2015 Subaru OUTBACK problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
510 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
20,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2015 model year. Data snapshot: . 343 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Visibility/Wiper is the most frequently named component, appearing in 130 of 510 complaints (25.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 106 | 20.8% |
| Braking behavior | 59 | 11.6% |
| Transmission and shifting | 33 | 6.5% |
| Steering behavior | 26 | 5.1% |
| Engine operation | 6 | 1.2% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 130 |
| Electrical System | 121 |
| Unknown Or Other | 108 |
| Engine | 47 |
| Power Train | 37 |
| Service Brakes | 27 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 26 |
| Structure:Body | 22 |
Visibility/Wiper: 130; Electrical System: 121; Unknown Or Other: 108; Engine: 47; Power Train: 37; Service Brakes: 27; Vehicle Speed Control: 26; Structure:Body: 22
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 181 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 69 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 53 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 26 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 8 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 181; 25,000 to 49,999: 69; 50,000 to 74,999: 53; 75,000 to 99,999: 26; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 6
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (181). 167 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 |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 135 |
| 2016 | 46 |
| 2017 | 33 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 53 |
| 2021 | 61 |
| 2022 | 39 |
| 2023 | 19 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 | 14 |
2014: 6; 2015: 135; 2016: 46; 2017: 33; 2018: 33; 2019: 38; 2020: 53; 2021: 61; 2022: 39; 2023: 19; 2024: 15; 2025: 18; 2026: 14
Pattern summary
Visibility/Wiper leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 106 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 59 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 33 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 10653380 · 2014-11-07 (November 7, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE ENGINE SEIZED AS THE KEYLESS ACCESS SYSTEM DISABLED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY CONNECTOR IN THE WIRING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10653380 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10671119 · 2015-01-08 (January 8, 2015)
AFTER BEING PARKED OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW 0 DEGREES F, THE VEHICLE STARTED FINE THE FOLLOWING MORNING BUT HAD NUMEROUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE (POWER STEERING, AT OIL TEMPERATURE, AMONG OTHERS) WHILE IDLING IN MY DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE WARMED UP FOR 5 MINUTES. ONCE WARMED UP, OWNER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART 20 MINUTES LATER. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART BUT OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS (LIGHTS, RADIO, ETC) WORKED BUT THE STARTER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS OF WHAT APPEARS TO B…
Owner-reported narrative. 450 miles reported. Look up ODI 10671119 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10678404 · 2015-01-22 (January 22, 2015)
IN NOVEMBER 2014, I TOOK DELIVERY OF A NEW 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK, 3.6 LIMITED. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL PREMIUM ELECTRONICS PACKAGE, AND THE EYESIGHT COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM. AFTER ABOUT THREE WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP, I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE RANDOM MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE KEY-LESS IGNITION, AND THE KEY-LESS ENTRY SYSTEMS. THE IGNITION PROBLEMS ALL INVOLVED ENGINE START, AND OCCURRED IN SCENARIOS WHERE THE KEY-FOB WASN'T RECOGNIZED. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM STARTED TO DISPLAY ERRONEOUS LOCATIONAL DA…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10678404 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10683707 · 2015-02-16 (February 16, 2015)
WE TOOK DELIVERY OF THIS VEHICLE ON 1/2/2015. IT IS A 2.5 LIMITED MODEL WITH EYESIGHT, NAVIGATION AND KEYLESS IGNITION. ON THE DAY OF DELIVERY, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND THE IGNITION DID NOT WORK. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHO CHECKED THE BATTERY AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. AFTER FIVE MINUTES, THE PROBLEM RESOLVED ITSELF. THE CAR WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED (LOOSE WIRE/FUSE). TODAY (2/16/2015), THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PARTI…
Owner-reported narrative. 25 miles reported. Look up ODI 10683707 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10702377 · 2015-03-28 (March 28, 2015)
.OF US AS TRAFFIC WAS CAUSING IT TO SPEED UP AND SLOW DOWN. WITH NO WARNING, OUR CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED AHEAD AS IF I HAD STEPPED HARD ON THE GAS PEDAL, THROWING US BACK IN OUR SEATS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, IT HIT BRAKES AND THREW US FORWARD. IT DID NOT COMPLETELY STOP BUT RESUMED PREVIOUS SPEED. THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN EVERY COUPLE OF MINUTES. I TOOK THE FIRST EXIT THAT APPEARED, ABOUT TWO MILES AHEAD. I WAS VERY FRIGHTENED THAT WE MIGHT COLLIDE WITH THE VAN IN FRONT OR SWERVE INTO THE TRAFFIC IN THE LANE NEXT TO US, OR THAT IT MIGHT SUDD…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10702377 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10723607 · 2015-06-05 (June 5, 2015)
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS--WHAT WOULD TRADITIONALLY BE 1ST AND 2ND GEAR (THE CAR HAS A CONTINUALLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION)--AND WHILE KEEPING CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE TRANSMISSION CHANGES THE ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE ON ITS OWN IN A PROCESS THAT FEELS LIKE IT CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT "GEAR", AND IT PROVIDES A "JERKING" FEELING (USUALLY ONLY A COUPLE OF "JERKS"). YET THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT JUST FINDING THE RIGHT GEAR FOR A SPECIFIC CONSTANT SPEED; AS IT SHIFTS AROUND, THE ACCELERATION CHANGES AND HAS, WIT…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,537 miles reported. Look up ODI 10723607 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10701761 · 2015-03-25 (March 25, 2015)
CRUISE CONTROL: WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL (+/-) TOGGLE SWITCH ON THE STEERING WHEEL , WHICH IS USED TO SET OR CHANGE THE SPEED SETTING OF THE CRUISE CONTROL, IS PRESSED DOWN TO THE MINUS OR SET SIDE, IT INTERMITTENTLY AND IN VARIABLE CONDITIONS EITHER DOES NOT REACT AT ALL (I.E. NO CHANGE TO THE SPEED SETTING), FLASHES THE SPEED SETTING ON THE SCREEN DISPLAY, BUT DOES NOT CHANGE IT OR MORE IMPORTANTLY IT INCREASES THE SPEED SETTING AND IN SOME CASES HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE WHILE THE DRIVER IS ATTEMPTING TO DECREASE THE SPEED SETTING …
Owner-reported narrative. 4,520 miles reported. Look up ODI 10701761 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11176539 · 2019-02-12 (February 12, 2019)
THE CAR WOULD STALL WHEN COASTING TO A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN A FEW TIMES AND HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND CAN'T REPLICATED THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND CAN CAUSE AN UNSAFE AND HUGE ACCIDENT WITH MY FAMILY. THE CAR WOULD DIE WHILE IN DRIVE AND SOMETIMES CAN'T BE RESTARTED. IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN AND AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR SINCE THE DEALER WILL SAY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S RELATED TO IDLE BEING LOW OR THE CVT ACTING UP WHEN TAKING THE FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND TRY TO ACCELERATE FROM A DEAD STOP O…
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11176539 at NHTSA ↗