"How reliable is the 1998 Subaru Outback?"

"Based on 165 NHTSA complaints, the 1998 Subaru Outback has a median complaint mileage of 91056 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 1998 Subaru Outback?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1998 Subaru Outback is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 165 total complaints filed."

1998 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 165 complaints

165

Total Complaints

91,056mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

68,000 25th Percentile

91,056 Median Mileage

120,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling

Cooling System

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Air Bags

Automatic Transmission

Frontal

Exhaust System

Unknown Or Other

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BECAME TANGLED WITH WIPERS ON DRIVER'S SIDE, BECAUSE OF A LOOSE BOLT. THIS DISTRACTION ALMOST CAUSED DRIVER TO CRASH. THE WIPERS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. *AK *NLM"

"CONSUMER HAS POOR VISIBILITY. WHENEVER IT RAINS ALL GLASS GIVES A FILM AND STREAKING WHEN USING THE WIPERS. *AK"

"WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAS TO BE APPLIED IN ORDER TO STOP. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 18 complaints

25th: 79,615 mi Median: 98,028 mi 75th: 114,750 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 11 complaints

Median: 65,000 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 11 complaints

25th: 73,269 mi Median: 89,000 mi 75th: 110,000 mi

Cooling System 7 complaints

25th: 100,764 mi Median: 114,129 mi 75th: 151,345 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 25 NY: 15 MA: 13 CT: 11 PA: 10 CO: 9 OR: 8 WI: 7 MD: 6 NJ: 6

Who Files Complaints?

49.1%

Original Owners

50.9%

Second+ Owners

Subaru Outback — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1996	57	115,000	Frontal	19
1997	94	103,995	Engine	7
1999	150	87,000	Automatic Transmission	22
2000	247	78,000	Tires	22
2001	207	74,999	Fuel System, Gasoline	18
2002	171	75,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	14
2003	116	74,110	Air Bags	7
2004	108	67,190	Air Bags	16
2005	353	85,000	Suspension	20
2006	404	95,316	Vehicle Speed Control	12
2007	182	83,000	Air Bags	17
2008	277	80,000	Air Bags	12
2009	141	71,396	Air Bags	2
2010	466	66,800	Power Train	20
2011	851	80,500	Power Train	35
2012	367	87,000	Power Train	18
2013	403	40,000	Engine	34
2014	275	30,500	Air Bags	26
2015	633	20,000	Visibility/Wiper	36
2016	757	34,000	Electrical System	37
2017	1091	30,000	Electrical System	55
2018	962	15,000	Electrical System	42
2019	1277	10,200	Electrical System	48
2020	1122	6,000	Visibility/Wiper	37
2021	394	3,250	Visibility/Wiper	16
2022	521	11,963	Visibility/Wiper	18
2023	118	6,000	Electrical System	15
2024	111	1,900	Visibility/Wiper	9
2025	87	1,249	Unknown Or Other	9

Active Recalls (2)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Coil Springs

Campaign 01V216000 | 25/06/2001

DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE FRACTURE, A BROKEN SPRING COULD MOVE PAST THE SPRING SEAT AND CONTACT A FRONT TIRE. SOME TIRES HAVE DEFLATED DUE TO CONTACT WITH A BROKEN SPRING.

DEALERS WILL NOTIFIY CUSTOMERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE A SPRING GUARD INSTALLED ON BOTH FRONT STRUTS TO PREVENT TIRE PUNCTURE AND REPLACE ANY BROKEN SPRINGS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 18, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZE

Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

Campaign 98V042000 | 20/02/1998

THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE UNEXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH OR PROPERTY DAMAGE.

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER ASSEMBLIES (EXCEPT THE HANDLE GRIP).

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Compare Subaru Outback

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Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28