Subaru Outback owners have reported a total of 11,952 problems for their cars built in the 31 model years listed in the chart below. The chart shows the number of problems reported across all service years for each given model year of the Subaru Outback. The 2019 Subaru Outback cars have the most problems reported (1,252 problems).
The following chart shows the 34 most common problems for Subaru Outback cars. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's electrical system (2,207 problems). The second most common problem is related to the vehicle's visibility (2,061 problems).
It would not be fair to compare the Subaru Outback of an older model year to newer model years since older vehicles have been in service longer and thus are expected to have more problems. In order to compare the reliability across Outback model years, we use the PPMY index which is defined as the problems reported per thousand vehicles per Year. A smaller PPMY index indicates greater reliability of the given model year cars.
PPMY = P / S / Y * 1000,
where P = total problems reported during the life of a Subaru Outback model year; S = total units sold of the model year; Y = years since the debut of the model year (the age of the vehicle).
The results are shown in Table 3.
| Outback Model Year | Problems | Sales [1] | Vehicle Age |
PPMY Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 513 | 169,745 | 4 | |
| 2021 | 380 | 127,900 | 5 | |
| 2020 | 1,096 | 159,306 | 6 | |
| 2019 | 1,252 | 187,800 | 7 | |
| 2018 | 946 | 185,654 | 8 | |
| 2017 | 1,084 | 228,446 | 9 | |
| 2016 | 753 | 151,558 | 10 | |
| 2015 | 636 | 152,711 | 11 | |
| 2014 | 267 | 123,074 | 12 | |
| 2013 | 387 | 118,393 | 13 | |
| 2012 | 366 | 97,632 | 14 | |
| 2011 | 840 | 138,297 | 15 | |
| 2010 | 465 | 76,584 | 16 | |
| 2009 | 143 | 38,917 | 17 | |
| 2008 | 281 | 67,432 | 18 | |
| 2007 | 177 | 44,559 | 19 | |
| 2006 | 404 | 58,801 | 20 | |
| 2005 | 348 | 82,141 | 21 |
Another way to measure the reliability across the model years of the Subaru Outback is to use the total number of problems reported during the vehicle's first year in service, as shown in the Table 4.
| Model Year | Problems Reported |
|---|---|
| 2026 Outback | |
| 2025 Outback | |
| 2024 Outback | |
| 2023 Outback | |
| 2022 Outback | |
| 2021 Outback | |
| 2020 Outback | |
| 2019 Outback | |
| 2018 Outback | |
| 2017 Outback | |
| 2016 Outback | |
| 2015 Outback | |
| 2014 Outback | |
| 2013 Outback | |
| 2012 Outback | |
| 2011 Outback | |
| 2010 Outback | |
| 2009 Outback | |
| 2008 Outback | |
| 2007 Outback | |
| 2006 Outback | |
| 2005 Outback | |
| 2004 Outback | |
| 2003 Outback | |
| 2002 Outback | |
| 2001 Outback | |
| 2000 Outback | |
| 1999 Outback | |
| 1998 Outback | |
| 1997 Outback | |
| 1996 Outback |
| ☘ Outback Service Bulletins |
| ⚑ Outback Safety Recalls |
| ☤ Outback Defect Investigations |
| Compare Reliability: |