2018 Subaru Outback Problems, Recalls & Reliability
991 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Subaru Outback, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 78/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 17,358 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2018 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 2018 sits among all Outback years
What owners report
“The electrical system in our Subaru is draining the battery prematurely, which could cause us to get stranded.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Outback
“The windshield cracked on its own without any specific trauma. I had it replaced at the dealership.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Outback
“The infotainment system screen has delaminated causing the screen to jump between sources, the backup camera to randomly not display . The problem started last month and is worsening”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Outback
“Windshield cracked and within 3 days ran across most of the entire width of the front windshield.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Outback
“Was driving on highway while fuel range indicated on dash just hit 30 miles to empty and car ran out of gas. Was never informed by subaru of any recall for this vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Outback
“During fish-tailing on a slick road the engine accelerated without pushing on the gas pedal.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Outback
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 547 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 16,660 miles. Half of those reports fall between 8,000 and 31,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614.…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs,…
Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at…
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 2018 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 2018 Subaru Outback drew 991 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 78/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2018 Subaru Outback problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Subaru Outback are electrical (276 complaints), visibility & wipers (274), and other (167).
At what mileage do 2018 Subaru Outback problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Subaru Outback problems around 16,660 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 8,000 and 31,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Subaru Outback have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Subaru Outback. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.