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2018 Subaru Outback

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Outback years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Outback are substantially higher than the model-year median of 207.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

488 reports with mileage · 323 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 265 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 233 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

27 crash reports4 fire reports10 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

265 reports
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3,000 miles · Jan 16, 2019
Electrical SystemSteering

OUR OUTBACK STARTED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AT AROUND 3000 MILES. CURRENTLY (AT 9000 MILES) THE CAR STILL DOES THAT. IT FEELS AS IF THERE IS STRONG SIDE WIND PUSHING THE CAR. THE CAR ALSO STARTED MAKING KNOCKING SOUNDS WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WHILE AT STOP OR MOVING SLOWLY. WE ARE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR AN INSPEC…

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OUR OUTBACK STARTED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AT AROUND 3000 MILES. CURRENTLY (AT 9000 MILES) THE CAR STILL DOES THAT. IT FEELS AS IF THERE IS STRONG SIDE WIND PUSHING THE CAR. THE CAR ALSO STARTED MAKING KNOCKING SOUNDS WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WHILE AT STOP OR MOVING SLOWLY. WE ARE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR AN INSPECTION AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE SECOND MAJOR ISSUE IS THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR. THE TIRE PRESSURE THAT IT DISPLAYS DOES NOT MATCH THE ACTUAL ONE MEASURED WITH SEVERAL EXTERNAL INSTRUMENTS (CONSTANTLY 2 PSI LOWER ON ALL FOUR WHEELS). ADDITIONALLY, THE MONITOR SOMETIMES SWITCHES THE FRONT TIRE PRESSURE WITH THE REAR ONES, I.E. THE MONITOR DISPLAYS THE FRONT TIRE PRESSURE AS IF IT IS THE REAR TIRE PRESSURE. VERY CONFUSING!

NHTSA ODI #11170464

70 miles · Jan 14, 2019
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

I WAS DRIVING AND THE FUEL INDICATOR INDICATED 70 MILES TO GO LAST TIME I SAW IT. I ONLY HAD TO DRIVE 10 MILES HOME AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED, THANKFULLY ON A LOCAL ROAD. SOME WARNING LIGHTS STARTED APPEARING AND I COULDNT MAKE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I TRIED TO RESTART A FEW TIMES UNTIL I DECIDED IT HAD TO BE FUEL. WE PUSHED C…

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I WAS DRIVING AND THE FUEL INDICATOR INDICATED 70 MILES TO GO LAST TIME I SAW IT. I ONLY HAD TO DRIVE 10 MILES HOME AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED, THANKFULLY ON A LOCAL ROAD. SOME WARNING LIGHTS STARTED APPEARING AND I COULDNT MAKE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I TRIED TO RESTART A FEW TIMES UNTIL I DECIDED IT HAD TO BE FUEL. WE PUSHED CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD AND WENT TO GAS STATION TO GET GAS. CAME BACK WITH GAS, REFILLED AND CAR STARTED AND WENT HOME. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY FAULT, ALTHOUGHT I COULDNT EXPLAIN WHY THE LAST TIME A SAW THE FUEL GAUGE SAID 70 MILES AND I WAS JUST GOING HOME, NOT EVEN 10 MILES TO GET THERE.

NHTSA ODI #11169972

9,000 miles · Jan 12, 2019
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WENT BLACK ON DECEMBER 17, 2018. RADIO, NAVIGATION SYSTEM, BLUETOOTH AND REAR CAMERA ARE ALL INOPERABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11166632

13,000 miles · Jan 11, 2019
Electrical SystemUnknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper

WTZ85 - SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. (SUBARU) IS RECALLING 2018 MODEL YEAR LEGACY, OUTBACK, AND BRZ VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A CERTAIN COMBINATION OF HEAD UNIT HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE, DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF NONCOMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD TYPE: RECALL | SERVICE CAMPAIGN: WTZ85 | NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 18V-000000 O…

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WTZ85 - SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. (SUBARU) IS RECALLING 2018 MODEL YEAR LEGACY, OUTBACK, AND BRZ VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A CERTAIN COMBINATION OF HEAD UNIT HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE, DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF NONCOMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD TYPE: RECALL | SERVICE CAMPAIGN: WTZ85 | NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 18V-000000 OPEN RECALL DATE: JANUARY 02, 2019 DESCRIPTION 18 LEG/OUT/BRZ V3 HEAD UNIT REPROGRAM SAFETY RISK DUE TO A SOFTWARE ISSUE, THE HEAD UNIT MEMORY RETRIEVAL AND ASSEMBLY TIME MAY EXCEED THE DESIGNED TIME TO BEGIN THE BOOT-UP CYCLE. IF THIS OCCURS, THE HEAD UNIT DISPLAY WILL NOT BOOT, CAUSING THE SCREEN TO REMAIN BLANK. IN THIS CONDITION, WHILE BACKING THE VEHICLE, THE REARVIEW IMAGE MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED. THE FAILURE TO DISPLAY THE REARVIEW IMAGE CREATES A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 111 ' 'REAR VISIBILITY,' INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THERE ARE 1000'S OF THESE ON BACKORDER CAUSING US TO DRIVE AROUND IN UNSAFE VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN REPLACMENT UNITS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING A LOANER CAR IN THE MEANTIME. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A COMPANY THAT PRIDES THEMSELVES ON THEIR SAFETY!!!!!

NHTSA ODI #11166438

13,000 miles · Jan 10, 2019
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM IS FAULTY. I HAVE NO BACK UP CAMERA, BLUETOOTH, RADIO, CAN NOT PROGRAM CLOCK. SUBARU DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO FIX OTHER THAN TO REPLACE HEAD UNIT. I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE DEC 14TH FOR THIS REPLACEMENT UNIT. WHILE AT DEALER I ASKED FOR A LOANER AND WAS DENIED. SUBARU SAID THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WHICH IS…

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INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM IS FAULTY. I HAVE NO BACK UP CAMERA, BLUETOOTH, RADIO, CAN NOT PROGRAM CLOCK. SUBARU DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO FIX OTHER THAN TO REPLACE HEAD UNIT. I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE DEC 14TH FOR THIS REPLACEMENT UNIT. WHILE AT DEALER I ASKED FOR A LOANER AND WAS DENIED. SUBARU SAID THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WHICH IS NOT TRUE SINCE THEIR BIGGEST SAFETY FEATURE ISNT ACCESSIBLE

NHTSA ODI #11166323

18,600 miles · Jan 9, 2019
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHILE FUEL RANGE INDICATED ON DASH JUST HIT 30 MILES TO EMPTY AND CAR RAN OUT OF GAS. WAS NEVER INFORMED BY SUBARU OF ANY RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11166169

7,000 miles · Jan 5, 2019
Electrical System

DISPLAY PANEL SHUT DOWN, COMPLETELY DARK, DISABLED ARE RADIO, GPS, NAVIGATION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE BACK UP CAMERA. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITS THEY ARE SEEING QUITE A FEW OF THESE AND A NEW RADIO TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WILL TAKE 3 MONTHS TO ARRIVE, NO GUARANTEE THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. SO I WILL BE WITHOUT A BACKUP CAMERA, DEEMED…

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DISPLAY PANEL SHUT DOWN, COMPLETELY DARK, DISABLED ARE RADIO, GPS, NAVIGATION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE BACK UP CAMERA. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITS THEY ARE SEEING QUITE A FEW OF THESE AND A NEW RADIO TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WILL TAKE 3 MONTHS TO ARRIVE, NO GUARANTEE THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. SO I WILL BE WITHOUT A BACKUP CAMERA, DEEMED CRITICAL ENOUGH THAT IT IS MANDATED ON ALL NEW CARS FOR ONE QUARTER OF THE YEAR. I ALSO ASSUME IF NOT FIXED BY MY NEXT STATE SAFETY INSPECTION I WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE THE CAR. SO FAR I HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING FROM SUBARU.THIS LOOKS A PRETTY BIG SAFETY ISSUE BEING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.

NHTSA ODI #11165343

Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2018
Electrical System

I HAVE OWNED TWO OUTBACKS A 2016 AND 2018 AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM OF FRONT WINDOWS WILL WORK AND THEN FOR WHAT EVER REASON I WILL ROLL WINDOW UP WITH POWER SWITCH AND WIND WILL AUTOMATICALLY ROLL HALF WAY DOWN AND STAY THERE IF I TRY TO ROLL IT UP AGAIN IT DOES THE SAME THING .UNTIL I PULL OVER STOP CAR AND RESET THE SWI…

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I HAVE OWNED TWO OUTBACKS A 2016 AND 2018 AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM OF FRONT WINDOWS WILL WORK AND THEN FOR WHAT EVER REASON I WILL ROLL WINDOW UP WITH POWER SWITCH AND WIND WILL AUTOMATICALLY ROLL HALF WAY DOWN AND STAY THERE IF I TRY TO ROLL IT UP AGAIN IT DOES THE SAME THING .UNTIL I PULL OVER STOP CAR AND RESET THE SWITCH THE WAY THE DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME TO DO ,THIS ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES SO I AM LEFT WITH MY WINDOW HALF WAY DOWN.THIS IS UNSAFE ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS RAINING AND MY WIFE IS TRYING TO PAY ATTENTION TO DRIVING WITH KIDS IN THE CAR .NOT TO MENTION LEAVING HER CAR WITH THE WINDOW DOWN UNSECECURED FOR SOMEONE TO GET IN HER CAR AND HIDE TO HARM HER ,MOST OF THE TIMES SHE CANNOT GET WINDOW TO RESET. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP WITH THIS ISSUE,ONE DEALERSHIP HAS CLAIMED THAT IT IS A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THEY KNOW HOW TO FIX BUT THEY ARE UP NORTH I AM FAR SOUTH.

NHTSA ODI #11164064

12,500 miles · Dec 28, 2018
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AT NIGHT, THE FUEL RANGE DROPPED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE POLICE FOR ASSISTANCE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AT NIGHT, THE FUEL RANGE DROPPED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE POLICE FOR ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE DARKNESS. THE CONTACT CALLED TRIPLE A AND WAS PROVIDED SOME FUEL TO DRIVE HOME. TWO DAYS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V773000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GROOVE SUBARU (720-279-9409, LOCATED AT 5300 S BROADWAY, ENGLEWOOD, CO 80113) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,500. ..*BF*JB *DT

NHTSA ODI #11163859

4,500 miles · Dec 28, 2018
Electrical System

IN 2018 A NEW LAW WENT INTO EFFECT REQUIRING ALL NEW CARS CONE WITH REAR BACKUP CAMERAS. THE SUBARU STARLINK INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM THAT IS ON ALL NEW SUBARUS ARE DEFECTIVE, BUGGY, AND SUBARU HAS NO PERMANENT FIX. IT RENDERS THE REAR CAMERA UNOPERABLE, REPLACEMENTS ARE ON BACKORDER AND SUBARU MAKES OWNERS CONTINUE TO DRIVE THEIR CA…

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IN 2018 A NEW LAW WENT INTO EFFECT REQUIRING ALL NEW CARS CONE WITH REAR BACKUP CAMERAS. THE SUBARU STARLINK INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM THAT IS ON ALL NEW SUBARUS ARE DEFECTIVE, BUGGY, AND SUBARU HAS NO PERMANENT FIX. IT RENDERS THE REAR CAMERA UNOPERABLE, REPLACEMENTS ARE ON BACKORDER AND SUBARU MAKES OWNERS CONTINUE TO DRIVE THEIR CARD WHEN IT IS UNSAFE AND NOT FOLLOWING THE NEW LAW FOR 2018 CARS. I WANT SUBARU TO FIX THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND PROVIDE AFFECTED OWNERS WITH LOANER CARS WHILE WAITING FOR A FIX/REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ODI #11163856

Official recalls

3

21V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Jul 29, 2021

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

18V935000 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/devices

Dec 31, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.

Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.

18V773000 · Electrical System:software; Fuel System, Gasoline

Nov 1, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Subaru Outback problems