IllustrationDOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK USING KEY IN KEY HOLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FROM ALL THE ONLINE COMMENTS AND IS ON ALL SUBARU MODELS. BEING LOCKED OUT OF THE CAR FOR SAFETY OR WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN PUT ONE'S LIFE IN EXTREME DANGER. ARE IS STATIONARY. DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK USING KEY IN DOOR.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Outback years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
3130–25K
13625–50K
2850–75K
875–100K
2100–150K
1150K+
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
Structure complaints
15 reportsREAR LIFT GATE MALFUNCTIONING. WILL NOT OPEN AUTOMATICALLY AFTER APPX 18'. ABLE TO MANUALLY OPEN WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, AUTO CLOSURE WORKING.
WINDSHIELD SEVERELY CRACKED,POSSIBLY FROM SMALL PEBBLE AT APPROX 35 MPH APPROACHING FWY ON RAMP. WE WERE INFORMED BY CORPORATE THAT THE WINDSHIELD GLASS IS 'SENSITIVE' DUE TO THE 'EYE SIGHT' FEATURE CALIBRATED WITH THE WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED - AT OWNERS EXPENSE AT $1100. SIZE OF INITIAL IMPACT DAMAGE MARK O…
Read full complaint
WINDSHIELD SEVERELY CRACKED,POSSIBLY FROM SMALL PEBBLE AT APPROX 35 MPH APPROACHING FWY ON RAMP. WE WERE INFORMED BY CORPORATE THAT THE WINDSHIELD GLASS IS 'SENSITIVE' DUE TO THE 'EYE SIGHT' FEATURE CALIBRATED WITH THE WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED - AT OWNERS EXPENSE AT $1100. SIZE OF INITIAL IMPACT DAMAGE MARK ON WINDSHIELD WAS 1/16' OR 1-2MM. NEXT DAY IT SPREAD TO SEVERAL INCHES WHILE CAR WAS PARKED. SMALL PEBBLES OR COMMON ROAD DEBRIS SHOULD NOT CAUSE WINDSHIELD FAILURES ESPECIALLY IN VEHICLES THAT ARE ALL WHEEL DRIVE FOR OFF-ROAD. READ THAT OTHER VEHICLES OF SAME YEAR AND MODEL ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING WINDSHIELD FAILURE.
THE PASSENGER SIDE HOOD DOES NOT SHUT ALL THE WAY. A SERVICE BULLETIN CAME OUT BUT THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THE FIX BECAUSE IT INVOLVES USING A 2X4 TO BEND THE HOOD.
MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ON A COOL (45 DEGREES) DAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH, THE ONLY VEHICLE IN THE VICINITY. THERE WAS A SUDDDEN UNEXPLAINED NOISE OVERHEAD, THEN A LOUD EXPLOSION LIKE NOISE AND THEN A LOUD RUSH OF WIND AND THE SOUND OF SOMETHING BREAKING AND FLAPPING AND SOMETHING BLOWING AND HITTING THE ROOF OF TH…
Read full complaint
MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ON A COOL (45 DEGREES) DAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH, THE ONLY VEHICLE IN THE VICINITY. THERE WAS A SUDDDEN UNEXPLAINED NOISE OVERHEAD, THEN A LOUD EXPLOSION LIKE NOISE AND THEN A LOUD RUSH OF WIND AND THE SOUND OF SOMETHING BREAKING AND FLAPPING AND SOMETHING BLOWING AND HITTING THE ROOF OF THE CAR. I SLID OPEN THE SUNSHADE A VERY SMALL DISTANCE AND DISCOVERED MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON OR CAUSE.THIS WAS ON A 7 MONTH OLD 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH FACTORY INSTALLED SUNROOF AND 17,000 MIKES ON IT. THE SUNROOF WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED AT THE TIME AND FORTUNATELY SO WAS THE INTERIOR SUNSHADE.
Official recalls
321V587000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.