Complaint volume
1029 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
1029 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Subaru Outback, grouped by component category.
1029 Total complaints
23 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
12 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 23 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 468 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 15,653 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?
23 Crash
2 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
23 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2019 Subaru Outback complaint categories?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 281
VISIBILITY/WIPER 271
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 125
VISIBILITY 55
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 23
STEERING 22
ENGINE 14
STRUCTURE 14
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11
1,029 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | My windshield cracked on its own (without any object hitting it) under the passenger side plastic that covers the lower aspect of the windshield. The crack extended upwards and towards the driver's side. I'm concerned the crack will start to obstruct the driver's view and that it will be dangerous for passengers inside. Subaru America was contacted by phone and then a few weeks later we were given Case #220504-132599 (through an email from Kris Drechsel at Subaru America). Subaru of White Bear Lake, MN (Greg Nichol) inspected it on June 21st and determined the crack was NOT caused by a rock chip or any other object and the crack started from the bottom (under the plastic) and extended upwards (gave us a different Case #220621-171862). We were told someone from Subaru America would contact us about next steps. They never contacted us. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | “Condensation like” artifacts have appeared on the substrate of the LCD control screen similar to the recall issued for the 2018 model year. This affects vital control for most any vehicle setting and navigation. Also the system behaves erratically while in motion. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | The automatic liftgate fails to latch and requires extra steps that most car owner would not know to temporarily resolve the issue. My situation has been difficult to replicate. The liftgate will open but not close. It will also close but not open. It will also latch but not securely. This evening, the hatch opened but failed to close. It also latched but found out at 55mph that it was not properly secured when my dog leaned against it. It did not open but the light turned on like a door was opened. This has been a known issue with many other Subaru owners as well. The answer always seems to hold the button for 10 seconds to reset but this does not work every time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Summary: I have a 2019 Subaru Outback 3.6r with approximately 30k miles. It spent most of it's life in Texas, a low-corrosion state. When I was camping in Colorado, it started leaking fuel for extended periods from the tank area on the passenger side just in front of the rear wheel. The left a strong gas odor/fire danger as it leaked for many hours. I can supplies photos and video. The leak appeared rather suddenly, and is worse when the vehicle tank was just filled. It leaves large puddles of fuel on the ground. Failed system: fuel storage. It is available for inspection upon request. Safety: this issue resulted in a large fuel spill/gasoline vapor cloud, and the leak continues for hours. there is no crash damage/etc. to the vehicle. I have not taken the issue to a dealer yet. Should I get the car looked at by them? It is easy to reproduce by filling the tank normally at a gas station, the leak is worse when the tank is full. There are no warning lights/etc. The fuel gauge on the dashboard has also become intermittent after the leaking started. Sometimes it shows the fuel level, sometimes it shows empty (the tank is not empty). Note the image showing conflicting information on mileage to empty vs the needle fuel gauge level - the tank is appx 3/4 full in that image, neither fuel gauge is correct or agrees with each other. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The car is a 2019 Subaru Outback, purchased certified pre-owned in the summer of 2020 from North Park Subaru, San Pedro Ave., San Antonio TX.On 17 July 2022, the vehicle began shuddering, rolling backwards, and the transmission would not go into any gear position after starting it. The only way to keep the car from continuing to roll backwards was to remove the key from the ignition. At that point the vehicle stopped. Afterwards we tried to start it again, the car would go through the same sequence of events. We called a tow truck to have it dropped off at North Park Subaru, San Pedro St., San Antonio TX. It was determined by Subaru technicians the Electronic Control Module (ECM) needed to be reset. That was completed and symptoms could not be mimicked at the dealership. So, the vehicle was returned to us on 20 Jul 2022. On 21 Jul 2022, it malfunctioned again and repeated the symptoms; shuddering, rolling backwards, not going into gear, etc. It was returned to the same Subaru dealership and a few days later we received text messages to test drive it because technicians could not mimic ongoing issues during their test drives. We refused to retrieve our vehicle due to its unsafe condition and filed a complaint with Subaru of America Inc. on 27 Jul 2022. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The battery does not hold power and we have been stranded in a remote location more than once. I am nervous about going anywhere on my own, especially at night. The dealer has been totally unresponsive and told us this is normal and we should just buy a portable charger. We do now take a charger everywhere we go but this seems unacceptable for a new (and not inexpensive) car. It seems this is a problem with the 2019 outback. The date below is the last time this happened but it has been an ongoing issue since we bought the vehicle | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I just bought my 2019 Outback less than a month ago in perfect condition. One morning when I was leaving for work I noticed a crack about 6 inches long in the windshield. The crack is rapidly spreading, it tripled in size in less than 3 weeks. I believe my windshield is defective. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | At about 35,000 miles the car would not start. Had the battery checked and was told it was fine. Subaru garage could not find a parasitic drain. Replaced the battery and the car still would not start reliably. Took the car back to the Subaru garage and they had it for 5 days and at first said the DCM needed to be replaced then they back tracked and said the car was fine and they could not find anything wrong with it. Subaru garage told me to contact Subaru and they would give me a $500.00 "gift card" and I could bring it back and they could put in an AGM battery and a battery tender. The car would not start a total of approximately 8-10 times unless it was kept on a trickle charger. I did not want to have to rely on plugging my car in all the time. We sold the car because we could not have an unreliable vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | My windshield now has three cracks d/t small rocks hitting the windshield at far distances from other vehicles. When I originally purchased this vehicle, the windshield was cracked requiring a replacement before purchase. This is a new windshield 2 years old from that initial replacement. The dealer has not confirmed an issue with their windshields. No warnings were provided to watch out for this by the dealer. The first crack occurred 4 months after purchase. The most recent one occurred today. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The entire electrical system stopped working while parked in garage probably because the battery completely drained. Since the car was parked, there should have been no mechanical or electrical activity. Because this car depends so much on electronic control almost nothing can be operated. Locked doors cannot be opened (the car automatically locks all doors while in motion except the driver door), the tailgate cannot be opened and, of course, the engine will not start. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The windshield on the Outback do not hold up. I have replaced my windshield 2 times. About to replace for a 3 time. All within 13 months. All Subaru windshields. I’m a cautious driver and do not drive close to others. A rock has hit the windshield but it automatically cracks over 8 inches. Not repairable. I’ve never had this problem with my other vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Touch screen began to get bubbles underneath factory glass and is causing spontaneous touch-activation and inability to use touch screen. This also affects navigation and other issues. Might cause an accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Rear axle seal was leaking. Found during oil change and tire rotation. Vehicle has 47,000 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshield development a crack about 12 inches long without any known impact. It just popped and cracked by itself. Conditions were normal, no extreme heat or cold. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Two dead batteries in 5 days. Dealer is looking at it this week. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery keeps dying. Replaced the battery and it’s already dead again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Touch screen began to get bubbles underneath factory glass and is causing spontaneous touch-activation and inability to use touch screen. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery suddenly died. Would not start after being driven a short trip. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The windshield cracked itself without being hit by anything. The crack grows visibly once in a while. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Starlink Infotainment System has malfunctioned. I took the car to Bert Smith Subaru in St. Petersburg, FL and the assessment notes the screen has started to delaminate rendering the touchscreen and system inoperable. The dealer estimate to replace the unit was $2862.79. My 2019 Outback 2.5 Limited is equipped with the Harman Gen. 3.0 Audio and Navigation head unit. This is the same unit that was part of a class action involving 2018 models which resulted in Subaru issuing an extended warranty that covered replacement of the unit. I submitted a complaint to Subaru of America asking for the same coverage of an extended warranty or replacement of the head unit. (Case #220617-169688)Subaru offered to pay $2,000 toward the cost to replace the unit. I feel they should cover the entire amont since this is an obvious defect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I went outside to get my Sunday newspaper and noticed a large somewhat S-shaped crack on my windshield. It has been parked in the driveway Friday night and all day Saturday July 1-3. I have also had 2 small (nickel-sized) dings which I had SafeLite fix and neither of these have run. I’ve never owned a vehicle in my 60 some odd years with this many windshield issues. Subaru needs to pay for these issues and correct the problem. I will be out $997.28 for what appears to be a design problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The car battery was completely dead (no warning light or anything) after ~3 years and 45k miles. When we replaced it, the new battery died within 2 days and less than 150 miles. The mechanic who replaced our battery said that the new one was also completely dead. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery was drained. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was jumpstarted and taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to an authorized dealer. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Jun 2022 | ENGINE | Battery died following limited use. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, she noticed there was a crack on the front windshield. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,593. | Crash: No Fire: No | 43,593 |