2002 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 171 complaints
171
Total Complaints
75,000mi
Median Mileage
Fuel System, Gasoline
Top Issue
14
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
40,500
25th Percentile
75,000
Median Mileage
121,500
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Fuel System, Gasoline
20
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
12
Engine And Engine Cooling
9
Vehicle Speed Control
8
Fuel/Propulsion System
8
Manual Transmission
7
Clutch Assembly
6
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
5
Engine
5
Body
4
Severity Assessment
14
Crashes
0
Fires
15
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"VEHICLE WAS IN PARK WITH ENGINE RUNNING, EMERGENCY BRAKE NOT ENGAGED. AND IT SUDDENLY WENT FORWARD, ACROSS A FIELD, INTO TREES/ FLIPPED OVER ON ITS SIDE. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS $8500.00 NO INJURIES.*AK"
"WHEN MY VEHICLES BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED WITH UNEVEN SURFACE TRACTION ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE OF THE WHEELS, THE ABS SYSTEM DELAYS AND DOES NOT ENGAGE THE BRAKES FOR 1 TO 3 SECONDS. THIS HAPPENED TODAY ON A SMOOTH SUBURBAN STREET WITH WATER CONTACTING ONLY THE RIGHT SIDE WHEELS. WHEN I WENT TO BRAK..."
"CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, AND WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN SHE APPLIED BRAKES, BUT PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND VEHICLE SLID.*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.
Fuel System, Gasoline
20 complaints
25th: 75,000 mi
Median: 85,000 mi
75th: 91,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
12 complaints
25th: 9,992 mi
Median: 30,000 mi
75th: 57,500 mi
Engine And Engine Cooling
9 complaints
25th: 74,071 mi
Median: 100,000 mi
75th: 122,250 mi
Vehicle Speed Control
8 complaints
25th: 44,500 mi
Median: 47,888 mi
75th: 71,000 mi
Fuel/Propulsion System
8 complaints
25th: 75,000 mi
Median: 129,000 mi
75th: 135,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
MA: 14
NC: 12
NY: 10
PA: 9
MI: 9
CT: 9
CO: 9
NJ: 9
CA: 8
MN: 8
Who Files Complaints?
39.2%
Original Owners
60.8%
Second+ Owners
Subaru Outback — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (5)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Fuel Pump
Campaign 13E065000 | 29/11/2013
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Airtex will notify owners, and will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Recall is expected to begin on January 2, 2014. Customers may contact Airtex at 1-800-880-3056. The recall is expected to begin during January 2014. This recall is being conducted by Airtex, not by Subaru.
Cables
Campaign 04V128000 | 16/03/2004
IF THIS OCCURS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER TAB ON THE THROTTLE SHAFT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 12, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Rear
Campaign 03V153000 | 22/04/2003
IF SUCH BREAKAGE OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL CLEAN AND RUST-PROOF THE REAR SUSPENSION SUBFRAME. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 14, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Master Cylinder
Campaign 02V079000 | 12/03/2002
AT THESE TEMPERATURES, THE BRAKES MAY NOT RELEASE AFTER BEING APPLIED, EVEN WHEN THE DRIVER'S FOOT IS NO LONGER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS CAN OCCUR WITHOUR PRIOR WARNING, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDERS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 21, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Automatic Transmission
Campaign 02V282000 | 30/10/2002
THE VEHICLE COULD THEN MOVE/ROLL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARKING ROD ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION JANUARY 8, 2003. AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT DURING NOVEMBER 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WI
General Vehicle Maintenance
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
- Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
- Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
- Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
- Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly
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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