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2019 Subaru Outback

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Outback years

Owner complaints for the 2019 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

469 reports with mileage · 564 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 363 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 326 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

24 crash reports2 fire reports12 injury reports

What owners actually said

1,033 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2024
Unknown Or Other

The head unit (radio) on my 2019 Subaru Outback began developing "bubbles" behind the touch screen which is causing phantom touches. Without any human interference, the radio will suddenly start switching channels and functions on the radio in a very rapid sequence. When this occurs while driving, it is EXTREMELY distracting fo…

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The head unit (radio) on my 2019 Subaru Outback began developing "bubbles" behind the touch screen which is causing phantom touches. Without any human interference, the radio will suddenly start switching channels and functions on the radio in a very rapid sequence. When this occurs while driving, it is EXTREMELY distracting for the driver. The only solution is to turn the entire head unit off and go without radio, navigation, nor bluetooth capabilities. Subaru prides itself on safety, and yet Subaru of America seems to not take this issue seriously. I have filed a case with Subaru of America, but they seem satisfied to make customers foot the bills for diagnostic testing, meanwhile the head unit in question is on a backorder and simply not available. Harman Kardon is the maker of the head unit and should be made to pay for the development of a new head unit without serious defects. But if Subaru is truly the company they say there are, then they need to take responsibility as well and provide the replacement of the defective units regardless of warranty status. At first this may appear as a "cosmetic issue," but I can honestly say that my initial experience was so distracting and confusing, and occurred in an area where I was not able to pull over. I consider myself very lucky that I was involved in any kind of accident.

NHTSA ODI #11568557

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2024
Electrical System

Battery has been dead,if sitting acouple of days of not driving,charge it up and in acouple of days it's is dead again,seem the data communication module(DCM) IS what is drawing the Battery dead

NHTSA ODI #11568318

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

Ignition and battery failure - unable to unlock certain parts of the car, all electrical is dead This is the second incidence in 6 months. Not weather dependent. One incidence in June and another in January. Entered car, pressed ignition button, no ignition, the icons all lit up in red on the indicator dash. Previously AAA i…

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Ignition and battery failure - unable to unlock certain parts of the car, all electrical is dead This is the second incidence in 6 months. Not weather dependent. One incidence in June and another in January. Entered car, pressed ignition button, no ignition, the icons all lit up in red on the indicator dash. Previously AAA indicated that the battery was totally dead, no amps, appeared to be an electrical problem and not strictly a battery problem according to AAA. At dealership they performed a "drain test." They told me that is all they could do. Customer Service gave me a battery for "free." I don't know if it was a used battery or a new one. This time I will pay for the battery to make sure it is new. No words of why this occurred to my car were stated. They just pushed the repair invoice towards me with the keys and said I was ready to go. This time when I called they told me they could only do the "drain" test again. I knew I had to investigate since they were not helping me find the source of the problem. This could be a major problem if one was locked in the car and the electrical failed. Worse yet if a fire occurred and one could not get out, death could occur. When I left the car after the ignition did not work, the ignition light on the ignition button stayed on. (lit up in red) Please help me out with this. The auto is a Touring Outback - year 2019.

NHTSA ODI #11568080

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2024
Electrical System

The radio receiver is defective as it experiences ghost touches and changes screens by itself while driving. This causes it to change settings, remove paired devices, open apps, change the radio stations, and several other things. As one could imagine, this is a major distraction while driving. I purchased the car working flawle…

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The radio receiver is defective as it experiences ghost touches and changes screens by itself while driving. This causes it to change settings, remove paired devices, open apps, change the radio stations, and several other things. As one could imagine, this is a major distraction while driving. I purchased the car working flawlessly in June of 2023. The issues did not arise until after a few hot days happened in FL around August of 2023 and I noticed the screen started to form bubbles. The touch screen is now inoperable so I am unable to change the clock, use navigation, reset maintenance reminders, or use any other built-in functions. Luckily the backup camera still works but can be hard to see in certain lighting. Previous model year Subarus were covered under a class action lawsuit for experiencing similar issues but not 2019. The last time I took my vehicle in for service, the service rep had mentioned they were unable to reset my maintenance reminder due to the touchscreen being unresponsive. I reached out to Subaru of America to ask for assistance in getting it resolved. They offered to pay $1,000 of the over $2,800 repair quote I received from my local Subaru dealer. Since an OEM unit will most likely do the same thing after a period of time, I looked into an aftermarket replacement as well. I was quoted around $1,100 to get a new aftermarket receiver and maintain majority of the factory "creature comforts" like steering wheel controls, backup camera, and vehicle information. I have attached pictures that are from September 2023, December 2023, and January 2024.

NHTSA ODI #11567986

Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2024
Unknown Or Other

I purchased this 2019 Subaru Outback new. In less than three months, the windshield cracked at the edge on the driver's side. I had the window replaced and two years later it cracked again in exactly the same place. I have not had the vehicle inspected since then and there were no warning lights or other symptoms prior to the…

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I purchased this 2019 Subaru Outback new. In less than three months, the windshield cracked at the edge on the driver's side. I had the window replaced and two years later it cracked again in exactly the same place. I have not had the vehicle inspected since then and there were no warning lights or other symptoms prior to the crack appearing.

NHTSA ODI #11567873

Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2024
Air Bags

After driving 5 miles or so, the Air Bag indicator light goes on. After stopping for 10 minutes for shopping, etc., Y starting the car again the light is out until I drive a few more miles & then the light comes on again. This started last week when it was very cold here. Today, it was in the 50s & the same thing happened. I hav…

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After driving 5 miles or so, the Air Bag indicator light goes on. After stopping for 10 minutes for shopping, etc., Y starting the car again the light is out until I drive a few more miles & then the light comes on again. This started last week when it was very cold here. Today, it was in the 50s & the same thing happened. I have not contacted the dealer yet because of the inconsistency. I have to search the internet more to see if others are having the same problem.

NHTSA ODI #11567860

Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2024
Unknown Or Other

The DCM Fuse was draining my battery. Which lead to me having a dead car battery. I had the battery replaced and paid out of pocket. The less than a week later it drained that new battery, which I had to pay for again. This lead to having my car dead on the side of the road because this DCM Fuse was draining power from my batter…

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The DCM Fuse was draining my battery. Which lead to me having a dead car battery. I had the battery replaced and paid out of pocket. The less than a week later it drained that new battery, which I had to pay for again. This lead to having my car dead on the side of the road because this DCM Fuse was draining power from my battery when the car was off. This is a major issue and should be a recalled part ASAP.

NHTSA ODI #11567179

52,000 miles · Jan 22, 2024
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start on several occasions due to the battery failing to retain the charge. The vehicle had to be jumpstarted. Additionally, the liftgate failed to open due to the low battery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that th…

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The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start on several occasions due to the battery failing to retain the charge. The vehicle had to be jumpstarted. Additionally, the liftgate failed to open due to the low battery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the DCM was draining the battery and determined that the DCM and battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

NHTSA ODI #11566988

Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2024
Electrical System

The touch screen on my head unit no longer works consistently. The screen flickers and changes menus constantly. When making hand's free calls, the call often goes on hold with no way of getting out of hold due to the broken touch screen. The knobs and side buttons also regularly don't work. Need to use the phone to cancel call …

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The touch screen on my head unit no longer works consistently. The screen flickers and changes menus constantly. When making hand's free calls, the call often goes on hold with no way of getting out of hold due to the broken touch screen. The knobs and side buttons also regularly don't work. Need to use the phone to cancel call or get out of hold. This is extremely distracting when driving and has almost caused an accident multiple times.

NHTSA ODI #11566135

Mileage unknown · Jan 6, 2024
Visibility/wiper

Front windshield cracked without any impact. Was parked in my driveway for previous 3 days. Got in to drive and noticed the large crack right away. It started from the passenger mid lower edge and within a day it cracked halfway across passenger side. There was no divot or impact that caused this.

NHTSA ODI #11563879

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.

20V218000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Apr 16, 2020

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.

19V493000 · Structure

Jun 26, 2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.

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