2013 Subaru OUTBACK problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
296 owner complaints analyzed
12 distinct recall campaigns
45,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2013 model year. Data snapshot: . 205 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 67 of 296 complaints (22.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 57 | 19.3% |
| Braking behavior | 55 | 18.6% |
| Steering behavior | 32 | 10.8% |
| Engine operation | 28 | 9.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 7 | 2.4% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 67 |
| Power Train | 59 |
| Air Bags | 41 |
| Steering | 34 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 |
| Unknown Or Other | 24 |
| Electrical System | 23 |
| Service Brakes | 23 |
Engine: 67; Power Train: 59; Air Bags: 41; Steering: 34; Vehicle Speed Control: 25; Unknown Or Other: 24; Electrical System: 23; Service Brakes: 23
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 76 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 31 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 28 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 25 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 35 |
| 150,000 and above | 10 |
Under 25,000: 76; 25,000 to 49,999: 31; 50,000 to 74,999: 28; 75,000 to 99,999: 25; 100,000 to 149,999: 35; 150,000 and above: 10
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (76). 91 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 42 |
| 2014 | 16 |
| 2015 | 27 |
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 25 |
| 2018 | 28 |
| 2019 | 56 |
| 2020 | 23 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 6 |
2012: 3; 2013: 42; 2014: 16; 2015: 27; 2016: 13; 2017: 25; 2018: 28; 2019: 56; 2020: 23; 2021: 14; 2022: 14; 2023: 16; 2024: 11; 2025: 2; 2026: 6
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 57 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 55 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 32 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10482284 · 2012-10-25 (October 25, 2012)
I BOUGHT A SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5 LIMITED ON 9/29/12. THERE HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT CLICKING NOISES DURING ACCELERATION AND WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, USUALLY WHEN NEAR OR ABOVE 38 MILES PER HOUR. THE CLICKING NOISES RANGE FOR LOW TO LOUD. MY CAR HAS NOW BEEN IN THE DEALER FOR OVER 1 WEEK. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT IN THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO A LOOSE PANEL BEHIND THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AND THEY "SCREWED" IT IN PLACE. THE SAME NOISE CONTINUED TO OCCUR WITHOUT IMPROVEMENT. I THEN WENT ON RIDE WITH THE SERVICE CLERK AND HE THOUGHT HE HEARD IT WHE…
Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482284 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10521269 · 2013-06-23 (June 23, 2013)
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO A LOWER GEAR WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A FULL STOP OR FROM A SLOW SPEED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WITHIN FIRST MINUTE OR SO AFTER STARTING THE CAR WHEN ENGINE IS COLD (E.G. FIRST THING IN THE MORNING). FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, I WILL BEGIN DRIVING THE CAR WITHIN 10-15 SECONDS OF FIRST STARTING THE ENGINE. I DRIVE 2 BLOCKS WHERE I COME TO A STOP SIGN. FROM A FULL STOP I MUST WAIT FOR A BREAK IN TRAFFIC TRAVELING 30-35 MPH. AS I PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR, ENGINE NOISE WILL INCREASE AND RPMS INCREASE AS EXP…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10521269 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10485982 · 2012-11-25 (November 25, 2012)
MADE A TURN AND WAS HALFWAY DOWN THE BLOCK GOING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE INSTRUMENT GAUGE LIT UP WITH ALL SORTS OF ANNUNCIATORS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO A SAFE LOCATION AND PARK. THE FOLLOWING ANNUNCIATORS WERE FLASHING; AT OIL TEMP, CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT. THE FOLLOWING ANNUNCIATORS WERE LIT SOLID; CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT /MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL WARNING LIGHT. TURNED OFF VEHICLE. WAITED. TURNED ENGINE ON AND THE ANNUNCIATORS WERE STILL PRESEN…
Owner-reported narrative. 325 miles reported. Look up ODI 10485982 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10502121 · 2013-03-08 (March 8, 2013)
WITH THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM, OUTBACK MAY START BRAKING WHEN YOU ARE COMING UP ON ANOTHER CAR OR TRYING TO PASS IT, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE MOVING AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE TO PASS IT AND ARE NOT ENDANGER OF AN ACCIDENT. VERY ANNOYING AT TIMES AND FORCES YOU TO DISABLE IT BUT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE IF IT DIDN'T GO OFF JUST FROM COMING NEAR VEHICLES. I SUPPOSE THEY DON'T WANT IT TO GO OFF TOO LATE. THE SEAT/HEADREST IS THE BIGGER PROBLEM. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10502121 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10483494 · 2012-11-06 (November 6, 2012)
DRIVING 55-60 MPH CAR CONTINUALLY "DRIFTED" OFF OF CENTER WHEN DRIVING, MOST NOTICEABLE ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD. CONSTANT CORRECTION AND RECORRECTION NEEDED TO KEEP VEHICLE IN ITS OWN DRIVING LANE. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND CLAIMED THERE ARE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES HOWEVER MANY ONLINE COMPLAINTS EXIST ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I TOOK A BIG LOSS BUT I IMMEDIATELY TRADED THIS BRAND NEW CAR IN - I WAS TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT AND CONSIDER THIS LACK OF STEERING CONTROL WILL GET SOMEONE KILLED. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10483494 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10491963 · 2013-01-09 (January 9, 2013)
OUR COMPLAINT IS THAT THIS 2013 OUTBACK SUBARU CONTINUES TO DRIFT. IT DOES NOT JUST DRIFT ONE WAY. YOU ARE CONSTANTLY CORRECTING TO KEEP IT IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. THE FIRST TIME WE COMPLAINED THEY DID AN ALIGNMENT. THAT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. WE THEN ASK IF THEY CHECK THE TIRES. THEY CLAIMED THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THEIRS BUT THEY LOWERED THE AIR PRESSURE AND THAT MADE IT WORSE. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND HAD THEM INCREASE THE AIR PRESSURE. THE SERVICE MANAGER KEEPS TELLING US THERE IS NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. YOU CANNOT RE…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10491963 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10544747 · 2013-09-23 (September 23, 2013)
2013 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED. WHEN DRIVING NORMAL SPEEDS THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AFTER LETTING THE ACCELERATOR UP AND SLOWING DOWN TO IDLE SPEED, THE PEDAL WAS THEN DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD OFTEN STALL. IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, BUT GRADUALLY GETTING WORSE. THE DEALER TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM AWAY, BY SAYING THE ELECTRONIC ACCELERATO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10544747 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10555721 · 2013-12-11 (December 11, 2013)
I STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND MOVED FORWARD. I RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR TO SLOW UP BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN TO MOVE FORWARD, THE ENGINE DID NOT REV UP. IT WAS AS IF THE CAR STALLED. AFTER SEVERAL PUSHES ON THE ACCELERATOR ( 8 SECONDS WORTH) THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND THE CAR ONCE AGAIN MOVED FORWARD JUST AS IF NOTHING WAS WRONG. ALL THIS TIME I WAS BLOCKING THE INTERSECTION. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES NOW. DEALER INDICATES NO PROBLEM FOUND. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 3,035 miles reported. Look up ODI 10555721 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10958851 · 2017-03-06 (March 6, 2017)
SINCE OWNING THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE REPLACED THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FIVE TIMES, HIGH BEAMS THREE TIMES, FRONT RUNNING LIGHTS FOUR TIMES, REAR BRAKE LIGHTS TWICE, AND REAR RUNNING LIGHTS FIVE TIMES. SUBARU HAS OFFERED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE LIGHTS, BY SENDING THEM THE RECEIPTS. ALTHOUGH THIS IS ADMIRABLE, I'M WORRIED ABOUT ELECTRICAL FAILURES AND SMALL FIRES FROM SHORT CIRCUITS.
Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10958851 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10985455 · 2017-05-12 (May 12, 2017)
I TOOK THE CAR INTO DEALERSHIP SERVICE TO REPORT AN ELECTRICAL DRAIN ON THE BATTERY, REQUIRING THE CAR TO BE JUMPED STARTED IF LEFT SEVERAL DAYS PARKED. SERVICE DEPARTMENT TESTED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. CAR WAS PARKED IN THEIR LOT FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND ON RETURN THE CAR WAS WAS FOUND TO BE HEAVILY DAMAGED BY SMOKE AND FIRE FROM PASSENGER SEAT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY.
Owner-reported narrative. 94,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10985455 at NHTSA ↗