"How reliable is the 2017 Subaru Outback?"

"Based on 1091 NHTSA complaints, the 2017 Subaru Outback has a median complaint mileage of 30000 miles. The most common issue is Electrical System."

"What are common problems with the 2017 Subaru Outback?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2017 Subaru Outback is Electrical System, accounting for a significant portion of the 1091 total complaints filed."

2017 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1091 complaints

1091

Total Complaints

30,000mi

Median Mileage

Electrical System

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

15,000 25th Percentile

30,000 Median Mileage

45,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System

379

Visibility/Wiper

205

Unknown Or Other

171

Power Train

Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Windshield

Body

Service Brakes

Steering

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"SUBARU MARKETS THEIR HIGH BEAM ASSIST (HBA) FEATURE AS WORKING 'IN CONJUNCTION WITH EYESIGHT TO AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH THE HEADLIGHTS BETWEEN THE HIGH AND LOW SETTINGS WHEN AN ONCOMING VEHICLE IS DETECTED.' THAT'S NOT ENTIRELY TRUE AND THAT'S WHERE THE SAFETY ISSUE COMES INTO PLAY. THE HBA FEATURE T..."

"FAULTY OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM. TURNS OFF AIRBAG WITH PASSENGER. TURNS ON AIRBAG AND SEATBELT CHIME WITH NO PASSENGER/WEIGHT. INTERMITTENT. BRAND NEW CAR WITH 700 MILES AND BROUGHT IN 3 TIMES TO SUBARU SANTA MONICA. SERVICE CENTER UNABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM, BUT I SENT THEM VIDEOS."

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 379 complaints

25th: 17,250 mi Median: 30,000 mi 75th: 43,391 mi

Visibility/Wiper 205 complaints

25th: 20,000 mi Median: 33,000 mi 75th: 48,000 mi

Unknown Or Other 171 complaints

25th: 14,000 mi Median: 28,000 mi 75th: 45,000 mi

Power Train 44 complaints

25th: 5,500 mi Median: 24,000 mi 75th: 41,903 mi

Engine 42 complaints

25th: 12,123 mi Median: 31,952 mi 75th: 48,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 161 WA: 65 CO: 55 VA: 54 NY: 49 TX: 48 OR: 42 NC: 40 FL: 37 IL: 33

Who Files Complaints?

1.2%

Original Owners

98.8%

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
1998	165	91,056	Engine	13
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
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

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