Other Fuel System Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

The warning lights on our 2020 Subaru Outback have lit intermittently for the past 2 years. When bringing the vehicle into the dealer for service and oil changes, this was reported. Recently the tpms light began to light intermittently. Tire pressure was checked and adjusted but the problem persisted. When we brought the vehicle in for service, it turned out that all tire pressure sensors needed to be replaced but the service techs identified other problems that surfaced just as the car was not covered by warranty - the most serious being an oil leak caused by failure of cam carrier seals. This caused a dangerous condition where oil was leaking onto the engine and into the spark plugs. I find it odd that this expensive issue was not discovered sooner. Subaru and only Subaru has been servicing this vehicle since new and they should have caught it.

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Nhtsa complaint narrative — draft on July 9, 2026, in the evening, my leased 2026 Subaru Outback touring caught fire while we were driving home. We were stopped in a left-turn lane waiting on a left-turn signal. When the light turned, the vehicle in front of us moved forward — which, in hindsight, was fortunate, because molten metal was sprayed across that exact spot moments later. The engine effectively exploded, throwing molten metal from the melted hood and engine components into the air around the car. We exited the vehicle immediately, leaving it burning in the left-turn lane. The fire department, based only about half a mile away, arrived within approximately 4 minutes, but it still took them roughly 35 minutes to fully extinguish the fire given its intensity. The vehicle had just been returned that day (or very recently) from a 3. 5-week internal engine repair at the dealership. This was the third time I had reported the same underlying engine problem to Subaru — the recent lengthy repair was the first real attempt by the dealer to address it, and it failed within days of the vehicle being returned to me. My spouse and I were in the car moments before the explosion. Had we been delayed even briefly — for example, had the car ahead of us not moved forward when it did — we believe we could have been seriously injured or killed by the explosion and flying molten debris. The vehicle was a total loss. I am filing this complaint because: this was the third report of the same engine issue prior to the fire, indicating a recurring, unresolved defect rather than an isolated incident. The failure occurred immediately after a dealership repair specifically intended to fix this problem, suggesting the underlying defect was not — or could not be — properly corrected. The nature of the failure (explosive engine fire while driving, throwing molten metal across an active traffic lane) presents a serious risk of injury or death to occupants, other drivers, and bystanders.

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On may 19th 2026 around noon time, while we (me and my wife passenger) were driving my 2022 Subaru Outback touring (2. 5l, non-turbo) in active congested traffic on our way to airport, the engine shut off as expected by the auto start-stop system when I came to a stop. When I released the brake pedal to proceed, the engine failed to automatically restart. The vehicle became immobilized in a live traffic lane, creating a serious safety hazard with traffic backed up behind me and oncoming vehicles unable to predict my situation. No warning lights or alerts preceded the failure. After shifting to park and pressing the ignition button multiple times, the engine eventually restarted. There was no prior history of stalling, no check engine light, and the battery and vehicle have been maintained per Subaru's schedule. This is a critical safety defect: a vehicle that disables its own engine in traffic and fails to restart on demand puts the driver, passengers, and surrounding traffic at immediate risk of rear-end collision. The auto start-stop system should never leave a vehicle stranded in a live roadway. The vehicle is available for inspection. I have/have not yet taken the vehicle to a Subaru dealer for diagnosis.

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I purchased fuel injectors from ebay on 5/25/2026 who guaranteed direct replacement fit for my specific vehicle. The injectors failed within a few days of use causing a catastrophic fire and total loss of vehicle on 6/3/2026.

See all problems of the 2009 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I just bought my Subaru Outback brand new in October 2025. I’ve maintained my oil changes at the dealership. I bought it from in the last one was last may 26. I filled up my tank with a full tank of gas June 1. On June 2 when I was driving home from work on the I 94 highway in detroit michigan I was going about 50 mph when my check engine light went on and within seconds the engine failed. The car was still on, but the gas pedal wouldn’t work and I was in the far left-hand side lane of the highway. I was able to slowly pull over to the fire right hand shoulder, even though it was during peak traffic time. As I pulled over, I started seeing smoke come from under the hood. I then seen a big flame which made me quickly get out of the vehicle and then seconds two minutes later the entire vehicle was in golf in flames and had many explosions throughout. I had no prior indications notifying me that there was something wrong with my vehicle. I had no problems with it. There was only 12,500 miles on the vehicle. There was no obvious cause to this happening. It was only me in the car however if there were small children in car seats or less mobile elderly people in the car, I don’t think that they would have made it out safely. The fire department came and put out the fire. A police report was made with the michigan state troopers. My insurance is progressing. They are working on a claim. I also contacted Subaru of America and opened up a case with them. I notified the Subaru of troy dealership that this happened.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - car fire, originating under the hood. Unknown if vehicle is available for inspection. Last reported by insurance company to be at iaa; [xxx]; ph#: [xxx]. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - car fire began while in the car after moving through an intersection with a stop light. Four of us in the car, ages raging from [xxx] old. Fire quickly spread; however, we were able to exit the car without injury. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - no, car was totaled and Subaru, na consumer advocacy agent assigned claims that the vehicle is no longer available for inspection. Both insurance company (travelers auto) and Subaru, n. A. Consumer advocacy group made aware of our concern as to why the vehicle caught fire. One or both demonstrated nonchalance of this concern. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - yes - just prior to the start of the fire, the vehicle stalled and cut-off with check engine light. Also, we smelled an unusual exhaust at the time prior to, and at the time of the cut-off. This occurred at the intersection of where the car caught fire. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

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Total of 3 incidents when my car had approx 1/8 to 1/4 of a tank of gas. . . . As going up incline on interstate. . . . Car like stalls and slows down, will not speed up. . . . Get it over to the side to avoid being hit and it finally starts going again. . . Close call with vehicles behind us in the passing lane. Below listed the last time it happened. . . Did not use to do this. . . First time was same area listed below in November 2025.

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My 2016 Subaru Outback cvt transmission has exhibited an intermittent jerking and grabbing sensation when accelerating from a stop, worse when cold, since at least February 2023. This is a known defect covered under Subaru warranty extension bulletin 16-115-18. February 2023 — an authorized Subaru dealer documented the complaint in writing. The technician stated the vehicle never warmed up during the test drive and dismissed the concern. The cvt issue was never repaired. I was never informed of Subaru's cvt warranty extension program. February 17 2026 — seven days before my warranty expiration — the same authorized Subaru dealer physically identified and documented a cvt oil pump cover leak. The same jerking complaint was again documented in writing. No repairs were made and the warranty expired one week later. The cvt defect has been physically confirmed by an authorized Subaru dealer within the warranty period and Subaru of America has denied my warranty claim in writing. This issue presents a safety concern. The unpredictable jerking and hesitation when accelerating from a stop creates dangerous situations in traffic, particularly at intersections and when merging. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Subaru chose to handle this known widespread defect as a quiet warranty extension rather than a mandatory recall despite hundreds of owners reporting identical symptoms.

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No warning lamps or messages. A driver in a pickup truck behind me came up close and signaled me to pull over. He got out of his truck, ran up to my window and yelled to me "get out of your car, it is on fire". I was completely unaware of any problem. I got out and could see fire coming from under the front of the car. We moved away and he called 911.

Driving on the highway, engine started making a rattling noise, then began to labor and eventually stopped being able to accelerate at all. Oil pressure warning light came on around the time the acceleration gave out altogether. We pulled over to the side of the highway and got out of the car, seeing steam/white smoke coming out of the front of the car. The smoke increased and after several minutes, the front of the car caught on fire.

Sudden aacceleration: cold started the car in garage, all ok. Then backed out and into turn around where I placed foot on the brake. At that moment suddenly accelerated and engine revved to 2000rpm (sounded like). I had to push down very hard on the brake pedal (where my foot already was) to stop the car before crashing into a tree. Foot was clearly on brake pedal at incident (that was the only way I could stop the car). It was not on or close to accelerator pedal and no floor mat or other objects was on or near the accelerator pedal. Very concerned about safe vehicle with this sudden acceleration. Appointment with Subaru dealer made for full diagnostic check. Dealer is white bear Subaru, white bear lake, mn.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Car stalled in traffic. The engine was cranking but it would not start. Had aaa tow off the road and to my home. Car sat for 10 days waiting for a fuel pump (thought this was the problem). After sitting for 10 days the battery was totally dead! new fuel pump installed battery was jumped but could not start the car. After 2 hours on the charger the battery still did not have enough energy to turn over the engine. Car is in a certified service shop (wilhelm). Battery replaced and same starting issues with the new battery and the new battery is discharging at a very high rate even though the car is not starting. Bought the car used in 2023 so I have no knowledge of the history of the car. Service provider running factory diagnostic testing but so far no determination as to cause of the high rate of discharge. Verified that the fuel pump is fully operational. What we know is that with a fresh fully charged battery and a working fuel pump the car will not start and remain running. The engine stops and the battery drain is excessive.

Nhtsa issued a notice for a recall on the 2015 Subaru Outback for an exhaust pipe bellows crack which causes exhaust noise and odor which affects emission and engine performance. I had noticed our Subaru's exhaust smoke coming in through the air vents while idling and also a general loss of power for the vehicle. When I dug into the causes, I came across this recall and did the VIN look up on the NHTSA website and also the Subaru website for active recalls. The Subaru website states that the recall was completed. I then called the Subaru retailer to check if there were any records for the recall work that was completed for NHTSA id number: 10199936. They could not find any records. I called in Subaru corporate to see if they could shed any light on the recall. Subaru corporate says that the recall work was performed on August 6th, 2020 but is unable to tell me where it was performed or even if it was actually replaced. My local Subaru dealer has no records and Subaru corporate says that the work was performed. I am stuck with an exhaust leak that is potentially dangerous as time goes on where it might fail emissions. Subaru corporate has not wanted to address this or investigate the discrepancy, but instead asks me to work with the dealer to get records. The dealer says there's no records of the work ever being done. So I'm in limbo with a particularly faulty car.

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Within the last few months, my 2015 Outback has been unreliable with the fuel gauge indicator, causing me to run out of gas three times, stranded roadside, with supposedly 30 miles in rank. Fortunately, there were no accidents, but two out of three times, I was left stranded on highways, that put me at risk of being struck.

My car had an unintended acceleration that caused me to go in a ditch and hit a tree. I could not get car to stop when I realized it was increasing speed. It all happened very fast. My car was totaled. All airbags deployed. Front right side of car was completely destroyed. There were no warnings. My insurance company has the car on their tow lot. I have sprains and bruises on my right side and a slight concussion. So thankful that I was not in a parking lot or in heavy traffic or near any walkers.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Only one issue was witnessed, that being when a fuel dispenser's auto shutoff clicked, fuel would shoot out and run down the side of the vehicle.

Had my recalls completed and started having jerking on my way home from the dealership. Didn’t have any issues prior and I drove 2 hours to the closest Subaru dealership. Had transmission serviced and still doing it. Read the fuel update and head unit updated could take a bit longer to learn and could cause jerking but still happening 3 weeks later. Transmission was serviced last week. The shop to do it stated didn’t notice metal shavings nor sounds in the transmission or the oil and suggested it be the computer problem with the recall fixes.

The left front drive axel cracked while we were driving on an overpass connecting two highways. We didn’t hit or bump anything. The car just stopped, like the brakes were slammed on, except the brakes didn’t work. As we were on an incline, the car started rolling backwards, but fortunately the emergency brake worked. It happened so abruptly, I wasn’t able to fully pull off the road and my children in the back seat were screaming for their lives as truck after truck whizzed by rattling our car with their horns blaring missing us by inches. The police and fire trucks eventually blocked us from traffic until we could get a tow. The engine worked, but we couldn’t get into any gear. The mechanic said it must’ve been a faulty part to have gone like that. When the axel broke, it damaged the front differential and the transmission so the car isn’t very drivable. On a less dramatic note, a month earlier, both back doors stopped working on the same day!! the child locks failed and the doors couldn’t be opened. I consider this a safety hazard, so we spent $$$ to fix it. As we take good care of our car, I am very curious why it’s failing so spectacularly all at once.

Delay from time accelerate until car moves. This has happened 10 or more times.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

After driving approximately 240 miles since our last stop, we stopped for gas. The car would not start. It sounded like it was trying to turn over but couldn't. Even when we let up on the start button the vehicle was still trying to start until we hit the button again (this is not normal). All battery functions were still working. The car only had about 38,500 miles on it. After trying multiple times to start it and googling, we suspected a fuel issue. We had the car towed to a local Subaru dealer. The dealer confirmed the fuel pump was the problem and replaced the part. More research revealed a fuel pump recall for certain production dates of the 2019 Subaru Outback, but ours is not currently part of the recall. We contacted Subaru and reported the issue. They opened a case for it. When we picked up the car, Subaru had paid for the repair. In hindsight, we are lucky the car did not stall while driving on the interstate at 70mph as that could have caused serious issues and injury to ourselves and/or others. There were no warning lights or other symptoms on that day. There had been some starting issues approximately 1-2 months earlier, but we had replaced the battery and thought that fixed it. We asked for the part but the Subaru dealer where the repair was made kept the part. In addition to the safety concerns, this incident also resulted in personal financial burden as we were around 600 miles from home enroute to a vacation destination and had to uber to a car rental place, rent a car and pay for one night in a hotel. We believe the recall needs to be expanded to include more production dates. By expanding the recall, we hope this would prevent others from having to go through this situation and be at risk. We also hope Subaru would be required to reimburse us for the out-of-pocket expenses that resulted from this issue and provide an extended warranty.

In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutral.

On Thursday night at about [xxx] I was driving in the carpool lane going north. In the [xxx] , with full tank of gas ; suddenly I felt and here a noise, and the vehicle (2021outback base) start losing power, at the point that totally stop. Call 911, and few minutes after the hway patrol came and push us out of the freeway, there was not any shoulder to be safe out. When the police officer try to turn it on the vehicle star but no power was available even when the vehicle was on. . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While turning into a parking spot my wife had foot on the brake and vehicle accelerated over parking bumpers and into a fence and ultimately was stopped by a combination of a tree and the fence car drove through. This collision prevented her from crossing pedestrian sidewalk and continuing into southbound traffic lane of state hwy. This incident put not only my wife at risk but also potentially any pedestrians or southbound vehicles. There were no system failures or warnings prior to my wife's arrival to her appointment. As mentioned this occurred within an approximate 5 second time frame. It is unknown as to what if any warnings occurred prior to/during the crash as my wife was pushing the brake to park when the sudden acceleration occurred. The braking system seems to have failed along with the sudden acceleration. The automatic braking system didn't engage, nor did the parking collision system. All our other Subaru's (including this vehicle have the collision warning and automatic braking systems) the dealership did not try to replicate the incident but all warning systems appear to be functioning correctly at this time. Following the accident I first reported the incident to my dealership where I purchased the vehicle. The initial damage estimate is forthcoming but Subaru tech indicated it will be may thousands of dollars to repair. I will follow-up next with Subaru's national customer care (per conversation with dealer) at the dealership (southern oregon Subaru) I had a safety/drive-ability inspection performed. Vehicle was given a clearance to drive, but obviously my wife refuses to drive it. Subsequent to the accident, we learned there are over 200 similar reports to NHTSA for this exact issue. We will also submit claim to insurance provider usaa.

Today while waiting at a stop light the auto start stop engaged. When the light went green I put my foot on the gas and the vehicle stalled. The car was on but not running, several alarms were on the dashboard. I had to put the car in park, turn it off and then restart the car. This is a repeated issue and has been going on at least once a month since we purchased the car in 2021. We've brought it to the dealer and they said there was nothing wrong because there was no obd code. I have checked myself and I have not found any code. This is extremely unsafe.

The engine, running at idle in and out of gear, did not respond to input from the gas pedal. Pushing the gas pedal did not have any effect on the engine revs. This was dangerous because I was attempting to enter a busy roadway and suddenly was faced with zero throttle response although the engine was still running and was in gear. The car has 5,300 miles. The transmission failed at 1,300 miles and was replaced by the dealer. The present incident began when, for unknown reasons, the car battery did not have enough power to start the car after being parked for 30 minutes. I got a jump start, and after letting car run for several minutes, attempted to leave the parking lot as described above. The car would move in forward and reverse at idle speed, but there was absolutely no response to gas pedal input. The car was towed to the dealer who will look into this.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I experienced a fuel leak while driving my car. It was leaking from the fuel lines in the engine bay. My fuel gauge was showing low and I had just refueled several days before. I didn't know it had a leak in the line. When I tried to put more gas in, the fuel ran out under the car. I had my car taken to the dealer where I had bought it less than two years ago. They called me and said it was a bad fuel line caused by squirrels biting the line. They said the insulation around the line had soy in its making which attracted them. I I got it back after a week. This is most certainly a safety hazard. They also said other makes and models have used these same components since 2010.

As I was approaching a t intersection and preparing to stop at the stop sign, I started to apply my brakes when all of a sudden my car accelerated and lunged forward almost into the path of oncoming traffic on the intersecting road. As I had originally started to apply my brake, it felt as if the brake dropped slightly under my foot but, as the car lunged forward, I immediately jammed on the brake so I am not 100% sure about that dropping sensation. It all happened within a matter of seconds. Anyway, jamming on the brakes stopped the forward momentum and the car stopped before actually entering the path of an oncoming car. If I had started to brake any closer to the intersection, I may not have had time to stop the car in time to avoid a broadside collision with the oncoming car. I have owned this car about a year and a half and this is the first time anything like this has happened. There was no warning lamps, messages etc at the time or prior to the incident. After the incident, my husband checked online and saw that others have described a similar experience with their Subarus and, apparently, there is an ongoing lawsuit involving this problem. This just happened last evening so I have not yet taken my car to the dealer to be inspected but plan to do so soon.

Our 2015 Subaru Outback occasionally accelerates sharply without the driver's foot being on the gas peddle. It always happens when decelerating and applying the brakes. Suddenly, the engine roars and revs up, all while the driver is depressing the brake pedal, desperately trying to bring the vehicle to a safe stop. In our case, we've always been able to stop without hitting anything, but we've had some near misses. It seems to happen in the winter. The Subaru dealer we purchased the vehicle from denies any knowledge of this particular problem, even though numerous drivers have reported similar incidents.

My son was traveling at an appropriate highway speed when the truck in front of him stopped suddenly. He braked immediately and was able to slow down significantly, but not enough to avoid colliding with the back of the truck in front of him. He was going approximately 20 mph, still braking, when the collision occurred. His best recollection is that the vehicle's pre-collision system did not engage until after he collided with the truck. There was damage to the front end of the vehicle but it was not severe. My son moved the vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway and put it in park. The driver of the truck called the police. My sons got out of the vehicle. While they were talking with the other driver and the police, a fire started under the hood of the vehicle and within several minutes the entire vehicle was consumed. The wreckage was towed to 1022 shannon court, livermore CA 94550. In July 2023 we were involved in an accident that impacted the front bumper, left front quarter panel, and Subaru eyesight system of the same vehicle involved in this accident. Repairs after the July 2023 accident were performed by kraft body shop in santa clara, CA. Repair and calibration of the Subaru eyesight system were performed by santa cruz Subaru after that accident.

On 1/12/24, I was backing up my vehicle in the driveway, the vehicle suddenly stopped, thinking I was going to backup into the gate. I was surprised because I didn't think I was that close. I slightly tapped the gas pedal to move slowly forward when the car suddenly accelerated and lunged forward. I couldn't stop the car, by braking, for 56 feet. I was able to avoid hitting another car, parked on the street, by driving into the large bushes along the sidewalk of my home. The only damage that occurred was the destruction of some bushes and the damage to the vehicle is to be determined. No injuries. The Subaru dealership had eyesight adjustments on 1/08/24.

On 12/28/2023 my 2018 Subaru Outback without warning suddenly accelerated on its own, causing my vehicle to hit the curb and ran into a building.

On 12/6/2023, as I slowly turned right into a parking space, my car suddenly surged forward and accelerated without my input to the gas pedal. The brakes did not work, and there was no resistance from the brake pedal when I repeated to push it. The car continued to accelerate for about 80 ft as I focused on steering to avoid hitting other cars parked in the lot. The car ran over a curb, up a grassy area, and crashed into a row of trees. The airbag did not deploy. I sustained neck muscle strain/whiplash, and bruises to my chest and right knee. My safety was at risk, as well as anyone or anything that was in the car's path since I had no control over the acceleration or the brakes. The car is a 2020 Subaru Outback with about 44000 miles. It is in a body shop and they have not yet determined if it is safe to work on. So far, they have observed the engine race when the car was turned on. There were no warning signs prior to the acceleration. When I called the Subaru dealer service department, I was told that they never heard of this before and it had to have been my fault. They said I could bring it in after the body damage is repaired, and that I can pay for a diagnotic report. However, they expect that the report will not show anything.

On three different occasions after starting the car in the cold weather and putting in drive it accelerated by it self. All three times it lasted about 5 to 7 seconds. Once I stepped on the brake and then the accelerator pedal it was back to normal. It’s been about a month with this issue.

While pulling into a parking spot with my foot on the brake and preparing to stop, the car continued to move up over the curb and then began to accelerate even after I applied both of my feet pushing down on the brakes until I hit our condo building. The car and building received extensive damage, and although the car was not totaled it will cost over 7,000 dollars to repair. Personally I was not injured. The air bags did not imploy at impact. There were no warning messages or prior failures with the vehicle before this day. The car was taken to a body shop and not the dealer so we have not had the dealer look at the systems that broke down, but our insurance adjuster will be.