RoadVitals

2023 Subaru Outback

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
87
+2 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Nov 9, 2023
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
9
3 injuries, 0 deaths reported

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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

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.gov

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

Nov 9, 2023
95,830 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.
Subaru of America, Inc.Manufacturer number WRQ-23View on NHTSA.gov

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Sep 21, 2023
4,311 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
The 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.
Subaru of America, Inc.Manufacturer number WRN-23View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Aug 3, 2026

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
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 30, 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
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jul 8, 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
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 15, 2026
Crash reported

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
Electrical
Filed Dec 3, 2025

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
Filed Nov 20, 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
Interior & seats
Filed Nov 20, 2025
2 injuries reported

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
Electrical
Filed Oct 24, 2025

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.

09-123-24R

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.)

16-159-26

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides new diagnostic steps for DTC P0851 and P0852 to be used in conjunction with the applicable Service Manual.

15-311-23R

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).

02-193-24R

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.)

15-246-19R

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.)

09-74-21R

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

Subaru Outback by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026120048.4
2025710046.3
2024940044.9
2023Viewing872051.5
20224604052.5
20212934049.4
20208956049.6
20191,0323047.9
20188073050.2
20179174155.1
20166414156.3
20155085157.0
201420810053.9
201329612053.9
201229116157.6
201165116050.6
201036018049.8
200910513053.9
20082268052.0
20071298051.9
20062767047.4
20052739257.6
20049011260.9
20039315257.1
20021435049.8
20011714053.1
20002072050.3
19991111044.8
19981272049.6
1997794052.9
1996462055.2
1995210

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.