS UNSAFE AND NOT FOLLOWING THE NEW LAW FOR 2018 CARS. I WANT SUBARU TO FIX THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND PROVIDE AFFECTED OWNERS WITH LOANER CARS WHILE WAITING FOR A FIX/REPLACEMENT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,500 |
| Dec 2018 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | DASHBOARD TOLD ME I HAD 20 MILES WORTH OF FUEL LEFT WHEN SUDDENLY THE INDICATOR CHANGED TO A DASH AND THE CAR RAN OUT OF GAS. OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ON A BUSY EXPRESSWAY, THANKFULLY IN THE SLOW LANE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,100 |