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
1025 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 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.
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.
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.
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 is available on 466 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 15,557 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
1,025 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO REASON. NO CHIP OR DAMAGE. HAMPERS EYESIGHT SAFETY SYSTEM. NOT BEING COVERED BY SUBARU DESPITE MULTIPLE OTHER COMPLAINTS LISTED ON NHTSA AND LAWSUITS IN NEWS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | IN SEPT OF 2019 I WAS DRIVING, HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND THEN WHEN I STOPPED THE CAR A FEW HOURS LATER SAW A 12 PLUS INCH CRACK FROM THE SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. BY THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS WELL OVER 24 PLUS INCHES. DEALER SAID SOMETHING MUST OF HIT IT. I CHALKED IT UP TO BAD LUCK AND PAID THE NEARLY $1,000 TO REPLACE AND RECALIBRATE IT. THIS PAST MONDAY MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR, NO DAMAGE IN THE WINDSHIELD WHEN HE LEFT. HE HEARD A SLIGHT POP AND WHEN HE RETURNED HOME A FEW HOURS LATER ALMOST 30 PLUS INCHES OF CRACKING. IT BEGAN AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH TIMES THIS HAPPENED WAS ON A HIGHWAY WITH NO OTHER CARS NEARBY. THE DEALER HAS EXAMINED THE GLASS AND TELLS ME THERE IS AN IMPACT THEY FOUND BY RUNNING A PEN DOWN THE CRACK. THE SUPPOSED IMPACT IS NO LARGER THAN THE TIP OF A PEN. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS GLASS. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS AN IMPACT, BUT EVEN IF THERE WAS, SHOULD THE WINDSHIELD CRACK BEYOND REPAIR IMMEDIATELY. THIS CANNOT BE SAFE. I HAVE CALLED NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND OPENED A CASE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 39,000 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, HEARD A POP AND WITNESSED A CRACK START AND PROGRESS BOTH VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY STARING AT THE BOTTOM CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD AND HAS CONTINUED TO EXTEND SEVERAL HOURS LATER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 21,000 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65-70 MPH, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF GEORGETOWN (7501 N INTERSTATE 35 FRONTAGE RD, GEORGETOWN, TX 78626 (512) 930-2111). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,500 |
| Jun 2020 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | AS I WAS REVERSING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY RIDING THE BRAKE THE CAR ACCELERATED FULL THROTTLE AND WOULDN'T STOP. THE RESULT WAS I HIT A TREE. I AM THANKFUL IT WAS NOT A PEDESTRIAN OR ANOTHER PERSON. *TR | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | WITHIN ONE YEAR OF OWNING MY BRAND NEW 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK I HAVE HAD TO JUMPSTART IT SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALER THEY ARE TELLING ME THERE IS PROBLEMS WITH THESE BATTERIES THAT THEY HAVE A BAD CELL IN THEM. SO THEY SAID THEY WILL GET ME A NEWER AND BETTER BATTERY, WELL ALMOST ONE MONTH LATER I NOTICED MY CAR'S BATTERY STARTED TO ACT VERY VERY WEAK AND I BELIEVE WITHIN A DAY OR TWO I WILL NEED TO HAVE A JUMPED AGAIN TO GET IT RUNNING WITHIN ONE YEAR OF OWNING MY BRAND NEW 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK I HAVE HAD TO JUMPSTART IT SEVERAL TIMES AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALER THEY ARE TELLING ME THERE IS PROBLEMS WITH THESE BATTERIES THAT THEY HAVE A BAD SELLING THEM SO THEY SAID THEY WILL GET ME A NEWER AND BETTER BATTERY WELL ALMOST ONE MONTH LATER I NOTICED MY CAR'S BATTERY STARTED TO ACT VERY VERY WEAK AND I BELIEVE WITHIN A DAY OR TWO I WILL NEED TO HAVE A JUMPED AGAIN TO GET IT RUNNING. I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW WITH 2 MILES ON IT AND I DON'T DRIVE IT A WHOLE LOT I AM NOW AT 3200 MILES AND I'M HAVING BATTERY ISSUES. THE CAR JUST TURNED ONE YEAR OLD IN MAY OF 2020. THIS CAR SPENDS MOST OF THE WEEK IN A GARAGE AND IT IS REALLY ONLY DRIVEN ON THE WEEKENDS BUT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE IT JUMPED FOR ONLY SITTING A FEW DAYS IN THE GARAGE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,291 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SUBARU WINDSHIELD EASILY CRACKS. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, A CRACK FORMED BEGINNING AT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD NEAR THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND SPREAD DOWN. SINCE REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD WITH AN OEM PART, 3 MORE LARGE CRACKS HAVE FORMED. WHILE SOME HAVE BEGUN FROM A SMALL ROCK CHIP, THEY ORIGINATE FROM THE EDGE OF THE GLASS AND SPREAD INWARD. THE GLASS APPEARS WEAK AS EVEN THE SMALLEST CHIP WILL CAUSE A LARGE CRACK. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN ANY DIFFERENTLY FROM CURRENT AND PREVIOUS VEHICLES OWNED YET THE AMOUNT OF CHIPS AND CRACKS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE WINDSHIELD IN THE LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLE EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF CHIPS AND CRACKS WE'VE HAD IN THE LIFETIME OF OUR OTHER VEHICLES. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 500 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER | RECEIVED TWO CHIPS IN THE WINDSHIELD - ONE IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF OWNING THE CAR AND ANOTHER ONE TWO WEEKS AFTER. BOTH CHIPS OCCURRED AT MODERATE SPEEDS - ONE ON A FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP AND THE OTHER ON A FREEWAY EXIT RAMP. THE CHIPS SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED QUITE EASILY WITH MINIMAL IMPACT. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER CHIPS SINCE NOR HAVE THE EXISTING CHIPS BEEN REPAIRED OR CRACKED YET. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 100 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE CRACKS ON HIS WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WEBSTER GROVES SUBARU (7982 BIG BEND BLVD, WEBSTER GROVES, MO 63119) ON TWO OCCASIONS TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPAIRED FOR VARIOUS CRACKS. AFTER THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPAIRED, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | CAR WILL NOT RESTART AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. HAPPENS RANDOMLY. AFTER THE CAR SITS FOR A WHILE (HOUR OR MORE) THE CAR RESTARTS NORMALLY. IT ACTS LIKE A DEAD BATTERY, BUT ONLY SOMETIMES. THE TURN OFF PERIOD COULD BE AS BRIEF AS 2 MINUTES. I PURCHASED THE CAR AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM A DEALERSHIP IN BOISE LARRY H MILLER SUBARU AND ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 4 DAYS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. IT'S NOW AT THE DEALER. CAR HAS 12,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND RAN ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. UNKNOWN WHAT CAUSED THE CRACK AS WE DIDN'T NOTICE ROAD DEBRIS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. THE 1ST TIME THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED TOP PASSENGER SIDE AND THE CAR WAS MOVING ALONG THE HWY AND WE NOTICED A RUN FROM THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT RAN ACROSS THE PASSENGER SIDE. CAR HAD 4000 MILES. WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. THE SECOND TIME, THE CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN WE NOTICED A CRACK AT THE TOP MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT STARTED TO RUN ACROSS THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE CAR IS GARAGE KEPT. AN ASIDE WE HAD A SUBARU TRIBECA 2007 FOR 12 YEARS AND +200K MILES WITH ONLY 1 CRACK WINDSHIELD THAT NEVER RAN. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,000 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | BATTERY COMPLETELY DISCHARGED AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF NOT USING VEHICLE, THIS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DURING FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. INITIALLY WE THOUGHT IT WAS RELATED TO LEAVING THE KEY IN OR NEAR THE VEHICLE, OR THE AUTO CLOSE BACK HATCH NOT COMPLETELY CLOSING DUE TO MAT OBSTRUCTION. AFTER BEING STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES AND ALMOST MISSING A FLIGHT WE PURCHASED A BATTERY STARTER. IT WAS IRONIC AND A LITTLE HUMBLING TO HAVE TO CARRY A BATTERY STARTER AROUND WITH YOU IN A BRAND NEW CAR SO YOU WOULDN'T GET STRANDED SOMEWHERE - ESPECIALLY A VEHICLE MARKETED TO ADVENTUROUS FOLKS WHO PARK AT REMOTE TRAILHEADS. I EVENTUALLY PURCHASED A NEW HIGHER AMP BATTERY WHICH HAS LARGER MITIGATED THE ISSUE, BUT I STILL PERIODICALLY CHARGE THE NEW BATTERY AS ADDITIONAL INSURANCE. I MEASURED A PARASITIC DISCHARGE RATE OF ~114 MA WHICH IS ABOVE BASELINE OF 50 MA CITED BY SOME, BUT BELOW 150 MA THRESHOLD MENTIONED BY OTHERS. SUBARU (BOTH DEALERSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE) WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT DIDN'T OFFER TO DIAGNOSE OR REMEDY, ATTRIBUTING THE ISSUE TO NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE OFTEN ENOUGH IN COMBINATION WITH SUGGESTION WE PURCHASE A BETTER BATTERY GIVEN OUR DRIVING HABITS. SO WE HAVE A VEHICLE WITH A RELATIVELY HIGH PARASITIC DRAIN RATE THAT COMES WITH A UNDER SIZED BATTERY, LEAVING THE CUSTOMER TO WONDER WHAT IS GOING ON AND CREATING POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES IN TERMS OF NON-STARTING VEHICLE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,500 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | LIFTGATE OPENED SPONTANEOUSLY OVERNIGHT, CAUSING RAPID BATTERY DRAINING. BATTERY WAS DEAD THE NEXT MORNING. CAR WAS INSIDE LOCKED GARAGE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | THE CAR BATTERY KEEPS DYING AFTER BEING PARKED FOR ONLY A FEW DAYS. THE 2019 OUTBACK HAS ONLY 10,000 MILES ON IT. WE'VE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THAT NO INTERIOR LIGHTS OR OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ARE LEFT ON WHEN PARKED, AND THAT NO DOORS ARE LEFT AJAR. WE'VE HAD TO JUMP START IT EACH TIME. THIS DEAD BATTERY PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY NOT UNCOMMON FOR 2016-2020 OUTBACKS AND THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. SUBARU HAS NO SOLUTION FOR IT OTHER THAN TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AS A TEMPORARY FIX. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | THE VEHICLE RAN ROUGH AND THEN LOST POWER WHILE EXITING I-55 IN THE CHICAGO AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS STALLED ON THE SIDE OF THE EXIT RAMP, BUT I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT AND EXIT THE INTERSTATE. IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS RELATED TO THE ONGOING FUEL PUMP RECALL. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,060 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WE HAVE HAD OUR 4TH WINDSHIELD BREAK ON OUR 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. WE BELIEVE THESE TO BE SPONTANEOUS CRACKS, NOT THE RESULT OF A CHIP OR OTHER IMPACT. THE MOST RECENT HAPPENED WHILE CAR WAS PARKED (NOT A HOT DAY) OUT IN THE OPEN. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 24,500 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD ON OUR 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | BATTERY FAILURE X 4, ON 3/26/20, 4/3/20, 5/7/20 AND 6/7/20NOW ON OUR THIRD BATTERY. HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAVE CAR JUMP STARTED ON 2 OCCASIONS AND THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER THIRD TIME. SOMETHING IS DRAINING THE BATTERY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I CAME HOME FROM WORK, WENT THROUGH THE CAR WASH, AND THE NEXT MORNING I HAD A CRACK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. NOTHING MADE CONTACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD EITHER ON THE DRIVE, OR AT THE CAR WASH. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20,000 |
| Jun 2020 | STRUCTURE,ENGINE | HAD MY FIRST OIL CHANGE AT 5,000 MILES AND AT 9,600 MY OIL LIGHT CAME ON. WENT HOME AND PUT 1 QUART OF OIL IN VEHICLE AND WAS STILL DOWN LOW. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY CHANGED OIL AND NOTED I HAD STILL BEEN LOW 1/2 QUART. FILED CASE WITH SUBURU OF AMERICA. NOWIN PROCESS OF OIL CONSUMPTION TEST, BUT, SAW THAT DEALERSHIP OVERFILLED MY OIL SO I HAD THEM DRAIN IT DOWN TO PROPER LEVEL AND HAVE TO START CALCULATION MILEAGE AGAIN FOR TEST. NEXT PROBLEM. PASSENGER FRONT DOOR, FROZE IN WINTER. WATER INSIDE CAR ON FLOOR. WATER TEST DONE AT DEALERSHIP AFTER MAJOR STORM, AND CAR FLOODED INSIDE. DEALER REPLACED GASKET AROUND THE DOOR. OIL ISSUE WAS WHILE DRIVING. WATER ISSUE WAS WHILE STATIONARY. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,958 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK'S WINDSHIELD CRACK WITH NO REASON, I PARKED THE VEHICLE MY DRIVEWAY ABOUT 3 PM WITH NO DAMAGE AND WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK NEXT DAY AT 5 AM I REALIZE THE CRACK. THE CRACK STARTED FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IT GREW DAY BY DAY ALMOST REACHED ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END. I CONTACTED SUBARU CUSTOMER CARE VIA EMAIL ON 5/21/2020 BUT STILL GOT NO RESPONSE. I ALSO TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LOCAL DEALER IN TEMECULA/CA I ALMOST KICK OUT FROM THERE, AS SOON AS THEY SEE THE CRACK THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HELP OR GIVE ME INFORMATION. ALL I WONDER IS, IT IS BEEN COVERED BY WARRANTY OR HOW SHOULD I HANDLE TO REPAIR BECAUSE OF EYESIGHT. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 12K MILES ON IT AND STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 11,750 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER | LARGE WINDSHIELD CRACK APPEARED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE CAR WAS PARKED AND GREW LARGER WHEN CAR WAS PARKED. SUBARU DEALER INSISTED IT WAS FROM AN IMPACT, BUT NONE WERE VISIBLE. DEALER SAID NEW WINDSHIELDS WERE THINNER AND MORE PRONE TO CRACKING AND I MIGHT HAVE IT HAPPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 14,000 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON THE MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS JUMP STARTED AND OPERATED AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BEARDMORE SUBARU (410 FORT CROOK RD N, BELLEVUE, NE 68005) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A DEFECTIVE BATTERY. THE CONTACT HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED. SUBARU REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AND ABOUT 5 MONTHS LATER THE REPLACEMENT ALSO SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED. SUBARU HAS CLAIMED "OUTSIDE INFLUENCE" CAUSED THE REPLACEMENT TO CRACK AND HAS DECLINE TO REPLACE AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY. BOTH TIMES THE CRACKING HAPPENED DURING A SNOWFALL WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,800 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | FRONT WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY. NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND CAR, NO BUGS HIT WINDSHIELD, NOTHING HIT FRONT OF WINDSHIELD. AUDIBLE LOUD "POP" THEN VISIBLE CRACK THAT STARTED FROM DRIVER'S SIDE EDGE OF VEHICLE EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY INTO DRIVER'S LINE OF VISION. DRIVER WAS STARTLED AND DRIVER'S VISION IMPAIRED FROM CRACK. VEHICLE DRIVEN LESS THAN 10 TIMES, PURCHASED ON 5/16/2020, STORED IN GARAGE AND COVERED PARKING STRUCTURE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,345 |