640 owner complaints filed with the United States safety regulator · top issue: Electrical System · verdict AVOID 25/100
“UNKNOWN When pulling into a parking space at the [XXX] diner my 2016 OUTBACK suddenly accelerated while I was ready to shift from drive to park. It was as if I put the gas peddle to the floor. There was a car about 6feet in front of me which I hit. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”NHTSA complaint, 2016 Subaru Outback owner
“On 05/08/2026 the brakes failed while in a queue at a drive-up restaurant. The car was steered away to a flat part of the parking lot. After a restart the brakes returned to operation and the car was taken to the dealership where the brake line were flushed and the brake fluid replaced. On 05/25/2026 the brakes failed after backing out of an inclined parking space in a parking garage. The car came to a stop when it b”NHTSA complaint, 2016 Subaru Outback owner
“Parasitic battery drain due to a faulty DCM module. I've purchase 3 batteries in the past 16 months. I now have to keep a trickle charger on my car at night to ensure my battery is not dead in the morning. Unable to park overnight without charger due to fear of another dead battery.”NHTSA complaint, 2016 Subaru Outback owner
| Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19/12/2019 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module SAFETY | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been installed that is not compatible with the passenger air bag module, possibly affecting |
| 11/05/2016 | Steering:Column SAFETY | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperl |
| 10/08/2015 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on |
| 24/11/2015 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to |
On the federal record it scores 25/100: 640 owner complaints (64 per year on the road) and 4 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems.
The most-reported component in NHTSA complaints is Electrical System, with 308 of 636 categorised reports.
The 2016 Subaru Outback scored 25/100 on the federal record.