Subaru Outback Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy

Every Subaru Outback model year from 1995 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 12,349 federal complaints, 72 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.

Avoid: 2011, 2015–2020. These years top the Outback's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1996–1999, 2001–2004, 2007, 2009 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.

12,349Complaints on file
72Recall campaigns
32Model years

The trouble strip

One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

The defining problem

Electrical tops the Subaru Outback file with 2,615 complaints, concentrated in the 2016–2020 model years, most often reported around 47,217 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.

Every year, ranked

YearVerdictComplaintsRecallsTop problemTrouble index
2026 Few reports 17 0 — 2
2025 Too early to call 116 0 Driver assistance 10
2024 Too early to call 135 0 Other 13
2023 Typical 124 2 Driver assistance 12
2022 Below average 552 4 Visibility & wipers 44
2021 Typical 411 4 Visibility & wipers 33
2020 Avoid 1,133 6 Visibility & wipers 85
2019 Avoid 1,286 3 Visibility & wipers 100
2018 Avoid 991 3 Electrical 78
2017 Avoid 1,106 4 Electrical 92
2016 Avoid 772 4 Electrical 61
2015 Avoid 646 5 Visibility & wipers 56
2014 Typical 276 10 Airbags 25
2013 Below average 408 12 Engine 40
2012 Typical 368 16 Transmission & drivetrain 33
2011 Avoid 857 16 Transmission & drivetrain 67
2010 Below average 469 18 Transmission & drivetrain 38
2009 Better year 142 13 Electrical 11
2008 Typical 281 8 Airbags 23
2007 Better year 182 8 Airbags 17
2006 Typical 404 7 Speed control 31
2005 Typical 354 9 Electrical 30
2004 Better year 108 11 Airbags 12
2003 Better year 116 15 Engine 10
2002 Better year 172 5 Brakes & stability 17
2001 Better year 207 4 Brakes & stability 19
2000 Typical 247 2 Transmission & drivetrain 27
1999 Better year 150 1 Transmission & drivetrain 20
1998 Better year 165 2 Engine 16
1997 Better year 94 4 Engine 8
1996 Better year 57 2 Engine 10
1995 Few reports 3 1 — 0

Questions buyers ask

What Subaru Outback years should I avoid?

Federal complaint records point to 2011, 2015–2020 as the Subaru Outback years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.

What is the most common Subaru Outback problem?

Electrical tops the Subaru Outback file with 2,615 complaints, concentrated in the 2016–2020 model years, most often reported around 47,217 miles.

What are the best Subaru Outback years to buy used?

The quietest Subaru Outback years in federal records are 1996–1999, 2001–2004, 2007, 2009 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.

Data updated 2026-08-12 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Subaru Outback only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.