2017 Subaru Outback problems
The 2017 Subaru Outback has 1,110 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (35%) concerns electrical system. Next are wipers, windshield & visibility (21%) and drivetrain & axles (4%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,110 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 35% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 56 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 45 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 30,000 miles 619 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 | 192 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 218 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 130 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 57 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 14 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 7 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 619 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 30,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 30,000 miles (174 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 56 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 45 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2017 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Subaru Outback with enough data (967 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 was recently involved in a multi-car accident, where the vehicle rammed into my outback from behind, leading to a spin-up and hit again by the driver side, forcing me to collide into a vehicle that had side-lined on a highway. In this situation, I would expect the airbags to get deployed, but to my surprise and shock, none of the airbags were deployment (both frontal as well as side)
Car was rear ended (driver side rear) at full speed, which then pushed us into a parking lot, specifically the corner with a cement piling with a light pole which collapsed, no airbags deployed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 subaru outback. While the vehicle was completely stopped, it accelerated independently. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a tree. A police report was filed. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained chest and stomach injuries and the contact sustained wrist injuries, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to yark subaru (6141 central ave, toledo, oh 43615).
Driving back to michigan from florida, my 2017 subaru outback (6000 miles) stalled twice unexpectedly in heavy traffic conditions on I75. The vehicle was in stop and go traffic when it stalled. I coasted to the median, placed the car in park and restarted the engine. (both times) the condition has not repeated itself since, now has (7800 miles). Subaru dealership could not replicate the problem and subaru customer service cannot resolve the issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 subaru outback. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the driver heard an abnormal noise and noticed the front passenger's side windshield had cracked without impact. The contact was informed that a rock had struck the windshield causing the crack. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the windshield was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was 68,000.