2014 Subaru Outback: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 208 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 10 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
208
Complaints
10
Recalls
14
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
21
Injuries
113.5
Severity index
Severity index 113.5 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 139 2014 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2014 Subaru Outback ranks 27 of 139 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 81% of its model-year peers. See the full 2014 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 38 | 18.3% |
| ENGINE | 35 | 16.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 32 | 15.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 25 | 12.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 22 | 10.6% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 22 | 10.6% |
| STEERING | 17 | 8.2% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 14 | 6.7% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 38 of 208 complaints (18.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 27 |
| 2015 | 25 |
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2017 | 24 |
| 2018 | 25 |
| 2019 | 45 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 4 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V626000 | 13/09/2018 | PARKING BRAKE | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear w |
| 19V009000 | 09/01/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michi |
| 19V008000 | 09/01/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, |
| 19V007000 | 09/01/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texa |
| 20V001000 | 02/01/2020 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Flo |
| 20V002000 | 02/01/2020 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, |
| 20V003000 | 02/01/2020 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Conne |
| 19V297000 | 11/04/2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as |
| 16V694000 | 27/09/2016 | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within the windshield wiper m |
| 13V336000 | 01/08/2013 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | Subaru of America is recalling certain model year 2014 Legacy 3.6R and Outback 3.6R and 2013 Tribeca vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through June 28, 2013 and equipped with 5-speed automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the parking rod may come loose inside the |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.