10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,198 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 7 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #11

Dec 202018

Outback

  • 18,500 miles

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

Entire center radio cluster has failed. Car was parked in a garage and got into the car and started car and entire unit was black. This impacts radio, hands free cellular phone use, navigation, back up camera and warning system, vehicle notifications, star link program. This may sound just like a minor thing but this has significant safe operation impacts in regards to traffic and driving, cell phone use and navigation of the vehicle.

- Bernardston, MA, USA

problem #10

Nov 232018

Outback

  • 4,450 miles
30 miles left as indicated on fuel tank, car engine shut down while driving on road and came to a complete stop in left side of highway, my family were passengers in my car and this could have been a fatal situation. A good samaritan helped us move our car over to side of road out of harms way. I am very disappointed in Subaru and do not trust that it has the best 'safety' features if it is this inaccurate in informing me of mileage! I can't help but think what worse outcome could have happened to my family. Thank god we are all ok. Do better Subaru, for the lives of your customers driving your vehicles and the safety of the general public.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #9

Nov 122018

Outback

  • 10,500 miles
2018 Subaru Outback: Per dealer: Original battery "bad" & replaced by dealer after it failed (unable to start & won't hold charge) after 10,500 miles at 9 mo. Battery also failed in our previously owned 2015 Outback after only 3 weeks, & in a 2015 Subaru legacy after 35 months. The 2018 Outback's touch screen (& back-up camera screen, etc) has also stopped working twice, at about 2 months (while backing out of the driveway) & again at 3 months, both times suddenly, the screen going black for a minute or longer, & then turning white for several minutes before resuming the normal screen configuration & appearance.

- Issaquah, WA, USA

problem #8

Oct 232018

Outback

  • 7,800 miles

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

The radio display head unit failed. The rear back-up camera and and warning signals are inoperable. I have been without the systems for three weeks and Subaru customer service can not provide a date when this repair can be made. This is a safety concern as they aid in backing up the vehicle in parking lots at night when visibility is poor.

- Sicklerville, NJ, USA

problem #7

Aug 252018

Outback

  • 3,800 miles
I recently purchased a 2018 Outback. I was driving it going about 25 mph on road by my house and it shut down out of nowhere, dash lights came on, gas pedal wouldn't work, the only way I got it to go was shutting it off completely and restarting it. They car has 3500 miles, I dropped it off at the dealership on 8/25 and they have had it since. They replaced the fuel pump saying it was the cause of it shutting down on me. I received the car back on 9/21 and drove it for 180 miles, this time at 65 mph the car shutdown again while I was trying to pass someone on a 2 lane road, power steering lost and all lights came on dashboard like it had some type of electrical problem. Very similar to the first time but I was driving much faster this time.after about 30 seconds the car just kind of started up by itself without me having to push the start button I believe this issue is a huge safety issue and could possibly get me killed or someone else killed while driving this car. Subaru service facility has no clue whats going on since the car is not throwing codes. I have started the lemon law process but Subaru is not being very helpful thus far. Also having a problem with passenger seat not sensing if someone is sitting in the seat and not enabling the airbags. This problem came up on the scan on 8/25 analysis. I was unaware of the issue, nothing in the car told me passenger side airbag was not working. Subaru replaced the seat but I am still concerned that the problem is going on since I have no way to tell if it works or not.

- Saint Augustine, FL, USA

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problem #6

Aug 082018

Outback

  • 800 miles
I was driving about 25 mph when my Bridgestone tire, model dueler H/P sport as, blew-out on the passenger rear side. The tire had only 800 miles on it.

- Thurmont, MD, USA

problem #5

May 122018

Outback

  • 2,400 miles

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

Vehicle was parked. Sunroof exploded. The glass was not damaged previously. It could have been serious if we had been driving. I believe that the glass was defective or there is a design problem with the thickness of the glass/car structural stress.

- Wichita, KS, USA

problem #4

May 092018

Outback

  • 5,200 miles
While backing out of the driveway rear cross traffic alert failed to provide an alert of the vehicle approaching on the street, collision followed. Security camera video of the accident is available however size exceeds the maximum specified for the upload.

- Rockaway Park, NY, USA

problem #3

Feb 212018

Outback

  • 2,980 miles
A crack developed in the lower left corner of the front passenger window. The crack is about 7 inches in length, running from the bottom of the window - where it meets the rubber gasket of the door - up and to the right. It obscures the right side mirror. This crack appeared suddenly on 2/21/18. Prior to this, we noticed a bubbling or warping of the window in the top left area that distorted the view - this has been previously reported on the NHTSA site.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #2

Jan 272018

Outback

  • 988 miles
I purchased my 2018 Subaru Outback on Dec. 29, 2017. Three weeks later, the windshield began to show a crack creeping up from the upper right side of the vehicle. Mind you, the car was stationary in my driveway. I never witnessed the windshield sustain any impact that would cause such a crack. I brought the vehicle to my local Subaru dealer where the car was purchased for repair or replacement and the dealer refused to cover the repair under the vehicle's warranty. There have been multiple complaints lodged with the national highway transportation safety authority, describing the Subaru windshield defect issue. Additionally, on occasion and while in motion, the head unit (navigation display, radio, etc.) in my 2018 Outback limited w/eyesight, will freeze up and no hard or soft buttons will reactivate the system. I had to shut my car down for a few minutes before a "reboot" took place.

- Hudson, OH, USA

problem #1

Dec 272017

Outback

  • 5,040 miles
Starlink radio in touring model with 8"screen unreliable. Had issues with touchscreen freezing and cd loading error from purchase date in August to Dec. 18, 2017. Dealer tried to perform software update and fried radio. Radio was replaced. Issues worse with new radio. Took 2500 mile trip and had complete failure of radio, navigation, bluetooth, backup camera. Letting car sit cleared some errors but later similar problems reoccurred. Also have issue with doors do not always lock when shifting into gear or unlocking when shifting into park. The radio controls these settings and all doors are to unlock when shifted to reverse or drive and unlock when shifted to park. Sometimes no doors lock when shifting into reverse or drive. Sometimes only the front doors unlock when shifting to park sometimes no doors unlock when shifting to park. During one period when radio was out the car would not start until the drivers door was opened and closed 3 times. Issue with loss of radio and other components occurs when starting the car. It has never occurred while driving. Extremely concerned about doors not locking and unlocking serious safety issue. Subaru appears to know about the issue but dealers have have little information and Subaru has not notified owners of the issues but numerous posts in Subaru Outback forum indicate numerous other owners with the 8" screen are having similar issues.

- Clinton, IA, USA

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