2021 Subaru Outback
Common Problems
Ranked from 182 federal NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls. Every problem links to the complaint IDs behind it.
12 Common Problems
Ordered by how often owners reported each one to NHTSA. The bar shows how common a problem is relative to the most-reported on this vehicle. Expand any problem to see the federal complaint IDs.
- 1
Windshield Cracking Without Impact
79complaintsHigh severityOtherThe windshield cracks without any visible impact or cause.
- 2
Battery Issues Resulting in Dead Car
44complaintsMedium severityElectricalThe battery frequently dies, requiring jump starts or replacement.
- 3
Windshield spontaneous cracking
43complaintsSafety riskOtherWindshields have spontaneously cracked without any impact or warning, spreading quickly and affecting visibility.
- 4
Battery drainage and failure to start
17complaintsMedium severityElectricalThe battery frequently drains, causing the vehicle to fail to start after periods of inactivity, leaving the owner stranded.
$150–$700est. parasitic-drain diagnosis + battery · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotes - 5
Battery Issues Leading to Random Shutdowns
17complaintsMedium severityElectricalThe battery randomly discharges, leading to the infotainment system and other electrical functions shutting down unexpectedly.
$150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotes - 6
Automatic Transmission Malfunctions
7complaintsMedium severityTransmissionThe automatic transmission randomly shifts to lower gears, causing loss of control and potential accidents.
$200–$2,500est. drivetrain diagnosis + repair · 1–8 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recalls: 22V485000, 23V755000
- 7
Air Bag System Issues
5complaintsMedium severityOtherAir bag systems fail to deploy or illuminate warning lights, despite the presence of issues.
- 8
Thermal Control Valve Failures
5complaintsHigh severityEngineThe thermal control valve malfunctions, causing engine surges and unexpected behavior.
- 9
Unintended Acceleration
5complaintsSafety riskEngineThe vehicle accelerates uncontrollably without the driver's input, potentially leading to collisions.
- 10
Battery Failure
3complaintsMedium severityFuel systemThe battery fails to hold a charge, leading to frequent dead batteries and the need for jump starts.
- 11
Premature Tire Wear
3complaintsMedium severitySteeringPremature tire wear and excessive inside tire wear despite regular maintenance and tire rotations.
- 12
Unintended acceleration and pre-collision system failures
2complaintsHigh severityFuel systemThe car has experienced unintended acceleration and the pre-collision safety system has failed, leading to accidents.
Other years & sources
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls. Problems are clustered and ranked from the complaint record; occurrence counts reflect corroborating complaints, not total incidence. Vehicle image is illustrative. Repair-cost figures are typical U.S. independent-shop ranges (parts + labor) for the class of repair shown — actual quotes vary by region, engine, and diagnosis; always confirm with a local shop.