Complaint volume
289 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
2021 Subaru Outback Complaints
289 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Subaru Outback, grouped by component category.
289 Total complaints
7 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
2 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 7 crash reports, 1 fire report, 2 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 60 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 8,787 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 2021 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.
2021 Subaru Outback
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Subaru Outback complaints?
7 Crash
1 Fire
2 Injury
0 Fatality
6 Towed
0 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Subaru Outback complaint categories?
VISIBILITY/WIPER 86
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 44
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 37
AIR BAGS 14
VISIBILITY 10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6
ENGINE 4
POWER TRAIN 3
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3
289 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | CRACK SUDDENLY APPEARED ON WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,200 |
| Feb 2021 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SHE NOTICED A BUBBLE IN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED APPROXIMATELY TWELVE INCHES WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JIM ARMSTRONG SUBARU (2321 U.S. HWY 70 SW, HICKORY, NC 28602, (828) 322-9372) WHERE THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY AN UNKNOWN OBJECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,800.*DT*JB CONSUMER STATED WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN REPLACED.*JB | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,800 |
| Feb 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I WAS JUST DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING ON IT'S OWN. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE AT ALL PRIOR TO THE EVENT. NO DEBRIS HIT THE WINDSHIELD IT JUST STARTED CRACKING AND THE CRACK RAPIDLY GREW OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES TO A SIZE OF 10 INCHES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Feb 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | CRACKED WINDSHIELD WITHOUT IMPACT FROM BOTTOM THEY REPLACED IT BUT WITHIN A WEEK SECOND ONE CRACKED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| Feb 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I BOUGHT A NEW CAR IN DECEMBER 2020. ONE DAY IN JAN 2021, I NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY HAD DIED. I JUMP STARTED IT AND THEN IN FEBRUARY 2021, I HAD TO JUMPSTART IT 3 TIMES. AT LEAST THE LAST INSTANCE, I WAS CAREFUL TO CHECK NO INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ON, AND IT STILL HAPPENED. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. I HOPE THAT FIXES IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,500 |
| Feb 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT 1200 MILES. CRACK STARTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. CRACK APPEARED WHEN ENTERING THE CAR. WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THEN THERE WAS A CRACK | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,250 |
| Feb 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | POSSESSION OF NEW VEHICLE WAS TAKEN 1/13/21. DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING ON 1/18/21, WINDSHIELD EXPERIENCED A SURFACE CHIP AND WAS REPAIRED THE SAME DAY BY AN AUTHORIZED TECHNICIAN. DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING ON 1/29/21, WINDSHIELD EXPERIENCED ANOTHER CHIP IN DIFFERENT LOCATION WHICH TURNED INTO AN APPROXIMATELY 10 INCH CRACK MINUTES LATER, BEYOND REPAIR. WINDSHIELD HAS NOT YET BEEN REPLACED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 800 |
| Jan 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THIS IS AN ISSUE WE EXPERIENCED WITH AN EXPLODING SUNROOF OF OUR NEW SUBARU OUTBACK. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON DECEMBER 22, 2020. WITHIN DAYS OF THE PURCHASE, ON DECEMBER 27, 2020, THE SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. BOTH THE SUNROOF AND INTERIOR SUNROOF COVERING WERE CLOSED AT THE TIME. THE FRACTURED GLASS WAS BROKEN OUTWARD WHICH LEADS US TO BELIEVE THIS IS A VEHICLE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY REFERRED US TO SUBARU CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 200 |
| Jan 2021 | STRUCTURE | A DESIGN FLAW IN THE REMOTE (REQUIRED FOR BOTH KEYLESS ENTRY AND VEHICLE OPERATION) LEADS TO ACCIDENTAL TRUNK OPENINGS DUE TO "POCKET TRUNK OPENING". THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT COULD LEAD TO HUMANS OR ANIMALS ENTERING THE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL ROUTE TO WATER DAMAGE. THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND LOCKED, AND THE KEY IS IN ONE'S POCKET AND IN RANGE (EG IN A HOUSE NEAR THE DRIVEWAY) | Crash: No Fire: No | 500 |
| Dec 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND BASICALLY PARKED THE CAR IN MY GARAGE A/O 23 NOV 2020. I TRAVEL FOR WORK MOST OF THE TIME. BETWEEN 3 - 7 DEC, THE CAR WAS USED BY MY EX-HUSBAND FOR TWO TRIPS TO THE AIRPORT TO PICK ME UP/DROP OFF FROM/FOR A BUSINESS TRIP AND FOR ME TO DROP OFF THE TITLE OF MY OLD CAR. ON 21 DEC, AFTER BEING PARKED IN THE GARAGE FOR THREE WEEKS (SINCE 7 DEC), MY EX-HUSBAND NOTICED IN THE GARAGE AS HE WAS GETTING IN THE CAR TO HEAD TO THE AIRPORT TO PICK ME UP FROM MY 3-WEEK BUSINESS TRIP, SAW A 1 1/2 FOOT LONG CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD ORIGINATING BY THE WINDSHIELD PERIMETER FRAME (PASSENGER SIDE). | Crash: No Fire: No | 598 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | BRAND NEW 2021 OUTBACK PREMIER @ 647 MILES AND WHILE PARKED OVERNIGHT IN OUR PRIVATE DRIVEWAY WE NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKED THE NEXT MORNING. LESS THAN 7 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP DEALER CLAIMS IT WAS A ROCK CHIP . THE WINDSHIELD IS SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN. DEALER RESPONSE IS INSULTING. ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE GLASS. DEALER PUSHED THEIR EXPENSIVE INSURANCE TO COVER WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR. WE DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS A RECURRING ISSUE AT THIS TIME WITH THE CARS. IF WE HAD KNOWN WE WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR. IT WILL ALWAYS BE AN ISSUE. WILL IT CRACK AGAIN? WHO PAYS, WILL IT LEAVE US STRANDED SOMEWHERE? SUBARU DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WILLING TO STAND BY ITS PRODUCT AND TAKE CARE OF ITS CUSTOMERS | Crash: No Fire: No | 640 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO STOCKER SUBARU (1454 DREIBELBIS ST, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801, (814) 954-7320) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD HAD LINT OR DUST EMBEDDED INSIDE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN ENGINEER INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD AND STATED THE WINDSHIELD WAS ACCEPTABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A GIFT CARD WAS PROVIDED TO THE CONTACT. THE FAILURE WAS MILEAGE WAS 600.*DT THE CONSUMER STATED CONTACTED MANUFACTURER ASKING FOR A REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD AND REQUEST WAS DENIED. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 600 |
| Dec 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED SPONTANEOUSLY TWO TIMES. HAD TO REPLACE WINDSHIELD TWICE AND HAD TO RECALIBRATE EYESITE CAMERAS BOTH TIMES. ONE TIME HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND THE OTHER TIME PARKED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,500 |
| Nov 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I HAD THE CAR ONLY 10 DAYS FROM THE DEALERSHIP, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY HEADING TO AN EVENT WHEN WE HEARD A CRACK, I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS A HORIZONTAL CRACK HEADING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 400 |