2018 Subaru Outback: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
807 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
807 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 100.88
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
2018 Subaru Outback Infotainment center glass delamination causing the system to come on by itself start malfunctioning switching between channels or apps and potentially startle / distract the driver. Incident has been ongoing for over 8 months..
Engine cam carrier seals are leaking. Repair cost is $5,700 plus tax. Vehicle is well cared for and well maintained with only 96,000 miles The Subaru Manufacturer was contacted and will do nothing to fix and does not admit engineer defect nor manufacturing defect. Basically, 96,000 and needs a new engine. Please put out a national recall.
The car screens are delaminating and bubbling due to fault of the manufacturer. This is a widespread issue and causes safety issues due to the screen moving erratically while driving, messing with volume and function controls.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V773000 | Electrical System:Software | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warnin… |
| 21V587000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WR… |
| 18V935000 | Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue ma… |
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 (265 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 26/100, computed from 807 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Subaru Outback, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/11/2018. 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.