2018 Subaru Outback

Was notified by the dealer upon completion of an oil change, on May 20, 2026, that the driver side front daytime LED running light was not functioning. The light was not on. I am a faithful user of either turning on my headlights in the absence of DRL or using the factory DRL on the vehicle. The failure of one DRL compromises the safety effect of using DRL by 50% and jeopardizes the safety of the driver and others compared to two (2) operating fully functional DRL. There are no dashboard of other system warning indicators on the car to indicate that the DRL is not functioning properly. The repair cost is unreasonable and subjects any 2018 Subaru Outback Owner with a factory defective DRL to spend over $1,000 to essentially "change a light bulb" to have the DRL system work as designed by Subaru itself. Not only does the failed DRL compromise the engineered and manufactured safety of the Subaru, the remedy to fix the Subaru DRL is cost prohibitive for most owners.

NHTSA ID

11772377

Incident

May 20, 2026

The multimedia device/infotainment system (Harman-Kardon) which controls the radio, navigation maps, back-up camera, etc, is again showing issues with the screen, "delamination," which causes the radio channels to change irradically, causing distraction and confusion when driving. This issue was found and RECALLED years ago, and this car's original radio was replaced in early 2023 with what seems to be the same exact style of equipment. Once again, this replacement radio is doing the same, delamination is visible on the screen, stations changing irradically, BEEP BOP BOOP BOP tones, irritation and distrtaction! I believe it could be caused by the heat of summer and the angle of the screen on the dashboard... but cars are out in the sun all the time, how often does this happen to other vehicles? I now just try to ignore it. Even with turning the radio off, it comes back on somehow, so it's volume knob is always kept turned down. I still have access to the map and back-up camera, but for how long? This safety equipment is undependable, and, although I knew how to drive before such conveniences were available, it is a distraction when driving.

NHTSA ID

11772127

Incident

May 1, 2026

SUMMARY OF SAFETY DEFECT: The vehicle exhibits severe, premature corrosion and rust perforation of the front subframe (crossmember) assembly. This structural component is deteriorating at an accelerated rate, compromising the vehicle's structural integrity. This was confirmed at a Subaru dealership and as a result has failed NY annual inspection. SAFETY RISK & HAZARD ASSESSMENT: The front subframe is a critical load-bearing structural component responsible for securing the vehicle's front suspension, steering rack, and lower control arms. Severe corrosion and rot in this area create an imminent risk of structural failure, specifically the potential separation of the lower control arms while driving. Such a failure directly impacts steering stability and vehicle tracking, creating a catastrophic hazard that could result in a sudden loss of vehicle control, an inability to steer, and an increased risk of a severe motor vehicle accident. The dealership has issued an itemized repair estimate of $2,900.00 to replace the structurally compromised subframe assembly.

NHTSA ID

11770420

Incident

Oct 9, 2026

The touchscreen has delamination and ghost touching of the apps. I spoke with my dealer and was first told it was covered by Subaru to replace, as it was a known issue, but when I took my car to the dealer, I was told I would have to pay around $1,500 to have it repaired/replaced. The ghost touching of the screen is so bad and consistent that it is very distracting while driving. It makes a beep sound for every ghost touch. Yesterday it phoned someone from my phone's address book. You can not use the screen for maps or destinations. 95% of the time the screen does not respond to my touch. I can not get the screen to do what I need it to do. I am at the mercy of the 'ghost' and what it selects. I find this dangerous while driving because you need to look at the screen and try to stop the ghost from touching selections. This is distracting, and I can't stop whatever the ghost is selecting on my screen. The radio/screen will not shut off - I have no choice but to put up with the problem. My dealer said 'when I can't stand it anymore, I should consider having it replaced at my expense." It is currently around 13 months that I have put up with this nonsense, because of a delamination issue that is a known issue. Shame on Subaru for allowing this to go on.

NHTSA ID

11768670

Incident

Oct 9, 2025

The 8-inch Gen 3 Harman STARLINK touchscreen is delaminating/bubbling. It registers phantom touch inputs and becomes unresponsive on its own while the vehicle is in motion, changing audio, navigation, and system settings without driver input. If a phone is ever attached, the screen will randomly calling phone numbers. These unintended inputs and lockups are an extreme distraction hazard while driving. This is a known defect previously covered under Subaru's extended warranty and the Udeen settlement, and now covered to 8 years/150,000 miles on 2019–2023 models. No crash or injury has resulted. These issues began many years ago (at least as early as 2020), when the car still belonged to my mother. Since the car was transferred to me last year, it has only gotten worse and the phantom inputs are sometimes constant and are an extreme distraction.

NHTSA ID

11767919

Incident

Sep 1, 2020

Infotainment unit in my 2018 Subaru Outback has had a recurring freeze/black-screen defect since new, and it directly affects the backup camera display and interaction with EyeSight safety features, creating a rear-visibility hazard while reversing and a driver-distraction hazard while underway. Documented history: On 6/4/2018 at 6,071 miles, the dealer proactively installed a radio software update with no complaint from me, indicating Subaru was already managing known issues with this head unit. On 9/21/2018 at 13,487 miles, I reported the radio was still blacking out after that update; the dealer found the radio inoperative, physically replaced the audio unit, and filed a failure report with the vendor. On 3/18/2019, the dealer performed Service Campaign WUA86 (head unit software reprogram) and completed Recall WTW82. On 3/16/2020, I returned with the same failure, the service record states my complaint verbatim: "the speakers will buzz and the infotainment center go black and reset itself", and the dealer performed another head unit software reprogram. This visit fell within the active HK Gen 3.0 Warranty Extension coverage window (1/1/2020–2/27/2023), a warranty extension tied to a related class action settlement (Udeen v. Subaru of America, Case No. 1:18-cv-17334) covering this exact head unit generation. Subaru also issued Technical Service Bulletin 15-228-18R specifically for "Display Screen Freeze-Up or Black (Blank) Concerns" on this head unit, confirming the defect was known and documented internally. Despite one full hardware replacement and multiple software reprogramming attempts across four documented visits from 2018–2020, the defect was never permanently resolved. The infotainment screen now has delamination, continued freezing, unresponsive/phantom touch input ("ghost touch"), Bluetooth failure, and navigation failure. Because this system controls the backup camera display and interacts with EyeSight, an unpredictable freeze or blackout is unsafe.

NHTSA ID

11763841

Incident

Jun 15, 2026

The car started to make very loud engine noises and then the engine completely failed. The car was no longer able to accelerate and lost the ability to go in both forward and reverse. Luckily, my son had just arrived home when the car completely lost power, but it began to have acceleration issues as he was driving home. No warning lights came on until after the car had completely failed. Less than a week prior to the incident, the car had an oil change and inspection by the dealership and no issues of concern were noted. The car was towed to the dealer. The technician said that the oil contained metal shavings, indicated an engine block failure.

NHTSA ID

11763630

Incident

Sep 4, 2026

I was driving on the highway going 70 MPH when the hood latch suddenly came unlatched. The hood flew up and smashed into the windshield, blocking my view. I was able to slow down and pull onto the shoulder, but there was damage to my hood, windshield, rear view mirror, body panels, sunroof, roof, and trim.

NHTSA ID

11763120

Incident

Sep 6, 2026

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