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2019 Subaru Outback

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Outback years

Owner complaints for the 2019 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

469 reports with mileage · 564 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 363 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 326 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

24 crash reports2 fire reports12 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

363 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 19, 2024
Electrical System

The battery drained within a year. Battery functioning issues

NHTSA ODI #11631687

55,000 miles · Dec 18, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The computer control system showed low tire pressures. While the passenger’s seat was occupied, there was an abnormal dinging sound detected. The message that the seat not activated message was displayed. The contact stated…

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The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The computer control system showed low tire pressures. While the passenger’s seat was occupied, there was an abnormal dinging sound detected. The message that the seat not activated message was displayed. The contact stated that the battery drained, and the vehicle failed to start. The starting system had drained the battery. The contact had Triple AAA check the vehicle, and the DCM made an abnormal popping sound. The ABS, radio, and CD warning lights were flashing. The transmission, GPS, and undercarriage messages were illuminated. The computer screen had burned out and was inoperable. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle abruptly stopped without driver input. The steering wheel became inoperable and was uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the DCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11631374

37,500 miles · Dec 9, 2024
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the control panel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the control panel independently blinked on and off. Additionally, the contact stated that there were bubbles on the outer surface around the control panel. Th…

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The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the control panel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the control panel independently blinked on and off. Additionally, the contact stated that there were bubbles on the outer surface around the control panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. In addition, the contact stated that in March 2024, the control panel was replaced due to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,500.

NHTSA ODI #11629765

Mileage unknown · Dec 6, 2024
Electrical System

The head unit is delaminating making navigation, bluetooth connection, radio inoperable. The screen flashes through different screens which is a safety hazard. I filed a claim with Subaru Care and they offered only $500 assistance on a $1600 repair for a 2019 with about 78,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI #11629184

Mileage unknown · Nov 24, 2024
Electrical System

Battery drainage, I’ve had to replace my battery 3 times within 1 year time frame (10/13/23, 10/15/14 & 11/24/24). This is making my vehicle inoperable and unable to drive.

NHTSA ODI #11627135

Mileage unknown · Nov 21, 2024
Electrical System

Infotainment unit failed. Battery died and was replaced with a larger capacity battery. Shortly after, the infotainment head unit became inoperable with ghosting of buttons. Then, the car would not hold a charge again and a bypass box for the digital communication center is being installed today under a recall. The ghostin…

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Infotainment unit failed. Battery died and was replaced with a larger capacity battery. Shortly after, the infotainment head unit became inoperable with ghosting of buttons. Then, the car would not hold a charge again and a bypass box for the digital communication center is being installed today under a recall. The ghosting/inoperable infotainment center remains non-functional and is apparently a separate issue? It randomly beeps and selects buttons, which is distracting. Unit has to be shut off to avoid this.

NHTSA ODI #11626635

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 2024
Electrical System

Battery goes dead after not using car for 4 days. Subaru said the battery that came with the car was not strong enough. There was a lawsuit, but i missed the date to buy a new battery. I bought a strong battery, but problem happed again. Based on many forum messages, there is a parasitic battery drain while car is off. Prob…

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Battery goes dead after not using car for 4 days. Subaru said the battery that came with the car was not strong enough. There was a lawsuit, but i missed the date to buy a new battery. I bought a strong battery, but problem happed again. Based on many forum messages, there is a parasitic battery drain while car is off. Problem is tied to Starlink Fuse. Also saw a new lawsuit on the fact that Starlink is trying to connect to 3G network, which no longer exists. Subaru is not fixing this problem. Google Subaru 2019 Starlink battery, it is all over the place.

NHTSA ODI #11626149

Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2024
Electrical System

DCM battery drain and bad head unit display. The class action law suit does not cover the fix for the battery drain problem. Just a new battery. My is the battery continues to drain. I cannot afford to replace the problem DCM. I had to pull that fuse as a fix. I now do not have fro t speakers or Bluetooth. My CarPlay maps n…

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DCM battery drain and bad head unit display. The class action law suit does not cover the fix for the battery drain problem. Just a new battery. My is the battery continues to drain. I cannot afford to replace the problem DCM. I had to pull that fuse as a fix. I now do not have fro t speakers or Bluetooth. My CarPlay maps no longer tell me where I need to turn. Causing me to looks at the display more frequently. This is not good in busy areas. The other issue is with the head unit. When it gets warm and humid, the display doesn’t work. It clicks all over causing issues with CarPlay, Bluetooth and the radio. This is due to moisture getting in the display. Again causing problems and distractions. This will cause accidents if it hasn’t already. There are a lot of complaints out there for this as well as the DCM battery drain.

NHTSA ODI #11622827

Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 2024
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Head unit delaminating after Data Control Module repair in 2023. Head unit is entirely inoperable and poses a safety risk to driver by turning radio on and off, switching stations, raising and lowering volume level, and affecting the eyesight periodically. Head unit can be turned off after multiple attempts, however powers back …

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Head unit delaminating after Data Control Module repair in 2023. Head unit is entirely inoperable and poses a safety risk to driver by turning radio on and off, switching stations, raising and lowering volume level, and affecting the eyesight periodically. Head unit can be turned off after multiple attempts, however powers back up on its own continuing the previously mentioned issues.

NHTSA ODI #11622172

Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2024
Electrical System

Battery dies multiple times per week. I have already had the battery replaced under the Subaru Battery Settlement, but it is still dying regularly. This is absolutely a safety issue.

NHTSA ODI #11617726

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.

20V218000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Apr 16, 2020

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.

19V493000 · Structure

Jun 26, 2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.

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