2019 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1277 complaints
1277
Total Complaints
10,200mi
Median Mileage
Electrical System
Top Issue
48
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

5,000 25th Percentile
10,200 Median Mileage
22,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System
352
Visibility/Wiper
326
Unknown Or Other
201
Windshield
59
Engine
37
Steering
35
Body
27
Vehicle Speed Control
23
Fuel/Propulsion System
21
Warnings
21

Severity Assessment

48
Crashes
3
Fires
34
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

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

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.

Electrical System 352 complaints
25th: 6,000 mi Median: 11,300 mi 75th: 21,885 mi
Visibility/Wiper 326 complaints
25th: 4,700 mi Median: 10,000 mi 75th: 16,700 mi
Unknown Or Other 201 complaints
25th: 3,450 mi Median: 9,000 mi 75th: 18,847 mi
Windshield 59 complaints
25th: 13,000 mi Median: 26,000 mi 75th: 39,000 mi
Engine 37 complaints
25th: 3,000 mi Median: 9,300 mi 75th: 26,313 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 180 TX: 97 NC: 71 NY: 64 WA: 58 PA: 53 CO: 49 MI: 44 NJ: 42 VA: 42

Who Files Complaints?

1.3%
Original Owners
98.7%
Second+ Owners

Subaru Outback — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
19965719
1997947
199816513
199915022
200024722
200120718
200217114
20031167
200410816
200535320
200640412
200718217
200827712
20091412
201046620
201185135
201236718
201340334
201427526
201563336
201675737
2017109155
201896242
2020112237
202139416
202252118
202311815
20241119
2025879

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Structure
Campaign 19V493000 | 26/06/2019
In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.
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.
Fuel Pump
Campaign 21V587000 | 29/07/2021
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Fuel Pump
Campaign 20V218000 | 16/04/2020
If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.

Maintain Your Electrical System

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
  • Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
  • Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
  • Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
  • Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom

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