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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.

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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
Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2024
Electrical System

In past 3 years after not being driven for 3 days the car would not start. We had the battery charged and replaced twice . When I spoke to another Subaru owner I was informed of a lawsuit against Subaru concerning parasitic battery draw by the Starlink system. I contacted Subaru of America and was told there was no recall but I…

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In past 3 years after not being driven for 3 days the car would not start. We had the battery charged and replaced twice . When I spoke to another Subaru owner I was informed of a lawsuit against Subaru concerning parasitic battery draw by the Starlink system. I contacted Subaru of America and was told there was no recall but I am entitled to extended warranty on the T 16 DCM unit (a fuse for Starlink). They said I would be responsible for any charges to fix the issue. When I called my local Subaru dealer they said I may have to pay for diagnostics even if it was the DCM fuse as the problem. I feel Subaru knew about this problem and should fix it without charge.

NHTSA ODI #11613572

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2024
Unknown Or Other

The head unit of the stereo/info system is malfunctioning. The screen is delaminating from the face of the LED touchscreen panel, which causes the unit to experience "phantom touches." These cause the screen to constantly change displays, zoom in/out of navigation software, and change audio settings & inputs, and disconnects p…

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The head unit of the stereo/info system is malfunctioning. The screen is delaminating from the face of the LED touchscreen panel, which causes the unit to experience "phantom touches." These cause the screen to constantly change displays, zoom in/out of navigation software, and change audio settings & inputs, and disconnects phone calls or switches them from my speaker to my phone (forcing me to pick up the phone to correct the problem). It has rendered my hands-free interface with the entire vehicle essentially useless, which is a safety concern as now my attention is pulled away from driving to attempt to correct the problem. Additionally, the screen is constantly shifting & changing displays which is quite a visual distraction. This is a known problem & has been reported numerous times to Subaru. I've taken the vehicle to the dealer for them to inspect. Their suggestion was that I replace the unit for a cost of $2,526.16. At this point, it is very difficult to operate the vehicle safely, without near constant distractions from the problem with the unit.

NHTSA ODI #11613047

Mileage unknown · Sep 4, 2024
Electrical SystemVisibility/wiper

The touchscreen is delaminated. The delamination makes the backup camera useless. This is a possible danger to me and anyone behind me- turning to look reputedly behind and at the sides doesn't help when cars are moving parallel to me. The 'media' switches between radio and CD, FM and AM, and switches into HD mode at random. T…

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The touchscreen is delaminated. The delamination makes the backup camera useless. This is a possible danger to me and anyone behind me- turning to look reputedly behind and at the sides doesn't help when cars are moving parallel to me. The 'media' switches between radio and CD, FM and AM, and switches into HD mode at random. There's no way to turn it off, so the beeping is a distraction while driving. The Subaru dealership is well aware of this issue. A replacement part was ordered in September 2023 but the part is yet to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI #11612613

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2024
Electrical System

When I bought my car I had issues with the Head unit the screen would got out and I would have no backup camera or radio.The dealer had the car for Two months before I called Subaru to see if they could get my me unit.It was taken care of.Now the problem has come back the screen freezes, jumps goes dark (I have video) I can’t us…

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When I bought my car I had issues with the Head unit the screen would got out and I would have no backup camera or radio.The dealer had the car for Two months before I called Subaru to see if they could get my me unit.It was taken care of.Now the problem has come back the screen freezes, jumps goes dark (I have video) I can’t use the bluetooth to call anyone. I call Subaru of America about this and they say make an appointment with the dealership and we will go there when they know what’s happening…..

NHTSA ODI #11611987

Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutr…

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In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutral.

NHTSA ODI #11611982

Mileage unknown · Aug 30, 2024
Unknown Or Other

The car's display panel which I use to carplay to navigate google map randomly calling people on my contact list and randomly make commends such as play media or search maps as if I touched the panel screen to commend. The incidents happened while I was driving which caused me lost google map and almost lost control of the car …

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The car's display panel which I use to carplay to navigate google map randomly calling people on my contact list and randomly make commends such as play media or search maps as if I touched the panel screen to commend. The incidents happened while I was driving which caused me lost google map and almost lost control of the car since I tried to cancel the phone calls I didn't make. This is safety concern, please require Subaru to fix the panel. thanks

NHTSA ODI #11611771

Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2024
Electrical System

Ghost touches on the radio making radio inoperable. Prevent rear view camera from activating.

NHTSA ODI #11609106

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2024
Forward Collision Avoidance

When traveling on hwy at hwy speeds with cruise control on set for 70 mph and car in front is traveling 60 mph as am I. The road curves the car no longer identifies a car in front of me and accelerates to 70 mph, when the road becomes straight again and I am getting close the system slams on the brakes. When I'm going 70 mph a…

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When traveling on hwy at hwy speeds with cruise control on set for 70 mph and car in front is traveling 60 mph as am I. The road curves the car no longer identifies a car in front of me and accelerates to 70 mph, when the road becomes straight again and I am getting close the system slams on the brakes. When I'm going 70 mph and approach a car going 60 mph the car slows to keep a safe distance. As I change lanes the car begins to accelerate. As I am passing the slower car, if on a curve and the car identifies a car in another lane and slams on the brakes. This has caused road rage from drivers approaching from the rear in the passing lane thinking I'm braking to slow them down for no reason. The Dealership told me to turn my cruise control off on roads nort straight! This has happened since the car was new. This occurred on a recent trip across country on hwy US 40.

NHTSA ODI #11607713

Mileage unknown · Jul 25, 2024
Unknown Or Other

Touchscreen on radio system is delamination causing the system to cycle through sources, ie: fm, am, sxm, and Bluetooth. This causes distractions while driving. Dealership is aware of issue and stated it was common. No warnings before malfunction. Malfunctions started a few months ago.

NHTSA ODI #11604621

84,000 miles · Jul 23, 2024
Wheels

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed all 4 wheels showed signs of cracks on the rims and spokes. The low-pressure tire warning light had illuminated. In addition, all tires required air frequently. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The …

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The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed all 4 wheels showed signs of cracks on the rims and spokes. The low-pressure tire warning light had illuminated. In addition, all tires required air frequently. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA ODI #11604022

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