10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,860 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.

2018 Subaru Outback miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2018 Subaru Outback Owner Comments (Page 4 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #76

Mar 142021

Outback

  • 29,000 miles

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

The windshield has developed a crack starting at the very bottom below the plastic edge, with not apparent impact site.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #75

Jan 282021

Outback

  • 24,000 miles
Rear gate malfunctions sometimes doesn't open sometimes doesn't close properly (this allows exhaust gases to be drawn into the vehicle) when you drive with the gate not completely closed. Dealer has no solution for the problem. This happens on a regular bases.

- Pound Ridge, NY, USA

problem #74

Jan 102021

Outback

  • miles
The battery keeps dying for no reason. Thr first time it occurred was in October 2020. We jump started the vehicle and drove it. It died again two days later. We replaced the battery with one from an auto parts store. Approximately 5 weeks later in December 2020 it did the same thing. We went to start it up and it wouldn't start. We jumped it and drove it for approximately 30 minutes. Went out the next day and it wouldn't start again. Took it to the dealership and they stated the problem was the battery so I paid for a replacement. Exactly a month later, January 2021, I went out to start the car and the battery is again dead. I will be taking it back in to the dealership this week.

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

problem #73

Jan 052021

Outback

  • 15,600 miles

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

When starting the vehicle, the screen for the backup camera, periodically remains dark. When this happens, I do not have the use of the back up camera.

- Vestal, NY, USA

problem #72

Jan 272020

Outback

  • 19,000 miles
January 27, 2020 I was driving about 45 mph on NJ hwy 29 to my son's home. Small rock hit windshield and made a small crack, less than 1 inch. I called insurance who would send a mobile repair truck to repair it onsite at my son's house. As I was driving, the crack getting bigger. By the time I arrived at my son's, 45 minutes later, the crack was more than 7 inches long and widening and growing horizontally and vertically. The crack so so big. The insurance rep said mobile glass repair could not repair it because it was so big. I had to bring it in for a windshield replacement and recalibration. I was told not to drive the car. Windshield was replaced on January 29, 2020 at safelite auto glass in East brunswick, NJ the total cost for windshield replacement and recalibration was $1,011.23.

- Kenilworth, NJ, USA

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problem #71

Jul 252019

Outback

  • 15,000 miles
Windshield cracked for no reason on July 25,2019. Pulled out of my driveway and headed down the street when it was starting to crack. Toke a picture when I got to work. First time in over 40 years of driving to ever have a windshield crack.

- Columbia City, IN, USA

problem #70

Oct 032020

Outback

  • 40,000 miles

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

Battery consistently drains and car will not start. Battery is new, replaced in 2020. Car has been parked for less than 12 hours when it will not start. Car has been jumped, taken to dealer who state "nothing is wrong with it", then within 1-4 days usually happens again. Has happened multiple times since 10/03/2020.

- Burlington, NC, USA

problem #69

Nov 242020

Outback

  • 15,890 miles
Windshield is cracked.

- Bethel, NC, USA

problem #68

Nov 212020

Outback

  • 200 miles
Driver side window will not close, will go up than down half way. If trying to close the window when it starts to rain/snow and it does't close can be a distraction to the driver, especially when driving on the highway at speeds of 70mph. This has been problem since I have owned this car and reported too Subaru during the warranty, also know on the internet for a long time. It does not matter if stopped or driving.

- North Tonawanda, NY, USA

problem #67

Mar 052019

Outback

  • 8,000 miles
Battery dies prematurely, if vehicle is not driven for a few days, or if parked and rear hatch is opened and closed a few times. Dead battery left me stranded five times since 3/5/2019. Battery tested well at dealership three times, so was not replaced under warranty until it failed a draw test.

- Franconia, NH, USA

problem #66

May 012018

Outback

  • 1,500 miles

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

On infrequent yet multiple occasions since purchasing the car in spring 2018, after hanging up from a bluetooth phone call, the radio would blast at full decibels and be unresponsive to attempted adjustments with the volume control. On all occasions except for today's event, I was driving on major highways, becoming startled, then having to immediately try to rectify the ear-blasting sound. Today, I was in a parking lot, having turned off the engine--the radio continues to play and the bluetooth remains live in an Outback for 5 more minutes, until the door is opened--I made a call, hung up, and the radio volume was fine; I immediately made another call, hung up, and the radio blasted at full decibels again. This time, I was unable to elicit a response by turning the volume knob, with the radio stopping shortly thereafter because it had reached the 5-minute limit. This event occurred whether I hung up first or the other person hung up first. I have had the car back to rafferty Subaru on multiple occasions, with a variety of fixes attempted, most recently by swapping out my amp with one from a loaner vehicle. I have found identical complaints on the subaruoutback.org forum, with others achieving no resolution as well, and with other being concerned about this uncontrollable condition occurring while driving at high speed on highways. This appears to be a problem in the 2019 and 2020 models as well.

- Media, PA, USA

problem #65

Sep 162020

Outback

  • 51,000 miles
While driving a rock.. not a large one, cracked my windshield which ultimately progressed through out the windshield. One other time a similar situation occurred when a small rock hit the windshield causing damage to it. I also had a rock hit the passenger side on the second row window which completely shattered it. The car was in motion for the windshield on a divided highway occurence but stationary on a city street with passenger window damage.

- Addison, TX, USA

problem #64

Jun 242020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 10,000 miles
Windshield cracking while driving down interstate 80.

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #63

Jun 132020

Outback

  • 43,900 miles
The car windshield suddenly cracked on its own without any external or internal impact while parked. The crack started from the top on passenger side and extended vertically to the middle of the windshield. This crack impaired the ability of the eyesight driver assistance system to function properly causing the vehicle to lose safety critical features like forward collision avoidance and lane keep assist.

- Auburn, CA, USA

problem #62

May 202020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
Dead, drained battery- no response from car, unable to even open with key fob. Car parked in garage at home.

- Jackson, NJ, USA

problem #61

May 152020

Outback 6-cyl

  • 15,500 miles
This model has severe battery drain issues. I have had to repeatedly jump or charge the battery after just a short period of the lift gate or side doors being open. The lights are turned off but they still drain the battery. This is unacceptable in an "outdoor" vehicle. You cannot tailgate, use the lift gate to make a tent, keeps doors open when unloading. Subaru gives you an under-powered cheap battery and has the drain issue. I cannot use the car as marketed. I finally got fed up with the issue so far and purchased my own larger battery. Soa has agreed to pay for this, but the underlying issue needs to be corrected. I suspect on the lift gate there is power continually flowing to it when open so it is ready to close when you push the close button. This need a kill switch. My behavior with this car is no different than other cars in the past and their batteries did not die. This is not user error, but a bad design. The web is full of similarly frustrated owners. I'll put the last date I had to call aaa, but this has happened repeatedly since I have owned it. Even an hour of the lift gate open seems to severely drain the battery. My parents have a 2016 and I don't think they have this issue? this is a safety issue if you get stuck somewhere in the wild with a dead car.

- Escondido, CA, USA

problem #60

May 162020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 9,790 miles
While parked indoors a front windshield crack first appeared on lower drivers side of windshield. No sign of being struck by projectile.

- Mccall, ID, USA

problem #59

May 032020

Outback

  • 15,928 miles
Windshield crack under wipers on passenger side. Car was parked in driveway for 2 days. Under stay in place orders. 2 cracks about 1 inch apart, no sign of impact. Crack became a long line into the driver view. While driving for 1/2 mile. Called Subaru and mentioned that nothing hit car. They said no problems with windshields have been recorded.

- Rockledge, PA, USA

problem #58

Jul 102018

Outback

  • 8,000 miles
2018 Subaru Outback purchased in November 2017 - oem windshield has cracked twice (in 2 years).

- Alamo, CA, USA

problem #57

Apr 152019

Outback

  • 2,000 miles
I owned a 2018 Subaru Outback for about a year. In that year my windshield cracked three times across more than half of the windshield upon impact of a tiny rock. The first time it happened I was stopped in a parking lot, and turned on my ac which caused the windshield to split- I couldn't even find a chip that caused the huge crack. The cost to replace was over $800 each time so I sold the vehicle after the third time. The first crack was in April 2019 and the last was in August 2019. I involved my local Subaru dealer that I purchase the car from, and they told me that it was hot out and that's why the glass was cracking, but I've never seen a windshield behave in that manner before, no matter the temperature.

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

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