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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

Steering complaints

35 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2022
Steering

Unknown, but seems like steering is affected. When turning the vehicle over and bump there is a clanking that you can hear and feel coming from under the bottom of the vehicle. It was present about 3 months after purchase of the car new, and has progressively gotten worse. The steering wheel feels loose for the moment it clank…

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Unknown, but seems like steering is affected. When turning the vehicle over and bump there is a clanking that you can hear and feel coming from under the bottom of the vehicle. It was present about 3 months after purchase of the car new, and has progressively gotten worse. The steering wheel feels loose for the moment it clanks. It has been reproduced by two dealers. The first was unable to provide a solution, stating it is a “manufacturing defect” of that model. The second replaced a spring in the steering box, but this did not fix the problem. It has been inspected by Subaru dealers. There are no warning lights on.

NHTSA ODI #11448785

23,000 miles · Dec 1, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 40-50 MPH, the steering wheel felt loose, causing the vehicle to drift from the lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues w…

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The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 40-50 MPH, the steering wheel felt loose, causing the vehicle to drift from the lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.

NHTSA ODI #11442290

Mileage unknown · Aug 20, 2021
Steering

I bought the 2019 Subaru Outback less than 2 months ago. While driving either on the street or on the freeway at reasonable speeds, the car will suddenly without warning veer to the left or right causing me to believe I was about to lose control. At first I thought I hit a pothole or some other road hazard. There is nothing that…

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I bought the 2019 Subaru Outback less than 2 months ago. While driving either on the street or on the freeway at reasonable speeds, the car will suddenly without warning veer to the left or right causing me to believe I was about to lose control. At first I thought I hit a pothole or some other road hazard. There is nothing that I can see on the road to cause this.This is occurring once every other time I drive the car. I looked online and noticed many other complaints which are exactly the same as mine.This is very dangerous as this veering can cause a serious accident. I spoke with Subaru and am now trying to have it looked at since it is still under warranty. There were no warning lights, etc. Please look into this safety concern.

NHTSA ODI #11429931

9,000 miles · Aug 5, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would tighten and oversteer while switching lanes without warning. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to regain complete control of the vehicle after the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle t…

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The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would tighten and oversteer while switching lanes without warning. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to regain complete control of the vehicle after the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle had to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ODI #11427864

Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2021
SteeringSuspensionWheels

Under the following three conditions the front tires appear to become airborne and the tires skip making the vehicle seem to be out-of-control; When traveling at speeds >35 MPH, Wheels are turned >10 degrees, Any long bump (such as a rough transition "bump" from asphalt to concrete). This has been worsening over the last year an…

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Under the following three conditions the front tires appear to become airborne and the tires skip making the vehicle seem to be out-of-control; When traveling at speeds >35 MPH, Wheels are turned >10 degrees, Any long bump (such as a rough transition "bump" from asphalt to concrete). This has been worsening over the last year and is now unsafe for my children to be in the car. My local Subaru dealership spent nearly 2 days inspecting all aspects of the car to include the alignment, bushings, and shocks. A senior technician was taken for a test-drive in the car and I was able to recreate the "skip". The technician was alarmed and surprised by the skip and thus held the car for a 2nd day to further investigate the reason for the "skip". They were unable to diagnose any defect. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance company. There have been no alarms or warning.

NHTSA ODI #11427779

Mileage unknown · Mar 16, 2021
Steering

CAR WILL PULL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. WHENEVER YOU ARE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A LOW SPOT IN THE ROAD OR SLIGHTLY UNEVEN PAVEMENT. YOU HAVE TO HOLD THE CAR ON THE ROAD OR IT WILL NOT STAY IN LANE. HIGHWAY OR IN TOWN. HAVE RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR WITH NO LUCK. WAS TOLD THAT THE…

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CAR WILL PULL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. WHENEVER YOU ARE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A LOW SPOT IN THE ROAD OR SLIGHTLY UNEVEN PAVEMENT. YOU HAVE TO HOLD THE CAR ON THE ROAD OR IT WILL NOT STAY IN LANE. HIGHWAY OR IN TOWN. HAVE RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR WITH NO LUCK. WAS TOLD THAT THE ALIGNMENT ON THE VEHICLE WAS GOOD.

NHTSA ODI #11403283

3 miles · Feb 14, 2021
Electrical SystemSteeringVisibility/wiper

I REQUESTED MANY TIMES TO HAVE OUR CAR CHECKED FOR NHSTA CAMPAIGN : 19V493000. THE DEALERSHIP SAID OUR CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT CASE. OUR LANE ASSIST WAS TOO AGGRESSIVE FROM THE FIRST DAY WE DROVE THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE STEERING WAS SPEED SENSITIVE AND WE WERE DRIVING TOO FAST. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE COULD NOT KEEP T…

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I REQUESTED MANY TIMES TO HAVE OUR CAR CHECKED FOR NHSTA CAMPAIGN : 19V493000. THE DEALERSHIP SAID OUR CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT CASE. OUR LANE ASSIST WAS TOO AGGRESSIVE FROM THE FIRST DAY WE DROVE THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE STEERING WAS SPEED SENSITIVE AND WE WERE DRIVING TOO FAST. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE COULD NOT KEEP THE CAR IN THE LANE WHEN DRIVING OVER 40 MPH. IN THE FIRST 24 MONTHS WE CARRIED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 20 TO 30 TIMES FOR THE UNSAFE STEERING ISSUE. TWENTY FOUR MONTHS LATER WE HAD A ROCK CHIP THE WINDSHIELD AND THE CHIP RAN INTO 3 CRACKS EACH OVER 8 INCHES LONG THAT AFTERNOON WHILE THE CAR WAS IN OUR HOME GARAGE. AFTER WE PAID A $500.00 DEDUCTIBLE AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD , THE CAR DROVE BETTER. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED, ALL THE SENSORS ON THE TAIL GATE HAVE BEEN, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WOULD STICK 1/2 UP, AND MANY OTHER PROBLEMS. A SCAN OF THE CAR SHOWS 10 MODULES FAILED WITH MANY ACTIVE CODES. THE CODES ARE THE SAME AS BEFORE THE THIRD BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. MANY OF THE CODES ARE SAFETY ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI #11396190

100 miles · Mar 31, 2020
SteeringVisibility/wiper

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT 40 MPH OR ABOVE, THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER DUE TO THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE VEERED INDEPENDENTLY FROM LANE TO LANE WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO CAPITOL SUBARU LOCATED …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT 40 MPH OR ABOVE, THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER DUE TO THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE VEERED INDEPENDENTLY FROM LANE TO LANE WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO CAPITOL SUBARU LOCATED AT (235 CHERRY AVE NE, SALEM, OR 97301, 503-576-3300) BY EMAIL BUT WAS YET TO RECEIVE A RESPONSE IN RETURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE BUT STATED THAT DUE TO THE CURRENT COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THEY WERE UNABLE TO VERIFY A DATE OR TIME WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. *BF*JB

NHTSA ODI #11319860

2,024 miles · Feb 26, 2020
Steering

DRIVING ON CITY STREETS - CAR STEERING WHEEL PULLS TO RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING - FEELING OF LOSING CONTROL OF CAR BY DRIVER - ALSO PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN CHANGING LANES TO THE LEFT -- SPEED 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR - FEELS LIKE STEERING WHEEL IS "LOOSE" OR HAS COME LOOSE. COMPLAINED TO DEALER YESTERDAY - THEY SAID IT IS A SUSPENSION …

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DRIVING ON CITY STREETS - CAR STEERING WHEEL PULLS TO RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING - FEELING OF LOSING CONTROL OF CAR BY DRIVER - ALSO PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN CHANGING LANES TO THE LEFT -- SPEED 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR - FEELS LIKE STEERING WHEEL IS "LOOSE" OR HAS COME LOOSE. COMPLAINED TO DEALER YESTERDAY - THEY SAID IT IS A SUSPENSION PROBLEM AND TO BRING IT BACK - HAVE AN APPOINTMENT MONDAY MORNING AT 8 AM TO HAVE IT FIXED.

NHTSA ODI #11311661

5,000 miles · Feb 23, 2020
SteeringVehicle Speed ControlVisibility/wiper

THE WINDSHIELD OF MY 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH, WITH NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME OR COMING THE OTHER WAY. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT HIT BY ROAD DEBRIS OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. THERE WAS JUST A LOUD "POP". THE EYESIGHT FUNCTIONALITY IS NOW INCONSISTENT AS THE CRACK EXTENDE…

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THE WINDSHIELD OF MY 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH, WITH NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME OR COMING THE OTHER WAY. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT HIT BY ROAD DEBRIS OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. THERE WAS JUST A LOUD "POP". THE EYESIGHT FUNCTIONALITY IS NOW INCONSISTENT AS THE CRACK EXTENDED FROM 6 INCHES TO ACROSS THE WHOLE WINDSHIELD IN A FEW HOURS. THE TEMPERATURE WAS NOT BELOW FREEZING AND WAS ABOUT 45-50 DEGREES. THE COSTS TO REPLACE A WINDSHIELD LIKE THIS ARE EXORBITANT BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE "SAFETY" FEATURES AND RE-CALIBRATING INVOLVED. I BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THE ATTENTION OF MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I INQUIRED ABOUT KNOWN DEFECTS WITH THE WINDSHIELD AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO DEFECTS WITH THE WINDSHIELDS IN THE SUBARU OUTBACK 2019.

NHTSA ODI #11310828

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