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2017 Subaru Outback

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

Compare
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

2017 Subaru Outback

4 recalls
917 complaints
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

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Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
4
Owner complaints
917
Complaints citing a crash
32

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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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.

  • 16V576000high

    Suspension issue

    SUSPENSION

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Outback vehicles manufactured June 20, 2016, to June 23, 2016. The affected vehicles may have improperly tightened attaching bolts for the front left and right brake calipers, wheel hubs, and the right stabilizer clamp.

  • 16V716000high

    Steering issue

    STEERING:COLUMN

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured September 21, 2016, to September 23, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the knee guard bracket may not be properly attached to the steering beam assembly.

  • 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.

Consumer complaints

917 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

917
Total
32
Crashes
3
Fires
25
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ELECTRICAL365
  • VISIBILITY222
  • OTHER148
  • ENGINE75
  • BRAKES25

Notable Issues

917 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 25 reports involve injuries. 32 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)365
visibility issues (wipers, defrost, mirrors)222
miscellaneous issues148

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. Recall

    Recall 16V716000

    If the knee guard is not properly attached and the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, the knee guard may not be able to properly restrain the driver's lower body in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  4. Recall

    Recall 16V576000

    If any of the front brake caliper, wheel hub or stabilizer clamp attaching bolts loosen or detach, the related components would also become loose and may detach possibly making the vehicle unstable and reducing the braking capability. These conditions would increase the risk of a crash.

  5. Do not drive

    Do-not-drive recall 16V292000

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