Your vehicle report
2018 Subaru Outback
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 816
- Received Aug 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Glass shatters or cracks without impact296 complaints · 36% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Battery drains and dies when parked139 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own77 complaints · 9.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #21V587000Subaru 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.
- Recall #18V935000Subaru 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."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Glass shatters or cracks without impactFirst signal: Mar 2018
- Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its ownFirst signal: Feb 2018
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 27 crashes, 4 fires, 19 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 80 |
| 2019 | 156 |
| 2020 | 164 |
| 2021 | 174 |
| 2022 | 66 |
| 2023 | 48 |
| 2024 | 47 |
| 2025 | 36 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 39 |
| Total | 816 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 296 | 36% | 3.7× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2018 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.5% |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 139 | 17% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 77 | 9.4% | 28.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Feb 2018 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.2% |
| Rearview backup camera fails or goes black | 30 | 3.7% | 2.2× | NHTSA recall #18V935000 |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 24 | 2.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 20 | 2.5% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 15 | 1.8% | – | NHTSA recall #18V773000 |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 13 | 1.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 1.1% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 8 | 1.0% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 8 | 1.0% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 8 | 1.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 0.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 6 | 0.7% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 6 | 0.7% | 2.8× | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 0.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #21V587000July 29, 2021175,968 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #18V935000December 31, 201871,190 vehicles affected
visibility: rearview mirrors/devices
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."
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.
NHTSA recall #18V773000November 1, 2018228,648 vehicles affected
electrical system: software; 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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2018 Subaru Outback.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN