2016 Subaru Outback

Documented records held locally from official US and Canadian sources. Each record shows its official identifier so it can be confirmed at the source; nothing here is a score or a prediction.

Vehicle coverage

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Coverage held for this vehicle

  • OFFICIAL ACTION 4 US Recalls
  • MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION 467 Manufacturer Bulletins
  • INVESTIGATION 1 Investigations
  • CONSUMER REPORT 643 Consumer Complaints
  • CANADIAN RECALL 5 Canada Recalls

These are counts of distinct official records held locally. They are not combined into any score, and a record count is not a failure rate. A zero means no record is held here, not that none exists.

US Recalls

NHTSA Recall US

  • 19V910000 2019-12-19

    Recall 19V910000

    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 air bag deployment.

    Recorded model years: 2016

  • 16V292000 2016-05-11

    Recall 16V292000

    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 improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.

    Recorded model years: 2016

  • 15V794000 2015-11-24

    Recall 15V794000

    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 the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.

    Recorded model years: 2016

Showing 3 of 4 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 67 records exist for the Subaru Outback where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.

Manufacturer Bulletins

NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US

  • 11034249 2026-06-12

    SubaruNet Annoucement (E

    This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.

    Recorded model years: 2016

  • 11034242 2026-06-02

    16-156-25R

    This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. (This is an revised version of the orignal bulletin.)

    Recorded model years: 2016

  • 11034240 2026-06-01

    02-195-26

    This bulletin announces the availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) for certain vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines.

    Recorded model years: 2016

Showing 3 of 467 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 2,124 records exist for the Subaru Outback where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.

Investigations

NHTSA Investigation US

  • EA21002 2021-09-17

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

    From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during…

    Recorded model years: 2016

A further 4 records exist for the Subaru Outback where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.

Canada Recalls

Transport Canada Recall CA

  • 2024546 2024-08-15

    Transport Canada recall 2024546

    Multiple source assertions are recorded for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific detail.

    Recorded model years: 2016

  • 2022395 2022-07-21

    Transport Canada recall 2022395

    Issue: On certain vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, a connector for the electronic parking brake (EPB) could disconnect. If this happens, you won't be able to apply the parking brake and the vehicle could roll away. If this happens and the parking brake is set, you won't be able release it. Note: This problem will cause the brake warning…

    Recorded model years: 2016

  • 2016207 2016-05-11

    Transport Canada recall 2016207

    On certain vehicles, steering column components may not have been manufactured to specification and therefore may not engage correctly, which could result in a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the steering column. Note: In the interim, owners are advised to…

    Recorded model years: 2016

Showing 3 of 5 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 48 records exist for the Subaru Outback where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.

Consumer Complaints

NHTSA Complaint US

643 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.

Outcomes stated in those reports

  • reports mentioning a crash 22
  • reports mentioning a fire 3
  • reported injuries 13

Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.

By system

  • Electrical system309 (39.9%)Official recall records for this system: 12, covering model years 2004–2023.
  • Visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors)91 (11.7%)Official recall records for this system: 9, covering model years 2010–2022.
  • Engine55 (7.1%)Official recall records for this system: 2, covering model years 2003–2022.
  • Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)45 (5.8%)Official recall records for this system: 20, covering model years 2003–2023.
  • Steering24 (3.1%)Official recall records for this system: 6, covering model years 2010–2017.
  • Speed control & accelerator22 (2.8%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 2003–2004.
  • Driver-assistance systems20 (2.6%)Official recall records for this system: 2, covering model years 2015–2020.
  • Brakes19 (2.5%)Official recall records for this system: 11, covering model years 2005–2020.

Other / uncategorized: 124 classifications (16.0%) were not assigned to a specific system by the source. They are counted but not treated as an issue area.

A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.

A further 8,838 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.

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