2013 Subaru Outback steering problems
34 complaints about steering have been filed for the 2013 Subaru Outback, which is 8% of all its NHTSA complaints.
At a glance
- Complaints
- 34 8% of this year's complaints
- Typical mileage
- 2,000 miles 30 complaints with mileage
- Crashes and fires
- 1 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
When steering problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 23 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 30 steering complaints that report mileage, the median is about 2,000 miles, and 93% were reported before 60,000 miles.
These complaints mention 1 crash, 1 injury.
What owners wrote
2013 subaru outback 3.6r w/sap I am experiencing a heavy steering issue. Where the return to center does not happen unless I manually steer it back to center. Steering is so heavy that after 3000 miles. (purchased in june 2013), both of my wrists are in pain, my right elbow is in pain, and my right hand feels like it has carpal tunnel syndrome. Constant corrections are needed to keep tracking straight. I increased tire psi to 34/32, and it helped a little, but steering still does not return to center.
The vehicle does not track well at highway speeds. It wanders side to side in the lane of travel requiring constant correction to stay in the center of the lane. On smooth road surfaces, the wandering is relatively mild. However, I became alarmed while crossing a bridge with a grated deck. The vehicle swerved side to side dramatically requiring significant steering correction and immediate reduction in speed to maintain the lane of travel safely. I took the car to the dealer and reported the problem.
Other problems reported for the 2013 Subaru Outback
- Engine 68 complaints
- Drivetrain & axles 60 complaints
- Air bags 42 complaints
- Brakes 31 complaints
- Cruise control 26 complaints
- Electrical system 23 complaints
- Fuel system 15 complaints
- Suspension 15 complaints