2007 Subaru Outback Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V003000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle due to possible damage to the dashboard while replacing the air bags. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.

NHTSA ID

11680936

Incident

Aug 15, 2025

Lost brakes. Corroded brake lines. Recall was completed for this very issue. Fix was ineffective.

NHTSA ID

11623210

Incident

Oct 27, 2024

2007 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5i automatic. Had recall campaign 14V311 completed in 2018 for brake lines. According to Subaru brake lines were rustproofed and/or replaced. 9 June 2024 I start vehicle and place it into drive in doing so applying brake pedal to allow selection of transmission range. Pedal goes to floor without feedback pressure. No brakes. I check rear of car to find large amounts of brake fluid covering rear passenger wheel well area. Brake line has failed at rear junction as described in recall. Recall was not curative and did not address safety fault. 73k miles.

NHTSA ID

11593389

Incident

Jun 9, 2024

Both front driver and passenger side CV Boots have failed prematurely on several occasions well before the expected life and mileage expectancy for these parts (they have been replaced on four separate occasions). The CV boots hold grease in to provide lubrication to the axels. Safety was at risk as lack of lubrication increased chances of axel and associated component damage (braking and steering) at higher driving speeds. Subaru dealer has verified on each of the four separate occasions that the CV boots failed prematurely. The car has never seen any off road or rough condition driving conditions. The vehicle has always been meticulously maintained and all preventive maintenance requirements complete ahead of or on schedule and any recommended repairs by authorized mechanics are addressed immediately. Was urged by Subaru Dealer to contact Subaru of America (SOA) about the CV boots again failing prematurely. Previously, SOA was contacted and acknowledged parts should not have failed in the timeframes as it had. This time with even less mileage and time in service, Subaru is refusing to address the problem and replace the Subaru OEM parts at their expense.

NHTSA ID

11558014

Incident

Nov 14, 2023

Driving down the freeway, snowy conditions, going roughly 50 mph in a straight line, no curves or turns in sight, hit a very small hump in the road and suddenly I found myself sideways from what seems like a rear steer situation, i corrected as best i could and luckily i was in the only section of the road that didn't have a wall, ended up backwards in a shallow ditch. No immediate damage noted, I was able to drive away, but confidence with driving in snowy and icy conditions has been severely diminished (been driving in snow and ice for 20+ years). My previous vehicle, 1988 chevy s10 was WAY more reliable in the snow that this thing. I have since felt this car try and "kick out" while going well under the speed limit but in slightly icy conditions. The only reason I can think that this hasnt happened again is due to myself being aware of the isssue, new struts and brand new $600 dollar tires i recently purchased. This is a huge issue, and Subaru needs to own up to it, I know i'm not the only one who's experienced this.

NHTSA ID

11503004

Incident

Jan 9, 2022

A couple of months ago I noticed the airbag lamp stayed on after starting my car. After I had parked and later restarted the car, the airbag light went off as normal. A month or so later the airbag light again stayed on after starting the car. I also noticed that the passenger airbag indicator (on or off) didn’t seem to be working. It didn’t say “on” or “off”. It only said “Passenger”. I took it to the dealer and they diagnosed it and said I needed a new overhead lamp assembly that would cost $400 installed. They said it would take several days (it took over 2 weeks) to get the part. In the meantime, they could not tell me whether the airbag system would function properly in an accident. The part was ordered and I kept driving the car, hoping the airbag light wouldn’t stay on which was very stressful. The repair was finally made today and appears to be functioning properly. After some online research, I found out that this is a known issue with these cars. There is a soldered connection inside the overhead lamp assembly that was either improperly or insufficiently soldered or used defective solder. People have videos posted online of them taking the assembly apart and re-soldering the connection which appears to resolve the issue. I wasn’t comfortable doing that since properly functioning airbags are a critical safety component. I believe that Subaru either knows about this or should know. I would bet they have fixed this issue on newer vehicles. But lots of these vehicles still on the road.

NHTSA ID

11444170

Incident

Nov 1, 2021

All rear lights, rear hatch lock, brake lights all failed due to wiring going from the body to the hatch getting cut from the action of opening and closing the hatch door. This seems to be a pretty common thing with at least the 2005-2007 models years.

NHTSA ID

11442367

Incident

Nov 26, 2021

The Airbag light on my dash was lighting intermittently. I called Kendall Subaru here in Fairbanks, AK and was told I shouldn't drive the car as such a light indicated a problem with my airbags and that even a low level bump could set them off or that they might not function at all in a major accident. I scheduled an appointment to have this problem diagnosed. They told me there was a fault in the wiring and that I'd have to have the passenger seat indicator replaced. I have done some online research and found that there are several instances of faulty soldering in the wiring for the indicator. This would seem to me to be a reason for Subaru to issue a safety recall as a pot hole hit could set this thing off or people could get killed because the airbag didn't deploy! Kendall told me that they didn't have the part in stock. It would be in in 7-10 days. That was a month ago. I have noticed that since my vehicle was in for diagnosis, that the light has only come on whe the car is started, like it's supposed to!

NHTSA ID

11437275

Incident

Sep 9, 2021

The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went over a bump in the roadway and went sideways. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was diagnosed that the rear stabilizer bar had detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 190,000.

NHTSA ID

11421130

Incident

Jun 16, 2021

Mileage

190,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE FOUR WIRES NEAR THE REAR DEFROSTER THAT WERE CUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRES CONTROLLED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HATCH DOOR LOCK, DEFROSTER, AND REAR STOP LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 181,313.

NHTSA ID

11413233

Incident

Apr 20, 2021

Mileage

181,313 mi

WAS TOLD TO COME HERE TO RENDER A COMPLAINT. THEY WANT ME TO TRAVEL 4HRS THERE AND 4HRS BACK TO GET RECALL DONE. AT THIS TIME I AM UNABLE TO GET THIS DONE. AND I DON'T BELIVE I SHOULD HAVE TO PUT 8HRS OF WEAR AND TEAR ON MY VEHICLE FOR A SAFETY RECALL WHICH IS THE MANUFACTURERS RESPONSIBILITY.

NHTSA ID

11404616

Incident

Mar 24, 2021

Mileage

200,000 mi

2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE FAILURE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LINE CORRODED AND FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *JS

NHTSA ID

11349511

Incident

Aug 10, 2020

AS I'M DRIVING MY AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH STARTS FLASHING AND CRUISE CONTROL GETS DISCONNECTED ONE DAY IT WILL HAPPEN NEXT DAY IT WON'T

NHTSA ID

11348382

Incident

Jul 30, 2020

Mileage

158,000 mi

2007 SUBARU OUTBACK AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION IF THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED FOR NO CHARGE. PLEASE ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON UNDER ALL CONDITIONS AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE

NHTSA ID

11308638

Incident

Feb 6, 2020

Mileage

97,000 mi

I BOUGHT THE 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK LL BEAN NEW. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE FIRST TIME I REPLACED THE OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BOARD. THIS TIME I AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING ONE. THE SOLDER JOINTS IN THE CIRCUIT BOARD ARE FAULTY, CAUSING LOOSE CONNECTIONS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA MANY TIMES BY OTHER OWNERS. WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS CURRENTLY A SECOND RECALL ON THE AIR BAGS THEMSELVES, BUT NOT ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS DOES THERE HAVE TO BE FOR YOU TO DEMAND A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM?

NHTSA ID

11306494

Incident

Jan 29, 2020

Mileage

308,000 mi

RED AIRBAG WARNING IS INTERMITTENTLY DISPLAYED ON DRIVERS INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ALSO SHOWN AS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE CAR CAN BE STATIONARY OR IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID

11301882

Incident

Sep 1, 2019

Mileage

120,000 mi

AN ACCELERATOR THAT BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON 3 LANE HIGHWAY. THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT WITH SUBARU AND YOU CAN READ ABOUT MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PROBLEM WHICH IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU GO ONLINE AND SEARCH FOR SUBARU OUTBACK CODE P2138/THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR YOU WILL FIND THAT THE SENSOR HAS INTERMITENT FAILURES WHICH CAUSE THE ACCELERATOR TO BECOME UNRESPONSIVE. EVEN WHEN PEOPLE GET THIS RESET AT A MECHANIC AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT WILL BEGIN RECURRING AGAIN. OR SOMETIMES THE MECHANIC CANNOT MAKE THE CAR FAIL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS A SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. SUBARU MUST FIX THIS PROBLEM!! THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 5 TIMES NOW OVER THE LAST YEAR.

NHTSA ID

11299992

Incident

Nov 8, 2019

Mileage

145,000 mi

STEPPED ON THE BRAKES WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO GRAB THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND DODGE INTO THE NEXT LANE OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, CAUSING UNKNOWN DAMAGE/INJURY. I USED THE PARKING BREAK AND MANUAL SHIFTING OPTION TO LIMP IT BACK TO MY HOUSE A FEW MILES AWAY. I WALKED AROUND THE VEHICLE AND FOUND A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING ONTO THE GROUND AT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND A METAL BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING FLUID WHERE IT WAS CLAMPED TO THE VEHICLE BODY. AS I WAS LOOKING FOR THE PART/INFORMATION ON IT, I CAME ACROSS A KNOWN RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED SUBARU AND THEY STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE ON 8/8/2014. PART OF THE RECALL STATED THAT IF IT WASN'T LEAKING AT THE TIME, THEY WERE TO SPRAY IT WITH AN ANTI-CORROSION OF SOME SORT AND CALL IT GOOD. APPARENTLY THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO MINE BECAUSE THE LINES ARE VERY RUSTY AND CORRODED. NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE THE REPAIR COMPLETED. IF THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE AND THE RESULTS OF FAILURE ARE POSSIBLY CRASHING AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURES, HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO SPRAY AN ANTI-CORROSION FLUID OVER TOP OF RUST AND WASH THEIR HANDS OF SUCH A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS/FATAL KNOWN PROBLEM? RECALL #WQK-47, 14V311000, AND WQG-43

NHTSA ID

11287231

Incident

Dec 5, 2019

Mileage

179,400 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STREET WHEN MY CAR ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT I HAD NO GAS PEDAL RESPONSE .SO L COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD AN SHUT IT OFF AN STARTED IT .THEN AFTER I DID THAT I GOT GAS PEDAL RESPONSE .THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AFTER RESTARTING VECHILE SO I HAD A CODE SCAN CHECK IT,AN A CODE P2138 SHOWED . THE CODE IS FOR THE THROTTLE/PEDAL SENSOR. I'M JUST GLAD I WAS NOT DOING 65 ON A HIGHWAY AN A SEMI WASN'T BEHIND ME OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE

NHTSA ID

11277724

Incident

Oct 11, 2019

Mileage

174,881 mi

WE HAVE EXPERIENCE A MULTITUDE OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE LL BEAN VERSION OF THE 2207 OUTBACK. MOST RECENTLY THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYING ON CONSISTENTLY, WHICH APPEARS TO BE A REPORTED ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION WITH THE LIGHT ON, IT IS COSTLY TO REPAIR OVER $400 + DIAGNOSTIC OF $115. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, IT WOULD COM EON INTERMITTENTLY, NO IT REMAINS ON 100% OF THE TIME. I COMMUTE 100 MILES EACH DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK ON A TWO-LANE, RURAL HIGHWAY AND WORRY I NEED TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE SOONER THAN LATER DUE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS ONLY PASSING THE SAFETY ISSUE TO A NEW OWNER. THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE SUBARU'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX AS THERE ARE MANY THAT CANNOT AFFORD SUCH A FIX AND IS NOT REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE AN ISSUE. NOT SURE IF I WOULD BUY A SUBARU AGAIN AFTER OWNING THIS ONE. THE OTHER ISSUE IS WITH THE REAR WIRE HARNESS THAT CONTROLS THE REAR DEFROSTER, ETC. $800 TO REPLACE THIS AFTER WE HAD DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETED DURING OUR LAST TUNE UP. SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE ARE MANY FAULTY ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY ISSUES THAT WERE NOT OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY - MAYBE A TAPING OR SOLDERING ISSUE. HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T SPARK AND START A FIRE....

NHTSA ID

11233105

Incident

Jul 1, 2019

Mileage

162,000 mi

WELL I LOST ALL THROTTLE CONTROL FOR THE FIRST TIME. ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON WHICH DISABLED THE VDC AND CRUISE AND THE GAS PEDAL. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. WHEN SHUTTING THE CAR OFF IT IS VERY HARD TO RESTART. WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND YOU TRY TO STOP THE CAR DOESN'T WANT TO IT JUST PULSES FORWARD SO MORE BRAKE PEDAL IS NEEDED. IF YOU PUT IT IN PARK THE ENGINE REVS HIGH. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TPS NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE THROTTLE SERVO VIA THE TCM. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS AT RANDOM. USUALLY WHEN I'VE BEEN DRIVING IT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES.

NHTSA ID

11231670

Incident

Apr 9, 2015

Mileage

103,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKET. LIBERTY AUTO CITY SUBARU (1000 E PARK AVE, LIBERTYVILLE, IL 60048, (847) 362-3800) DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. *BF *TR

NHTSA ID

11209777

Incident

Jun 1, 2017

Mileage

97,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE MAP LIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER FOR THE AIR BAG INDICATOR TO TURN OFF. LIBERTY AUTO CITY SUBARU (1000 E PARK AVE, LIBERTYVILLE, IL 60048, (847) 362-3800) CONFIRMED THAT THE MAP LIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER FOR THE AIR BAG INDICATOR TO TURN OFF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. *AS

NHTSA ID

11209770

Incident

May 2, 2017

Mileage

97,000 mi

BRAKES FAILED ON A CITY STREET, APPROACHING HIGHWAY ON-RAMP - CAR BEING DRIVEN BY A 17 YEAR OLD NEW DRIVER - THANKFULLY NO COLLISION OR DAMAGE TO PERSON OR PROPERTY OCCURRED. AFTER INSPECTION, REAR BRAKE LINE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION/PERFORATION AT 2-2 WAY CONNECTOR AT 176K MILES AFTER TWO PREVIOUS RECALLS WERE SUPPOSEDLY EXECUTED. DATES OF NOTE: ' 2007 - VEHICLE SOLD BY ANCHOR SUBARU, NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI TO ORIGINAL OWNER (NOT ME) ' JUNE 11, 2013 - RECALL WQG-43 PERFORMED WITH FIRST OWNER AT ANCHOR SUBARU ' SPRAY WAX APPLIED ' CAR HAS 132K MILES ' AUGUST 13, 2014 - RECALL WQK-47 PERFORMED WITH FIRST OWNER AT ANCHOR SUBARU ' SPRAY WAX APPLIED A SECOND TIME ' CAR HAS 152K MILES ' MAY 7, 2017 ' VEHICLE RE-SOLD TO 2ND OWNER (ME), ' CAR HAS 166K MILES ' MARCH 12, 2019 ' VEHICLE BRAKES FAIL ' CAR HAS 176K MILES MAKES NO SENSE HOW, IN A SPAN OF ONLY 24K MILES FROM WHEN THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED THE SECOND TIME AT 152K MILES, UNTIL THE BRAKE FAILURE AT 176K MILES, THE TWICE-APPLIED WAX 'REMEDY' PERFORMED IN THE RECALL ACTIONS WORE OFF COMPLETELY, AND, THE BRAKE LINE COMPLETED CORRODED AND FAILED. THIS DOES NOT SEEM POSSIBLE NOR PROBABLE, AND, IF IT IS POSSIBLE, THEN THE 'REMEDY' THAT WAS PROVIDED BY SUBARU WAS UNSUITABLE, OR, THE DEALERSHIP INCORRECTLY APPLIED THE MATERIAL THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT THE CORROSION FROM HAPPENING. I HAVE NO PROOF THAT THIS WORK WAS ACTUALLY PERFORMED. I BELIEVE THAT THE SPRAY-ON WAX WAS NOT CORRECTLY APPLIED IN NEITHER METHOD NOR QUANTITY ON MY VEHICLE. ANCHOR SUBARU WOULD NOT COVER THIS UNDER THE RECALL. PAID MY OWN MECHANIC TO FIX THE ISSUE. SENT REGISTERED LETTERS TO SUBARU OF AMERICA AND TO THE 3 OWNERS OF THE DEALERSHIP OVER A MONTH AGO AND NONE HAVE RESPONDED TO MY CONCERNS.

NHTSA ID

11203422

Incident

Mar 12, 2019

Mileage

176,000 mi

SERIOUS MECHANICAL ISSUES REGARDING DEFECTIVE RADIATOR COOLING FANS & MOTOR THAT PROPELS THE FANS TO SPIN PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID

11203311

Incident

Apr 20, 2019

Mileage

122,000 mi