2021 Subaru Outback Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 03/25/2026

Vehicle's Auto Start-Stop system shut the engine off while stopped at a red light in [XXX], in rainy conditions in late XXX at approximately 29,000 miles. When the brake was released after the light turned green, the engine did not restart, leaving it stopped in the travel lane in live traffic. The driver had to use a portable jump starter to get it running again. This was not isolated — repeated failure-to-start incidents in prior weeks had already prompted carrying a portable jump starter in the vehicle. At the time we believed this was a failing 12V battery. The original battery was replaced XXX with a new aftermarket AGM battery. Despite that replacement, the vehicle has continued to have multiple complete battery drain if left parked for multiple days (but less than a week), indicating the restart failures were likely caused by an underlying parasitic electrical draw rather than a simple worn-out battery. Subaru's own Technical Service Bulletin 07-199-21R, "Measurement of Dark Current (Standby Current Draw)," describes this exact failure pattern (batteries/vehicles going dead over time due to standby current traced to the VDC module and/or Power Rear Gate control module) for this model and model-year range. A pending federal class-action lawsuit, [XXX] v. Subaru of America, Inc., Case No. XXX (D.N.J., filed XXX), alleges an electrical-system defect preventing one or more control modules from entering a proper low-power sleep state, causing parasitic battery drain, and specifically names 2021-2022 Outback vehicles. We are concerned this defect can cause the Auto Start-Stop system to fail to restart the engine at a stop in live traffic, creating a real risk of being rear-ended or blocking an intersection, as happened in the incident described above. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 08/03/2026

Good Day! I bought my 2021 Subaru Outback XT Onyx in Jan 2021. I had waiting 6 yrs for Subaru to use the Turbo Motor in the Outback again. I've had this car for 5 years with my warranty running out Jan 2026, but I only drive 5000-7000 miles per/yr. Current odometer is 29,901 miles. At my most recent oil change service at the Dealer, they showed me a video of my cars drivetrain from underneath. There were two bad seal leaks. One at the transmission pump housing and the other at the Upper Oil Pan. I had been there for an oil change a year earlier for the same service and there was no mention of these issues! After speaking with the service advisor, he said to call Subaru Customer Advocates. They listened to my situation and a few days later offered a $1400 credit for a $4000 job that involves the removal of my cars engine (upper oil pan) to replace it because it's bolted to the frame there. The other leak seal involves dropping the transmission. These are major repairs that following will dampen my ownership experience after decades of Subaru praise by Americans. I researched this issue online and found out there was a manufacturing defective regarding the silicone liquid seals they used for 2020-2022 Outback, Ascent, & WRX! This procedure was used throughout the driveline with the Turbo Motor & CTV Trans. There are 1000s of accounts of this defect placing burden on the owners of these cars who bought them in good faith. I did the research, called the dealer & Subaru with the discovery & overall complaint! I asked for 80% to 100% help with these repairs because how many more will I have to deal with after these two are repaired??? I have received zero responses from either after expressing that this was a known defect, Bullitens went to all the dealers, nothing was mentioned to the owners, and they've just covered those cars still under warranty. Since I didn't drive enough, the seal issues on my car took longer to start leaking, and then out of warranty. HELP!

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/16/2026

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.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 12/26/2025

The contact owned 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH turning a right hand corner into a shopping center, the vehicle began to accelerate without the contacts consent. and the contact proceeded to frantically apply the brakes. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact with a brick wall impacting the front drivers side of the vehicle. All of the airbags were deployed. The vehicle was going 43 mph at the time of the crash. The was towed to a junk yard. No warning lights or strange sounds were emitted prior to the crash. A police report was filed. The contact was injured while seated in the drivers seat. No one outside of the vehicle was injured. The contact sustained whip lash and bruising from the seat belt. Medical treatment was needed for the injuries. The local dealer was contacted, and the black box was inspected. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 07/01/2026

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.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 07/03/2026

I was already parked in a spot in a public parking lot. I tapped the accelerator pedal to move the car a few inches. The vehicle responded by violently accelerating, hitting a vehicle directly in front of me in another parking space. I applied my brake but the car would not stop. The force of the acceleration pushed the car out of the it's spot and it hit a curb and tree appox 30 ft away. In defensive move I turned my wheels to the right and continue to try and brake. This caused my car to hit the car on the right side of me. Property Damage occured. No injuries. Vehicle defect.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/08/2026

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.

AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/12/2026

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/05/2024

The battery zapped out in December of 2024 in the wintertime and left me stranded. Subaru towed it the next morning and replace for free only bc I mentioned the previous law suit but the battery issue is the same

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 05/06/2026

Thermo Control Valve Failure- Contact Subaru of Cherry Hill, NJ for Inspection 177,4XX Miles P26A5 code Check engine Light on, Disabled Safety Systems (Eyesight System), Car may have overheated if not pulled over and turned off. Part of warranty extension but did not qualify due to mileage.

STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 01/06/2024

I am filing this complaint regarding multiple serious safety defects in my 2021 Subaru Outback purchased in July 2021, currently at 48000 miles THERMO CONTROL VALVE FAILURE (26,307 miles) While traveling in the center lane on [XXX] southbound in [XXX] the evening of 1/6/2024 my vehicle suddenly experienced a complete loss of control. It seemed that the car was accelerating and braking at the same time without driver input making it impossible to operate safely. It started shaking and several lights were illuminated on the dashboard, power steering was not working. The car coasted to the right shoulder and starlink was used to call for help. The car was towed to the dealership for repairs. The diagnosis was a failed thermo control valve and related sensor circuit. There were no dashboard lights before the incident that fore shadowed this event. This failure rendered the vehicle completely inoperable at highway speed and posed and extreme risk to the safety of the driver, passenger and other motorists. I am aware that Subaru has extended the warranty on the thermo controls valve to 15 years/150000 miles for 2020-2022 Outback’s which suggests that Subaru had knowledge of the defect. Since the incident several other premature “wear” defects have presented under 48000 miles on a 2021 vehicle: - 41,402 miles: driver side rear strut replaced - 41,402 miles: rear brake pads and rotors - 41,402 miles: driver side front window motor, regulator and run Chanel - 41808 miles: rear knuckle assembly, rear wheel bearing and backing plate replaced - 45,768 miles: front brake pads and and rotors replaced - 48,000 miles: complete exhaust system - 48,000 miles: passenger side front window motor, regulator and run chanel This vehicle has proven to be uncharacteristically unreliable for a Subaru Outback. The intended use for this vehicle is for my children to drive to college nearly 600 miles from home in the fall. This car is not appropriate for this purpose. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/31/1969

This 021' outback XXX purchased in 023'/ 24k Mi Freehold subaru. freehold NJ 'if purchased new would've been on the desk of a local lemon law attorney by now. Over the few years the lock unlock function of key fobs stubbornly, randomly & repeadedly dont work. Freehold subaru saw no problem. Front passenger window months ago wouldn't go up. Freehold subaru supposed repaired at a cost to me. Recent cold weather with a brand new battery of 6 Mos old rendered the car unable to start or boost. Vehicle towed to Freehold tire center st freehold NJ, replaced a $400 battery. brought the 6 mo. old battery back to auto zone who load tested and advised nothing Wrong w battery? Not to mention the sub standard BS feature of coming to a stop, foot on brake & engine stopping-starting when proceeding? this is something of concern of being rolled over by an approaching truck in the rear of this 021' outback because 3 times when stopping at a red light the engine shut off and when proceeding, foot off the brake the engine wouldn't re-start & all the indicators on instrument cluster lit up, had to restart the car. Recent event where my wife, [XXX] old legally disabled- primary driver comes out of a store, starts the outback, puts in reverse to back out of a spot and the car dies. This vehicle is being brought into Freehold subaru south st. Freehold NJ Tues morning Apr. 21st 026' south st and is not being picked up due to it being unsafe to operate. Until all the issues are corrected. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — Filed 02/26/2026

The failure involves the engine (powertrain), which was under warranty. The vehicle has experienced four catastrophic engine failures resulting in sudden loss of power, including at highway speeds (65–75 mph). The most recent failure also involved an oil-saturated catalytic converter. These failures occurred between 06/25/2024 and 03/16/2026. During this ~629-day period, the vehicle was only in my possession for about 184 days, as it remained at the dealership for diagnosis, repairs, and repeated engine replacements. The issue remains unresolved. The vehicle is currently in my possession, available for inspection, and is not being driven due to safety concerns. All failures occurred during normal driving and caused sudden loss of power with no prior warning, leaving the vehicle inoperable and stranded. This created a significant safety risk due to inability to maintain speed or safely merge, increasing the likelihood of rear-end collisions. The failures have been confirmed by an authorized Subaru dealership, with multiple engine replacements performed under warranty and most recently as a goodwill repair. Both the dealership and Subaru of America have acknowledged they cannot determine the root cause. The dealership’s Operations Director stated the vehicle is not safe and he would not allow his family to drive it. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by the dealership and Subaru of America. However, no inspection reports, diagnostic data, or detailed findings have been provided despite repeated requests. Additional issues (including a broken axle and oil-saturated catalytic converter) were only identified during a third inspection after being missed previously. Requests for explanation were not answered, and further details were withheld as “internal.” There were no warning indicators prior to the first three failures. During the fourth, a temperature warning appeared only seconds before failure.

AIR BAGS — Filed 12/23/2025

The airbag light came on in my car even though the cars airbags have never deployed. The code that the scanner is bringing up is B1784. The description for this error is Right front occupant detection sensor collision detection, Subaru has a safety recall for this exact issue for this exact year and type of car but are stating my vin does not have the recall. I have contacted them and they stated there is nothing they can do for me to fix this recall because my car's vin is not showing to have this recall.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 11/25/2025

On 10/29/25 the car lost power once it got to 3500rpm. Multiple warning lights came on. On 11/06/2025, the Thermo Control Valve, high pressure fuel line, and gaskets for intake manifold and EGR were replaced. On 11/24/25, when backing up slowly in a small parking lot, the rear camera detection picked up a raised cement walkway with metal railing. The brake was applied by the driver, however the car accelerated quickly and slammed into the railing and cement. The vehicle was placed into drive after the collision and continued normally. The brake was on once the warning light beeped and prior to the collision. The foot was not removed from the brake pedal until it was in drive. It could not have been placed into drive without the brake pedal being pressed. I asked the dealership if they could pull data from the car at the time of the incident, and was told they weren't sure they would get any information. It has not been inspected by a dealership or insurance. There was no damage done to the cement and railing was already bent. Only the car sustained damage.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 11/04/2025

I was stopped at a stop sign and the car shut off as the auto on/off function. When I went to drive the car did not re-start as the battery needed replaced. I was left stranded in an intersection. The battery did need to be replaced. The auto start/stop feature is a saftey hazzard on any vehicle

STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/30/2025

Sunroof exploded driving home in 90 degree sunny and clear weather. It sounded like a gun went off right over my head. It scared me so bad I jerked my steering wheel into the other lane. Thank God no one was in that lane. I had to get it replaced at Mid State Glass company. according to what I found on the internet this happens rather frequently. No notification by Subaru that this was even a possibility. I have the receipt the replaced sunroof and photos of the sunroof after it exploded.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 09/26/2025

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, [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 09/22/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while idling at a red traffic light, the vehicle lurched forward twice and struck the rear end of another vehicle twice. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. A Police report was not filed. Both the contact and her husband were able to drive away from the scene. The contact's vehicle sustained damage. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that a field technician would be sent to retrieve information from the EDR. The failure mileage was approximately 30,800.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — Filed 08/04/2025

While slowly backing out of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on it's own - I do not recall pressing on the accelerator but the engine surged and the vehicle rapidly reversed and struck 4 other parked cars. It felt as if the accelerator became stuck and would not respond to braking. No warning light or dashboard alerts appeared. Subaru eyesight and adaptive cruise control were not engaged at the time. There was no known obstruction under the petals. This felt like a serious malfunction and could have caused serious injury. I am reporting this in case it is part of a wider issue affecting this model and because i see that there are multiple complaints to you about sudden unintended acceleration, especially during low speed maneuvers like backing out a parking space.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 11/29/2023

My vehicle is equipped with EYESIGHT. I was driving to my home after work at night and suddenly the infotainment system screen went blank; including Braking Assist, Adaptive Cruise control, Lane assist, Emergency Braking etc including Navigation, also the HVAC shut off and EYESIGHT that controls these as well, shut off. It was suffocating in the car due to no A/C and thusf I tried to pull over at a remote text-stop place and tried restarting the car but in vain. All screens were dark, no warm air, I couldn’t see what direction I was driving to, as well as I solely relied on navigation. I brought this car for it’s safety features and warmth in this cold temperature in UPSTATE NY and this happened. I waited for 20 mins, charged my phone for only 4-5% with a fellow citizen who was waiting there as well and checked online just to see a lot of people reported the same issue with 2021 Subarus with EYESIGHT. And there is NO way one can fix it. I tried contacting the dealer but in vain. I am afraid that if this would happen again, I wouldn’t be in a situation to face this scary experience.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 08/20/2023

On Sunday, August 20, 2023 I was pulling into a parking spot in front of an Anytime Fitness at a local strip mall. As I applied the brake, the motor raced and accelerated driving me into a pillar outside of the fitness center. I was in shock, not understanding what had happened. Had I chosen to park one stall to the right, the car would have gone through the window of the business instead of the pillar. Considerable damage was done to the pillar and to my 2021 Subaru Outback, but I was not injured, and no one else was injured. I had the brakes checked at my vehicle service center and was told the brakes were functioning as they should be. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. No warning was provided by the vehicle. The crash occurred in two seconds.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 04/13/2023

Car experienced unintended acceleration and the pre-collision safety system failed to engage. Car accelerated into a building and the driver stopped car's attempt to continue forward progress by taking the car out of drive mode. The pre-collision system failed completely. The Electronic Control Units seemed to fail entirely. This happened while pulling into a parking space at a very low rate to speed (until the car "took off").

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — Filed 07/03/2022

The engine block of our car caught fire while it was parked and turned off. It melted the engine and hood of the car, totaling it. Thankfully, we were not in the vehicle when the incident occurred, so no one was injured. At the time of the incident, our car was parked outside our apartment building under a low-hanging tree, which was burned in the fire. Had a neighbor not noticed and called 911, the fire may have spread to the nearby apartment building and caused much more severe damage than what was already done to the car. We had no warning prior to the incident. To our knowledge, the car was in perfect condition. We had bought it brand new 16 months prior and had taken it in for its scheduled maintenance 3 times. We are unaware if the vehicle has been inspected yet or if they've discovered the origin of the problem. All we know is that the insurance company and firefighters confirmed it wasn't arson, as the fire was contained to the engine block and front end of the car, and they also confirmed we were not at fault. Vehicle caught fire while it was parked and turned off.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 09/11/2021

Windshield suddenly cracked, starting from bottom center of the window, crack moved up about 6" and then turned 90 degrees towards passenger side and went another 6". No object hit the window or car; it just spontaneously cracked from bottom then moved upwards.