Your vehicle report
2023 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
- 89
- Received Oct 2022 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Glass shatters or cracks without impact25 complaints · 28% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic emergency braking applies without reason8 complaints · 9.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Headlights dim or fail at night7 complaints · 7.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #23V755000Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
- Recall #23V647000Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 8 crashes, 1 fire, 3 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 6 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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
| Month | Complaints |
|---|---|
| October 2022 | 1 |
| November 2022 | 3 |
| December 2022 | 1 |
| January 2023 | 4 |
| February 2023 | 2 |
| March 2023 | 10 |
| April 2023 | 4 |
| May 2023 | 2 |
| June 2023 | 6 |
| July 2023 | 5 |
| August 2023 | 3 |
| September 2023 | 4 |
| October 2023 | 3 |
| November 2023 | 2 |
| December 2023 | 2 |
| January 2024 | 2 |
| February 2024 | 2 |
| March 2024 | 2 |
| April 2024 | 1 |
| May 2024 | 1 |
| June 2024 | 0 |
| July 2024 | 3 |
| August 2024 | 3 |
| September 2024 | 1 |
| October 2024 | 2 |
| November 2024 | 3 |
| December 2024 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 0 |
| March 2025 | 2 |
| April 2025 | 1 |
| May 2025 | 1 |
| June 2025 | 0 |
| July 2025 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 1 |
| November 2025 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 0 |
| February 2026 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 0 |
| June 2026 | 0 |
| July 2026 | 2 |
| August 2026 | 2 |
| September 2026 | 1 |
| October 2026 | 0 |
| Total | 89 |
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 | 25 | 28% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 8 | 9.0% | 8.6× | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 7 | 7.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 5.6% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 3 | 3.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 3.4% | – |
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 #23V755000November 9, 202395,830 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
NHTSA recall #23V647000September 21, 20234,311 vehicles affected
power train: driveline: driveshaft
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.
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 2023 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