Car won't start. Battery drained after in garage overnight. The lights weren't left on and keys far from car. This same thing happened after leaving car with blinkers on for a very short period.
2021 Subaru Outback
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2021 Subaru Outback do not stand out strongly from 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
Limited mileage data: 61 of 296 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 97 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
296 reportsIn February 2021 my windshield was cracked in the lower left corner for an unknown reason. Windshield was inspected by manufacturer service center and thought to be result of an impact and was then replaced. December 2021 the windshield was again cracked in the lower left corner and again needs to be replaced. Appears to also…
Read full complaint
In February 2021 my windshield was cracked in the lower left corner for an unknown reason. Windshield was inspected by manufacturer service center and thought to be result of an impact and was then replaced. December 2021 the windshield was again cracked in the lower left corner and again needs to be replaced. Appears to also be the result of an impact but will need to be determined by insurance. Both instances the windshield cracked in the bottom left corner and the crack began to quickly grow across the drivers side to the top center of the windshield.
Purchased vehicle 1/2021. Currently has 8500 miles. For the past few months the dash/navigation system intermittently shuts down. Lose everything including speed/cruise/gps/radio. After a few seconds will reboot. I have called the dealer twice regarding this issue - was told to press "defrost" button 5 times and bring to th…
Read full complaint
Purchased vehicle 1/2021. Currently has 8500 miles. For the past few months the dash/navigation system intermittently shuts down. Lose everything including speed/cruise/gps/radio. After a few seconds will reboot. I have called the dealer twice regarding this issue - was told to press "defrost" button 5 times and bring to the service department. This was done and they sent the info to Subaru - have not heard anything from Subaru regarding this complaint which was done over 2 months ago
Battery dead after leaving in garage for a day. Happened three times and I brought it to dealer, and they charged battery and said it passed Subaru test procedure and that nothing they can do. No lights on and key is in house closet area. Battery still drains if left in garage for a day without driving. I bought a portable charg…
Read full complaint
Battery dead after leaving in garage for a day. Happened three times and I brought it to dealer, and they charged battery and said it passed Subaru test procedure and that nothing they can do. No lights on and key is in house closet area. Battery still drains if left in garage for a day without driving. I bought a portable charger for $150.
Several times, at random, the infotainment system goes blank. Screen goes black and can NOT adjust any of the ADAS controls! After 10 to 20 seconds the system seems to reboot and slowly returns to normal operations.
The sunroof on my 2021 Subaru Outback exploded for no apparent reason while I was driving. There was no impact by any object, and the glass shattered into innumerable pieces, suggesting it was definitively tempered, not laminated, glass. The weather was sunny and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I happened to have my sunroof shade closed …
Read full complaint
The sunroof on my 2021 Subaru Outback exploded for no apparent reason while I was driving. There was no impact by any object, and the glass shattered into innumerable pieces, suggesting it was definitively tempered, not laminated, glass. The weather was sunny and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I happened to have my sunroof shade closed - if I hadn’t, I would have gotten glass in my hair and possibly in my eyes while driving my car.
Purchased new Outback SUV in March of 2021. Currently has 4488 miles on odometer. Center console infotainment center randomly reboots at times without warning. System reboots after several seconds, but until system is restored, any function active at the time controlled from that console is unavailable (radio, navigation, etc.…
Read full complaint
Purchased new Outback SUV in March of 2021. Currently has 4488 miles on odometer. Center console infotainment center randomly reboots at times without warning. System reboots after several seconds, but until system is restored, any function active at the time controlled from that console is unavailable (radio, navigation, etc.). Dealer has not yet inspected the car for this problem at this time. I have not been able to cause the system to reboot at will, it appears to be totally random.
I have owned my 2021 Outback since April of 2021. I currently have just under 15,000 miles on it and am now looking to replace my second windshield. I have taken the car on 5 road trips over 200 miles and this is the second time where I instantly have a 6-8 inch long crack appear. There was evidence of a very small impact but th…
Read full complaint
I have owned my 2021 Outback since April of 2021. I currently have just under 15,000 miles on it and am now looking to replace my second windshield. I have taken the car on 5 road trips over 200 miles and this is the second time where I instantly have a 6-8 inch long crack appear. There was evidence of a very small impact but the instant spreading seems to be an issue with many other Outback owners as I have seen on social media groups that some people have gone through 5+ windshields in the first year of ownership. I believe it is clear at this point that there is an issue with the glass itself and this could be a serious safety concern as I am fearful what would happen if a normal size rock were to hit it how it would respond to the impact.
When I bought my new 2021 Subaru on Sep. 27, 2021. It was twilight and the sales lady said it had a small rock chip in the windshield but they were going to fix it. Driving home, I saw the windshield had a spider web of cracks all over it. I took it back on Sep. 30 and they replaced the windshield. On Oct 31, I drove 660 miles…
Read full complaint
When I bought my new 2021 Subaru on Sep. 27, 2021. It was twilight and the sales lady said it had a small rock chip in the windshield but they were going to fix it. Driving home, I saw the windshield had a spider web of cracks all over it. I took it back on Sep. 30 and they replaced the windshield. On Oct 31, I drove 660 miles. When I looked at the Subaru in the motel parking lot the next morning, the new 5-week old windshield had cracks. There was a rock chip where the cracks crossed. They were not spread all over but covered an area about 14" wide and 8" high. I didn't want to drive it but I had to get it back to the dealer. Later I saw the State of New Jersey had filed lawsuits against Subaru for cracked windshields on 2.5M vehicles. I felt sick and didn't know what to do. I found a "Service Bulletin" No. 12-192-12R dated 10/26/15. It was only for 2015-2016MY Legacy and Outback models and MY's but it described the crack issue and illustrated it. It was very limited. It just offered an extended warranty and one repair on specific models. I believe this is a serious Safety Defect because it is spread over a large population of vehicles and Subaru is not admitting any defect or safety problem. If this occurs on a trip, it's likely the driver will continue to drive to their destination with a dangerously compromised windshield. FMVSS 205 states that Glazing in Auto windows is to reduce injuries resulting from impact to glazing surfaces, to maintain transparency for visibility and minimize the chance occupants are ejected from the vehicle in a collision. It also appears the windshields do not meet Fracture Test 7 in SAE Z26 for tempered glass and multiple glazed units. The size of fragments observed in the spider-web patterns are 1" to 3" and more and likely weigh more than the 4.25 grams in the Fracture Test. In my 65 years of driving, I’ve never had a windshield crack like the two windshields cracked on my Outback in the period of five weeks.
Windshield developed a large crack for no apparent reason. There is no sign of an impact from an object. Vehicle was parked outside when outside temperature dropped overnight. Crack over 6” long appeared the next morning.
Official recalls
424V227000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Mar 22, 2024
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
23V755000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:park/neutral Start Interlock Switch
Nov 9, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
22V485000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
Jul 8, 2022
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.
21V024000 · Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod
Jan 26, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loosen.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and, if necessary, tighten the nut, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-21.
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.
Illustration