Subaru Outback Complaints

1,029 consumer complaints on file.

#11689735September 25, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I own a 2024 Subaru Outback Wildnerness with approximately 3,000 miles. After about four months of ownership, the windshield suddenly developed a long crack starting from the edge on the passenger side. There was no major rock strike or outside impact - the crack appeared while the vehicle was parked and quickly spread across the glass. This is a major safety concern because the crack extends into the drivers field of vision, reducing visibility. It may also compromise the structural integrity of the windshield in the event of a collision and interfere with the proper function of the Subaru EyeSight safety system, which relies on the windshield mounted cameras. I contacted the dealership, but they claimed the issue was not covered under warranty. After researching, I found that many other Subaru owners have reported similar windshield failures. This appears to be a recurring defect that could pose a significant safety risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689675September 25, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2022 Subaru Outback. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 19,821, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 79,653.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689091September 23, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I purchased my car on [XXX]. Since then I have now had two incidents where I was driving on the expressway and the computer completely shuts down. Engine is still active but the dashboard goes black, air conditioning turns off, turn signals don’t work etc. I brought it back to Gerald Subaru of Naperville and they told me the first time that they had not done the factory reset when they first got the vehicle. They explained to me they fixed the issue and it would never happen to me again. It happened again to me yesterday on the expressway. I was put in a very scary, very unsafe situation that I never thought I would be in because I bought a Subaru, the “safest” car on the market. Come to find out my service paper work states that Gerald Subaru did not do a “factory reset” when I brought it in the first time. They claimed I said the engine light turned on and then the dashboard turned off, which is not accurate and I have an email and photo to prove that. I would like answers as to why my brand new 2025 Subaru Outback is failing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687897September 17, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Both wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is abysmal at best. It gets disconnected and starts to reconnect for no reason whatsoever, even when connected through USB C. Tried with both USB ports, same thing. On top of the problem, the android auto randomly starts to play music on its own. The screen is useless and unresponsive at these times. Therefore, I cannot even switch to built-in navigation. What a mess!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687671September 16, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
1. Pre-collision warning system malfunctioned. On my vehicle it has activated 4 different times when there was no obstacle in the roadway -- one of which happened in front of a semi truck and the semi truck almost rear ended me. On the loaner vehicle while mine was being looked it, the pre-collision warning didn't activate at all when there was a significant obstruction in the roadway and I wrecked the vehicle. 2. My safety has been put at risk by having a pre-collision warning system activate randomly and then brake hard due to this. It was also put at risk by the pre-collision warning system not activated at all and causing an accident. My safety has further been put at risk by Subaru asking me to continue to drive my vehicle to help them figure out what is happening. I am not a crash test dummy. 3. The problem has not been able to be reproduced but I do have some pictures of the malfunctions. 4. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership. 5. My vehicle has been plagued with multiple electrical issues prior to the pre-collision warning activating for no apparent reason. The warning signs were came on and off too fast for me to see what they were other than the vehicle was braking hard for no reason.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687644September 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Wheel bearings failed at 55k miles , 5.25 years
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687315September 15, 2025
ENGINE, SEATS
Lower oil pan leaks oil. Started leaking oil right after warranty expired. This is a known issue for Subaru cars with the 2.4 turbo engine. Seats ripped right after warranty expired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686251September 10, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
A crack on my windshield has appeared overnight out of nowhere, with no indication of impact or external damage. The car was parked in a private driveway facing the house, not the road. It started from the bottom edge of the windshield under the cowling and has made its way to the center of the windshield, and has since spidered out, moving both east & west on the windshield. I took the 2022 Outback Wilderness to Hania Subaru in Orange Park, Jacksonville, FL, where they said the extended warranty would not cover the replacement because it only covers cracks that start on the east or west sides of the windshield. Hania Subaru sent photos to Subaru of America stating that they would not replace the glass. SOA said they would donate a $1000 gift towards the replacement of the windshield only if it was replaced through a Subaru dealership, which Subaru Hania quoted $2067.61, which is $900 more than the going rate in the area, so with the $1000 gift from SOA, I would be paying more than the average for a windshield replacement despite the "gifted $1000" from SOA and they would be using the same glass manufacturer that the original faulty cracked glass came from. SOA said they would only gift me the amount for the glass replacement if I used a Subaru dealership and not a 3rd party company, and when I asked why the dealerships charged double what the average cost was, they said that the service Subaru offers is superior despite there being no warranty on the new glass or service. When I called Subaru of Hania and Subaru of Jacksonville about glass replacement, they both said they do not offer glass replacement in-house, but they outsource to a 3rd party company called Ameri Pro, which is the glass dealership that Subaru uses as stock. Ameri Pro handles the full job and would charge me $1452 to include the "Subaru" stamp on the glass and stamped parts, or they would charge me $764.38 for all the same parts, excluding the Subaru stamp. This issue goes even deeper.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686038September 9, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V227000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684285September 1, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Map application in my car has very inaccurate speed limit information. In one case the Map App showed the speed limit to be 55 MPH for a residential street. That street is [XXX] . I have reported that and several others to TomTom. Since the App data is loaded not live nothing will change until the next update. This is definitely a Safety Hazard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684097August 30, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
2025 Subaru Outback was parked in the garage. The high temperature for the day was in the upper 80's. The temperature on the thermometer in the garage was 85. The car had been parked in the garage after the drive home from work for over 3 hours. I heard a noise in the garage and the sunroof had exploded outward. I had not been hit by any debris and it was not damaged. The glass was still crackling as I walked up and took a video. It looked like a miniature volcano with the upward, circular ridge of glass. It was towed to the dealership and their initial response was they did not think the factory warranty or extended warranty will cover it. I have 35,000 miles on the vehicle. Began to investigate known issues with the Subaru and discovered this has been happening to other Subaru's and manufacturer's.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682830August 25, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
We had had no issues at all with our 2022 Subaru Outback until June 2025. Mileage at the time of the incident was approximately 52,000. We were driving one evening in June and all of a sudden the engine stopped and we could not drive it. It only produced a knocking sound when we attempted to turn the engine on. We had the car towed to the dealership and after taking the engine apart, they reported that an intake valve broke, flew and split one of the pistons causing the motor to seize up. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the engine failure. Regular oil changes had been performed on the car. This issue came completely out of left field as we had previously had no engine issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681676August 19, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I have an 2022 Outback that has 29000 miles and have had 2 windshield replacements. And now on my third, from rock chips. I bought the extended warranty and they are denying my claim. I can’t imagine what the lifetime costs will be for this vehicle. They have offered an extended warranty because of the problem and are not honoring that either.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681007August 15, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The wireless CarPlay continuously disconnects and reconnects on its own. It is possible to inspect it upon request. This issue has been persistent since I purchased the car however it’s random in the times it disconnects, and sometimes it doesn’t reconnect at all. The dealership has informed me that this is an issue with Subaru cars with wireless CarPlay. It has been recalled and supposedly the issue was resolved when I had it repaired at the dealership, however it has continued to have the same issue. It is a safety concern to me because I no longer am able to connect and see my map on the screen while driving, which in turn will force me to have to use the maps on my phone. I have to hold my phone and continuously look down to follow the navigation information which is dangerous to myself and other cars driving around me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680849August 15, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Unforced acceleration occurred in a parking lot. I had my foot off the gas pedal, and had the car easing to a stop, when the car sped up rapidly and scraped the side of a large van. The car eventually came to a stop as i was applying the brake as much as i could. The passenger side of subaru was damaged extensively. I reported this to our insurance agent and lithia.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680299August 13, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The EyeSight Assist appears to be working intermittently since the car was purchased. It stops working without any apparent reason, regardless of whether it is a sunny day, cloudy, or rainy. The assist stops working without any proper reason. The lane departure warning also appears to be either not working or malfunctioning at times. Even if I am within the lane, it still makes warning sounds at times and shows yellow lines on the screen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680258August 12, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The malfunction I am concerned with is the battery and the battery charging system (alternator, engine control module). I purchased this car new in July of 2024. However, last month the battery drained to a point where I had to jump it to start it. I drove with the hope that the alternator would charge the battery. Yet, it did not. Within the last four weeks, I proceeded to have to jump the car almost every time I started the car, including every stop when running errands around town. This is a safety concern for me because if I didn't have a jump box for the car I would have been stuck or stranded. This could have been in 110 degree weather with my niece in the back seat. Or if the auto start/stop system was engaged, I could have been stuck with a dead car on the freeway in stop/start traffic in Los Angeles. I have seen multiple Outbacks on the freeway with dead batteries. When I took it to the dealer last week they confirmed the battery had gone bad, but were unable to find a parasitic drain or another reason why a year old battery would go bad. They acknowledged that older model Outbacks have the same battery drain issue and there is a current class action lawsuit for older model Outbacks (2015-2020) with this issue. They did not acknowledge that newer Outbacks had the same issue. No warnings appeared before this issue. There has been electronic issues with the vehicle since I took possession of it last year. After the battery issue presented itself, I did receive warning through my car there were issues with the backup breaking system and the collision control system. The dealer found an update for the Media Center, which they say may have been the cause of the battery drain. The two notifications have been cleared after the update. A simple search online revealed hundreds of complaints about the battery on the Outback, including people stating the manufacturer set the alternator to not charge the battery so they could market better gas mileage for the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679434August 8, 2025
AIR BAGS
My Subaru Outback 2022 experienced a failure of the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) sensors, resulting in the airbag warning light turning on and the airbags being disabled. The nature of the defect, the diagnostic trouble codes, and the location of the failed component are identical to Subaru Recall 24V227000 recently issued for the same model and year range. However, my VIN is not included in the recall. This is a safety-critical defect that prevents the airbags from deploying in a crash. The failure occurred under normal driving conditions and with all required maintenance performed. I believe my vehicle should be included in the existing recall, or a new recall should be issued to address this broader production issue. The defect puts occupants at risk of injury or death in the event of a collision. Please investigate this matter and require Subaru to expand the recall coverage to all affected VINs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679036August 7, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While slowly backing out of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on it's own - I do not recall pressing on the accelerator but the engine surged and the vehicle rapidly reversed and struck 4 other parked cars. It felt as if the accelerator became stuck and would not respond to braking. No warning light or dashboard alerts appeared. Subaru eyesight and adaptive cruise control were not engaged at the time. There was no known obstruction under the petals. This felt like a serious malfunction and could have caused serious injury. I am reporting this in case it is part of a wider issue affecting this model and because i see that there are multiple complaints to you about sudden unintended acceleration, especially during low speed maneuvers like backing out a parking space.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678783August 6, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I bought my car in 2023 and it has less than 30,000 miles on it. Since purchase, I have had to replace the windshield THREE TIMES for massive cracks. Insurance does not cover the full cost. Nothing has hit the windshield as far as I know, but it keeps cracking. I have never had this issue with any other car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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