Subaru · NHTSA safety record
Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.
74
Complaints
4
Crashes
2
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2025 Subaru Outback have filed 74 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2024 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is forward collision avoidance, named in 17 of them (23%). The typical failure was reported at 1,999 miles, the median across the 9 complaints that gave an odometer reading.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 74.
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 39.
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.
1 injured
When engine auto-restarts after Auto Start-Stop has started engine, steering wheel jerks violently if it is not completely straight, dislocated my 5th finger.
NHTSA complaint 11757336. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
fire
I just bought my Subaru outback brand new in October 2025. I’ve maintained my oil changes at the dealership. I bought it from in the last one was last may 26. I filled up my tank with a full tank of gas June 1. On June 2 when I was driving home from work on the I 94 Highway in Detroit Michigan I was going about 50 mph when my check engine light went on and within seconds the engine failed. The car was still on, but the gas pedal wouldn’t work and I was in the far left-hand side lane of the highway. I was able to slowly pull over to the fire right hand shoulder, even though it was during peak traffic time. As I pulled over, I started seeing smoke come from under the hood. I then seen a big
NHTSA complaint 11741875, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
fire
NHTSA Complaint Narrative — Draft On July 9, 2026, in the evening, my leased 2026 Subaru Outback Touring caught fire while we were driving home. We were stopped in a left-turn lane waiting on a left-turn signal. When the light turned, the vehicle in front of us moved forward — which, in hindsight, was fortunate, because molten metal was sprayed across that exact spot moments later. The engine effectively exploded, throwing molten metal from the melted hood and engine components into the air around the car. We exited the vehicle immediately, leaving it burning in the left-turn lane. The fire department, based only about half a mile away, arrived within approximately 4 minutes, but it still
NHTSA complaint 11755608, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
crash · towed · 500 miles
The contact owned a 2025 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after coming from a stop sign, she depressed the accelerator pedal to make a right turn, and the vehicle inadvertently stopped and then experienced unintended acceleration with no warning light illuminated. The contact regained control of the vehicle; however, the failure recurred while her husband was driving. The contact stated that while her husband was driving under 5 MPH and exiting a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into two other vehicles. The contact and her husband did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. The air bags did not deploy. A police report
NHTSA complaint 11694726, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Needed to move quickly out of way of oncoming traffic, but delay/hesitation in CVT made it almost impossible to avoid traffic.
NHTSA complaint 11757337. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
GPS goes out..dealer has tried to fix numerous times
NHTSA complaint 11757296. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
2,000 miles
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving during heavy rainfall, the front windshield displayed a distorted view while the windshield wipers were activated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not identified. The front windshield was cleaned. Upon further investigation, the contact associated the failure with the manufacturing of the windshield glass. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
NHTSA complaint 11755406. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
The passenger seat airbag light does NOT always come on when my wife, 93 lbs, sits in the passenger seat. It will come on with someone heavier. This also happened in the loaner car I was given, 2026 Forester, by the dealer while they investigated my car. The airbag light did not come on when my wife was in the seat. Dealer says thereshold switch is operating according to factory specification. I say the specification needs adjustment. This was NOT a problem with my 2021 WRX.
NHTSA complaint 11754998. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 96 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 87 | 2 | — |
| 2022 | 460 | 4 | — |
| 2021 | 294 | 4 | — |
| 2020 | 895 | 6 | — |
| 2019 | 1,032 | 3 | — |
| 2018 | 807 | 3 | — |
| 2017 | 917 | 4 | — |
| 2016 | 641 | 4 | — |
| 2015 | 508 | 5 | — |
| 2014 | 208 | 10 | — |
| 2013 | 296 | 12 | 1 |
| 2012 | 292 | 16 | — |
| 2011 | 651 | 16 | — |
| 2010 | 360 | 18 | — |
Every Subaru on this site — 97 vehicles, 147 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst