294 owner complaints filed with the United States safety regulator · top issue: Visibility/Wiper · verdict AVOID 30/100
“I was already parked in a spot in a public parking lot. I tapped the accelerator pedal to move the car a few inches. The vehicle responded by violently accelerating, hitting a vehicle directly in front of me in another parking space. I applied my brake but the car would not stop. The force of the acceleration pushed the car out of the it's spot and it hit a curb and tree appox 30 ft away. In defensive move I turn”NHTSA complaint, 2021 Subaru Outback owner
“First battery drain in car. Bought a new battery and it drained again for the second time. Called Suburu to ask about a parasitic drain from the DCM and they said it was likely that and told me to call Suburu America. Did that but they wanted me to take it to a Suburu dealer to get the problem verified. I don’t have the $ to do that. I notice there is a class action in court right now for this exact problem.”NHTSA complaint, 2021 Subaru Outback owner
“We are VERY concerned about the failure of some very important safety features of our 2021 Subaru Outback Touring Edition. We were involved in a bad car accident caused by a person under the influence who was in handcuffs when we were taken away by ambulance. As you can see by the photos, there was MAJOR damage to the other car and significant damage to ours. What is most concerning is the fact that NONE of the ai”NHTSA complaint, 2021 Subaru Outback owner
| Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01/2021 | Power Train:Shift Linkage/Cable/Rod | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loos |
| 08/07/2022 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely |
| 09/11/2023 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch | Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail. |
| 22/03/2024 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger SAFETY | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front pa |
On the federal record it scores 30/100: 294 owner complaints (58.8 per year on the road) and 4 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems.
The most-reported component in NHTSA complaints is Visibility/Wiper, with 97 of 304 categorised reports.
The 2021 Subaru Outback scored 30/100 on the federal record.