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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 · Sep 27, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine

BATTERY failures and being stranded due to parasitic loads from DCM.

NHTSA ODI #11616926

Mileage unknown · Sep 16, 2024
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

Parasitic drain cause by the CAN system, which causes the battery to randomly die, batter has been replaced, alternator and starter have been tested. When the battery has low voltage this also shuts down the cars safety features like forward Collision and cruise control. The head unit in the car is also malfunctioning, causing i…

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Parasitic drain cause by the CAN system, which causes the battery to randomly die, batter has been replaced, alternator and starter have been tested. When the battery has low voltage this also shuts down the cars safety features like forward Collision and cruise control. The head unit in the car is also malfunctioning, causing it randomly turn on and off while driving, button s being pressed on their own which is a huge distraction while driving. Subaru has not been willing to assist.

NHTSA ODI #11614755

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2024
Back Over PreventionElectrical SystemUnknown Or Other

The infotainment system on my 2019 Subaru Outback has failed. The problem arose suddenly. The system is randomly cycling through radio stations, the touch screen has stopped responding to being touched, the gps apps stopped working properly and across the board the unit no longer works. The touchscreen also appears to have bu…

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The infotainment system on my 2019 Subaru Outback has failed. The problem arose suddenly. The system is randomly cycling through radio stations, the touch screen has stopped responding to being touched, the gps apps stopped working properly and across the board the unit no longer works. The touchscreen also appears to have bubbling under the surface of the screen, which may be contributing to the problem. This failure has deprived me of access to important apps -- gps, vehicle maintenance records, bluetooth phone calls. The constant beeping and cycling is an unwanted distraction. For now, the rear back up camera still seems to be working, but if I'm forced to turn off the touch screen, it obviously won't be of any help. I am bringing the car to the dealership tomorrow.

NHTSA ODI #11613471

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2024
Electrical System

We had dealt with a parasitic battery drain issue related to the DCM, which was improperly addressed by Johnson Subaru of Cary. The dealership bypassed the problem, which was not what we requested or expected. While they have stated they will replace the DCM once parts become available, this is unacceptable, given that we paid f…

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We had dealt with a parasitic battery drain issue related to the DCM, which was improperly addressed by Johnson Subaru of Cary. The dealership bypassed the problem, which was not what we requested or expected. While they have stated they will replace the DCM once parts become available, this is unacceptable, given that we paid for this part with the initial purchase. If they follow through with the replacement, that would resolve one issue, but their initial response seemed like an attempt to avoid responsibility. After the DCM was replaced, a new issue arose: the radio head unit became inoperable, experiencing severe malfunctions. The seems like it could also be related to the replacement of the DCM bypass. The head unit changes radio stations and screens on its own, making it inoperable to control or even shut off. This is clearly a safety concern, particularly since the delamination and malfunctioning unit registers random touches, which could cause changes to any of the settings. The head unit serves as the primary control interface, and this unpredictability is highly distracting—especially with a [XXX] using the vehicle. Subaru of America has offered $1,000 towards the replacement, but this is insufficient, considering the widespread nature of this issue across many models. The quote from the dealer is 1415.00 and the 1000.00 will not cover the cost. This problem should be addressed through a recall, as safety is a major concern. Additionally, we incurred unrecovered battery costs from the DCM issue and had to purchase a jump-start kit after being stranded multiple times. Subaru's delay in addressing these issues with a recall is troubling, and their offer of $1,000 suggests they acknowledge responsibility, but this issue requires a formal recall rather than piecemeal compensation. The head unit failure has been diagnosed as the specific issue with my 2019 Subaru Outback and must be added to the recall list. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11613104

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2024
Electrical System

Battery drains where car will not start. Apparently connected with Subaru Starlink system and Apparently has been a continual problem with Subaru without recall action. People could be stranded without any assistance available. Real safety issue to families. Experience a non-Start situation 4 times within the past month.

NHTSA ODI #11611035

Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 2024
Electrical System

The infotainment / touch screen system in my vehicle is malfunctioning and causing a safety issue. Due to bubbles on the screen I can not effectively use the back up camera. Additionally, the system will randomly make noises, make phone calls and change settings without warning. When this happens it creates a substantial dist…

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The infotainment / touch screen system in my vehicle is malfunctioning and causing a safety issue. Due to bubbles on the screen I can not effectively use the back up camera. Additionally, the system will randomly make noises, make phone calls and change settings without warning. When this happens it creates a substantial distraction the the driver and causes me to have to pick up my phone to disconnect and address the concerns. I also need to turn the system on and off repeatedly. In the current state, I’m unable to use any navigation features as well.

NHTSA ODI #11610615

Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2024
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

The StarLink touchscreen (which controls radio, etc. and includes vehicle systems monitoring) delaminates and then the system goes crazy If iPhone is plugged in, system starts randomly calling people, all the icons flash on and off as if being pushed, it pulls up random maps, and brings up vehicle maintenance information. All th…

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The StarLink touchscreen (which controls radio, etc. and includes vehicle systems monitoring) delaminates and then the system goes crazy If iPhone is plugged in, system starts randomly calling people, all the icons flash on and off as if being pushed, it pulls up random maps, and brings up vehicle maintenance information. All the weird flashing is very distracting and dangerous. I know Subaru was sued on this issue for 2015-2018 models but the 2019s still have the same problem and Subaru won't recall or fix.

NHTSA ODI #11608831

Mileage unknown · Aug 12, 2024
Electrical System

Issue with bubbles forming on information/tech screen which then causes it to flick to different screens, and radio stations.

NHTSA ODI #11608026

Mileage unknown · Jul 2, 2024
Electrical System

The radio/navigation screen is beginning to delaminate. I noticed the bubbles a day or so prior. While driving the whole system begins to change stations/apps and will not allow you to even turn off the system with the button. Caused extreme distraction. System is now stuck in this mode.

NHTSA ODI #11598387

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2024
Electrical System

Horn beeps 2 to 4 times randomly when the car is being started or driven. This has been identified by the manufacturer as a defect and a service bulletin has been issued. It should be a recall as a safety issue as it happens randomly, many times, and in any conditions.

NHTSA ODI #11596098

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