Complaint volume
1025 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
2019 Subaru Outback Complaints
1025 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Subaru Outback, grouped by component category.
1025 Total complaints
22 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
11 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 electrical system, visibility/wiper, 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 22 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 11 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 466 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 15,557 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to electrical system, visibility/wiper, 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 2019 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.
2019 Subaru Outback
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2019 Subaru Outback complaints?
22 Crash
2 Fire
11 Injury
0 Fatality
22 Towed
7 Medical attention
What are the most common 2019 Subaru Outback complaint categories?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 280
VISIBILITY/WIPER 271
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 124
VISIBILITY 55
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 23
STEERING 22
ENGINE 14
STRUCTURE 14
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11
1,025 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Driver-side Daytime Running Light (DRL) failed after only 3 years. DRL is made up of LED bulbs integrated in the headlight assembly, and not able to be repaired or replaced. Entire headlight unit required replacement; estimated at ~$500, plus additional labor at Subaru dealership service center. There was no warning lamp, message, or other symptoms to indicate a problem with the headlight. It was discovered only when viewing front end of car in a reflection. This poses a threat to occupants’ and others’ safety due to decreased visibility during operation. Exorbitant cost of parts and labor poses a significant hurdle to repair. This problem was inspected and verified by dealer service center. Dealer described the issue as “weird,” and stated “that should not happen; I’ve never seen that before.” By the time I retrieved the vehicle following headlight assembly replacement work, the dealer service center had reportedly taken in 4 additional customers’ vehicles in for the same complaint. Dealership waived all charges associated with parts and labor to repair, despite being out of warranty, due to fact that LED DRL failed well before its projected useful life. Faulty headlight assembly was retained by dealer service center and sent to Subaru corporate for further inspection. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | With less than 7000 miles on the odometer, our Outback2019 radio system component started to malfunction and rotate thru channels. Sheehy Subaru of Springfield performed system update, but no change. The entire component was ordered but is now on back order. It is now almost 4 months and we don't trust other possible related components of the system (e.g., GPS) to function properly to feel safe driving this vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Purchased a low mileage, 2019 Subaru Outback Limited, had 16,407 miles on vehicle, had accident damage reported by CARFAX. At 27,383 miles an oil leak in valve cover gasket was discovered, Subaru fixed leak under warranty, engine removed. Upon driving the vehicle home following repairs, the car lunged forward through the garage door, into the garage, and damaged vehicle and garage interior as I approached the garage. Sudden acceleration occurred. Vehicle taken on flag bed to Subaru shop for repairs and investigation of incident by Subaru of America. Insurance company provided damage/repair estimate. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The battery dies after 3 days of parking inside my garage. The battery passed a test. This is the third time the issue has taken place. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | STEERING | Feel very uncomfortable during driving, steering wheel moving left or right | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I'm writing to document an issue regarding a potential windshield malfunction. I know there have been previous lawsuits about the fragility of Subaru windshields, including with the Outback model. Additionally, there are posts about this issue on several auto forums. I've had this car since August 2019 and in three short years I've had to complete the following three repairs: chip to the windshield -- repair (April 2021), crack on windshield -- total replacement (February 2022), and chip to the windshield -- repair (December 2022). Beyond what seems like a statistical anomaly, this high number of windshield repairs also seems very unreasonable for two more reasons: 1) I only have a 15-mile commute two days per week, and 2) I was working at home for months at a time during two COVID shutdowns within this same three-year time period. Each chip/crack has happened while driving, from a point of impact on the windshield; however, this is a new problem since owning this car -- I've had the same commute since 2013 without this issue (previous car was a Mitsubishi Lancer). A windshield that is prone to easy chips and cracking is a clear safety risk, both to myself and to others. My windshield has not been inspected by the dealer, but I know that other windshields of my make/model have been inspected by other dealers and manufacturers. Additionally, the glass repair service that has handled each repair noted that they've also heard of issues with Subarus and that they've seen my car far more often than vehicles of other brands. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | This model of vehicle has persistent electrical issues resulting in the vehicle dying or being unable to start. Replacing the battery does not resolve the issues. Placing the keyfob in Faraday cages to prevent drain also does not resolve the issues. Charging the battery to full before using the vehicle temporary delays the issues but 3-10 days later the vehicle will die again. The vehicle has undergone examination by a Subaru certified maintenance dealer and they insist no issue can be found and the vehicle passes all checks. Most recently the vehicle died within a few days of getting a complete check out and passing all tests. This affects safety because a vehicle dying from electrical failure may cause an accident due to an absence of power steering, braking, etc. The vehicle may also strand motorist in compromising environmental conditions such as extreme cold, heat, etc. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, a crack had formed on various parts of the windshield due to minor rocks hitting the windshield. The contact stated that each crack obstructed her vision while driving. The contact had the windshield replaced by the dealer after each failure. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 29,000 |
| Nov 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Battery is persistently dead , have brought to Subaru dealership replaced battery 1 month after we got it Nov 2021 , and then checked again and told “not driving enough to charge battery “ we have to jump battery at least twice a week | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Bought car end of August off lease with 40K on it from local Subaru dealer. Dealer made point of telling me car had new tires and battery which was appreciated. Have added 900 miles since then mostly local. After not driving for a week in September car would not start. Charged battery all seemed fine been driving frequently after that no issues. Now with colder weather car does not start if not driven for 2 days or more. Using multimeter was able to find circuit for DCM (what Subaru refers to as the Data Control Module) was drawing power when car should be in sleep mode. Brought to Subaru dealer today and was advised the DCM needs to be replaced. I am aware of many other people with this particular car having similar issues with no identified culprit, recommend this be looked at as possible issue specifically the StarLink system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I would have experienced the same battery issues for the last 14 months. 12 months ago I purchased a back up charged starting battery that I use on a monthly basis. Subaru did advise of the battery warranty extension of which I took advantage of today I’ve seen the other complaints in the nature site and being from the automotive industry myself, I believe that when you look back to the DCM issues from 2016 to 2018 and the latest issues on the 2023 you’ll find a common thread it’s not just a button. One key thing is that units of measure for the tire pressure monitoring system Arbitrarily change while you were in operation from psi to kilopascals. It indicates to me that there is still some Telematic related event and the vehicle isn’t sure where it is at a given time so it sets the units and the time to what amount to mountain time Canada. Just thought I’d give you a hint. I do believe you’ll find that and that poses a big challenge for the SOS button. If you can’t locate the vehicle or it isn’t where they think it should be , may not be the button. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was in a parking lot pulling into a parking spot. My car sped with full power over a curb barrier and hit a parked car in front of me. The force was strong enough to push the car I hit back several inches. My airbag did not deploy. The forward obstacle collision detection did not work. My safety could have been at risk if this happened while on the road or freeway. There were no warnings that day, however a week or so earlier when I tried to drive the car it would not start (new battery installed approx 3 months ago) and all lights on the dash came on. I tried to start it a few times but after smelling gas I left it. Later that day it started with no problems. The car is up to date on services/recalls. It is scheduled for inspection with my insurance company on 11/30/22. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Problem started Aug 4, 2022. I went to start the car & the battery was dead. Jumped it, ran errands. Two days later dead battery again.Kept happening even though no lights left on when car turned off. Finally called dealership & they said battery was bad so it was replaced.3 weeks later battery went dead after car sat unused for 24 hrs. Was told car needed to be driven everyday to keep battery charged. I'm retired & don't drive everyday. Dealer then advised it was due to the control area network (CAN) system in the car & to contact Subaru of America. Apparently it doesn't go into sleep mode & drains the battery when the car isn't in use. Subaru is not being up front about this & it's dangerous. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | the horn randomly gives several short beeps during vehicle operation. It seems to happen when the vehicle is stopped at red lights. This began after the dealer installed the Subaru OEM remote car starter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | STEERING | There is a problem with my 2019 steering since I bought it in 2020. When driving with highway speeds, over 45 MPH I am struggling to keep the car straight on the road and have to compensate steering all the time. The car feels unattached to the road like driving on icy road or having strong side wind gusts. I always make sure the lane assist is turned off as it is dangerous. I took the car to the dealer two times and the message was that it drives like a Subaru Outback and there is no problem with the steering. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The car started to accelerate or decelerate by itself while driving with constant pedal position. It didn't want to start some time. Eventually didn't start at all and had to have it towed to the dealer. The diagnostic was faulty fuel pump. Subaru has a recall for 2019 Outback fuel pump failure (NHTSA campaign number: 21V587000). I called Subaru customer service, and they did not honor the recall saying my vin number did not have any recall despite having the same problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES | The car's battery is draining fast and the car's electric system stopped working after I replaced the battery three times. The car is currently inoperable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | Driving the car from the dealer where was repaired for faulty fuel pump, I noticed the brake pedal was going to the floor when pressing on it. I got scared driving it on highway as I would not be able to stop in time if I had to brake hard. I took the car to the dealer, and he confirmed the brake master cylinder has leaks. The car has been in service for 6 weeks as brake master cylinder is on backorder. The last update is to have the part available early December. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | While driving slowly in traffic on the highway my windshield started to crack on the front passenger side. No rocks or debris were seen by myself. Even if a minuscule pebble were to have hit the windshield, the crack spread to over a foot in minutes and this seems like a fault on Subarus engineering. Wish I had known when I got this car two weeks ago. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The key fobs were inoperable. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a low charge and the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Navigation screen is delaminating and bubbling under the touch screen. It would cause navigation touch screen to detect phantom inputs and cause radio/telephone to do random actions (ie. calling random people, cycle radio stations, map zoom in) that is very distracting to driver. Screen would be completely unresponsive to touch input or button input. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The audio unit is malfunctioning, it constantly makes distracting intermittent tone sounds, continuously flashes and changes between AM, FM, Sirius and Bluetooth modes, makes random autonomous phone calls, touchscreen doesn't respond to touch, sound will randomly spike at high volumes. All of this makes it extremely distracting to safely drive the car. This has been happening since last June 2022. We leased this vehicle new then purchased it when the lease was expired. Diablo Subaru in Walnut Creek, CA advises the part is on back order and none are in stock. They admitted that a different customer dropped off their 2019 Subaru Outback now over 45 days and they don't have the replacement audio unit for it and they know of several other customers with the same problem of year,make & model. Subaru of America offered to pay $1,700 towards the $2,700 repair. Our car has 34k miles on it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | One morning when I got my car from the garage, it had a cracked windshield near the driver size bottom glass. Happened overnight while in the garage. Took it to Subaru and they agreed to replace it under warranty. They put in a new one, and as I was driving on the freeway, I heard a huge boom sound from the windshield, which startled me! They another boom/cracking sound. The windshield didn't crack, but it was terrifying. I took it back to Subaru and they checked it and did something to help with the seal. A few months later, the windshield cracked from the passenger side edge. Within minutes of driving, it spread half way across the windshield. Nothing had hit my windshield. I am on my 3rd windshield, by the way. There is a problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN | Took in 2 yr old car relating to vehicle veering to the right, ticking helicopter noise on driver side. Took to Continental Subaru Anchorage Alaska on 11/2/22. For tire change over, alignment, oil change and for diagnostics on noise. I was told that my vehicle needed a complete driver side cx axle replacement. After axle was installed, they said they heard another noise and that it was my transmission, and now it needs replaced. I didn't get alignment according to papers. This car is 2 yrs old. 2019 bought in 2019 at Christmas or 2020. Why is transmission out? Low miles and drivers are very safe! I was given a rental till transmission could be ordered and replaced. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The windshield cracked without any impact, vehicle was sitting in the garage and when I came back to it there was a large 8-10 in crack across the driver side. My visibility is impacted and potentially my safety should the strength of the windshield be compromised. Additionally, the safety systems built into the vehicle may be impacted by the crack. The dealership is refusing to complete service to replace the windshield. Vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else yet. No warning lamps, messages, or signs appeared before the windshield cracked. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |