2026 Subaru Outback — reported problems and evidence

What the records are about, by source

Each source is kept separate: owner complaints, recalls, manufacturer communications and investigations are different kinds of record and are never added together. All model years.

Owner complaints (17,676 records, model years 2003–2026) are most frequently classified under: electrical system, visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) and powertrain (transmission & drivetrain).
Safety recalls (245 records, model years 2003–2023) are most frequently classified under: air bags (restraint system), powertrain (transmission & drivetrain) and brakes.
Transport Canada recalls (174 records, model years 2003–2024) are most frequently classified under: air bags (restraint system), powertrain (transmission & drivetrain) and equipment & accessories.
Manufacturer communications (9,754 records, model years 2003–2026) are most frequently classified under: electrical system, equipment & accessories and engine.
Investigations (14 records, model years 2003–2017) are most frequently classified under: air bags (restraint system).

"Most frequently classified under" reports how the records are filed by the source. It is not a finding about causes, and a record can be filed under more than one system. Read the individual records

Evidence by model year

Records held per model year. Select a year to narrow this page to it.

Counts are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold in each year, so a taller year is not necessarily a worse year.

Reports mentioning outcomes

1mention a crash
1mention an injury

These are counts of records whose report mentioned the outcome. They are not a severity rating and not a safety assessment of this vehicle.

Official records held

Manufacturer communications NHTSA 48
Owner complaints NHTSA 13

Explore the underlying evidence records

Symptoms and warning lights in these systems

Battery / Charging Warning Light Electrical system
Battery/charging light Electrical system
Hill descent control light: meaning and what to check first Driver-assistance systems
Hill start assist warning: meaning and what to check first Driver-assistance systems
Adaptive cruise control warning: meaning and what to check first Speed control & accelerator

Where to go next

Subaru Outback coverage hub Published problems, year windows and buyer guidance for this model.
Evidence Explorer — the underlying records Read the individual recalls, investigations, manufacturer communications and complaints these counts come from.
All model years of the Subaru Outback Compare how much evidence is held for each year before narrowing to one.
Browse all vehicle coverage Every make and model CarFaultIQ has published coverage for.