2015 Subaru Outback Problems, Recalls & Reliability
646 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Subaru Outback, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 56/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 12,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2015 Subaru Outback sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1996–1999, 2001–2004, 2007, 2009.
Avoid
Where 2015 sits among all Outback years
What owners report
“Large crack in windshield without any impact. Starts at the bottom middle of the car and branches out in both directions.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Outback
“Battery loses charge and will not start auto. Battery has been replaced twice and the problem continues, although not all the time.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Outback
“Crack in the windshield appeared over the weekend. Started in the lower corner on the passenger's side and spread about 2/3 of the way to driver's side.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Outback
“Excessive exhaust entering passenger cabin anytime the engine is running because of crack in flex pipe on the exhaust manifold that occurred with less than 60k miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Outback
“Left hand wheel bearings (hub unit) failed and was replaced under warranty at 17,000 miles. Right hand wheel bearing (hub unit) failed and was replaced under warranty at 32,000 miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Outback
“My sunroof glass just shattered spontaneously while I was driving. Thankfully the door was closed or me and my daughter would have been showered by glass while in the road. Nothing hit the car , I just heard a loud bang over my heard and when I stopped to see what happened my sunroof was in pieces!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Outback
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 384 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 25,300 miles. Half of those reports fall between 6,500 and 53,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
Fix: 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…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will perform an ABS activation, then flush and replace the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer…
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.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Outback vehicles manufactured January 22, 2014, to August 18, 2014, and equipped with a Subaru accessory trailer hitch assembly. During installation, the trailer hitch mounting nuts may…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace all eight mounting nuts for the trailer hitch assembly, and will inspect all eight mounting studs for damage, free of charge. The recall began on…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2015 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 2015 Subaru Outback drew 646 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 56/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2015 Subaru Outback problems?
The top reported problems for the 2015 Subaru Outback are visibility & wipers (144 complaints), electrical (130), and other (118).
At what mileage do 2015 Subaru Outback problems show up?
Owners most often report 2015 Subaru Outback problems around 25,300 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 6,500 and 53,000 miles.
Does the 2015 Subaru Outback have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2015 Subaru Outback. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.