2015 Subaru Outback: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 506 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
506
Complaints
5
Recalls
19
Crash reports
5
Fire reports
16
Injuries
46.2
Severity index
Severity index 46.2 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 143 2015 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2015 Subaru Outback ranks 102 of 143 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 29% of its model-year peers. See the full 2015 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 130 | 25.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 126 | 24.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 107 | 21.1% |
| ENGINE | 47 | 9.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 37 | 7.3% |
| STRUCTURE | 33 | 6.5% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 28 | 5.5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 26 | 5.1% |
The single most-reported system is VISIBILITY/WIPER, cited in 130 of 506 complaints (25.7%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 135 |
| 2016 | 46 |
| 2017 | 33 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 53 |
| 2021 | 61 |
| 2022 | 39 |
| 2023 | 19 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 11 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V251000 | 27/04/2016 | ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control syst |
| 14V577000 | 19/09/2014 | TRAILER HITCHES | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Outback vehicles manufactured January 22, 2014, to August 18, 2014, and equipped with a Subaru accessory trailer hitch assembly. During installation, the trailer hitch mounting nuts may have been overtightened |
| 15V502000 | 10/08/2015 | POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke. |
| 16V292000 | 11/05/2016 | STEERING:COLUMN | 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 |
| 15V366000 | 12/06/2015 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: CRASH IMMINENT BRAKING | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstr |
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.