"How reliable is the 1996 Subaru Outback?"

"Based on 57 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Subaru Outback has a median complaint mileage of 115000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Subaru Outback?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Subaru Outback is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, accounting for a significant portion of the 57 total complaints filed."

1996 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 57 complaints

Total Complaints

115,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

87,696 25th Percentile

115,000 Median Mileage

163,711 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

STRUCTURE:BODY

WHEELS

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SERVICE BRAKES

POWER TRAIN

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WAS DRIVING HIT AN ICY SPOT, LOST CONTROL AND THE TRUCK ROLLED OVER AND HIT A DITCH. *AK"

"CONSUMER HAS NOTICED EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING WITH THE WINDOWS UP. *AK"

"THE RECEIVING PART OF THE BELT BUCKLE IS EXTENDED TOO LONG FROM THE SEAT, LEAVING A GAP WHEN A CHILD SAFETY SEAT IS PLACED IN THE VEHICLE'S BACK SEATS. *AK"

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

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