Subaru Outback
Problems & Worst Years

Nine model years of Subaru Outback data show two problems recurring almost every year: windshields that crack with no apparent impact, and batteries that drain or fail without explanation. The highest-volume year is 2019, with 746 total complaints, driven overwhelmingly by battery issues — 409 reports describing complete discharge, safety-rated, and another 224 describing general battery drain and failure. The 2017 model year is close behind at 648 total complaints, led by windshield cracking (332 reports) and battery failure from premature drain (174). The 2020 model (635 complaints) again splits between windshield cracking (232 combined) and battery drain (100 combined).

The oldest year here, 2011, carries the highest safety-severity count of any Outback year in this data — seven — despite a lower total of 312 complaints. Its top issues are torque converter failure causing engine stall (91, safety-rated), headlight failure (89), a related torque converter failure causing transmission stall (33, safety-rated), and air bag recall issues and electronic parking brake failure (20 each, the parking brake complaint also safety-rated); recalls 10V326, 13V061, and 19V297 apply. The 2018 model (409 complaints, five safety-rated categories) is led by windshield cracking without impact (279 reports) and premature battery failure (87), with recalls 18V773 and 21V587 on file.

Later years taper but don't break the pattern: 2021 (230 complaints) still shows windshield cracking (122 combined) and battery issues (78 combined); 2022 (235 complaints) is almost entirely windshield cracking (197 combined); and 2023, the newest and quietest year at 43 complaints, shifts toward windshield cracking from minor impact (12) and a forward collision avoidance system malfunction (10), with no safety-rated complaints. Recalls 21V587, 21V955, 22V485, and 23V755 cover portions of the 2019-2021 window.

Given how consistently windshield cracking and battery drain show up across nearly a decade of production, both are worth asking about directly on any used Outback, and the 2011 model's torque converter and parking brake issues merit a closer mechanical look given their safety rating. Newer years like 2023 simply haven't accumulated as many reports yet, so a low count there is inconclusive rather than reassuring — these figures reflect what owners chose to report to NHTSA, not a measured failure rate, and a pre-purchase inspection with real service history is the better guide.