Equipment Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

I am reporting a serious and intermittent steering safety issue with my 2021 Subaru Outback. On two separate occasions, the vehicle suddenly lost what appeared to be power-steering assistance while the vehicle was in motion, causing the steering wheel to become extremely difficult to turn. The first incident occurred while I was driving on the highway and going down a ramp. The steering suddenly became extremely difficult to operate and a warning symbol illuminated on the dashboard. I was able to maintain enough control of the vehicle to safely pull over to the side of the road. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it, and the warning light disappeared and normal steering operation returned. The second incident occurred while I was making a turn into a neighbor. The same problem occurred: the steering suddenly became extremely difficult to turn and a warning light appeared on the dashboard. After turning the vehicle off and restarting it, the steering returned to normal. The intermittent nature of this problem is concerning because restarting the vehicle temporarily restores normal steering, but the failure has now occurred more than once without warning. One of the incidents occurred while traveling on the highway, creating a significant risk of loss of vehicle control and a collision. I am concerned that this may involve the vehicle’s electric power-steering system or related electrical components. I am reporting this to NHTSA because a sudden loss of steering assistance while a vehicle is moving presents a serious safety risk, particularly while turning or traveling at highway speeds. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and evaluate whether similar steering failures have been reported by other owners of 2021 Subaru Outback vehicles.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The Subaru's starlink radio has completely delaminated on the layer between the display and the digitizer, which does not allow the radio to be controlled in any way, shape, or form. This means that the touch screen is not working anymore, and because the radio is so delaminated, whenever the car is put into reverse during the daytime, the backup camera is nowhere near visible enough to be seen safely. The radio delaminated to the point where it was unusable after the 100k-mile warranty period. At the start of the issue, the radio developed a ghost touch on the bottom-left corner of the screen, and during a bluetooth phone call, it would repeatedly hang up the phone, leading to distraction while driving.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The original equipment yokohama avid gt tires experienced rapid, catastrophic structural degradation (extreme inner-edge wear and chunking of the exterior edge over ~7,000 mi. ). I have photos of the tires, and carr Subaru (beaverton, or) has one of the tires available for inspection. I am the original owner of this vehicle. It has been regularly serviced at the appropriate intervals by the dealership where it was purchased in November 2022. At ~15,000 mi. , the tires were rotated and the alignment was adjusted by the dealership. Between 15,000 and 22,000 mi. , the tires completely wore through. When I noticed the wear, I brought the car to the dealership to replace the tires, check the alignment, and check whether there might be other issues contributing to the tire degradation. According to the service department, the alignment was within spec when the car arrived, but the inner tread was completely smooth, the outer tread was coming apart, and the tires "were within 1,000 miles of a blowout. " I regularly transport my children in this vehicle on the steep, windy, rainy roads of [xxx]. If the tires had blown out or lost traction due to wear, my family, cyclists, pedestrians, or I could have been badly injured or killed. Additionally, on the morning before I discovered the extreme tire wear, I drove my wife and children 45 mi. On xxx from [xxx] to [xxx]. If the tire had blown out when we were going 65 mph on the heavily-traveled highway, it could have been catastrophic for us and other motorists. On xxx, I reported the incident to Subaru of America (case #xxx). I shared photographs of the tires and service records with Subaru of America. On xxx, carr Subaru -- a representative of the manufacturer -- inspected the tires, confirmed the extreme wear, and reserved a tire for inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The tires were deemed fit ~7,000 mi. Ago. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The infotainment touchscreen in my 2018 Subaru Outback has developed severe internal delamination and persistent phantom or ghost touches. The screen randomly changes navigation routes, places telephone calls, changes audio selections, and moves between menus without driver input. These events create substantial distraction while the vehicle is moving. The condition has now progressed to the point that the rear backup-camera image is obscured and cannot be reliably viewed when the vehicle is placed in reverse. The camera activates, but the defective, delaminated display and make the image unusable. Subaru previously extended warranty coverage for the harman gen. 3 head unit under service bulletin 15-263-20, but Subaru has denied my request for replacement. This creates a risk of a backing collision because the driver cannot reliably use the rearview image. It also creates continuing driver distraction from uncontrolled navigation, audio, and telephone activity. No collision has occurred to date, but the system has caused repeated distracting incidents and can no longer be relied upon for rear visibility.

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See attached letter.

2018 Subaru Outback infotainment center glass delamination causing the system to come on by itself start malfunctioning switching between channels or apps and potentially startle / distract the driver. Incident has been ongoing for over 8 months. .

This is an odometer fraud situation. The car was reported at 187,062 with photo documentation on 4/17/2026 via a mechanics office. It was then reported at 104,332 during a CO emissions test inspection. I called to verify the mileage reported from the mechanics office and they sent me a photo from 4/17/2026 of the odometer reading 187,062. This car has been rolled back!.

My 2021 Subaru Outback suffered a failure of the oil control valve (ocv), a sealed Subaru component with no maintenance interval, no inspection procedure, and no preventative service. This failure allowed engine oil to migrate into multiple wiring harnesses and modules, causing extensive electrical contamination. This is not normal wear and tear. It is a latent defect in a Subaru component. Due to the failure of this sealed component the Subaru dealership and a second independant shop have recommended replacing the entire electrical wiring harness at over and estimated $15,000. Even if the entire harness is repalaced the extensive contamination may find its way into electrical connectors even after replacement of the harness. The fact that this contamination was so wide spread, and there were absolutly no warnings that indicated the widespread contamination is alarming. I guess the thought is that different electrical components could just stop working. This seems like a serious safety concern. It is impossible to know how long the contamination was spreading through the car since there are no errors or warnings that indicated an issue.

Came out to car on the morning of July 1, 2026 and found windshield had cracked from the very bottom of the windshield (no impacts). This is the third windshield I will be putting in this car. Original windshield was replaced by Subaru 4/25 2025 for the same exact problem. 2015 &16 Outbacks had a settlement filed as did the 20-23 Subarus. This is a known problem. These cracks limit visibility, interfere with all other safety systems: lane change, cruise control, visibility, auto brake for emergency and other related safety systems. I could not go with aftermarket windshields (safelite) because Subaru said they would not cover any malfunctions with the eyesight system unless it was Subaru glass. I have contacted my Subaru dealer and they said Subaru will more than likely not cover it. Their glass was put in by them 15 months ago and this not the result of a chip or impact. Came out in the morning and it was cracked. Go to any Subaru owners web sites and you will see this is a reoccurring, known problem for almost all Subaru models. How can safety items like windshields ( which affects all other safety systems) not fall under nthb?? so class action lawsuits cover the two prior years and the next three model years, but not 2017?? jsame glass, same manufacturer, same know problem.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Vehicle stalled out, stopped and promptly caught fire.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

This is my fourth Subaru Outback windshield. The car has 80k. I had it replaced in 2019 when a rock hit the screen by safelight. I had another crack (no rock) fixed in July 2021 and another crack (unclear source) fixed in August 2025, both by Subaru. This weekend I got my fourth crack in the windshield, no rock. The last two times, the crack extended across the screen. This time the crack is so bad, it is hard to drive. Each time Subaru fixes my windshield, it is $1100. I don't know anyone who has broken a windshield, never mind four of them. There was a lawsuit but for some reason it did not include cars older than 2020.

On June 15th 2026, I was at a red light and the auto start-stop feature shut off the engine. When light turned green, my car lost power and started rolling downhill. During this rolling downhill, the brakes stopped working, I was unable to engage parking brake, and I wasn't able to do anything except find a place to safely use gravity to slow the vehicle down. If the hill was steeper, this scenario could have been deadly. It was so scary, I called 911 for assistance but got lucky I was able to stop the car before there was an accident. It turns out the battery didn't have enough power to allow the vehicle to restart and if this happens when the auto start-stop feature is engage you lose the ability to use the brakes. I spoke to the local dealership and acknowledge that is a problem.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I am writing to report a severe, escalating safety defect regarding the "ghost touching" / phantom input malfunction of the infotainment head unit on my Subaru Outback. This electronic defect has escalated from a minor distraction into a severe hazard that directly compromises the operational safety features of the vehicle, putting myself and my children at imminent risk of a crash. When this problem initially began, I investigated whether a safety recall had been issued. At that time, I was informed that my vehicle was outside of its standard warranty coverage period. Since then, the defect has degenerated significantly. The system now suffers from continuous, uncontrollable phantom inputs ("ghost touching"). Even when I manually power the radio off, the system overrides my command, turns itself back on, and initiates constant, rapid beep sequences. This continuous, high-volume auditory glitch creates a dangerous critical safety failure: the nonstop beeping totally masks and completely drowns out the vehicle's actual auditory collision avoidance and driver-assist safety alerts. Because of this defect, I am entirely unable to hear the safety tones meant to warn me of immediate hazards, including blind-spot detection alerts, lane-departure warnings, and cross-traffic alerts. This vehicle has become an active hazard to drive, as I am deprived of the core safety features I rely on to protect my family. I contacted Subaru of America to resolve this dangerous equipment failure, but they refused to offer any financial assistance or repair support. Subaru corporate documented this refusal under Subaru case #260603-1600711. Because Subaru refuses to address a known component failure that actively disables crash-avoidance warning systems, I am petitioning the NHTSA to investigate this defect as a systemic safety hazard before it results in severe injuries or a fatal accident. I can share video, but it won't allow me to upload down below. Thank you.

I am repeatedly getting a pop-up ad from sirius xm radio on my touch screen info center on the dashboard. I cannot use any of the other on-screen commands until I cancel it, and the x to cancel. It is in a place that's kind of far away from the driver side and difficult to reach. And it's very distracting. There's evidently a way to opt out of it, but you have to have a sirius xm radio account in order to do that. And I don't think it's reasonable to expect somebody to provide personal information to opt out of a service. This is a dangerous and distracting item that needs to end.

See all problems of the 2025 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Sirius xm advertisement popped up twice today while I was driving, effectively preventing me from following navigation guidance on the screen. I had to take my eyes off the road and find the “x” on the screen to close the advertisement, so I could continue following the navigated route. An accident could have happened during this time. This advertisement is unnecessary and unwanted. I never approved of receiving sirius xm ads, nor can I option out of receiving them and they take up the whole screen at random times.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Outback 🔎.

While driving, a siriusxm advertisement popped up in the center infotainment screen that controls not only the radio, but several of the driver assistance and climate control features of the car. They created it in a way that makes calling the advertiser very easy, with a big centrally-located button, and clearing the advertisement out with a tiny x over by the passenger side of the screen. I had to pull over in order to safely regain control of the screen.

Sirius xm ads keep popping up at random times removing the ability to use or see the media display unless you press the small x on the far side away from the driver. Usually happens when starting the car, sometimes happens when you are driving regardless of speed. Has happened multiple times and causes distraction and is more than potentially dangerous. Can not opt out of it on the car, have talked to sirius on the phone and told them I do not want their service. They don't care.

A message from siriusxm pops up on the screen from which every system of the vehicle is controlled. That screen is then inoperable until that advertisement is closed by hitting a button in an unsafe location on the screen relative to the driver. This has been harshening to me every time I’ve started the car over the last 2 days.

On multiple occasions, the car's onboard, factory-installed user interface system (the computer screen that operates climate control, navigation, entertainment, etc. ) has pushed pop-up ads for sirius fm. These pop-ups persist and interfere with operating of the system. This presents a driving distraction and hazard due to (1) operator attention is drawn from the road, (2) normal function of the screen is not possible, and (3) the operator is required to interact with the screen to close the pop-up. Nor does the screen expire and simply go away - it persists until the operator takes action. The marketing cannot be turned off and there is no opt. Also, it is not limited to siriusfm customers - I have never been a user or subscriber. Sirius fm stated that the pop-up marketing is built into the software the Subaru installed in the vehicle.

There is a promotional pop up which shows from sirius xm, it appears several minutes into driving, while moving. This pop up advertises a deal on the subscription and is not only distracting, but it disables any other functions on the head unit including navigation assistance, drive modes and climate controls. The only way to exit from the promotional window is to clock an x which is nearly out of reach for the driver to press.

Before I begin my commute, I’m greeted by a persistent message within the center infotainment display from the satellite radio service provider sirusxm. The message will not go away until manually closed out, as the exit button is farther away from the drivers reach (more accessible from the passenger side). This can lead to distracted driving, especially if you’ve already expressed no interest in the service, prior to its other attempts. It also doesn’t help that the center console is frustratingly non responsive for the first few minutes during every vehicle startup. There’s also a number displayed on the screen to call sirusxm to opt out of the messages but the attempt is useless as they will corner you into purchasing subscription. I shouldn’t have to do this for a vehicle I own and the monopoly that service presents as the only satellite provider is anti competition.

I was driving and an ad for siriusxm popped up. This has happened before. This disables thr head unit until you press the c button. This is dangerous. Please address with Subaru.

I am reporting a severe saftey and crash-compatibility defect on the front passenger side of the 2026 Subaru Outback premium trim. This vehicle is equipped with a fixed-height passenger seat that is positioned unsafely high relative to the headliner and sun visor assembly. Because the seat height cannot be lowered, an adult passenger of average height sits with their head in immediate proximity to the sun visor. Under standard deployment of the vehicle brakes, forward occupant kinematics cause the passenger’s forehead to travel collide into the rigid, unyielding lower edge of the sun visor, which act as a hard/sharp parts cut the forehead and twisting the neck seriously. During a recent braking event, this lack of structural clearance caused a direct head-strike incident. The occupant’s forehead collided with the sharp bottom edge of the visor, acting as a blunt knife edge that resulted in a laceration to the forehead and a hyper-extension strain injury to the neck. This is a critical design failure where occupant safety clearance envelope was poorly designed for this elevated fixed-seat configuration. In a high-speed collision, this layout poses an imminent risk of severe facial trauma, skull fractures, or catastrophic cervical spine injuries from the visor before the seatbelt pre-tensioner can fully lock. This requires immediate investigation and a mandatory safety recall to provide height-adjustable/lower seat frames to affected vehicles.

More than 3 times, I have had a siriusxm pop-up completely covering my Subaru Outback's headunit screen while I was actively driving. It completely disables all functions on the screen until you are able to click the small red x in the far right corner, away from the driver. Even though the message says you can call to opt out, if you call sirius, they will tell you there is no way to opt out of the messages in the car. This is crazy unsafe, and sirius needs to be forbidden from doing this and punished for its current actions.

I have a suburu Outback 2026. . I was driving 30 mph on a country highway in monroe, michigan when my sun roof tempered glass window exploded upward. . . It sounded like a shotgun went off in my car… the suburu warranty claim was rejected… they determined it as “outside influence”… that caused my sun roof window to implode… if this had happened on a highway, it may have caused a serious injury accident. Since that time, I have researched to see if other people have experienced similar incidents. . It appears that sun roof spontaneous explosions are not uncommon. This is why I am reaching out to you.

The driver’s side mirror vibrates excessively at speeds above 20 mph, causing the reflected image to become blurry and difficult to focus. This creates a safety hazard during lane changes and especially at night, when blurred headlight/taillight reflections make it hard to judge the distance and speed of approaching vehicles. I brought this to the dealership’s attention and was told the vibration is normal, but I believe this significantly impairs the mirror’s intended safety function under real driving conditions.

After highway driving for 50 miles, stopped for a red light. Engine died but all lights stayed on. Sat 5 minutes with dead engine and when I tried again, the car started. Drove 1 mile to next light and it happened again. Went to auto zone (it was a Sunday and dealerships were closed) and they tested the battery which was 100%. Two days later, drove car for 10 minutes then parked for errand; 15 minutes later, car wouldn't start. Let it sit for a minute and it started right up. This happened 8 months ago (engine died at stop light after having been driven 30+ miles) but Subaru dealership could find nothing wrong. Also, radio speakers randomly will blast so loud it startles and distracts everyone in the car.

On may 16, 2026, I was driving approximately 65 mph northbound on the glenn highway near anchorage, alaska, in my 2025 Subaru Outback wilderness. Traffic was light, and there were no vehicles within approximately 150 yards of my vehicle. Without warning, my wife and I heard a loud bang followed immediately by the sound of rattling glass. The factory-installed moonroof suddenly shattered while the vehicle was traveling at highway speed. I did not observe any object strike the vehicle, and there were no nearby vehicles or adverse weather conditions that would explain the failure. Fortunately, the interior moonroof shade was closed. Had it been open, shattered glass could have fallen directly onto the driver and passenger, potentially causing eye injuries, distraction, or loss of vehicle control while traveling at highway speed. After safely pulling over, I documented the damage with photographs and contacted continental Subaru of anchorage two days later to schedule a warranty inspection. When I brought the vehicle to the dealership on may 28, the warranty claim was dismissed before any inspection findings were explained to me. I was ultimately told that Subaru does not cover shattered moonroof glass under warranty and that only cracked glass may be covered. I was directed to file an insurance claim instead. I asked the dealership to identify evidence of an external impact that would explain the failure, but no impact point or other physical evidence was shown to me. I was required to pay for replacement of the moonroof despite the vehicle having only approximately 30,000 miles. I am submitting this report because a spontaneous failure of a factory-installed moonroof while driving at highway speed presents a significant safety hazard. I am also aware of numerous publicly reported incidents involving similar sudden moonroof failures in Subaru Outback vehicles, which I believe warrant further investigation.

The entertainment system is dangerous and actively so. The system pushes pop up advertisements for sirius xm among other distracting features that require taking attention away from the roadway to dismiss.

We are very concerned about the failure of some very important safety features of our 2021 Subaru Outback touring edition. We were involved in a bad car accident caused by a person under the influence who was in handcuffs when we were taken away by ambulance. As you can see by the photos, there was major damage to the other car and significant damage to ours. What is most concerning is the fact that none of the airbags deployed and the safety and security plan also failed - it did not call 911. I had to find my phone on the floorboard and call 911 myself. I am not sure if the insurance company will call it a total loss but I really don't think I want the car back because of the failures of these very important safety features. I truly feel like Subaru has some explaining to do on this.

First battery drain in car. Bought a new battery and it drained again for the second time. Called suburu to ask about a parasitic drain from the dcm and they said it was likely that and told me to call suburu America. Did that but they wanted me to take it to a suburu dealer to get the problem verified. I don’t have the $ to do that. I notice there is a class action in court right now for this exact problem.

The front passenger window does not work correctly all the time. The driver is not able to put the window up when pressing button on driver’s side and the passenger needs to keep pressing button to have it go back up again. So if the driver puts the window down while driving, the driver cannot put it back up. It occurs every few months. It’s such a common problem that there are many sites on you tube on how to fix it. It is known on you tube that it happens with Subaru often.

Driving slowly in a parking lot, I applied the brakes as I approached a parking space. Instead of slowing down, the car inexplicably accelerated quickly and did not respond to increased pressure on the brakes. The car was propelled into a metal post, resulting in my glasses flying off and a seat belt bruise, although the airbag did not deploy. I was examined by ambulance personnel at the scene. The car was towed, inspected by an insurance adjuster and eventually declared a total loss. There were no warning lamps prior to the incident and no reproduction of the incident was possible due to damage. The car has been relinquished to the insurance company. This was the first such incident occurring during 8 years of driving this vehicle.

Our Subaru backup camera screen is suffering from a factory defect delamination issue which has caused the screen to become hazy and difficult to see. In daylight, the screen is often completely obscured by the defect. Subaru issued a warranty extension from 2020 to 2023 due to class action litigation regarding this issue, but we were never made aware of the extension. Subaru has refused to repair this factory safety defect simply claiming it is out of warranty.

My car caught on fire while I was driving in 3/30/26. The far started somewhere in/near the front driver’s side, initial observed flames were coming from just above the front driver’s side tire. There were no warning lights on at the time the fire started. The car was a total loss by the time firefighters arrived.