2016 Subaru Outback Steering Problems

SUBJECT: Formal Safety Defect Complaint: 2016 Subaru Outback – Manufacturing Nondisclosure of Latent "Day 1" Design Flaw Causing Ignition Key Entrapment, Uncommanded Steering Column Lockout, and Severe Family Safety Risk I am writing to formally report a severe, unaddressed safety defect and a deceptive corporate practice by Subaru of America, Inc. affecting my 2016 Subaru Outback. This vehicle suffers from a "Day 1" latent engineering flaw that causes the physical ignition key to become permanently trapped in the ignition cylinder, triggering an uncommanded, rigid locking of the steering column assembly. Subaru has possessed documented knowledge of this failure for years, cataloging it under Technical Service Bulletin TSB 16-112-18R. Rather than fulfilling its statutory obligation to issue a comprehensive federal safety recall, Subaru deployed a voluntary, time-bound 8-year warranty extension. Subaru conveniently did not notify me of this warranty extension. By doing so, the manufacturer unconscionably ignored this defect, placing its customers at direct peril. They capitalized on asymmetric information to shift both the financial burden and the severe physical safety risks of a known factory flaw onto my family, the moment an arbitrary time threshold expired. My family and I have been at active, continuous risk in this vehicle since the day we purchased it due to an engineering error that was present when the car rolled off the assembly line. The root cause of this failure is a fundamental engineering defect within the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) shifter assembly, specifically, the premature degradation of the electrical contacts within the select lever park-range switch.

NHTSA ID

11742958

Incident

May 21, 2026

Brake light comes on while driving and power steering also locks up..

NHTSA ID

11715920

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

The steering warning light came on and my steering wheel stiffened. Luckily I was able to make it home, but when I went back to crank it. The light was still on and it would only move forward of backwards; because I wasn't able at all to turn the steering wheel.

NHTSA ID

11637733

Incident

Jan 18, 2025

I was turning around a bend, going approximately 35mpg, when the wheels no longer were turning as if not responding to the direction of the wheel, almost like it was operating independently of the steering column. The automobile slammed into the curb on the left of the road, damaging the alignment.

NHTSA ID

11460341

Incident

Apr 10, 2022

When trying to put the vehicle in park, the key will not release from the engine. After 10-15 minutes of trying, finally it will release, but in reading forums, thousands of customers have had similar issues. It seems to be a very known problem.

NHTSA ID

11460070

Incident

Apr 4, 2022

Key does not come out of ignition after turning car off. Gets stuck frequently (almost everytime I drive the car).

NHTSA ID

11418956

Incident

Mar 12, 2021

KEY GETS STUCK ON IGNITION SWITCH WHEN I TURN CAR OFF AND PUT IT IN PARK. KEY WILL NOT RELEASE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES, SOME TIMES UP TO 20 MINUTES FOR THE KEY TO RELEASE FROM THE COLUMN. VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE STARTED AND TURNED OFF SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE KEY RELEASES. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW, VERY FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS AS HAVING TO START AND STOP THE VEHICLE HAS DRAINED THE BATTERY TWICE NOW AND I HAVE HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE JUMP STARTED. HOPEFULLY THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE.....

NHTSA ID

11391034

Incident

Feb 1, 2021

CURRENTLY AT LEAST A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK, MY KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION WHILE SHUTTING OFF VEHICLE TO PARK. YOU CAN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, BUT YOU CAN'T REMOVE THE KEY. IF I FIDDLE WITH THE SHIFTER AND ROTATE THE STEERING WHEEL, RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND SHIFT IT INTO DRIVE, AND THEN SLAM IT BACK INTO PARK, THEN I CAN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND THE KEY WILL COME OUT. . BUT SOMETIMES I HAVE TO REPEAT THE PROCEDURE A FEW TIMES. THIS STARTED WHEN VEHICLE WAS APPROX A YEAR OLD AND I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I HAD THE STEERING WHEEL NOT IN THE CORRECT LOCATION FOR THE KEY TO BE REMOVED AS TIME PASSED THE PROBLEM GRADUALLY GOT WORSE. I THEN DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT A LOT OF OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11360433

Incident

Jul 7, 2017

Mileage

8,000 mi

DIFFICULTY TURNING THE CARS IGNITION INTO THE OFF POSITION TO REMOVE KEY. KEY STOCKS IN IGNITION AND CAR STAYS TURNED ON IN ACCESSORY MODE. OFTEN TAKES UP TO 6 TIMES RESTARTING AND STOPPING TO GET KEY TO RELEASE. DEALER CLAIMS IT IS THE COMPUTER RELAY THAT ISN'T RECOGNIZING THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN PUT INTO PARK. THIS IS WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED.... THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE APPROXIMATELY MAY OF 2019 TO CURRENT. AT FIRST IT WAS ONLY OCCASIONALLY BUT REACHED THE POINT WHERE IT HAPPENED 9 TIMES OUT OF 10.

NHTSA ID

11308513

Incident

May 1, 2019

Mileage

25,500 mi

IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK EVERYTIME AND I HAVE TO JAM IT INTO PARK TO GE IT OUT

NHTSA ID

11289230

Incident

Dec 8, 2019

DRIVING AT AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR AND SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE AND UNRESPONSIVE. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT ANYTHING.

NHTSA ID

11257585

Incident

Sep 23, 2019

Mileage

27,800 mi

KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. CAN'T REMOVE THE KEY REGARDLESS OF PUSHING, TURNING, PUTTING PARKING BREAK ON, PARKING BREAK OFF. HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE FOUR TIMES THIS BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND. SO WRONG. READ SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE AND STEERING WHEEL ISSUES. SUBARU SHOULD RECALL THE 2016 OUTBACK PREZ 2.5I AND PREMIUM 2.5I. DUDS FOR IGNITIONS. SAFETY ISSUE WHILE TRAVELING AND SAFETY ISSUE IF CAR CAN'T BE LEFT UNATTENDED. HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY MORNING TO SEE IF I CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT FIXED SO I CAN MAKE IT HOME SAFELY AND GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN I GET THERE. LOVE SCOOBY BUT THIS SERIOUSLY STINKS.

NHTSA ID

11153602

Incident

Nov 25, 2018

I WAS TRAVELING ON I49 AT ~60 MPH, IN LIGHT RAIN, AND NON FREEZING TEMPERATURE. I WAS ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD WITH CRUISE CONTROL OFF. THE TIRES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. I WAS APPROACHING BRUSH CREEK BRIDGE AND HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL STEADY AND STRAIGHT. THE CAR STARTED TO DRIFT LEFT AND STEERING WAS NOT RESPONDING. THE REAR OF THE CAR STARTED TO GET AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND THE CAR WAS GOING SIDEWAYS. AS SOON AS THE CAR STARED TO DRIFT, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND TRIED TO REGAIN STEERING. WHEN SLIDING SIDEWAYS ON THE BRIDGE, I CUT THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE DIRECTION THE CAR WAS SLIDING. AT THAT TIME, THE CAR REGAINED SOME STEERING CAPABILITY AND OVERSTEERED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRIDGE, TRAVELING SIDEWAYS AGAINST A CEMENT BARRIER UNTIL STOPPED. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE AMOUNTING IN ~$10000 IN REPAIRS. THE CAR STARTED AND WAS DRIVEN HOME AFTER THE INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH IT WAS RAINING, THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS RELATED TO ANY TRACTION LOSS AND THE TRACTION LIGHT WAS NOT ACTIVATED. I THINK THE EXISTING STEERING RECALL MAY HAVE IMPACTED MORE VECHICLES THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. I SUSPECT THAT THE STEERING IS DEFECTIVE AND THE EXISTING STERLING RECALL DID NOT CATCH ALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. I ALSO FOUND IT SURPRISING THAT NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYS, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A HIGH IMPACT CRASH. I HAD BRUISING IN MY STERNUM, KNEES, ELBOWS AND ALONG THE SEAT BELT PATH.

NHTSA ID

11153488

Incident

May 19, 2017

Mileage

35,000 mi

BATTERY DIES IF CAR IS NOT DRIVEN WEEKLY. STEERING COLUMN REPLACED TWICE AND STEERING RACK ONCE.

NHTSA ID

11082397

Incident

Mar 31, 2018

Mileage

20,000 mi

I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WITH THE CAR STOPPED AND THE CAR WAS IN "PARK" POSITION. THE CAR REMAINED IN THE "ACCESSORY" IGNITION POSITION (ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES REMAINED ON) BECAUSE THE KEY WOULD NOT GO TO THE IGNITION LOCK POSITION. I WAS THEREFORE UNABLE TO LOCK THE CAR STEERING OR LEAVE THE VEHICLE UNATTENDED UNLESS I HAD A SEPARATE SET OF KEYS WITH ME. EVEN WITH ANOTHER SET OF KEYS, THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REMAINED ON AND THE CAR WOULD EASILY BE STOLEN OR DRIVEN BY AN UNAUTHORIZED USER. I TOOK THE CAR TO A SUBARU DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED THE CAR UNDER WARRANTY AFTER A FEW DAYS WAITING FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA.

NHTSA ID

11082005

Incident

Mar 13, 2018

Mileage

23,000 mi

WHEN MAKING STEERING CORRECTIONS AS YOU DRIVE, THE STEERING MAKES THE CAR VERY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AS YOU MAKE SLIGHT STEERING CORRECTIONS. THE PROBLEM IS VERY NOTICEABLE AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE SWAYS ALLOT TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AS YOU MAKE STEERING CORRECTIONS. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS CONSISTENTLY UNDER SLIGHT ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION. I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A DEAD ZONE WHEN STEERING. AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 55 AND 75 THE VEHICLE CAME VERY CLOSE TO SIDE SIDESWIPING ANOTHER VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11012151

Incident

Nov 28, 2016

Mileage

300 mi

INTERSTATE DRIVING. 65 MPH. NIGHTTIME DRIVING. CRUISE CONTROL OFF. SUBARU EYESIGHT STEERING CORRECTION OFF. THREE ADULT PASSENGERS. NO LUGGAGE. NO EXTRA WEIGHT. THULE ROOF CARGO CONTAINER SECURED TO THE ROOF RACKS. SUDDEN ENCOUNTER OF ICE ON ROAD. SIGNIFICANTLY DEGRADED STEERING CAPABILITY. WE WERE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 1-90 AND ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED LONG PATCH OF ICE ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF ROAD. IT WAS VERY SMOOTH ICE WITHOUT SNOW COVER. THE CAR FELT LIKE THE REAR END WANTED TO COME AROUND AND I HAD TO COUNTER STEER TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND DID NOT TOUCH THE BREAK. THE CAR THEN BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS CAUGHT IN DEEP ICE RUTS, BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THERE WERE NO ICE RUTS; THE ICE WAS SMOOTH. THE MOTION OF THE CAR WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT THE MOTION WOKE PASSENGERS. I LOST ALL CONFIDENCE THAT I COULD STEER THE CAR. I DID NOT TOUCH EITHER THE ACCELERATOR NOR THE GAS. I WAS ONLY TRYING TO REGAIN STEERING. I EVENTUALLY COASTED TO 40 MPH BEFORE I COULD REGAIN CONTROL. I HAVE DRIVEN ON ICE FOR 25+ YEARS AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A CAR LIKE THIS. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS TRYING TO STEER ITSELF AND THEN TRYING TO CORRECT ITSELF FOR AN OVER STEER. THIS LED TO ANOTHER CORRECTION BY THE VEHICLE. THIS BACK AND FORTH "MICRO" AUTO CORRECTION MADE STEERING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CAR. CAR HAS < 10,000 MILES. NO WRECKS. GOOD CONDITION. TIRES IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ALL TIRES AT RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE (40 PSI) THE MORNING BEFORE IN INCIDENT. THERE IS SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG WITH THIS CAR. IT IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10940371

Incident

Jan 7, 2017

Mileage

9,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,400.

NHTSA ID

10876341

Incident

Jun 22, 2016

Mileage

1,400 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V292000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT LEFT THREE MESSAGES WITH THE DEALER CONCERNING PART AVAILABILITY, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE REMAINED PARKED FOR WEEKS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

10870662

Incident

May 9, 2016

STEERING RECALL- NO PARTS

NHTSA ID

10870588

Incident

May 12, 2016

Mileage

540 mi

I WAS TRYING TO LEAVE A PARKING SPACE IN A WET SATURDAY NIGHT AT A NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING MALL. AFTER I BACKED UP THE CAR, I SWITCHED THE GEAR TO D TRYING TO LEAVE THE SPACE. HOWEVER, THE CAR SIMPLY DOESN'T MOVE. TO REGAIN CONTROL, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

10864887

Incident

Mar 12, 2016

Mileage

1,500 mi

I TRIED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT A TRAFFIC NIGHT LEAVING A SCHOOL PARKING LOT ON A SATURDAY MORNING. THE CAR WAS AT A FULL STOP BEFORE MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE SPEED WAS ABOUT 10-15 MILES/HR, JUST VERY SLOW. MY SUBARU DIDN'T RESPONSE TO MY STEERING. INSTEAD OF MAKING A 90 DEGREE TURN, I WAS STUCK AT 30, 45 DEGREES ANGLE. TO AVOID HITTING SOMETHING, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. AFTER I RESTARTED THE ENGINE, I THEN CAN REGAIN MY CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

10864883

Incident

Nov 14, 2015

Mileage

1,000 mi

STEERING WONDERING FROM SIDE TO SIDE, CAN'NT HOLD IN CENTER OF LANE. ON HIGHWAY OR STREET

NHTSA ID

10853905

Incident

Apr 6, 2016

DRIVING IN THE CENTER OF MY LANE ON A WET HIGHWAY. CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 65 MPH. LANE SWAY ON. THE CAR ACTED AS IF THE LANE SWAY ACTIVATED AND GAVE A STRONG STEERING WHEEL BUMP LIKE IT DOES IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE SIDE ROAD STRIPE. I WAS DEAD CENTER IN MY LANE, AND THERE WAS NO REASON FOR IT TO BUMP THE STEERING. IT DID THIS TO ME THREE TIMES WITHIN A TEN MILE DRIVE. AFTER THE THIRD TIME I TURNED THE LANE SWAY OFF AND WAS SOON DRIVING IN TOWN AND IT DID NOT DO IT AGAIN. MY WIFE SAYS SOMETIMES WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A LIGHT, THE CAR WILL PULL VERY HARD AND ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT. THE CAR HAS 3400 MILES ON IT, SO THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING WRONG WITH BRAKE PADS OR ROTORS.

NHTSA ID

10809598

Incident

Dec 10, 2015

Mileage

3,400 mi