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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

811 reports
Mileage unknown · May 26, 2021
Electrical System

Ongoing problem with battery draining. The vehicle was bought new in 2018, and has only 13,450 miles. Contacted Subaru, they deny that there has been any issue. They did comp me with a $500 Goodwill Parts & Service Coupon. I now carry a small lithium charger at all times. I'm not too happy about this.

NHTSA ODI #11418680

Mileage unknown · May 25, 2021
Unknown Or Other

My windshield cracked after washing it. It seems out of the blue with no previous damage known

NHTSA ODI #11418492

Mileage unknown · May 21, 2021
Electrical System

The car failed to start after being left for a few minutes in a store parking lot. I had called for help, made one more attempt to start it. It started (barely) so I drove it to the dealer a few blocks away. I was told that my battery tested bad 180 CCA vs 490 specified. They replaced it under warranty (no charge). Weather was m…

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The car failed to start after being left for a few minutes in a store parking lot. I had called for help, made one more attempt to start it. It started (barely) so I drove it to the dealer a few blocks away. I was told that my battery tested bad 180 CCA vs 490 specified. They replaced it under warranty (no charge). Weather was mild, not cold or hot. I had purchased the car new 2 years 5.5 months before this incident. I did not think much of it at the time, but recently learned that there were other reports of this problem with this vehicle. I have started using a battery maintainer charger once a week to keep the battery fully charged.

NHTSA ODI #11418067

Mileage unknown · May 21, 2021
Electrical System

Battery Looses Charge after sitting for a week.

NHTSA ODI #11417996

Mileage unknown · May 20, 2021
Electrical System

Trunklid found open, Nowhere near car to actuate it with keyfob 3 times since purchase. First two were given benefit of doubt to accidently actuating.Also battery has been completely drained coincidently in the same time period. After some research found that this is been a common problem With some Subaru owners. Call to Subar…

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Trunklid found open, Nowhere near car to actuate it with keyfob 3 times since purchase. First two were given benefit of doubt to accidently actuating.Also battery has been completely drained coincidently in the same time period. After some research found that this is been a common problem With some Subaru owners. Call to Subaru dealership and corporate And set it must be a malfunction And told it must be a malfunction car is 800 miles past warranty and have not taken to dealership as of yet. I have learned of a class action lawsuit regarding this battery drain but Subaru did not acknowlege. For lack of mileage details approx 2 years first incident then twice in the last year.As stated earlier I thought it was operator error until 3rd time and I researched the problem.

NHTSA ODI #11417957

Mileage unknown · May 20, 2021
Unknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper

Since June of 2020, my 2018 Subaru Outback has now had four cracked windshields with little to no explanation. The first crack was repaired by a Subaru dealership, only to crack again within 24 hours. The same dealership refused to cover the cost of the second windshield replacement. Then in Nov 2020, it cracked again and a diff…

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Since June of 2020, my 2018 Subaru Outback has now had four cracked windshields with little to no explanation. The first crack was repaired by a Subaru dealership, only to crack again within 24 hours. The same dealership refused to cover the cost of the second windshield replacement. Then in Nov 2020, it cracked again and a different Subaru dealership did cover the cost of the third windshield replacement, but only after filing a compliant with Subaru Corporate. Now in May 2021, the windshield has cracked again with little to no impact and needs to be replaced. Each time the windshield cracked, it significantly spread across the the windshield within hours, and poses a risk to driving. Please assist, as I am aware of active lawsuit for this same type of car misfunction occurring with other 2018 Subaru models, and cannot afford to have a car continue to have this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11417876

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2021
Electrical System

1) Battery drain issue when liftgate spuriously opens and completely drains battery resulting in an inoperable car. 2) This issue above and perhaps other unknown electrical issue(s) has resulted in a bad battery after only 3yrs (30K miles).

NHTSA ODI #11417812

Mileage unknown · May 18, 2021
Electrical System

I have had considerable starting and battery trouble with my 2018 Subaru Outback... Shortly after purchasing the Outback, I had to get a jump start a couple of times, I thought it was my fault due to leaving a light on in the back of the cabin. When I took it in for the 1st oil change, I told the service manager. So since they …

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I have had considerable starting and battery trouble with my 2018 Subaru Outback... Shortly after purchasing the Outback, I had to get a jump start a couple of times, I thought it was my fault due to leaving a light on in the back of the cabin. When I took it in for the 1st oil change, I told the service manager. So since they knew me (It was my 4th Subaru), they checked the system cleaned the post, and I left. I was back 3 or 4 weeks later to get a new battery. I went back this week because I've had to buy jumper cables So I could jump my car off for the 6th or 7th time since I brought it in to get the new battery last year. I understand that there have been a large number of folks experiencing similar problems, and I thought it would be best to add my voice.

NHTSA ODI #11417702

Mileage unknown · May 18, 2021
Electrical System

My 3 year old outback is on its third battery. The first died when the car was 11 months old. Then in summer 2020 (car was 2 years old) I had to put in the 3rd battery. I installed an aftermarket battery since Subaru was closed at the time of the issue. Now this third battery is being inconsistent in starting or seeming as i…

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My 3 year old outback is on its third battery. The first died when the car was 11 months old. Then in summer 2020 (car was 2 years old) I had to put in the 3rd battery. I installed an aftermarket battery since Subaru was closed at the time of the issue. Now this third battery is being inconsistent in starting or seeming as if there’s a dead battery. The battery, alternator, and starter, test as 100% functional. My dealership told me in a May 6th phone call that there was nothing wrong with my car, that I just needed a stronger battery. That would make the 4th battery in a 3 year old car. I was advised to purchase a charging jump pack and carry it with me every day. This is not a viable solution for a car that has to be jump started 1-2 times each day! Sometimes the issue is after long periods of driving, other times the car has been on short drives only. A local repair shop believes the issue is computer or fuse box related. My dealership disagrees. Yet I know that there are class action lawsuits against this model that read as if they are describing the issue with my own vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11417627

Mileage unknown · May 17, 2021
Unknown Or Other

My Subaru Starlink Infotainment System has been inoperative since my local dealer attempted to install an update. The update is on back order. I was not informed that this system is no inoperative and if I were in a collision or other emergency the system would not be able to notify 911 dispatchers of my emergency or location.…

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My Subaru Starlink Infotainment System has been inoperative since my local dealer attempted to install an update. The update is on back order. I was not informed that this system is no inoperative and if I were in a collision or other emergency the system would not be able to notify 911 dispatchers of my emergency or location. There are now warning lights to tell me the system is inop. I contacted Subaru of America and they provided me with a phone number to Starlink. They are not accepting responsibility. Starlink has refused to provide a refund. There was a class action lawsuit against Subaru that was filed in 2017.

NHTSA ODI #11417466

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