IllustrationABOVE 50-60 MILES AN HOUR THE STEERING BEGAN TO WANDER (IT FELT LIKE I HAD NO CONTROL AND THE CAR WANTED TO STEER ITSELF) VERY DANGEROUS! ON AN INTERSTATE WHERE SPEED LIMIT WAS 70MPH.
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.
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
3730–25K
7725–50K
1050–75K
575–100K
4100–150K
0150K+
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 reportsLOOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVING FASTER THAN 50 MPH ON HIGHWAY, OR TURNING ON CURVES. THE STEERING WHEEL TENDS TO WANDER THAT THE DRIVER DOES NOT HAVE THE CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER FEELS UNSAFE.
CAR HAS LESS THAN 400 MILES ON. WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT FEELS LIKE I DO NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL, NO FEEDBACK FROM A STEERING WHEEL. IT FEELS LIKE DRIVING ON ICE. WENT TO A DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. IT FEELS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING, AND I FEEL TOTALLY EXHAUSTED AFTER. HAD MULTIPLE OUTBACK…
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CAR HAS LESS THAN 400 MILES ON. WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT FEELS LIKE I DO NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL, NO FEEDBACK FROM A STEERING WHEEL. IT FEELS LIKE DRIVING ON ICE. WENT TO A DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. IT FEELS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING, AND I FEEL TOTALLY EXHAUSTED AFTER. HAD MULTIPLE OUTBACKS IN THE PAST AND NEVER HAD AN ISSUE LIKE THIS. THEY NEED TO FIX IT ASAP, TOO DANGEROUS.
STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY NUDGES YOU TO ONE SIDE. CAR SEEMS TO TAKE CONTROL TEMPORARILY FROM THE DRIVER AND MAKES A CORRECTION TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT.
I TOOK DELIVERY OF THIS NEW VEHICLE ON 10 SEPTEMBER 2018 AFTER SHORT TEST DRIVE ON URBAN STREETS. BY THE TIME I HAD DRIVEN ON ABOUT 100 MILES ON RURAL AND 4 LANE ROADS I WAS REALLY DISTURBED BY THE WAY THE VEHICLE "WANDERED" FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND SEEMINGLY WITHOUT ANY STEERING WHEEL INPUT EXCEPT ENOUGH TO CORRECT THE DRIFT TO RI…
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I TOOK DELIVERY OF THIS NEW VEHICLE ON 10 SEPTEMBER 2018 AFTER SHORT TEST DRIVE ON URBAN STREETS. BY THE TIME I HAD DRIVEN ON ABOUT 100 MILES ON RURAL AND 4 LANE ROADS I WAS REALLY DISTURBED BY THE WAY THE VEHICLE "WANDERED" FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND SEEMINGLY WITHOUT ANY STEERING WHEEL INPUT EXCEPT ENOUGH TO CORRECT THE DRIFT TO RIGHT OR LEFT. IT SEEMS WHEN THE WHEELS ARE CENTERED THE STEERING WHEEL APPEARS TO HAVE "DEAD ZONE". I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SAID "WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT". TOOK IT TO DEALER ON 30 OCT 2018 AS(3341 MILES) AND SAID IT WAS ALRIGHT . I HAVE NOT "GOTTEN USED TO IT" AND IS EXHAUSTING TO DRIVE. IT IS LIKE DRIVING IN STRONG CROSS WINDS WHEN THERE IS NO WIND OR HYDROPLANING ON DRY ROADS.
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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.