10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
17,275 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2017 Subaru Outback brakes problems

brakes problem

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2017 Subaru Outback Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

Apr 252024

Outback

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On [XXX], around noon, my wife and I were driving south on [XXX] in our 2017 Subaru Outback, at approximately 70 mph. It was a clear and sunny day. We were just north of the [XXX] exit (in Port St. Lucie, Florida) in the far right-hand lane when our vehicle violently jolted. It felt like we were being dragged from behind, although we were still moving forward at a reduced speed. It was making a terrible sound (tires screeching), and you could smell rubber burning. This sensation felt similar to an airplane-??s hard landing on the tarmac. My initial thought was that someone hit us from behind, while my wife thought we may have blown a tire. I glanced at the instrument panel and noticed that the word -??Eye Sight-?? was displayed. As we were coming to complete stop, we realized cars were speeding to the left and right of our car to avoid hitting us. We both immediately realized that we were in a very dangerous situation and at risk of being hit from oncoming traffic. My wife put the hazard lights on while I was attempting to drive the car off the road. However, the car would not move forward even though the engine was running, and it was in gear (drive). Several good Samaritans stopped to assist us in trying to move the car off [XXX]. However, the car would not move because all four wheels were locked. My wife called 911 and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and Road Ranger arrived approximately twenty minutes later. They were unable to assist us with moving the car off the road. We called a tow truck company (Apex Towing) to move the car because all four tires were locked and had to be lifted off the road. Our car was towed to a safe location and we able to call AAA to have the car towed to Dyer Subaru in Vero Beach, Florida. As time has passed, we realize that our car was a stationary object on a heavily traveled interstate. If a car had hit us, the outcome could and most probable would have been catastrophic to everyone involved. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Fort Pierce, FL, USA

problem #21

Jul 212023

Outback

  • miles
accelerator dangerously increased and could not slow down. i pressed the ignition button(to kill the engine and was "jamming on the brakes to no avail. to my knowledge subaru has not recalled vehicles for these reasons. no warning lamps or other symptoms. my car traveled approximately 1/4 before it stopped. i took out a tree or trees knocked down a light pole which slowed me down, hit a utility trailer. owner of trailer estimated my speed at 40mph. i was driving approximately 20mph when it violently accelerated. she witnessed my ride.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #20

Jan 282023

Outback

  • miles
In the morning of Jan 28th, I drove this car off highway(North bound MoPac) to the ramp to frontage road to 360 in Austin TX. the vehicle lost control out of sudden and crashed to the left side of the road. the accident caused total loss of the vehicle but luckily a>the passages and the the driver on the car are OK. b>no other vehicle was involved. As the drive of this vehicle, I feel the crash was so strange so later on I requested both insurance company (AAA) and Subaru to investigate the possibility of malfunctions of the car. AAA -- claim number 015641968 Subaru --case 230128-1800367 AAA claimed the total lost but refused to do further investigation. Subaru took my request in March. Early this month, Subaru said their finished the comprehensive inspection and simply claimed the car was running normal when the accident happened. They don't want to share any further information about what they've found and they also don't want the inspect technician to talk to me about the results. I would like ask NHTSA, as the regulatory authority, to look into the their inspection report to make sure this vehicle does not have any abnormalities as their claimed. Thanks!

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #19

Mar 022023

Outback

  • 32,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated towards a truck in front. The contact used excessive force to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the braking distance was extended due to the failure. Additionally, there was an abnormal thumping sound heard while the vehicle was coming to an abrupt stop. The contact pulled to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle but found no cause for the failure. After waiting momentarily, the contact proceeded to drive, and the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

- Ruckersville, VA, USA

problem #18

Nov 072022

Outback 6-cyl

  • miles
I was driving my 2017 Subaru Outback on a trip from New York to Florida. On I-95 in heavy traffic I hit a bump in the road, and at that instant, nearly every warning light on my dash came on, including EyeSight, lane departure, and emergency braking. My adaptive cruise immediately disengaged causing the vehicle to suddenly slow (this incident was at highway speed). The "brake" light was also illuminated. Not knowing what happened, I pulled over on the side of the highway and found that the wire to the electric parking brake on the passenger side had disconnected from the brake module. I tried to plug it back in, but it would not stay. I secured the cable with a hair tie and continued on the trip. Approximately 500 miles later, I hit another bump or pothole, and the same thing happened. I checked under the car again, and discovered that the driver side had failed in the same manner. I secured the cable with another hair tie and was able to complete my trip. When I returned home, I discovered that this is a known issue and there is a Subaru TSB published, 06-63-18R. There is no warranty on this issue, and I was charged nearly $750 to fix a KNOWN PROBLEM caused by a plastic retainer. In my opinion, this issue should be treated as a safety defect and subject to a recall to replace with the newer part. Having all of your vehicle assists suddenly fail at highway speed in heavy traffic is a disconcerting and dangerous event.

- Troy, NY, USA

problem #17

Mar 302021

Outback

  • 50,000 miles
My new battery was drained to a point the vehicle would not start. I messaged some bible study friends and one was going to come over and jump my vehicle. While waiting I put the car in neutral and pushed it out of my garage into the driveway. The driveway is on a steep slope. Once in the driveway I tried putting the car into park, it would not go into park. In fact it would only go into drive which did not stop the vehicle from rolling backwards. I tried the emergency brake but it is electrically operated and did not work. The brakes were very hard to hold since the hydraulics were not kicking in, same with the power steering. I am a big strong guy so I wrestled the car to turn it diagonally in the driveway as it rolled backwards, trying to prevent it from going into the street and flying into someone's house or vehicle. Once diagonal in the driveway I threw a padlock under the front tire from the drivers seat with my foot on the brake to prevent it from rolling back. At this point it was barely held but stationary so I got out, chalked the wheels with 2X4's until by bible study friends came over and jumped my car. I did not have my cell phone and no one else was around to help me. I litterally thought I was going to have to just let my car roll down into the street and let it go because I had no other options. I called Subaru of America and they directed me to a youtube video that shows once the battery completely dies, there is a special tool you need in order to get the car in and out of park. But it doesn't tell you that if the car won't start and there is enough power to get it into reverse, don't do it without the tool. What if this happened in the mountains or san francisco or any hilly or mountainous location? I believe this is a high potential for life threating injury or loss of property. E-brakes should not be electric in my opinion.

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #16

Feb 042021

Outback

  • 30,929 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is a re-submission of complaint no 11398779. Photo files failed to upload. I had just entered the golf course parking lot and had turned right to enter a perpendicular parking slot. My speed was less than 5 mph. My car suddenly accelerated out of control, hit a concrete parking block (6 in high) and then over a 1 foot high wall which was 3 feet from the block. The car ended up on a down slope and the rear wheel fortunately caught on a retaining wall. I was not injured and the airbags did not deploy. There was one witness to this terrifying event which occurred on February 4, 2010 at about 8:10 am. It occurred in a part of the parking lot I have used at least 50 times in the past year. Several members have said they are afraid of parking in these spots and will never use them again. The component that failed is unknown to me, but I feel it is a definite safety risk. I was fully insured and the minor damage to the car was covered by my insurance.

- Capitola, CA, USA

problem #15

Feb 042021

Outback

  • 30,929 miles
I had just entered the golf course parking lot and had turned right to enter a parking slot. My speed was less than 5 mph. My car suddenly accelerated out of control, hit the concrete parking block and jumped over a 1 foot high wall which was 3 ft. Away from the block. The car ended up on a downslope and the rear wheel fortunately caught on a retaining wall. I was not injured and the airbags did not deploy. There was one witness to this terrifying event which occurred on February 4th at about 8:10 am in a parking spot that I have used at least 50 times in the past year.

- Capitola, CA, USA

problem #14

Oct 162020

Outback

  • 48,000 miles
Pulling into our garage (as we have done probably thousands of times since owning the car), our 2017 Outback accelerated out of control into the back wall of our garage. Car had been stopped at the parking position in the garage and was being shifted into park when the acceleration occurred. Gas pedal was not touched (car always coasts into garage under it's own power, and foot is only on the brake always). Extensive damage to car and garage. Both Subaru and our insurance company have been alerted.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #13

Jan 012017

Outback

  • 18,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated on three occasions while driving 25-35 mph, the automatic collision braking system engaged when there was no object present. The contact mentioned it happened while approaching a curve. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard however, after pumping the brake pedal the brakes worked as designed. The automatic collision warning indicator warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to wyatt johnson Subaru (2425 wilma rudolph blvd, clarksville, tn 37040, (931) 648-4300) where the contact was informed that the vehicle worked as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

- Murray, KY, USA

problem #12

Dec 102019

Outback 4-cyl

  • 39,960 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Twice, during a time period of 10 minutes, the vehicle accelerated suddenly when the brake was applied. I could hear and feel the accelerator kick in when my foot was on the brake -- the vehicle was propelled forward. First at a stop sign before pulling out onto a busy city street, then 10 minutes later when stopping to allow cross traffic to clear before pulling out of a parking lot. Pavement was dry (no ice, snow, or water). I know that my foot was on the brake and not the accelerator. Called the dealer and brought it in immediately. Over about a 3-week period, the dealer evaluated the vehicle and had a safety engineer from corporate come in to inspect the vehicle, and the conclusion was that nothing was wrong with the car, and nothing showed up on the vehicle logs/data to indicate a problem. I said I refused to drive the car anymore. We decided to trade it in, and they didn't give us any trade in assistance because they said nothing wrong with the vehicle. However, they did give us $2,500 coupon towards a brand new, 2020, vehicle, which we used.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #11

May 142018

Outback 4-cyl

  • 36,000 miles
Outback accelerates by itself randomly. I notice most when approaching stop sign and switch foot from gas pedal to brake.

- Billings, MT, USA

problem #10

Oct 082019

Outback

  • 35,000 miles
Key gets stuck in the ignition. The car drives, turns off, and turns on like normal however, when the car is put into park, turned off, and the the key is attempted to be removed the key does not come out. It only comes out after sometimes an hour or more of putting the car into drive and then into park again. This happens every time I attempt to remove the key.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #9

Feb 152019

Outback

  • 15,000 miles
I had two significant braking problems within two days. Both days were clear and sunny, with no snow, ice or rain. The first occurred when my wife and I were on a local street. I stepped on the brake to stop at an intersection. Instead of stopping, the car accelerated into oncoming traffic. Fortunately, the driver coming to my right was able to stop before plowing into my car. My wife and I avoided a serious accident. The following day we were coming up to a red light behind another car in the turn lane. I stepped on the brake - carefully so I didn't accelerate - and the brake pedal went all the way down to the floor. Eyesight assisted braking stopped the car before I rear-ended the car in front. Since it was a turn lane, the car in front moved up and I slowly moved forward. Once again the brake pedal went down to the floor and assisted braking stopped the car. I pulled over onto a side street and the brakes worked, but were spongy. For the rest of the way home, about 3 miles, the brakes worked ok. After the second incident my wife and I discussed what happened. We came to the conclusion that we both had similar experiences, to a lesser extent, with the car accelerating when braking. We both thought that we did something wrong, but after the dramatic acceleration into oncoming traffic realized that it was the car. I had the car towed to the dealership. Over a few days time they couldn't find a problem and referred it to Subaru customer care. It's four weeks since the first incident and they're no closer to identifying the problem.

- Roseland, NJ, USA

problem #8

Aug 042018

Outback

  • 20,500 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. While the vehicle was completely stopped, it accelerated independently. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a tree. A police report was filed. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained chest and stomach injuries and the contact sustained wrist injuries, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to yark Subaru (6141 central ave, toledo, oh 43615). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,500.

- Middletown, MD, USA

problem #7

Jan 102018

Outback

  • miles
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that intermittently while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to come to a complete stop. The contact then stated that the vehicle was taken to heuberger Subaru (1080 motor city dr., Colorado springs, co 80905 (719) 475-1920) where the brakes needed to be flushed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The contact then stated that the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where no diagnostic failure codes were found and the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the issue where the field engineer along with technician inspected the vehicle and determined that no failure had occurred, and informed the contact that the engine needed to be warmed. The approximate failure mileage was not available.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #6

Dec 052017

Outback

  • 2,831 miles
The first of 4 incidents occurred on state highway 509 when traveling with my 12 year old granddaughter in the passenger seat. At the speed limit of 60 mph in the right lane, the parking brake applied itself without being touched. The car shuttered violently as it turned to the right heading for the shoulder and slowed the car to 35-40mph before I saw the brake light on the dash and was able to turn off the parking brake switch located on the center console. 2nd time going 35mph on a local street when the same thing happened without warning. 3rd time on the same highway as 1st incident but at 55mph and by myself. 4th time this happened was right after I picked up the car from the shop where they tried to repair the problem and were unable to fix it. I was on the freeway onramp to highway 509 starting to merge on a bridge when for no reason the brake applied itself. Again the dealer shop was unable to repair the car and I picked it up and took it to another Subaru dealer. The paperwork states that the car is not to be driven home or long distances. This Subaru Outback is a very severe safety risk if I keep on driving it.

- Tacoma, WA, USA

problem #5

Aug 072017

Outback

  • 2,000 miles
While braking at an intersection the car would suddenly accelerate into the intersection. This happens often. I need to concentrate on my foot position every time I hit the brakes to make sure that my foot does not accidentally hit the gas also. For your information, I am 6 feet tall and wear a size 11 1/2 shoe.

- Wildwood, MO, USA

problem #4

Apr 012017

Outback 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 2,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the reverse automatic braking system independently applied itself. The contact stated that this was due to the asphalt being at an angle where it was close to the sensors of the vehicle. Autonation Subaru scottsdale (15678 N northsight blvd, scottsdale, AZ) informed the contact that they would need to temporarily disable the feature to prevent future failures when reversing the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the braking system was operating as designed. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.....updated 11/16/17 vehicle purchase date should be or before incident date updated 9/7/18

- Payson, AZ, USA

problem #3

Jul 222017

Outback

  • 11,000 miles
First braking issue (also power train): The brake pedal is only slightly higher than the height of the gas pedal. Consequently, several times while driving, my right foot has hit both the brake pedal and the gas pedal simultaneously, especially in an emergency situation. In such instance, the result is a power surge while braking, potentially extending the stopping distance of the car. Other cars (non-Subaru) have the brake pedal higher, so this simultaneous application of brakes and power is less likely to happen. The dealer's service manager says the height of the brake pedal is not adjustable, and refers owners to Subaru's customer retail services. Subaru's customer retail services claims there is no way to adjust the height of the brake pedal to avoid this problem. Second braking issue: Unlike other cars, there is no emergency hand brake or foot brake on the Subaru, so the risk of an accident is high if the regular brakes fail. The brakes have not yet failed, but there should be redundancy for this critical braking function.

- Essex, CT, USA

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