- 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
Before You Buy
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 normalized 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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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.
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.
Consequence
In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUX-09.
- 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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the bolts for proper torque, and replace any loose bolts, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTE-66.
- 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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the knee guard welding on each vehicle's steering beam, replacing the beam as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTL-72.
- 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.
Consequence
The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2017 Subaru Outback.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 17.5%
- Dynamic tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2017 Subaru Outback 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 17.5% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
The EPA holds no fuel-economy record for this model year.
The EPA does not publish a record for every model year.
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
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2017 Subaru Outback, newest first.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
- Recall
In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
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.
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
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
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
- Recall
In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
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.
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.


