Body Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

2025 Subaru Outback was parked in the garage. The high temperature for the day was in the upper 80's. The temperature on the thermometer in the garage was 85. The car had been parked in the garage after the drive home from work for over 3 hours. I heard a noise in the garage and the sunroof had exploded outward. I had not been hit by any debris and it was not damaged. The glass was still crackling as I walked up and took a video. It looked like a miniature volcano with the upward, circular ridge of glass. It was towed to the dealership and their initial response was they did not think the factory warranty or extended warranty will cover it. I have 35,000 miles on the vehicle. Began to investigate known issues with the Subaru and discovered this has been happening to other Subaru's and manufacturer's.

I purchased a car from middletown Nissan on may 24, 2025. The car was assured to have all these different safety checks so far it had to have the power steering pump replaced twice the power steering lines replaced all new control arms a new bearing brand new back brakes which include rotors and pads, and four new tires when the tires were put on they found that the car had significant damage in the subframe from rotting there are holes in it. The car was at the dealership several times for different problems and they never disclose this problem. They basically told me it was my fault when I’ve had the car for two months that the frame is completely rotted. The car is clunking and not driving mechanically the way it should.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The driver’s side door opened while on the highway going 60-65. All doors were properly closed upon departure, and the door randomly opened. The doors were locked, so it stayed partially latched but ajar with the open door light suddenly coming on. It was a safety issue because it terrified me and I had to quickly pull over to close it/ assess what just happened. I will take the car to the dealership ASAP to report and have the latches inspected.

The front subframe on my 2015 Subaru 3. 6r has rapidly rusted in a few years to the point of a safety concern. The vehicle is lightly driven, with 91,000 miles on it after almost 10 years. We live in the northeast. I take this car in for regular inspections and service every six months and the service center I work with has not alerted me of any issues until this past March when they found the subframe almost completely rotted in the middle. Subaru has had similar issues subject to recalls for the rear subframe. Notably, my rear subframe does not have this issue. Evidence is available that this is exact issue is happening to many cars in this generation, found upon scanning forums such as reddit [xxx] and the Subaruoutback. Org owners forum [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Sunroof shattered while driving 45mph on a city street. It was not hit by anything we could see, nor was there any debris flying in the air. We pulled over and took a photo. I called the dealership who said to call Subaru USA to start a case, but of course their offices are closed for the weekend.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Parasitic battery drain when vehicle is turned off. The dcm module in these vehicles will not shut off properly and continue to drain the battery. Subaru has firmware on the vehicle that will not fully charge the battery when driving to save fuel. The vehicle has had 6 or more instances over the past two weeks where the car was undriveable unless jumped from another vehicle or a boost device is used.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

My sunroof glass just shattered spontaneously while I was driving. Thankfully the door was closed or me and my daughter would have been showered by glass while in the road. Nothing hit the car , I just heard a loud bang over my heard and when I stopped to see what happened my sunroof was in pieces!.

2015 Subaru Outback premium. Took in to a very helpful local Subaru dealer and they discovered that the front subframe has rusted out seemingly prematurely. The vehicle just turned 10 years old with and upon doing research it seems to be a widely known commonly occurring problem. Would be handy if Subaru of America could do a recall on the front subframe as it is a very high cost repair to have it done correctly with the safest outcome.

On 08/17/17 I purchased a new Outback off a Subaru dealers' lot. The fall of 2023 I noticed rust starting on the column portion of the driver's side door. It is on the car interior, above the window. This is a highly unusual area for rust to start. Typically rust starts on the bottom of a car, not 2/3 of the way up from the bottom. I was told by the dealership that it was not covered under warranty, and I was on my own. On 10/22/24 I went to an autobody shop to have the rust repaired. I was told that based off of the bubbling that was occurring on the rust, the rust is not surface rust but occurring on the interior of the door. He said that this was a flaw in production as this should not be occurring. This is evident by the fact that there is no rust on any of the other doors or anywhere else on the car. I called the Subaru dealership and had them look at it. They did not have an autobody shop but the appointment clerk submitted a request for a review to Subaru of americ. The outcome of the review was a rejection due to being beyond the warranty of the car. This was a production error. I drove out of the lot with a defective door. This resulted in the door being completely rusted on the interior as is evident by the rust through on the interior of the door. Also, the rust is now presenting itself on the bottom seam. To have this patched is a waste of money as the whole door interior is rusted. I am concerned about the integrity of the door. If I was t-boned or in a roll-over accident, would this door provide the safety I am expecting from a fairly new car? I believe it will crumble in a pile of rust. Subaru is aware of this issue as there are a couple of forums about this reoccurring problem. I hope enough people file a complaint so some action can be taken to keep us safe. I am now forced to pay out $3,368. 53 in order to replace the door so I and my passengers have the safest auto construction this car should offer. Car is available.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Defective windshields. The vehicle has been in my possession for 4 years. During these 4 years I've had 5 windshield replacements. 2 of which have been from rocks. 3 of which I have no idea what caused the damage, it seemingly happened out of nowhere while driving. This is well known (but not well dealt with) issue with Subaru vehicles with eyesight. People on multiple forums have the same issue, as do many people I know personally. Its a shame nothing has been done about this despite countless reports and complaints. This is a safety hazard.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The dealer found significant rusting on the front subframe and some on the rear subframe. The front was enough there's a hole in it. I was told it was not safe to drive as it would not hold in an accident.

When I drove on the highway 90 on oct 5th, 2024, my windshield suddenly cracked.

On [xxx] clay Subaru in norwood, MA told me that my 2011 Subaru Outback has front subframe rot. Supposedly they do a 100 point inspection every oil change, which is performed every 6 or so months, yet this problem was first report last October! the car had only 81,616 miles on it. (now it has 82,000ish) the dealer claims it will cost $5368. 96 to fix the car and that the subframe needs fixing within 12 months. No warning lights have appeared. I've owned the car since 2017. It had 39,371 miles on it when bought & had been serviced and sold by this same dealer with only one owner it was in pristine condition, according to an independent mechanic that inspected it before I bought it. All my oil changes are done at the same dealer, yet the problem was not identified before. This is a vehicle made for off road travel (which I have not done) and for winter weather. Why is the subframe rotting? reedit reports that there are at least 200 others that have reported the same problem to you for cars of this same year! please advise!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Continues issue with windshield cracks, cracks will spread over night across the windshield. Car windshield will be replaced for a fourth time on [xxx]. I initially replaced it with in a year of purchase in north carolina and will replace for a third time here in san diego at the dealer kearny mesa Subaru address 4797 convoy st. San diego, CA 92111 phone number 858-278-7100. Kearny mesa has replaced my windshield for the last two times, first time was in spring of 2022, second time was in February 2024 and now again for a third time tomorrow [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

1. The Subaru Outback oem windshield has cracked and had to be replaced 3 times, so we are currently on our 4th windshield in just 2 years. The car has about 50k miles on it. 2. It is difficult to see through a broken windshield and puts us and others in danger. 3. Yes, the dealer has admitted that Subaru Outback windshields crack frequently and nothing has been done about it. 4. The manufacturer has ignored the issue. 5. No warnings that the windshield would break this frequently.

The car flashed “eye sight off” before flickering and shutting off while I was braking at a stop light. I tried putting my car into park and then turning it off and restarting it but it would not turn back on. I tried this a few more times but I was in the middle lane of a heavily trafficked street. The steering wheel was locked and I was not able to immediately remove it from the road and maybe an hour later it was able to be shifted into neutral and moved out of the street. However, it would still not turn on and when I did open my power gate, the gate would not secure closed. I took it to the dealership that I purchased it at and where it is also regularly serviced (with the last service date only over one week ago,) and they were not able to determine what happened but instead mentioned that my car had no internal data of any errors occurring and that the car was able to be started when they serviced it. I took a picture of the dash as it was flashing with all of the error codes and submitted that to the tech that was working on my car, but they asked me if I’d had someone “clear my codes” which is not something I’m familiar with or even capable of doing- I don’t even know anyone that would be capable of doing that for me. The whole ordeal cost me a day of work and now my peace of mind as I am unsure of if this may happen again and now I am worried it may happen while my kids are in the car. I’ve had similar issues with my center console messing up but nothing as urgent as my whole car shutting down and my steering wheel locking in the middle of traffic.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Bought vehicle from carvana, immediately noticed transmission shudder issues when driving near 50 mph. Brought vehicle in to multiple repair facilities. It had warped brakes, bad calipers, needed a new torque converter at least and the repair shop recommended a total transmission replacement. The whole vehicle shakes when driving near that speed or braking.

The subframe has deteriorated beyond repair. This is our sixth Subaru Outback, either owned or leased, all in the same geographic area, housed 90% of the time in a covered garage. This is not normal wear and tear. The vehicle is dangerous, as inspected by a local independent service center that has serviced the car regularly for years. I have reported this to Subaru corporate, citing that the substandard quality of the subframe has been a known issue on Subaru Outback earlier models and received a reply that Subaru would assume no responsibility whatsoever. There was no warning whatsoever. The issue was discovered during a routine service visit. The problem appeared in late July 2024. I attempted to contact Subaru two times with no response. I finally received a response in late October 2024.

Driver door interior, DE-bonding of the horizontal crash protection from the outer door panel. Online research indicates this is a common issue.

Windshield just cracked on its own. My vehicle was just sitting in my backyard nothing around my vehicle. A day latter I went outside I noticed the windshield was cracked nothing touched the windshield it just cracked on its own.

On 30may2024 while accelerating to travel speed (45 mph) on a rural maine highway, the little used glass moon roof of our 2021 Subaru Outback touring with 24,100 miles on the odometer exploded with a huge, shocking bang!. Weather was clear and bright, wind ~5 mph, temperature about 68ºf, no traffic. We never saw or heard anything strike the car, either from the road or falling down from the trees at or prior to this incident. We had the interior shade closed so no glass fell into passenger compartment thankfully. Upon inspection at the road side and discovery of the problem, the glass panel had a large hole in the middle and the edges of the remaining glass looked like it had been blown upward.

Two times already the driver side door of the 2024 Subaru Outback opened while driving. One time it was on the freeway, at freeway speeds. The second time happened today 4/6/2024 while driving on a city street. Both times once the vehicle was in motion, there was no indication, no chime, or anything that suggested that the door latch wasn't closed. To be specific, the door actually opened, free from the latch. This was concerning and a safety issue especially when this happened on the freeway, as I was on the left lane. I was able to safely pull to the right and close the door. No lights, no warnings. Nothing.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Car exhaust inside the vehicle when driving at low speeds, idling, or parked into the cab of the vehicle. Only way to stop the exhaust fumes is to use the recirculate interior air. Rear hatch hydraulics are failing, hatch will not open completely and partially shuts when opened. When driving very loud squeaking from vehicle.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

While traveling at highway speeds (75 mph) the hood release mechanism released causing the hood to lift several inches. While the manual release kept the hood from opening completely, I had to immediately pull to the shoulder and firmly close the hood.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owned a 2024 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated after the crash. The contact sustained a concussion and the driver of the other vehicle sustained a knee injury. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The driver received medical attention. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000.

The hood popped open at 35 mph causing loss of sight. I was in traffic and luckily was able to pull the car off the road. I am taking it to the dealer as soon as I can get an appointment. There were no warning lights or messages prior. I will secure the hood with something before I drive it to the dealer. If I had been driving on the interstate I am sure the hood would have smashed into windshield. I consider this a very dangerous problem.

I have maintained my 2011 Outback well, and in August of 2023, while driving the vehicle, I lost the brakes. I had to fully depress the brake pedal to the floor in order to stop, fortunately not hitting the car in front of me . I brought the car to my local mechanic who advised me that the brake line rusted and failed as a result. As he was making the brake line repair, he advised me that there is severe rusting to my underbody of my car and it's not normal. I then contacted Subaru corporate customer service who asked me to bring the car into a Subaru repair facility to have the car inspected. I brought the car into ramsey Subaru, and with a charge of $150 to inspect the car, they advised me that the rust is significant and is unsafe to drive. They proceeded to quote me an estimated repair bill of over $6,000 to correct the rust issues. I then contacted Subaru corporate hq (case #231011-1901134) and they advised me that the car is old, and there's nothing that they can do to assist me. However, what I'd like to bring to your attention, is the Outback model up to 2010, had a brake line rusting issue and they had a recall on it. In addition, when you search for 'rust on Subaru" you can see that previous models years have been identified with body frame rusting issues, that prompted a recall on previous models. My ask is? have you be contacted by other 2011 Subaru Outback owners about severe rust issues, and as a result lost their brakes and were told there car in no longer safe to drive?.

Pressed the button on the electronic liftgate to have it raise. Half way through raising, it beeped 3 times and started closing. Had 3 dogs in the back of the vehicle and the lift gate started to close on one of them. I put my left arm underneath to stop it from closing where the lift gate put a lot of pressure on my forearm. The lift gate stopped and I was able to push it back up. Injury seems to be minor but will have it checked. Feels like it impacted the nerves going to the thumb and pointing finger. This is not the first time we had lift gate issues and have multiple videos demonstrating the problems at hand. This is the first time it actually caused injury.

The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Outback. The contact stated there was a clunking sound coming from the front suspension location and the vehicle started feeling unstable while driving approximately 30 mph. The steering wheel began to sway towards the left causing the contact to use excessive force to steer the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the front subframe had fractured due to severe corrosion and needed to be replaced along with the front suspension. The front subframe and suspension was repaired; however, while doing so the dealer further diagnosed that the rear subframe and suspension had severe corrosion. The rear subframe and suspension was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

The rear driver side door popped open so as to be not fully closed, but not fully open (door not fully secure/ajar) while driving. The vehicle was being driven on a highway with speed no more than 55 mph, exiting an off ramp and approaching a stop light. When the brakes were depressed to ease into the off ramp stop there was a loud pop and the instrument panel displayed the door open warning for the drivers side rear door. It was necessary to fully stop the vehicle and re-secure the door from the outside. There were no passengers in the rear seat during this occurrence. The dealer inspected the door hinges observing no abnormalities and was not able to reproduce the error when test driving the vehicle.

This incident occurred on January 20, 2023. I was driving alone on I-73 in greensboro, nc. It was around 5:45 am and was about 40 degrees outside. I had no vehicles in front of me and a very large separation to the vehicles in the oncoming traffic direction. The car was still new as it only had 4k miles on it. I was driving at 65mph merging onto I-73. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like an explosion followed by what sounded like flapping and "pebbles hitting roof" sound. I knew something had broken so I pulled off the road. My moonroof had shattered. I took pictures while I was trying to determine my next step. There was a hole in the center and part of the right side of the glass. I did not have any way to contain the damage when it was put on the flat bed trailer to take it to the dealership. I dropped by the dealership later that day. The hole had grown significantly while being towed to the dealer (wind damage expanded the hole). The dealership said it was the second Outback they had seen that week for an exploding moonroof. They stated it would not be covered under warranty, but they did replace it as a one-time goodwill gesture. Searching online, this seems to be way more common of an experience than it should be with Subaru Outbacks. If I had had the interior closeout panel open, I would have been covered in glass. I feel this was not damage induced by any impact as there were no cars near me within at least 100 yards in any direction.

Retractable sun roof exploded/disintegrated while vehicle was under power on an open road . Photo of damage exceeds the maximum size for uploading. Can be transmitted by email if desired.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at a low rate of speed, the trim on the front, driver side door began to detach from vehicle. A few days, the front passenger side door also experienced the same failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the trim for both doors were reattached; however, the failure had returned on the front, driver side door. The contact reached out to the manufacturer online and completed a survey. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

While driving on 55mph road, sunroof suddenly shattered for no apparent reason (no sudden impact from rock or other debris), producing a loud bang, startling driver. Driver momentarily swerved due to being startled by noise from next to head before correcting. No other cars were around on the road at the time and driver is sure no rocks or other objects fell onto sunroof (covered by rooftop cargo box, no trees near street to drop debris). Pieces of glass went upwards and ended up on roof of vehicle.

My daughter was concerned with the car making strange squeaking sounds on turning and braking and so I met her where her car was parked in a lot and drove it for less than 1 minute and could tell something was very wrong and that it didn't seem safe to drive home. My husband came to check as well and zeroed in on the problem being the front driver's side tire/suspension. Fortunately the Subaru dealership was less than . 5 away and my husband drove it there (with flashers on). It was determined by the dealership that the subframe had rusted through (we have photos uploaded below) and a new one was ordered and replaced within the week. The materials and labor for that alone cost $1944. 37. Control arm bushings, rear toe arms, and alignment were also completed. The total cost of the repair was $3281. 14.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.