IllustrationIN APRIL OF 2021 ALL OF A SUDDEN I NOTICED A SMALL CHIP. IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO SAFELITE, THEY TRIED TO REPAIR BUT A CRACK DEVELOPED. AFTER TWO DAYS THE CRACK GREW LARGER. SAFELITE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD AT MY INSURANCE COMPANY'S EXPENSE. ONLY 29000 MILES ON THE CAR.
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
What owners actually said
811 reportsI PURCHASED THIS 2018 OUTBACK IN LATE NOVEMBER OF 2020 WITH 27000 MILES ON IT. AFTER ONLY DRIVING IT ABOUT 1500 MILES THE BATTERY SUDDENLY DIED (MARCH 2021). AAA JUMPED IT BUT SAID IT WAS DEAD. I REPLACED IT IMMEDIATELY (WENT 1 MILE DOWN THE ROAD) AND THE SHOP SAID THAT IT WAS DEAD AS WELL. NO WARNING AT ALL. WAS WORKING FINE, P…
Read full complaint
I PURCHASED THIS 2018 OUTBACK IN LATE NOVEMBER OF 2020 WITH 27000 MILES ON IT. AFTER ONLY DRIVING IT ABOUT 1500 MILES THE BATTERY SUDDENLY DIED (MARCH 2021). AAA JUMPED IT BUT SAID IT WAS DEAD. I REPLACED IT IMMEDIATELY (WENT 1 MILE DOWN THE ROAD) AND THE SHOP SAID THAT IT WAS DEAD AS WELL. NO WARNING AT ALL. WAS WORKING FINE, PARKED AT A STORE, TEN MINUTES LATER WENT TO START IT AND THERE WAS NOTHING. I SPENT $170 GETTING A NEW BATTERY/INSTALLATION.
BATTERY APPEARS TO HAVE PARASITIC DRAIN WHICH RESULTS IN INABILITY TO START THE VEHICLE IF NOT DRIVEN LONG DISTANCES REGULARLY. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A LOCAL SUBARU DEALER IN OCTOBER 2020 AND HAVE HAD TO JUMP IT OR CHARGE THE BATTERY AT LEAST 6 OR 8 TIMES. THE VEHICLE IS NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION (CANNOT L…
Read full complaint
BATTERY APPEARS TO HAVE PARASITIC DRAIN WHICH RESULTS IN INABILITY TO START THE VEHICLE IF NOT DRIVEN LONG DISTANCES REGULARLY. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A LOCAL SUBARU DEALER IN OCTOBER 2020 AND HAVE HAD TO JUMP IT OR CHARGE THE BATTERY AT LEAST 6 OR 8 TIMES. THE VEHICLE IS NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION (CANNOT LEAVE AT AIRPORT FOR INSTANCE) AND I'VE HAD TO PURCHASE JUMPER CABLES AND WILL SOON PURCHASE A TRICKLE CHARGER AND A BATTERY BOOSTER TO USE UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED.
BATTERY HAS GONE DEAD TWICE, ALMOST 3 TIMES. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY.
I AM ON MY 3RD CAR BATTERY. ONE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, ONE WAS PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET UNDER 31,000 MILES.
APPROXIMATELY 26 MONTHS (38K MILES) AFTER PURCHASE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER START. THE ISSUE APPEARED TO BE A BAD BATTERY WHICH WAS THEN REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT TRIPS SHORTER THAN 45 MINUTES RESULT IN A NET LOSS OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN THE BATTERY AND IT WAS THEREFORE MY FAULT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT A PARKING LOT, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 44,000.
THE VEHICLE'S ORIGINAL BATTERY DIED AFTER ONLY 30 MONTHS OF USE. I TRIED TO START THE CAR ONE MORNING, AND IT WOULD NOT START. A NEW BATTERY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED DURING A PERIOD WHEN THE CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR SHORT TRIPS ONLY A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK, DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN. I AM REP…
Read full complaint
THE VEHICLE'S ORIGINAL BATTERY DIED AFTER ONLY 30 MONTHS OF USE. I TRIED TO START THE CAR ONE MORNING, AND IT WOULD NOT START. A NEW BATTERY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED DURING A PERIOD WHEN THE CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR SHORT TRIPS ONLY A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK, DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE OF OTHER REPORTS OF A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN SUBARUS THAT HAS CAUSED BATTERIES TO FAIL EARLIER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE FAILED.
THIS CAR HAS HAD BATTERY DRAINAGE ISSUES SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2017. IT HAS ONLY 10,000 MILES ON IT AND AND IS ON IT'S 3RD BATTERY. THE CAR MUST BE JUMP-STARTED IN ORDER TO DRIVE IT. THE PROBLEM OCCURS IF I DRIVE THE CAR FOR A SHORT TRIP. IT ALSO OCCURS IF I TAKE LONGER TRIPS (I.E. 100 MILES) IN THAT THE BATTERY WILL BE DE…
Read full complaint
THIS CAR HAS HAD BATTERY DRAINAGE ISSUES SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2017. IT HAS ONLY 10,000 MILES ON IT AND AND IS ON IT'S 3RD BATTERY. THE CAR MUST BE JUMP-STARTED IN ORDER TO DRIVE IT. THE PROBLEM OCCURS IF I DRIVE THE CAR FOR A SHORT TRIP. IT ALSO OCCURS IF I TAKE LONGER TRIPS (I.E. 100 MILES) IN THAT THE BATTERY WILL BE DELETED IF I DO NOT DRIVE IT WITHIN 7 DAYS OR SO, I HAVE HAD THIS CAR JUMP-STARTED PROBABLY 20-30 TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP CONTINUALLY BLAMES ME FOR THE PROBLEM AND SAYS I SHOULD NOT EXPECT THE CAR TO START IF I DO NOT START IT EVERY DAY. MOST OF THE TIME, I HAVE TO BORROW MY MOTHER'S BUICK TO HAVE A WORKING CAR. BECAUSE THE BATTERY IS CONSTANTLY DYING, THE POWER WINDOWS DO NOT WORK AND HAVE TO BE RESET AFTER EACH BATTERY DRAINAGE. I OWNED A 2014 SUBARU OUTBACK PRIOR TO TRADING UP TO THE 2018 MODEL. I HAVE THE EXACT DRIVING HABITS NOW AS I DID WITH THE 2014 MODEL. THE 2014 MODEL NEVER HAD ANY ISSUE STARTING. I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED BY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS WITH THE EXACT PROBLEM I'M HAVING. I CANNOT FULLY EXPRESS HOW DEEPLY I HATE THIS CAR AND REGRET TRADING UP. IT IS NOT RELIABLE. I HAVE PURCHASED A NOCO BOOST PLUS TO START MY CAR EACH TIME SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CALL TOW SERVICES. THE BATTERY ON THIS CAR IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO START THE CAR AND THE DEALERSHIP WILL ONLY REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER INSUFFICIENT BATTERY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS MY LOW MILEAGE IS THE REASON MY CAR WON'T START, CLAIMING I DON'T DRIVE IT ENOUGH. THIS IS INFURIATING. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT IT HAS LOW MILEAGE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT START AND I CANNOT DRIVE IT, AND BORROWED MY MOTHER'S CAR FOR THE FIRST 2 YEARS BECAUSE OF THE BATTERY ISSUES ON THE SUBARU. THEY DO NOT CARE.
MY CAR WAS PARKED UNDER A CAR PORT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE WINDSHIELD WAS FINE WHEN I PARKED IT. NO CRACKS. WOKE UP TO FIND MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
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.