2016 Subaru Outback problems
The 2016 Subaru Outback has 775 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (40%) concerns electrical system. Next are wipers, windshield & visibility (12%) and engine (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 775 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 40% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 39 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 18 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 34,000 miles 413 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 135 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 96 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 99 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 52 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 13 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 413 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 34,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 40,000 miles (146 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 39 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 18 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2016 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Subaru Outback with enough data (587 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I exited the expressway. I was approaching a red light. This was where I usually make a right to go home. Obviously I was trying to slow down the car, and I stepped on the brake. And the car did not slow down. I continued pumping the brakes but the brakes would not work. My wife was in the passenger seat, and my mother-in-law was riding in the back seat. As the brakes failed, I continued attempting to slow the car.
I was in a parking lot at a near-complete stop. I needed to nose the car about 18 inches to move it all the way into the spot. I lightly touched the accelerator to inch the car forward, and it shot forward as if some outside force had stomped on the accelerator. The car jumped the sidewalk and slammed into the wall of the building. The car inner body bent and the car is totaled. The airbags did not inflate.
Can not remove key when in park!! Leaves me stranded..have to keep trying various methods to turn car off and remove key!! This should be a recall.. Have seen many complaints as well on line.
The ignition key keeps getting stuck in the ignition. When attempting to stop the vehicle to park, the key cannot be removed. This is a well known problem as far as internet reports go yet subaru has not been called out on this. This means that the customer my be required to leave the key in the ignition should some other emergency arise.