Subaru Outback years to avoid
Every Subaru Outback model year on file (2012-2026), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2014
Worst year on file
93.8
Severity index
Air Bags
Most-reported system
2020
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014 Subaru Outback | 93.8 High | 208 | Air Bags |
| 2 | 2013 Subaru Outback | 78.8 Medium | 297 | Engine |
| 3 | 2023 Subaru Outback | 65.1 Medium | 89 | Forward Collision Avoidance |
| 4 | 2026 Subaru Outback | 64.6 Medium | 13 | Unknown Or Other |
| 5 | 2012 Subaru Outback | 62.2 Medium | 294 | Power Train |
| 6 | 2025 Subaru Outback | 55.2 Medium | 83 | Forward Collision Avoidance |
| 7 | 2015 Subaru Outback | 48.4 Medium | 509 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 8 | 2017 Subaru Outback | 39.9 Low | 919 | Electrical System |
| 9 | 2018 Subaru Outback | 37.7 Low | 815 | Electrical System |
| 10 | 2016 Subaru Outback | 36.5 Low | 642 | Electrical System |
| 11 | 2021 Subaru Outback | 35.4 Low | 298 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 12 | 2022 Subaru Outback | 30.6 Low | 465 | Visibility/Wiper |
| 13 | 2019 Subaru Outback | 27.5 Low | 1,036 | Electrical System |
| 14 | 2020 Subaru Outback | 21.1 Low | 900 | Visibility/Wiper |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Subaru Outback complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 294 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 62.2 Medium | POWER TRAIN |
| 2013 | 297 | 12 | 18 | 6 | 78.8 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2014 | 208 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 93.8 High | AIR BAGS |
| 2015 | 509 | 5 | 19 | 5 | 48.4 Medium | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2016 | 642 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 36.5 Low | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2017 | 919 | 4 | 32 | 3 | 39.9 Low | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2018 | 815 | 3 | 27 | 4 | 37.7 Low | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2019 | 1,036 | 3 | 24 | 2 | 27.5 Low | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2020 | 900 | 6 | 19 | 7 | 21.1 Low | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2021 | 298 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 35.4 Low | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2022 | 465 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 30.6 Low | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2023 | 89 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 65.1 Medium | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE |
| 2025 | 83 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 55.2 Medium | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE |
| 2026 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 64.6 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.