Subaru Outback problems by year
12,200 complaints across 28 model years, 1998–2025. 2019 draws the most at 1,288; 2004 the fewest at 108.
Read this first
Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold as much as how reliable they were. A popular model year will always look worse than a rare one. Compare the dominant failure system between years rather than the raw totals.
Every model year
| Year | Complaints | Top reported system | Crashes | Fires | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 165 | Engine and engine cooling (27.9%) | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| 1999 | 150 | Power train (21.3%) | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 | 247 | Power train (17.8%) | 22 | 9 | 5 |
| 2001 | 207 | Service brakes, hydraulic (15.5%) | 18 | 6 | 0 |
| 2002 | 172 | Service brakes, hydraulic (16.9%) | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 116 | Air bags (16.4%) | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 108 | Air bags (23.1%) | 16 | 6 | 0 |
| 2005 | 354 | Suspension (15.8%) | 20 | 6 | 0 |
| 2006 | 404 | Vehicle speed control (24.5%) | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| 2007 | 182 | Air bags (25.8%) | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | 281 | Air bags (37.0%) | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| 2009 | 143 | Air bags (21.0%) | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | 469 | Power train (20.0%) | 20 | 6 | 0 |
| 2011 | 857 | Power train (25.2%) | 36 | 11 | 0 |
| 2012 | 369 | Power train (29.0%) | 19 | 11 | 0 |
| 2013 | 408 | Engine (16.4%) | 36 | 7 | 2 |
| 2014 | 276 | Air bags (14.9%) | 26 | 3 | 0 |
| 2015 | 648 | Visibility/wiper (20.1%) | 36 | 7 | 0 |
| 2016 | 774 | Electrical system (39.9%) | 39 | 6 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1,106 | Electrical system (35.4%) | 56 | 5 | 0 |
| 2018 | 991 | Electrical system (26.9%) | 48 | 6 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,288most | Electrical system (28.3%) | 52 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1,135 | Visibility/wiper (27.6%) | 37 | 11 | 0 |
| 2021 | 413 | Visibility/wiper (23.5%) | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 556 | Visibility/wiper (45.9%) | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| 2023 | 124 | Forward collision avoidance (29.0%) | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | 138 | Visibility/wiper (15.2%) | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 119 | Forward collision avoidance (16.0%) | 9 | 5 | 0 |