IllustrationAFTER 5000 MILES MY BATTERY HAS BEEN DRAINED AND IS CURRENTLY DEAD. I WAS TOLD I MUST LOCK IT EVERY TIME I AM NOT DRIVING TO ENSURE BATTERY LIFE IS EXTENDED. EVEN WITH DOING THIS BATTERY IS STILL DEAD AFTER BARELY 5000 MILES.
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.
9 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
296 reportsWINDSHIELD BROKE WITHOUT WARNING, HAPPENED DURING CITY DRIVING APPROX 25-30 MPH WHEN FIRST NOTICED. CRACK HAS CONTINUED TO SPREAD TO COVER ENTIRE WINDSHIELD FIRST CRACK NOTICED 4/15/2021, 2021 SUBARU OUTBACK, SUBARU CONTACTED AND THEY DENIED WARRANTY AND OR KNOWLEDGE WITH THEIR WINDSHIELDS BREAKING WITHOUT CAUSE
CRACK IN WINDSHIELD APPEARED WITH NO PUNCTURE. NOTICED CRACK WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. NOTHING HAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD, PASSENGER NOTICED THE CRACK.
DRIVING ON GROOVED CONCRETE HIGHWAY THE CAR WANDERED ALL OVER THE ROAD. IT FEELS VERY UN-SAFE AND THAT YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF THE CAR. THIS STARTED THE DAY I PICK UP THE CAR 2 WEEKS AGO, 1700 MILES
PARKED MY CAR IN THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON WHEN I WENT BACK I HAD A STRESS CRACK ACCROSS THE PASSANGER SIDE
I BOUGHT THIS 2021 SUBARU OUTBACK IN JAN 2, 2021. IN MID FEB, I DROVE THE OUTBACK TO LAKE TAHOE. ON MY WAY, I WENT TO COSTCO GAS STATION FOR GAS AFTER 1 HOUR HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE CAR WAS JUST DEAD AFTER REFUELING. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS JUMPSTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY TRIP AND …
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I BOUGHT THIS 2021 SUBARU OUTBACK IN JAN 2, 2021. IN MID FEB, I DROVE THE OUTBACK TO LAKE TAHOE. ON MY WAY, I WENT TO COSTCO GAS STATION FOR GAS AFTER 1 HOUR HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE CAR WAS JUST DEAD AFTER REFUELING. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS JUMPSTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY TRIP AND BACK HOME. AFTER I WAS BACK HOME, I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER THAT SOLD THE CAR. I WAS TOLD IT WAS BATTERY PROBLEM AND A NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. A FEW WEEKS LATER, MY CAR COULDN'T START IN MY GARAGE ON A SATURDAY MORNING. I HAD TO JUMPSTART THE CAR USING A HANDHELD BATTERY MYSELF. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I THINK SUBARU OUTBACK HAS A DEFECT IN ELECTRIC SYSTEM THAT DRAIN THE BATTERY.
VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED LESS THAN 5 MONTHS AGO, HAS LESS THAN 1000 MILES AND THE BATTERY HAS DIED. CAR IS USED REGULARLY, AS A FAMILY CAR, TO RUN ERRANDS IN OUR NEIGHBORGHOOD. BATTERY DOES NOT HOLD A CHARGE. IT WILL CHARGE WITH A BATTERY TENDER, BUT WILL THEN DRAIN QUICKLY.
WENT OUT TO MY CAR TO GO HOME AND FOUND A 9 IN CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO CRACK WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY CAR. THERE IS NO ROCK IMPACT AND NO MARKS.
WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED NEAR AIR CONDITIONING ELEMENT WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A CHIP
AN EMPTY PLASTIC BOX FELL ON THE WINDSHIELD FROM MAYBE 2 FEET. THE WINDSHIELD BASICALLY SHATTERED, WITH PIECES OF GLASS IN THE CAR. WE INFORMED OUR DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS A NEW CAR, AND WE ARE VERY SCARED THAT THEIR IS A DEFECT BASED ON THE IMPACT THAT WE SAW. SUBARU DISCREDITED OUR CLAIM. WE HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING WE CAN DO INF…
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AN EMPTY PLASTIC BOX FELL ON THE WINDSHIELD FROM MAYBE 2 FEET. THE WINDSHIELD BASICALLY SHATTERED, WITH PIECES OF GLASS IN THE CAR. WE INFORMED OUR DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS A NEW CAR, AND WE ARE VERY SCARED THAT THEIR IS A DEFECT BASED ON THE IMPACT THAT WE SAW. SUBARU DISCREDITED OUR CLAIM. WE HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING WE CAN DO INFORM THEM TO LOOK INTO THIS POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IN A GARAGE WHEN THE EMPTY BOX FELL ON THE WIND SHIELD. NOW WE ARE PAYING TO REPLACE THE CRACK WINDSHIELD.
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.