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Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2016 Subaru Outback

Verified July 23, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

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Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
4
on record
MPG
combined

Do not drive until repaired

1 active "park it" recall — NHTSA advises against driving this vehicle until the remedy is complete.

Vehicle Summary

2016 Subaru Outback

4 recalls
639 complaints
5/5 safety rating

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Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
4
Owner complaints
639
Complaints citing a crash
21

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalised by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

4 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 19V910000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been installed that is not compatible with the passenger air bag module, possibly affecting air bag deployment.

  • 16V292000critical Do not drive

    Steering issue

    STEERING:COLUMN

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.

  • 15V502000high

    Driveshaft bolt issue

    POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.

  • 15V794000high

    Driveshaft bolt issue

    POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.

Consumer complaints

639 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

639
Total
21
Crashes
3
Fires
13
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ELECTRICAL282
  • OTHER96
  • ENGINE93
  • VISIBILITY86
  • STEERING24

Notable Issues

639 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 13 reports involve injuries. 21 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)282
miscellaneous issues96
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)93

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Unknown
Drive type
Unknown
Engine
0L 0-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Unknown
Seats
0

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Subaru Outback years

Common problems

Subaru Outback problems

5,688 owner complaints analysed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  2. Recall

    Recall 19V910000

    In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.

  3. Do not drive

    Do-not-drive recall 16V292000

    The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 15V794000

    If the drive shaft detaches from the rear differential, it may strike the fuel tank and result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

  5. Recall

    Recall 15V502000

    If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.