2025 Subaru OUTBACK: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
77 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
1,999 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2025 model year. Data snapshot: . 9 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 18 of 77 complaints (23.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 15 | 19.5% |
| Steering behavior | 9 | 11.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 5 | 6.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 2.6% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 1.3% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 18 |
| Electrical System | 11 |
| Lane Departure: Assist | 10 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 9 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 9 |
| Lane Departure: Warning | 6 |
| Steering | 6 |
| Air Bags | 5 |
Unknown Or Other: 18; Electrical System: 11; Lane Departure: Assist: 10; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 9; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 9; Lane Departure: Warning: 6; Steering: 6; Air Bags: 5
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 9 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (9). 68 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 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 39 |
| 2026 | 36 |
2024: 2; 2025: 39; 2026: 36
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 9 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 5 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 11625239 · 2024-11-14 (November 14, 2024)
Three primary issues of major concern on this vehicle: 1. Phantom emergency - braking at random, both low and high speeds. The most dangerous of the three. 2. Lane keep assist - unaware or unable to compensate for real driving conditions, construction areas, pedestrians walking a dog, heavy machinery on a semi-truck as examples. 3. Infotainment blinding - A large, HIGH GLOSS screen at a 45-degree angle, placing it in the direct reflective angle of three windows: Sunroof, passenger front, passenger rear. Absolutely blinding even with sunglasses …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11625239 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11633284 · 2024-12-31 (December 31, 2024)
small chip / crack in windshield on driver side view
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11633284 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11640157 · 2025-02-02 (February 2, 2025)
There are a couple of issues. 1. The car keeps applying the brakes at lower and higher speeds even though there is literally nothing in front. This is both annoying and risky, especially at higher speeds happening at the interstates. When I asked at the dealership, they said the car is not equipped to do something like this. But that does not mean this is not happening. At lower speeds, it feels like massive pressure forced on the stomach. 2. The lane departure warning system is subpar at best. It cannot comprehend the real-world lane markers- …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11640157 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11644733 · 2025-02-25 (February 25, 2025)
Shortly after purchasing my vehicle I noticed that the passenger airbag illuminated “off” indicator did not switch from “off” to “on” when an individual weighing under 100 pounds occupies the front passenger set in the vehicle. I could find nothing in the owner’s literature accompanying my car’s purchase addressing the threshold weight set by the manufacturer or dealer for passenger airbag activation/deactivation but was told informally by a dealer representative that the weight threshold for the vehicle is set at 100 pounds and cannot be adjus…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11644733 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11647088 · 2025-03-07 (March 7, 2025)
Headlights produce a distracting shadow. It looks like something is crossing the road in front of you. In addition, as a driver, it focuses your attention on the shadow instead of the road. It's a common complaint online and definitely a real safety concern for motorists.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11647088 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11647322 · 2025-03-10 (March 10, 2025)
We bought the car in January . When going through our regular car wash, we heard a boom on the roof. We looked and saw no damage. Went through again last week and heard it again. We expressed our concern to the manager who sat in the back as we went through again. She held her hand on the roof as it went through the drying cycle and felt it cave in and pop out. She said this has happened before with certain Chevy models and a recall was put in. (GM Has A Fix For Colorado And Canyon Roofs Dented By Car Washes). We contacted the Suba…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11647322 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11648460 · 2025-03-15 (March 15, 2025)
The front seat passenger airbag has an amber colored lighted alert indicator on the dashboard that is supposed to change from “off” to “on” when an occupant of sufficient weight is seated in that position. The dealer who recently sold me my new 2025 Subaru Outback advised me that this indicator is calibrated to trigger when a passenger weighing over 85 pounds occupies that seat. However, while I have found that it works for example when an occupant sits in the front passenger seat at a weight of 190 pounds it does not switch from off to on whe…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11648460 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11650376 · 2025-03-25 (March 25, 2025)
On my second windshield repair, windshield is highly sensitive and prone to cracks and chips, unbelievable / unacceptable for a new car. I’ve drove a Acura MDX 2006 previous to driving a Subaru Outback 2025 and not once have I ever had a windshield be so prone to cracks / chips.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11650376 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.