2017 Subaru Outback: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
917 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
917 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 101.89
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The CVT failed at 62 miles per hour on a busy interstate, XXX. This caused the drivetrain to lock. The car has been repaired and traded locally in [XXX]. The car was very difficult to steer with locked wheels in traffic. This was a rapid evasive manuver on a busy interstate. An undrivable vehicle on an interstate is life threatening to many. Flat bed driver told me I was lucky to steer off of lanes onto shoulder wit…
Ignition key not releasing after turning engine off. Put shifter in park, foot on brakeii, turn Ignition key off. Key will not release. Have to cycle multiple times to get key released.
The front passenger window does not work correctly all the time. The driver is not able to put the window up when pressing button on driver’s side and the passenger needs to keep pressing button to have it go back up again. So if the driver puts the window down while driving, the driver cannot put it back up. It occurs every few months. It’s such a common problem that there are many sites on you tube on how to fix it…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V576000 | Suspension | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Outback vehicles manufactured June 20, 2016, to June 23, 2016. The af… |
| 16V716000 | Steering:Column | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured September 21, 2016, to Septem… |
| 16V292000 | Steering:Column | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to Ma… |
| 19V910000 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Modu | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been instal… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (391 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 20/100, computed from 917 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Subaru Outback, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/08/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.