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U.S. public vehicle records

2019 Subaru OUTBACK: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

1,033 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

10,188 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2019 model year. Data snapshot: . 469 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 354 of 1,033 complaints (34.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Electrical and battery issues30629.6%
Braking behavior434.2%
Steering behavior383.7%
Fuel system concerns222.1%
Transmission and shifting141.4%
Engine operation90.9%

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.

Electrical System
354
Visibility/Wiper
326
Unknown Or Other
204
Visibility:Windshield
59
Engine
39
Steering
35
Structure:Body
27
Fuel/Propulsion System
23
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System354
Visibility/Wiper326
Unknown Or Other204
Visibility:Windshield59
Engine39
Steering35
Structure:Body27
Fuel/Propulsion System23

Electrical System: 354; Visibility/Wiper: 326; Unknown Or Other: 204; Visibility:Windshield: 59; Engine: 39; Steering: 35; Structure:Body: 27; Fuel/Propulsion System: 23

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
373
25,000 to 49,999
77
50,000 to 74,999
10
75,000 to 99,999
5
100,000 to 149,999
4
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,000373
25,000 to 49,99977
50,000 to 74,99910
75,000 to 99,9995
100,000 to 149,9994
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 373; 25,000 to 49,999: 77; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (373). 564 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.

2018
4
2019
118
2020
230
2021
201
2022
170
2023
129
2024
114
2025
49
2026
18
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20184
2019118
2020230
2021201
2022170
2023129
2024114
202549
202618

2018: 4; 2019: 118; 2020: 230; 2021: 201; 2022: 170; 2023: 129; 2024: 114; 2025: 49; 2026: 18

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 306 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 43 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 38 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.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11120782 · 2018-08-18 (August 18, 2018)

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK 3.6R LIMITED WITH EYESIGHT. WITH LESS THAN 23 MILES ON IT, THE WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED JUST SITTING IN THE GARAGE. RESEARCHING THE WEB SHOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH SUBARU OUTBACK.

Owner-reported narrative. 23 miles reported. Look up ODI 11120782 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11123359 · 2018-08-29 (August 29, 2018)

WINDSHIELD CRACK APPEARED OVERNIGHT ON THE 4TH DAY OF OWNERSHIP. THE CRACK COVERS 1/2 THE WINDSHIELD AND IS GROWING DAILY. NATURALLY IT CAN'T BE FIXED BECAUSE NO ONE HAS THE WINDSHIELD FOR A 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK IN STOCK OR AVAILABLE BY ORDER. NO VISIBLE CHIP DAMAGE APPARENT. NOTE THERE ARE MULTIPLE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST SUBARU FOR THIS IDENTICAL PROBLEM.

Owner-reported narrative. 180 miles reported. Look up ODI 11123359 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11143129 · 2018-10-25 (October 25, 2018)

2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES WITH CONCERNS FOR FAULTY NAVIGATION SYSTEM THAT DISPLAYS THE WRONG POSTED LEGAL SPEED LIMIT WHILE DRIVING. *AS *JS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11143129 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11154177 · 2018-11-27 (November 27, 2018)

I TOOK DELIVERY OF THIS NEW VEHICLE ON 10 SEPTEMBER 2018 AFTER SHORT TEST DRIVE ON URBAN STREETS. BY THE TIME I HAD DRIVEN ON ABOUT 100 MILES ON RURAL AND 4 LANE ROADS I WAS REALLY DISTURBED BY THE WAY THE VEHICLE "WANDERED" FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND SEEMINGLY WITHOUT ANY STEERING WHEEL INPUT EXCEPT ENOUGH TO CORRECT THE DRIFT TO RIGHT OR LEFT. IT SEEMS WHEN THE WHEELS ARE CENTERED THE STEERING WHEEL APPEARS TO HAVE "DEAD ZONE". I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SAID "WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT". TOOK IT TO DEALER ON 30 OCT 2018 AS(33…

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11154177 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11165488 · 2019-01-06 (January 6, 2019)

STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY NUDGES YOU TO ONE SIDE. CAR SEEMS TO TAKE CONTROL TEMPORARILY FROM THE DRIVER AND MAKES A CORRECTION TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11165488 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11166434 · 2019-01-11 (January 11, 2019)

NAVIGATION SYSTEM FAILURE! I HAVE 3200 MILES ON MY 2019 OUTBACK AND SINCE DAY 1 HAVE HAD PROBLEMS USING THE NAV SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM FREEZES UP COMPLETELY CAUSING EVERYTHING NOT WORK RADIO BACK UP CAMERA ETC. SYSTEMS STAYS ON AT NIGHT DRAINING BATTERY. IT SPORADICALLY WORKS AND WORKS LESS AND LESS EVERY DAY HAD A DEAD BATTERY ALREADY ON A 2019 VEHICLE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11166434 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11171019 · 2019-01-20 (January 20, 2019)

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT AN ISSUE WITH WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN THE 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON THE DALLAS NORTH TOLL WAY, AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 65 TO 70 MPH, I TAPPED ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN FOR THE UPCOMING DECLINE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR SUDDENLY AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED. IT WAS AS IF THE BRAKES "LOCKED", I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE TOLLWAY AND WERE UNABLE TO ACCELERATE THE CAR. WE WERE HIT FROM BEHIND. THE STOPPAGE WAS SO SUDDEN …

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 11171019 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11171977 · 2019-01-24 (January 24, 2019)

THE CAR WAS NOT USED OVER THE WEEKEND EXCEPT FOR A 5 MILE TRIP TO CHURCH WHERE IT DID NOT ENCOUNTER ANY ROCKS, HITS, ETC. DROVE HOME AND THE CAR WINDSHIELD WAS FIND. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I GOT INTO THE CAR, AFTER I USED MY REMOTE TO START AND WARM UP MY OUTBACK, THERE WAS ABOUT AN 8-10 INCH CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD THAT ORIGINATED FROM BEYOND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THE CRACK GREW WORSE TO ABOUT 12 INCHES. CALLED SUBARU DEALER WHO DIRECTED ME TO THEIR WINDSHIELD SERVICE AGENT. TOOK TIME OFF FROM WORK AND THEY…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11171977 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

19V493000 · Structure

Reported: 2019-06-26 (June 26, 2019)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
20V218000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Reported: 2020-04-16 (April 16, 2020)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.

Consequence: If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
21V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Reported: 2021-07-29 (July 29, 2021)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

NHTSA campaign record ↗