← New search

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
20,100 miles · Mar 22, 2021
Visibility/wiper

WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED DURING THE NIGHT. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT RESIDENCE WHEN IT CRACKED. THE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS AT OR JUST BELOW ZERO DEGREES FARENHEIT.

NHTSA ODI #11404306

30,000 miles · Mar 18, 2021
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

THE BATTERY SEEMS TO DRAIN VERY QUICKLY AND WITHOUT APPARENT REASON. THE DEALER RECENTLY REPLACED THE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT HAS GONE BAD SO QUICKLY. I WAS STUCK A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH A SUDDENLY DEAD BATTERY. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE DRAINING HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AND I GO OFF THE …

Read full complaint

THE BATTERY SEEMS TO DRAIN VERY QUICKLY AND WITHOUT APPARENT REASON. THE DEALER RECENTLY REPLACED THE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT HAS GONE BAD SO QUICKLY. I WAS STUCK A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH A SUDDENLY DEAD BATTERY. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE DRAINING HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AND I GO OFF THE WARRANTY IN ANOTHER MONTH. I HAVE READ THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS YEAR OUTBACK. THIS OCCURS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE.

NHTSA ODI #11403774

3,600 miles · Mar 18, 2021
Electrical System

BATTERY DOES NOT HOLD A CHARGE. HAVE TO JUMP BATTERY AFTER SHORT PERIODS OF NON-USE

NHTSA ODI #11403696

33,113 miles · Mar 17, 2021
Electrical System

PURCHASED A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK 5/03/18. AT 19,860 MILES ON 12/21/19 THE BATTERY DIED. I JUMPED IT, GOT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DID WHATEVER DIAGNOSTICS ON IT, RECHARGED IT AND HAD ME PICK IT UP. WHEN I WENT TO GET IT, IT WAS DEAD IN THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT. THEY THEN PUT IN NEW BATTERY. I WENT BACK DOWN TO PICK IT UP. …

Read full complaint

PURCHASED A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK 5/03/18. AT 19,860 MILES ON 12/21/19 THE BATTERY DIED. I JUMPED IT, GOT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DID WHATEVER DIAGNOSTICS ON IT, RECHARGED IT AND HAD ME PICK IT UP. WHEN I WENT TO GET IT, IT WAS DEAD IN THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT. THEY THEN PUT IN NEW BATTERY. I WENT BACK DOWN TO PICK IT UP. ON 3/15/21, ONLY 13 MONTHS LATER, MY NEW BATTERY WAS ONCE AGAIN DEAD. I HAD BEEN IN MY DRIVEWAY PARKED FOR A WEEK OR POSSIBLY LESS. I PICKED IT UP 3/17/21 AFTER SUBARU HAD TO AGAIN REPLACE THE BATTERY. BOTTOM LINE I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP TO CARRY JUMP CABLES BECAUSE IT WILL KEEP HAPPENING DUE TO THE ELECTRONICS! IT SEEMS I CAN ONLY UPLOAD 1 REPAIR INVOICE SO I UPLOADED THE MOST RECENT BATTERY REPLACEMENT INVOICE. I HAVE 2 OTHERS.

NHTSA ODI #11403451

31,190 miles · Mar 16, 2021
Electrical System

02/26/2021: CAR WOULDN'T START AFTER BEING STATIONARY. HAD TO GET ASSISTANCE TO HAVE BATTERY JUMPSTARTED SO I COULD GET HOME. 03/01/2021- CAR WOULDN'T START IN DRIVEWAY. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CONTACTED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET BATTERY TO CHARGE. HUSBAND PURCHASED A JUMP BOX AND GOT THE CAR TO START. HE DROVE IT TO LOCAL SUBARU …

Read full complaint

02/26/2021: CAR WOULDN'T START AFTER BEING STATIONARY. HAD TO GET ASSISTANCE TO HAVE BATTERY JUMPSTARTED SO I COULD GET HOME. 03/01/2021- CAR WOULDN'T START IN DRIVEWAY. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CONTACTED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET BATTERY TO CHARGE. HUSBAND PURCHASED A JUMP BOX AND GOT THE CAR TO START. HE DROVE IT TO LOCAL SUBARU AGENCY AND BATTERY WAS TESTED AND THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED BATTERY WAS REPLACED AS IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY FROM ORIGINAL BATTERY BEING REPLACED IN 12/2019. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS DATE (12/2019 AND 02/03/2020).

NHTSA ODI #11403350

14,000 miles · Mar 16, 2021
Electrical System

THE BATTERY IS DRAINING AND HAS LEFT US STRANDED ONCE. THE DEALER SHIP REPLACED THE BATTERY ONCE WITH THE SAME SUBARU OEM BATTERY, BUT THE DRAINING PERSISTS.

NHTSA ODI #11403282

29,000 miles · Mar 16, 2021
Electrical System

AT 27K MILES, MY CAR WAS GETTING SLOW TO START. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AT ALMOST 30K AND THEY HAD TO CHARGE MY BATTERY FOR 1.5 HOURS. TWO WEEKS LATER, MY CAR WAS BEEPING AND I HAD TO PULL INTO A SHOP WHO SAID THE CHARGE OF MY BATTERY WAS TOO LOW TO DETECT. I HAD TO REPLACE MY BATTERY.

NHTSA ODI #11403231

10,771 miles · Mar 16, 2021
Electrical System

BATTERY CONTINUES TO DIE. BATTERY WILL NOT HOLD CHARGE. CAR HAS LESS THAN 11000 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ODI #11403211

59,350 miles · Mar 14, 2021
Visibility/wiper

MY WINDSHIELD SPIDERWEBBED WHEN IT WAS HIT WITH ROCK. AT FIRST IT CHIPPED AND THEN A COUPLE MINUTES LATER IT SPIDERWEBBED INTO A CRACK THAT IS ALMOST A FOOT LONG. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS COMING HOME FROM THANKSGIVING. I HAD TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD ON DECEMBER 5TH, 2020, WHICH WAS AROUND $1500 AND NOW I WILL HAVE TO …

Read full complaint

MY WINDSHIELD SPIDERWEBBED WHEN IT WAS HIT WITH ROCK. AT FIRST IT CHIPPED AND THEN A COUPLE MINUTES LATER IT SPIDERWEBBED INTO A CRACK THAT IS ALMOST A FOOT LONG. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS COMING HOME FROM THANKSGIVING. I HAD TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD ON DECEMBER 5TH, 2020, WHICH WAS AROUND $1500 AND NOW I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE THING AGAIN. BOTH INSTANCES I WAS DRIVING ON HWY 49 IN ARKANSAS. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE WINDSHIELD SHOULD BE STRONG ENOUGH TO JUST GET CHIPPED AND NOT IMMEDIATELY SPIDERWEB INTO SOMETHING BIGGER AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO FIX. IN THE 3 YEARS OF HAVING MY CAR THIS WILL HAVE TO BE THE SECOND WINDSHIELD I NEED TO REPLACE DUE TO THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING AFTER IT GETS CHIPPED. I JUST DON'T THINK THE WINDSHIELD IS AS HIGH OF A QUALITY AS THE REST OF THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11402897

29,000 miles · Mar 14, 2021
Unknown Or Other

THE WINDSHIELD HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK STARTING AT THE VERY BOTTOM BELOW THE PLASTIC EDGE, WITH NOT APPARENT IMPACT SITE.

NHTSA ODI #11402884

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