POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
2023 Subaru Outback
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 87 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Subaru Outback, most frequently naming the driver assistance, visibility and electrical categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 315 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 2022 | 3 | 4 |
| Dec 2022 | 1 | 5 |
| Jan 2023 | 4 | 9 |
| Feb 2023 | 2 | 11 |
| Mar 2023 | 10 | 21 |
| Apr 2023 | 4 | 25 |
| May 2023 | 2 | 27 |
| Jun 2023 | 6 | 33 |
| Jul 2023 | 5 | 38 |
| Aug 2023 | 3 | 41 |
| Sep 2023 | 4 | 45 |
| Oct 2023 | 3 | 48 |
| Nov 2023 | 2 | 50 |
| Dec 2023 | 2 | 52 |
| Jan 2024 | 2 | 54 |
| Feb 2024 | 2 | 56 |
| Mar 2024 | 2 | 58 |
| Apr 2024 | 1 | 59 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 60 |
| Jul 2024 | 3 | 63 |
| Aug 2024 | 3 | 66 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 67 |
| Oct 2024 | 2 | 69 |
| Nov 2024 | 3 | 72 |
| Jan 2025 | 2 | 74 |
| Mar 2025 | 2 | 76 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 77 |
| May 2025 | 1 | 78 |
| Jul 2025 | 1 | 79 |
| Oct 2025 | 1 | 80 |
| Nov 2025 | 2 | 82 |
| Dec 2025 | 1 | 83 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 84 |
| Jul 2026 | 2 | 86 |
| Aug 2026 | 1 | 87 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Driver assistance2526.9%
- Visibility1920.4%
- Electrical1718.3%
- Exterior lighting66.5%
- Brakes66.5%
- Interior & seats44.3%
- Powertrain (other)44.3%
- Body & structure22.2%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
2 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govPOWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Phantom Braking of Pre-Collision Braking 2023 Subaru Outback Turbo Wednesday, July 29, 2026. 9:30 am, sunny day Driving south on local city street. Brakes slammed on, car stopped, flashing yellow lights on left Combination Meter stating that Pre-Collision Braking was activated. There was no vehicle/obstacle/animal in the road. No parked cars, no cars backing out of a driveway. Road was completely clear. No strange shadows, no cracks in street. Pre-collision braking system hallucinated an obstacle and activated, throwing me forward into steering wheel, and dog in the back seat thrown forward into back of driver’s seat. Restarted car and drove off. Turned off system every time I drove the car until I took it to the dealer 2 days later. Problem was not reproduced by dealer . No messages or warning lights prior to incident. The repair order stated that there was a "sticky" substance on the windshield, but I had just had the car washed. I didn't notice anything on the windshield.
- NHTSA ID
- 11754558
- Incident
- Jul 29, 2026
The original equipment Yokohama Avid GT tires experienced rapid, catastrophic structural degradation (extreme inner-edge wear and chunking of the exterior edge over ~7,000 mi.). I have photos of the tires, and Carr Subaru (Beaverton, OR) has one of the tires available for inspection. I am the original owner of this vehicle. It has been regularly serviced at the appropriate intervals by the dealership where it was purchased in November 2022. At ~15,000 mi., the tires were rotated and the alignment was adjusted by the dealership. Between 15,000 and 22,000 mi., the tires completely wore through. When I noticed the wear, I brought the car to the dealership to replace the tires, check the alignment, and check whether there might be other issues contributing to the tire degradation. According to the service department, the alignment was within spec when the car arrived, but the inner tread was completely smooth, the outer tread was coming apart, and the tires "were within 1,000 miles of a blowout." I regularly transport my children in this vehicle on the steep, windy, rainy roads of [XXX]. If the tires had blown out or lost traction due to wear, my family, cyclists, pedestrians, or I could have been badly injured or killed. Additionally, on the morning before I discovered the extreme tire wear, I drove my wife and children 45 mi. on XXX from [XXX] to [XXX]. If the tire had blown out when we were going 65 mph on the heavily-traveled highway, it could have been catastrophic for us and other motorists. On XXX, I reported the incident to Subaru of America (case #XXX). I shared photographs of the tires and service records with Subaru of America. On XXX, Carr Subaru -- a representative of the manufacturer -- inspected the tires, confirmed the extreme wear, and reserved a tire for inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The tires were deemed fit ~7,000 mi. ago. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11753730
- Incident
- Jul 26, 2026
The Advanced Driver Assistance System (EyeSight/Automatic Emergency Braking), the Service Brakes, and the Central Electrical System malfunctioned. The vehicle is currently held at an authorized dealership and is available for inspection.On Monday, June 22, 2026, at approximately 4:47 PM, while traveling at highway speeds on I-295 South under clear weather conditions, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic, unprompted automatic emergency braking event. While my right turn signal was active and I was initiating a lane change to pass a truck, the autonomous braking system engaged with maximum force, pulling the brake pedal completely to the floorboards with zero obstacles present. A consumer mobile telematics application (Life360) officially registered the extreme hard-braking event at 4:47 PM. This unprompted stop caused the vehicle to violently lose traction, fishtail across highway lanes, and nearly roll over in high-speed traffic, placing my life and the safety of surrounding motorists at extreme risk.Symptoms of systemic electrical network instability occurred prior to this failure, including a dashboard GPS clock that precisely jumps four hours ahead in specific geographic location, and a power rear liftgate/hatch that randomly opens only halfway or reverses direction unprompted. Furthermore, this identical bouncing and jumping brake system behavior was first reported to an authorized dealership service center in November 2023 at 14,435 miles while operating on factory-original wheels and tires, but the dealer was unable to duplicate or resolve the issue at that time. The manufacturer's corporate customer advocacy team has been notified and a formal vehicle inspection is scheduled for next week.
- NHTSA ID
- 11749144
- Incident
- Jun 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. While turning into a parking spot, the accelerator pedal was slightly depressed, and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, crashing into a parked vehicle on the driver's side. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to move forward after the crash into the next parking spot. No warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,300.
- NHTSA ID
- 11731476
- Incident
- Apr 13, 2026
- Mileage
- 20,300 mi
Recently, in my 2023 Subaru Outback, I have been having pop-up ads for SirusXM take over my infotainment screen. The ad appears in the center, does not allow the user to interact with the screen - including air conditioning control and traction control selection - and will not go away until I acknowledge the ad. It has appeared when I start the vehicle and while I am driving. I contacted Subaru of America; they first told me to contact SiriusXM. I asked why I was being told to contact SiriusXM for a pop-up ad in my Subaru - of course SiriusXM wants to advertise to consumers, but why would Subaru allow them to display ads in my car whenever they chose? I own my car outright; it is neither a lease nor do I owe money on it, so I should control what sort of media is presented to me and when, and I definitely shouldn't have third party ads appearing in my car at random times without my consent. I was persistent with the Subaru of America representative, and then they claimed they would push an over-the-air software update to my car to resolve the issue, but that has not happened. Now I read that other people have been having this same issue, so I am very disappointed that Subaru would first tell me to call SiriusXM and second pretend like it was a software fluke, but I later read that hundreds of other consumers are having similar problems.
- NHTSA ID
- 11702638
- Incident
- Dec 2, 2025
I have had no working SOS safety button in case of a crash despite having a 3 year plan. This started after a Starlink update failed to load to this date. I took it to the dealer and my software was found to be up to date and I was told not a Subaru problem for months. I wrote to Subura America and told not to take the car in as no fix but any day but never came. I am to renew the Safety and Security on 12-12-2025 but I do not want to pay for an SOS safety alert that does not work. My Subaru told me that I was at fault for failing to take my car in for repair and stated they would cancel both safety and security plans, I repsonded by hanging up. I called Subaru American who did not respond. My 2023 Subaru Outback has 9000 miles. I am [XXX] old and disabled with a serious hip issue and a victim from another party of a HIPPA cyberattack when the government was closed. I assume your the Department of Transsportation does not care either. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11700696
- Incident
- Sep 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while walking around the vehicle attempting to put her husband in the passenger seat, the hatchback opened independently, and they both got pushed independently from the vehicle on the ground from the impact. The contact mentioned by the standers came out of the office to check on them and called 911 immediately. The contact stated that she sustained injuries to the knee and left shoulder, and her husband sustained injuries from the left elbow to the arm. Medical attention was required, and they were transported to the ER by ambulance. The contact stated that a police report was not filed. The contact stated that the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11700576
- Incident
- Oct 1, 2025
- Mileage
- 23,000 mi
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outlook. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the Starlink system failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact was informed that it was a known failure; however, there was no fix available. In addition, the contact was informed that there were more than 44,000 consumers experiencing the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 24,200.
- NHTSA ID
- 11695441
- Incident
- Oct 13, 2025
- Mileage
- 24,200 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This bulletin announces the design change made to the high-pressure fuel pump developed to prevent DTC P0087 (Fuel Rail/System Pressure – Too Low Bank 1). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin provides new diagnostic steps for DTC P0851 and P0852 to be used in conjunction with the applicable Service Manual.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin provides instruction for use (FOTA) of a new reprogramming procedure to optimize the Denso Gen 4.5 Audio and Navigation system utilized in the models listed. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin).
ENGINE
This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a new required procedure to follow when performing immobilizer-related repairs on the vehicles listed. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48.4 |
| 2025 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 46.3 |
| 2024 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 44.9 |
| 2023Viewing | 87 | 2 | 0 | 51.5 |
| 2022 | 460 | 4 | 0 | 52.5 |
| 2021 | 293 | 4 | 0 | 49.4 |
| 2020 | 895 | 6 | 0 | 49.6 |
| 2019 | 1,032 | 3 | 0 | 47.9 |
| 2018 | 807 | 3 | 0 | 50.2 |
| 2017 | 917 | 4 | 1 | 55.1 |
| 2016 | 641 | 4 | 1 | 56.3 |
| 2015 | 508 | 5 | 1 | 57.0 |
| 2014 | 208 | 10 | 0 | 53.9 |
| 2013 | 296 | 12 | 0 | 53.9 |
| 2012 | 291 | 16 | 1 | 57.6 |
| 2011 | 651 | 16 | 0 | 50.6 |
| 2010 | 360 | 18 | 0 | 49.8 |
| 2009 | 105 | 13 | 0 | 53.9 |
| 2008 | 226 | 8 | 0 | 52.0 |
| 2007 | 129 | 8 | 0 | 51.9 |
| 2006 | 276 | 7 | 0 | 47.4 |
| 2005 | 273 | 9 | 2 | 57.6 |
| 2004 | 90 | 11 | 2 | 60.9 |
| 2003 | 93 | 15 | 2 | 57.1 |
| 2002 | 143 | 5 | 0 | 49.8 |
| 2001 | 171 | 4 | 0 | 53.1 |
| 2000 | 207 | 2 | 0 | 50.3 |
| 1999 | 111 | 1 | 0 | 44.8 |
| 1998 | 127 | 2 | 0 | 49.6 |
| 1997 | 79 | 4 | 0 | 52.9 |
| 1996 | 46 | 2 | 0 | 55.2 |
| 1995 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.