2021 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 394 complaints
394
Total Complaints
3,250mi
Median Mileage
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Top Issue
16
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

932 25th Percentile
3,250 Median Mileage
14,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
97
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
68
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
58
ENGINE
19
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
17
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
17
AIR BAGS
15
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
13
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
12
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
10

Severity Assessment

16
Crashes
2
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I HAD THE CAR ONLY 10 DAYS FROM THE DEALERSHIP, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY HEADING TO AN EVENT WHEN WE HEARD A CRACK, I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS A HORIZONTAL CRACK HEADING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD."
"I HAD THE CAR ONLY 10 DAYS FROM THE DEALERSHIP, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY HEADING TO AN EVENT WHEN WE HEARD A CRACK, I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS A HORIZONTAL CRACK HEADING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD."
"I HAD THE CAR ONLY 10 DAYS FROM THE DEALERSHIP, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY HEADING TO AN EVENT WHEN WE HEARD A CRACK, I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS A HORIZONTAL CRACK HEADING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD."

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