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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sterio and Navigation screen has formed bubbles and what appears to be a film under the screen and has also started delaminating. The screen is now rarely usable as it appears to have a mind and hands of its own as it makes its own selections on the screen and no longer allows me to control it. This is very dangerous as the Subaru touch screen offers setting adjustments that are being changed while on the road, without my control. It is my understanding that Subaru will not replace this unless you pay $2k+ out of pocket even though SEVERAL incidents are reported. Unfortunately, I am not in good standing to purchase another car right now so I will have to continue driving this car and praying that whatever settings that car adjusts during that drive won't have a negative impact. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 2018 Subaru Outback headunit is "delaminated" causing phantom touches on the headunit's touch screen. While driving, the headunit will act as if something is pressing random buttons, changing radio stations, opening/closing maps, going through settings panel and changing car settings, ultimately distracting the driver usually at highway speeds. Many other Subaru owners are reporting the same issue on the forums: [XXX] [XXX] Subaru is reporting the fault as "regular wear and tear" and charging customers $1200+ to replace the headunits. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | Reported to local Subaru Dealer there was a problem with the Parking Brake. While parked at red light, when I attempted to release the parking brake, it would NOT release, and had great difficulty getting to release and proceed. (This is in Traffic). They tested it and claimed it was ok, no problem. Fast forward, several weeks and I started the car, put it in Drive. Car would not move forward. Subaru sent Tow service. At dealership service manager says some debris had filtered down into the parking brake mechanism. I am Not a mechanic. This is what I had told them weeks earlier, [What I suspected] | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | POWER TRAIN | CVT Transmission failed and shut off engine. 2018 Subaru Outback Limited with only 56,500 miles. On 5/19/24 at approximately 11:30PM, my family and I (5 members) were driving northbound on an interstate highway, when all of a sudden, the engine and transmission completely shut off with all warning lights flashing on the dashboard, while travelling at speeds of 65 miles per hour. When pressing on the accelerator, vehicle would not accelerate, rather the vehicle was decelerating. Fortunately, not many vehicles were on the highway at that time and our vehicle had enough momentum to move right towards the shoulder of the highway and came to a complete stop. When engine turned on and shift to D or R, vehicle does not move. Vehicle is at Subaru dealership being inspected and hopefully being repaired under warranty, which was extended by Subaru of America. SUBARU NEED TO FIX THIS, IT IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | We have replaced the battery 3 times now in less than a year. The battery keeps dying, which is so bad it is ruining the battery such that it has to be replaced. My pregnant wife and child have been stranded several times. Subaru sent a class action lawsuit notice, but when we went to the dealer they claimed they knew nothing about it. They tested the battery and said nothing was wrong. Doing some digging it seems that numerous others have had this same issue. It is an issue with the alternator and the DCM causing parasitic battery drain. Subaru is doing nothing to fix the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The driver's side daytime running light has failed. This light is an LED designed to last the life of the car and cannot be repaired. Unfortunately, there is no indicator light inside the car to notify the driver of the failure. In hazardous weather conditions, it may appear as though the light is functioning based on the dashboard lights, but it is not. Regrettably, replacing the bulb is not an option and this poses a potential risk to the driver and others during inclement weather or low visibility situations. The dealership has inspected the vehicle and confirmed that it cannot be repaired. To resolve the issue, the entire unit must be replaced, which will cost over $1000. This model has experienced numerous instances of failure with the driver side daytime running lights, indicating a widespread safety concern that the manufacturer has yet to address in this particular year. Previous years have been recalled for the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | We have experienced 3 cracked windshields within 4 months due to small rock debris kicked-up from passing vehicles. Each crack originated at the edge of the glass; 2 from outside edge passenger side and 1 from center bottom edge passenger side. Driving conditions were different for each incident, as each incident occurred during highway driving during light, medium, and heavy traffic flow. Passenger safety was not compromised. The dates for each incident were 15 February 2024, 28 April 2024, and 21 May 2024. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | ENGINE | The cam tower seal on modern Subaru Outbacks fail at an incredibly high rate and the repair cost is typically higher than $3000. Subaru's standard warranty covers the repair up until 60,000 miles but a quick search on user forum's shows that this issues consistently pops up somewhere between 60 and 90 thousand miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield cracked without impact. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer to have the windshield replaced; however, the failure recurred soon after the replacement. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 75,000 |
| May 2024 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the Eyesight system had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the system was recalibrated. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the infotainment system screen was delaminated, causing the touchpad function to become inoperable. The contact was concerned because the Eyesight system could only be configured through the infotainment screen. Additionally, the contact stated that the infotainment system screen delamination had caused the infotainment system to activate vehicle functions independently. The contact stated that the rearview camera was still operable. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a common failure. The dealer related the failure to an Extended Warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,000 |
| May 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I purchased my car used from dealership in Temecula,CA [XXX]. My first windshield cracked and was replaced [XXX] at dealership after a small rock hit my car on the freeway, I paid for this replacement. My 2nd windshield cracked for no reason and was replaced [XXX] at dealership Subaru paid for only 1/2 the price to replace. Had contacted the advocacy department and Subaru and filed a case. Now the 3rd windshield has cracked 5/2024 for no apparent reason (meaning no point of impact) and I have filed another case with Subaru. I have an advocate and case number. Logan at Subaru of America case #[XXX]. Something is wrong with these windshields. This is my first time owning a Subaru and I never had these problems with any of my other cars owned. I think there’s something wrong with these windshields. They are cracking to easily and I feel like it’s a huge safety issue as well as expense to replace. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Driver side mirror was affected. Went to an automatic car wash. Shortly afterwards, we noticed smoke coming out of the mirror. Possible fire hazard. What was affected by this: The remote access (keyless entry) Garage door opener Tire Pressure Monitoring System light showed low pressure Driver window opened but needed continuous pressing to close Component parts not available for inspection because my extended warranty covered the cost. Dealership has the parts, but I did take some pictures. No risk to us in this instance. Mechanic said it's caused by the illuminating light in the upper left side of the mirror. He's seen about 3 instances as this. No warning messages or symptoms prior to this and we've been coming to this car wash on a weekly basis for about 3 years. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage unattended, the contact noticed that the front windshield was cracked without impact. The vehicle was taken to a glass center, where the glass was replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 52,470. | Crash: No Fire: No | 52,470 |
| Apr 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The display screen has spots and fog like symptoms on the screen. Certain angles when the sun hits the screen it is not visible to see what is on the screen like the map or other settings. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Audio system does not work which does not allow - hands-free use of phone - sound alert when nearing railroad crossing - voiced directions when using Waze | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, she observed that the front windshield had a crack from the bottom leading upwards. The contact stated that the windshield had been replaced the week before. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 44,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,000 |
| Apr 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | I slowed down to approximately 5 MPH to pull into a parking space in front of a building. Without warning, the car suddenly accelerated toward the building. The car jumped over the parking block and onto the sidewalk in front of the building. I attempted to stop the car but the brakes did not function at that point. The car stopped when it hit a pole. There was damage to the front of the car and the pole. No people were injured. There was no warning before this happened. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | AIR BAGS | [XXX] at [XXX] We were sitting at a complete stop with our turn signal on, waiting for traffic to clear enough to turn left. It was dark/cold but otherwise good road conditions, no rain/snow/wind. We were suddenly slammed from behind in the rear/R passenger rear by the Black Dodge Journey. This impact then pushed us into the oncoming lane causing another vehicle to hit us in the front driver side of the vehicle. 911 was called at 1811 and the call lasted 3 minutes. SBPD was dispatched along with traffic control. The impact caused the visor on the passenger side to fall which caused broken facial bones. The headrest on the passenger side was completely dislodged and out of the seat upon inspection after the scene was secured. Drivers headrest was nearly out at the end of impact. Driver hit his head on the steering wheel. Entire back end of Subaru was smashed and a trail of what appeared to be gas from the tank made a visible line (~15 ft) of how far the car had been pushed on the road and across traffic. The man driving the journey reported that his “power steering went out while trying to pass on the shoulder.” Passenger had to forcibly push open the front passenger door to get out; the back passenger door was not usable and the gas cover popped out. The entire back end of the vehicle was smashed including the glass. The airbags on the Dodge Journey deployed, as well as the airbags in the vehicle that hit the Subaru in the front. NO airbags in the Subaru deployed. Medics were dispatched to the scene. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | I was visiting my daughter's and after I pulled in the driveway, and I hit my brakes to stop the car, but they failed, and I ended up crashing into their brick garage. I was physically fine, but my car and their garage was damaged. There were no warning lights of failure. I had Autozone check the car computer today, and they came up with an ABS failure code of C1411. I've discussed the situation with a Subaru mechanic on [XXX] , and he says that ABS module has failed and should not happen on 2018 Subaru, that only has @44,000 miles on it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Two incidents of unprovoked acceleration 1st incident: approximately March 2021 Slowly backing up at a gas station and experienced sudden acceleration causing the car to hit a metal guard at the fuel pump. This resulted in damage to the vehicle requiring repair. 2nd incident: 12/2023 Slowly entering a parking space when there was sudden acceleration causing the vehicle to to go over a concrete curb across a grassy median to hit an unoccupied car parked directly across. This resulted in damage to the bumper and damage to the car it hit. Police were called but they were busy and this happened in a parking lot so an incident number was obtained and insurance information was exchanged between driver and other vehicle owner. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Touchscreen is sticking or not working, I understand this is a standard problem with Subaru. I also wanted to report issues with Touchscreen on my 2018 Subaru Outback. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | Flex joint connecting to catalytic convertor. For 3+ years, exhaust from engine coming directly into cab, coughing, nausea, burning eyes/nose/lungs/chest. Foul odor, difficulty breathing. The problem has been reproduced and diagnosed by two independent mechanics. The dealer, when initially requested to inspect expeditiously, couldn't get me out the door fast enough. The component has only been inspected by two independent mechanics. There were no warnings. I would like to add that this specific part has already been subject to Subaru Program Bulletin WUB-87, WUJ-95, and is reported by mechanics as common defective part. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery drains constantly, going to buy my third battery since 2018. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | My car’s windshield is cracked for the fifth time since I purchased it new in December. This crack was spontaneous, nothing struck the windshield, though it was during a blizzard. Only one if the broken windshields was due to a significant rock strike. The other 3 happened after the most insignificant “click” was heard on the windshield, nothing that would have damaged any other car. Each time I have replace with Subaru glass. I have seen multiple complaints online about the Subaru windshield fragility. The cost of this and safety hazard needs to be addressed. I will be scheduling this 5th windshield glass replacement shortly. My deductible is $250 so this 5th repair will add up to $1250 in just over 6 years. If repair receipts are needed, please contact me so I can obtain all of them from Glass America. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | PROBLEMS & FAILURES include: 1. Repeated battery failures, towed over 12 times since car was purchased in 2017. Left [XXX] and [XXX] stranded and/or stranded in the dark on more than once occasion. Repeated (6+ attempts) to repair and/or replace the battery (local Subaru dealership) with no success- DRIVER SAFETY RISK. Two ADULTS (seniors) should not be repeatedly stranded in the middle of nowhere. Subaru issued battery recalls and was engaged in a lawsuit regarding this matter. 2. Cracks in windshield giving "spackle" pattern/ indicating weakness: DRIVER SAFETY RISK; multiple recalls. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, and if the windshield is thinner than industry standard poses risk of death. 3. Gas Tank door not opening & leakage 4. Subaru Radio Always on/ Comes on when car has started, no way to stop it or turn off. Was informed that "this is normal" which is outright false. DISTRACTING AND DRIVER SAFETY RISK 5. Acceleration Issue: Subaru Outback speeds up (lurches) sporadically on its own with no way for driver to control- DRIVER SAFETY RISK 6. Transmission Engine (Red Switch) Light always on- EVEN WHEN VEHICLE IS OFF 7. Steering Wheel Issues (Inclusive of) Self Correcting Feature Impeding Driver Discretion: DRIVER SAFETY RISK if the DRIVER HAS NO CONTROL OR HAS TO FIGHT THE CAR 8: Electric System MALFUNCTION (inclusive of but not limited to) **Control area network*** (Electric features remain on even though car is “off” and the battery continually drains) It has been shown online that Subaru needed to do a network patch to resolve issues). ** Dealership did not disclose if a new battery was installed if battery tests were done with copies of reports 9. Vehicle still dead in garage (after numerous repairs allegedly took place nov/dec 2023) All problems have been inspected and/or tested and/or replaced on a multitude of occasions with ZERO success. With the exception of the gas tank door all items pose AN ONGOING SERIOUS SAFTEY RISK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |