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2018 Subaru Outback

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Outback years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Outback are substantially higher than the model-year median of 207.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

488 reports with mileage · 323 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 265 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 233 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

27 crash reports4 fire reports10 injury reports

What owners actually said

811 reports
10,000 miles · Jun 20, 2020
Visibility/wiper

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED AFTER STARTING DEFROSTER WHILE STILL PARKED IN THE UNHEATED GARAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION AND THERE WAS NO CRACK PRIOR TO STARTING THE DEFROSTER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11329812

43,900 miles · Jun 14, 2020
Unknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

THE CAR WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL IMPACT WHILE PARKED. THE CRACK STARTED FROM THE TOP ON PASSENGER SIDE AND EXTENDED VERTICALLY TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CRACK IMPAIRED THE ABILITY OF THE EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM TO FUNCTION PROPERLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE …

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THE CAR WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL IMPACT WHILE PARKED. THE CRACK STARTED FROM THE TOP ON PASSENGER SIDE AND EXTENDED VERTICALLY TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CRACK IMPAIRED THE ABILITY OF THE EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM TO FUNCTION PROPERLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE SAFETY CRITICAL FEATURES LIKE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND LANE KEEP ASSIST.

NHTSA ODI #11328762

23,000 miles · Jun 12, 2020
Electrical System

BATTERY IS COMPLETELY DRAINING WITHOUT CAUSE AND REQUIRES JUMP START. CAR BATTERY DRAINS AFTER NOT DRIVING FOR A LITTLE AS 3 DAYS. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE AND ON THE STREET. SUBARU MAINTENANCE VERIFIED THAT NO LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON. STATES BATTERY IS GOOD AND I JUST HAVE TO START AND DRIVE EVERYDAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11328581

15,000 miles · Jun 11, 2020
Structure

SUBARU OUTBACK 2018 HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE RESIDUE LEAK FROM THE WINDSHIELD NEAR THE EYE SIGHT IT HAPPENED TWICE TO MY VEHICLE FIRST TIME WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE THEY SAID IT MIGHT BE A LEAK FROM THE GLUE IN EYESIGHT AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE EYESIGHT MIGHT BE LOOSE AND THEY HAVE TIGHTEN IT AND SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED AND THEN THE…

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SUBARU OUTBACK 2018 HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE RESIDUE LEAK FROM THE WINDSHIELD NEAR THE EYE SIGHT IT HAPPENED TWICE TO MY VEHICLE FIRST TIME WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE THEY SAID IT MIGHT BE A LEAK FROM THE GLUE IN EYESIGHT AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE EYESIGHT MIGHT BE LOOSE AND THEY HAVE TIGHTEN IT AND SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED AND THEN THEY SAID NO NO THE EYESIGHT DOESN'T HAVE ANY GLUE AND THIS IS COMING FROM SOME GLUE USED IN THE WINDSHIELD. SUBARU DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WORRY ABOUT IT AND ALL THEY SAY IS THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THIS ISSUES STARTED HAPPENING IN THIS SUMMER WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS EXTREME HOT THE GLUE WHAT THEY USED TO STICK THE WINDSHIELD TO THE BODY OF THE CAR MELTS AND IT COMES OUT WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ALL THEY SAY IS WE ARE NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. CONTACTED SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID WE HAD OUR MASTER TECHNICIAN HAD A LOOK AT THE CAR AND THE FIELD ENGINEER THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO SEE THIS AS AN ISSUE. WHEN I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW CAR FROM SUBARU AND WITH IN 2 YEARS THE GLUE IS MELTING BECAUSE OF HEAT NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF CAR SUBARU MANUFACTURES. THE SUPERVISOR FROM SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY CONCERN ON THE ISSUE AND KEEP SAYING WHEN WE ARE NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE ITS NOT OUR CONCERN. I AM GETTING SCARED IF THE GLUE CAME OUT AND THE WINDSHIELD BREAKS OR CRACKS WHEN I AM DRIVING WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE SAFETY OF ME AND MY FAMILY. I TOOK IT TO 2 SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS. SUBARU OF AMERICA AND COLONIAL SUBARU. SUBARU AMERICA SAID IT MIGHT BE A LEAK FROM THE GLUE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND COLONIAL SUBARU SAID THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11328362

1,500 miles · Jun 9, 2020
Electrical System

PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN - PREMATURE BATTERY FAILURE RENDERING VEHICLE INOPERABLE. VEHICLE CAN NOT SIT OR IDLE FOR LESS THAN DAY WITHOUT BATTERY FULLY DISCHARGING, REQUIRING JUMP START OR ROADSIDE ASSIST. BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS AND LESS THAN 10K MILES ON 2018 VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW (THROUGH DEALER-- …

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PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN - PREMATURE BATTERY FAILURE RENDERING VEHICLE INOPERABLE. VEHICLE CAN NOT SIT OR IDLE FOR LESS THAN DAY WITHOUT BATTERY FULLY DISCHARGING, REQUIRING JUMP START OR ROADSIDE ASSIST. BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS AND LESS THAN 10K MILES ON 2018 VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW (THROUGH DEALER-- UNDER WARRANTY) . BATTERY REPLACEMENT HAS NOT CURED DEFECT, AND VEHICLE CONTINUES TO FAIL. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT, AND IS USED CUSTOMARILY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11328032

21,585 miles · Jun 7, 2020
Electrical System

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT HOME IN MY GARAGE. BATTERY WAS DRAINED. AAA HAD TO BE CALLED TO BOOST. BROUGHT TO DEALER ON JUNE 3, 2020. THEY CHECKED BATTERY. BATTERY TESTED FINE. SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN ON (SUNDAY) JUNE 7, 2020, AGAIN AT HOME IN MY GARAGE. DEALER IS CLOSED ON SUNDAY. WILL CALL ON MONDAY TO DISCUSS PROBLEM. NO ELECT…

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VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT HOME IN MY GARAGE. BATTERY WAS DRAINED. AAA HAD TO BE CALLED TO BOOST. BROUGHT TO DEALER ON JUNE 3, 2020. THEY CHECKED BATTERY. BATTERY TESTED FINE. SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN ON (SUNDAY) JUNE 7, 2020, AGAIN AT HOME IN MY GARAGE. DEALER IS CLOSED ON SUNDAY. WILL CALL ON MONDAY TO DISCUSS PROBLEM. NO ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES WERE LEFT ON TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM ON EITHER DAY.

NHTSA ODI #11327623

10,000 miles · Jun 6, 2020
Electrical SystemStructureVisibility/wiper

1. DEFECT IN WINDSHIELDS OR FRAMING AREA. I'VE HAD 4 WINDSHIELD CRACK IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT AND HAVE REPLACED 3 SO FAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT. ADDING MY NAME AND CAR TO THE COMPLAINTS SAYING THE WINDSHIELDS IN THEIR SUBARU VEHICLES ARE DEFECTIVE AND ARE SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKING, AND BREAKING, SOMETIMES 'WITHIN WEEKS OR A FEW MONTHS OF P…

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1. DEFECT IN WINDSHIELDS OR FRAMING AREA. I'VE HAD 4 WINDSHIELD CRACK IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT AND HAVE REPLACED 3 SO FAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT. ADDING MY NAME AND CAR TO THE COMPLAINTS SAYING THE WINDSHIELDS IN THEIR SUBARU VEHICLES ARE DEFECTIVE AND ARE SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKING, AND BREAKING, SOMETIMES 'WITHIN WEEKS OR A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASE.' I USUALLY NOTICE UPON RETURNING TO MY CAR IN THE MORNING TO LEAVE FOR WORK OR RETURNING FROM BEING AWAY FROM IT ALL DAY. MY CAR INSURANCE HAS COVERED ALL BUT $100 OF THE BILLS OVER THE SPAN OF 2 YEARS, LUCKILY. BUT MY TIME IS VALUABLE. 2. RADIO/MULTIMEDIA SCREEN SOMETIMES DOESN'T COME ON WHEN I START THE CAR AND WON'T WORK UNTIL I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON LATER. 3. CHINCY MATERIAL, SEEMS TO DENT VEEEERY EASILY, DOES NOT LIVE UP TO HIGH STANDARDS AND DURABILITY THEY RAVE ABOUT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL HAS DINGED MY CAR BUT IT IS WAY MORE FREQUENT THAN ANY OTHER CAR I'VE OWNED. I USUALLY NOTICE WALKING UP TO IT FROM BEING PARKED. COULD BE FROM DRIVING DOWN ROAD THOUGH. 4. BATTERY LIFE IS SHORT. CAR WAS NOT RUN FOR 5 DAYS AND BATTERY WAS DEAD. CLAIMS TO BE AN OUTDOORSY CAR SO WHY WOULD IT BE SET UP TO KILL THE BATTERY SO QUICKLY? MY DEALERSHIP UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND GAVE ME A BIGGER BATTERY TO HELP "FIX" THAT ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327574

Mileage unknown · Jun 6, 2020
Electrical System

SOMETHING IN THE CAR IS CONSTANTLY DRAINING THE BATTERY. NO LIGHTS OR OTHER SYSTEMS ARE ON BUT WHEN THE CAR SITS FOR A COUPLE DAYS WITHOUT STARTING, THE BATTERY DRAINS. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY TWICE AND IT KEEPS HAPPENING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327536

45,000 miles · Jun 4, 2020
Electrical System

BATTERY WAS DEAD IN MAY 2020. PURCHASED NEW BATTERY 5/28/2020. NEW BATTERY WAS DEAD 6/4/2020. NEW BATTERY HAD LASTED ONLY 7 DAYS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327252

27,053 miles · Jun 3, 2020
VisibilityVisibility/wiper

MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2018 WINDSHIELD CRACKED AGAIN AFTER JUST A FEW WEEKS INTO GETTING IT PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. THE SAME THING HAPPEN AS THE PREVIOUS TIME, A VERY SMALL ROCK CAUSED A HUGE CRACK TO THE WINDSHIELD GOING AT MODERATELY SLOW SPEED ENTERING THE FREE WAY. SUBARU REPLACED THE FIRST ONE FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THEY KNEW AN …

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MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2018 WINDSHIELD CRACKED AGAIN AFTER JUST A FEW WEEKS INTO GETTING IT PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. THE SAME THING HAPPEN AS THE PREVIOUS TIME, A VERY SMALL ROCK CAUSED A HUGE CRACK TO THE WINDSHIELD GOING AT MODERATELY SLOW SPEED ENTERING THE FREE WAY. SUBARU REPLACED THE FIRST ONE FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THEY KNEW AN ONGOING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS IN PLACE, BUT STATES THAT ANY FURTHER ISSUES WILL BE OUT OF MY POCKET. THE WINDSHIELDS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED AS REPLACEMENTS ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUES OF CRACKING VERY EASILY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327104

Official recalls

3

21V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Jul 29, 2021

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

18V935000 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/devices

Dec 31, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.

Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.

18V773000 · Electrical System:software; Fuel System, Gasoline

Nov 1, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Subaru Outback problems