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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

Visibility/wiper complaints

233 reports
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40,000 miles · Jul 27, 2020
Visibility/wiper

DEFECTIVE FRONT WINDSHIELDS. THE ORIGINAL HAD A LEGITIMATE CRACK FROM A ROCK HITTING IT. THE FIRST & SECOND REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS (SUBARU BRANDED) BOTH CRACKED STARTING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT MIDWAY UP. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT CRACKED AT SLOW SPEED AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB. THE SECOND CRACKED AFTER PARKING AND CL…

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DEFECTIVE FRONT WINDSHIELDS. THE ORIGINAL HAD A LEGITIMATE CRACK FROM A ROCK HITTING IT. THE FIRST & SECOND REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS (SUBARU BRANDED) BOTH CRACKED STARTING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT MIDWAY UP. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT CRACKED AT SLOW SPEED AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB. THE SECOND CRACKED AFTER PARKING AND CLOSING THE DRIVERS DOOR. BOTH CRACKS IMMEDIATELY SPREAD LATERALLY ACROSS ALMOST HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD IN THE DRIVERS LINE OF SIGHT. THE ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON 4/3/2019 AND THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON 11/4/2019. THIS SECOND REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON 7/24/2020. NEITHER OF THESE LAST TWO CRACKED WINDSHIELDS WAS CAUSED BY ROCK OR DEBRIS HITTING THEM.

NHTSA ODI #11341703

Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2020
Visibility/wiper

WINDSHIELD EXPERIENCED SERIOUS MULTI-FINGERED CRACK, ORIGINATING IN THE TOP CENTER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD, WHERE THE 'EYESIGHT' CAMERAS ARE LOCATED. NO KNOWN CONTACT BY OBJECT FROM ROAD. APPEARED TO BE SPONTANEOUS. NOT CERTAIN IF VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY- DIDN'T NOTICE IT UNTIL ENTERING VEHICLE IN THE MORNING.

NHTSA ODI #11341103

34,000 miles · Jul 22, 2020
Visibility/wiper

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED OUT OF NOWHERE AND SPREAD QUICKLY. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN WE ENTERED THE CAR AND NOTICED A LONG CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. I NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN TO A WINDSHIELD BEFORE. THE CRACK KEEPS GROWING FOR NO REASON.

NHTSA ODI #11340938

16,500 miles · Jul 13, 2020
Visibility/wiper

I HAVE HAD MY OUTBACK FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS. IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED 4 CRACKED OR BROKEN WINDSHIELDS. I AVOID DRIVING BEHIND TRUCKS/SEMIS BUT THE SMALLEST ROCK OR ANYTHING SEEMS TO HAVE DISASTEROUS RESULT OF BULLSEYE/CRACK ETC. I HAVE HAD MY WINDSHILED REPLACED TWICE AND NOW IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME.

NHTSA ODI #11339004

Mileage unknown · Jul 7, 2020
Visibility/wiper

AFTER REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD ONCE WITH OEM GLASS. IT CRACKED AGAIN, IN ROUGHLY THE SAME PLACE AS BEFORE (BOTTOM MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD). THIS IS THE SECOND WINDSHIELD IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS! SUBARU CLEARLY HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR GLASS OR CLEARANCES AROUND THE GLASS. THIS ONE CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN A CARIBOU PARKING LOT. W…

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AFTER REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD ONCE WITH OEM GLASS. IT CRACKED AGAIN, IN ROUGHLY THE SAME PLACE AS BEFORE (BOTTOM MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD). THIS IS THE SECOND WINDSHIELD IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS! SUBARU CLEARLY HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR GLASS OR CLEARANCES AROUND THE GLASS. THIS ONE CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN A CARIBOU PARKING LOT. WE WERENT EVEN MOVING. NO ROCK CHIPS, NOTHING HIT THE WINDOW. ALL THE SUDDEN HEARD A "POP" NOISE, THEN SAW THE CRACK.

NHTSA ODI #11338049

Mileage unknown · Jul 7, 2020
Visibility/wiper

WAS DRIVING HOME FROM GETTING DINNER ON A SIDE ROAD NEAR HOME (40MPH ZONE), NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD, AND IT STARTED TO CRACK FROM THE BOTTOM MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WERE NO CHIPS, THE CAR WAS ONLY 6MO OLD. NO DRASTIC TEMPERATURE CHANGES OR ANYTHING. BELIEVE WHAT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE SA…

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WAS DRIVING HOME FROM GETTING DINNER ON A SIDE ROAD NEAR HOME (40MPH ZONE), NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD, AND IT STARTED TO CRACK FROM THE BOTTOM MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WERE NO CHIPS, THE CAR WAS ONLY 6MO OLD. NO DRASTIC TEMPERATURE CHANGES OR ANYTHING. BELIEVE WHAT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING. I HAVE NEVER SEEN GLASS CRACK OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE THIS. I REALLY HOPE THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS STICK AS THERE IS CLEARLY AN UNDERLYING ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11338048

25,000 miles · Jul 6, 2020
Visibility/wiper

TWO SEPARATE INSTANCES OF A CRACK HAVE FORMED WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A NOTABLE INCIDENT CONNECTED TO THE CRACKS. THE INITIAL CRACKS WERE NOTICED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ODI #11337805

52,000 miles · Jul 6, 2020
Visibility/wiper

LIKE MANY OTHERS, MY WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING IN 2 SEPARATE PLACES. ONE LONG CRACK FROM JUST ABOVE THE WIPER BLADE SPANNING 18 INCHES, AND ANOTHER ONE THAT STARTS FROM MIDWAY UP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT 2 FEET LONG THAT ALMOST LINKS UP WITH THE OTHER ONE. WINDSHIELD WAS NOT STRUCK AND JUST OCCURRED WHILE IN MY DRIVEWAY AND…

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LIKE MANY OTHERS, MY WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING IN 2 SEPARATE PLACES. ONE LONG CRACK FROM JUST ABOVE THE WIPER BLADE SPANNING 18 INCHES, AND ANOTHER ONE THAT STARTS FROM MIDWAY UP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT 2 FEET LONG THAT ALMOST LINKS UP WITH THE OTHER ONE. WINDSHIELD WAS NOT STRUCK AND JUST OCCURRED WHILE IN MY DRIVEWAY AND GARAGE IN FLORIDA.

NHTSA ODI #11337712

28,500 miles · Jul 1, 2020
Visibility/wiper

NORMAL DRIVING 45 MPH HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT REASON THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO CRACK ABOUT ONE INCH THEN KEPT GETTING LONGER ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER THE CRACK WAS ABOUT 8 INCHES LONG. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11337074

27,500 miles · Jun 30, 2020
Visibility/wiper

I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM REPEATED WINDSHIELD CRACKS, IN A VARIETY OF ROAD CONDITIONS, WITH THIS VEHICLE. BETWEEN MY OWN CAR, AND LOANER VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR/MODEL, I HAVE HAD 5 WINDSHIELDS CRACK IN LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. MOST INSTANCES I DID NOT SEE ANY DEBRIS IMPACT THE VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS TRAVELLING UNDE…

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I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM REPEATED WINDSHIELD CRACKS, IN A VARIETY OF ROAD CONDITIONS, WITH THIS VEHICLE. BETWEEN MY OWN CAR, AND LOANER VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR/MODEL, I HAVE HAD 5 WINDSHIELDS CRACK IN LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. MOST INSTANCES I DID NOT SEE ANY DEBRIS IMPACT THE VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS TRAVELLING UNDER 10 MPH, WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE STREET, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LARGEST 'BULLSEYE' I'VE EXPERIENCED, NEARLY 3" ACROSS. I DID NOT SEE ANY OBJECT IMPACT THE CAR, AND EVEN STOPPED TO INSPECT THE ROAD FOR DEBRIS THAT I DID NOT FIND. MY CURRENT VEHICLE HAS THREE DISTINCTLY SEPARATE CRACKED SECTIONS THAT OCCURRED ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ONE ONE INSTANCE, THE NEAREST VEHICLE WAS ALMOST 1/4 MILE AHEAD OF ME AS WE WERE BOTH TRAVELLING STRAIGHT AT ABOUT 65MPH. THE LATEST WAS WHILE ON AN INTERSTATE ENTRANCE RAMP, WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC, AND UNDER 50MPH AT THE TIME OF THE CRACK. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING IMPACT THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11331658

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