Vehicle Data Hub

2023 Subaru Outback problems

The 2023 Subaru Outback has 127 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (28%) concerns forward collision avoidance. Next are wipers, windshield & visibility (15%) and electrical system (14%).

At a glance

Complaints
127 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Forward collision avoidance 28% of complaints
Crashes and fires
16 and 3
Injuries and deaths
5 and 0
Typical mileage
6,000 miles 16 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

Complaints by mileage, 2023 Subaru Outback Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 6,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 12 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 3 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 0 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 0 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 0 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 0 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 0 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 0 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 1 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 6,000 miles
Based on 16 complaints that include mileage. 94% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles12
20k to 40k miles3
40k to 60k miles0
60k to 80k miles0
80k to 100k miles0
100k to 120k miles0
120k to 140k miles0
140k to 160k miles0
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles1

What the data shows

Of the 16 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 6,000 miles.

Safety-related details: 16 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 5 injuries reported.

Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2023 ranks 18th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Subaru Outback with enough data (127 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 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.

My son was traveling at an appropriate highway speed when the truck in front of him stopped suddenly. He braked immediately and was able to slow down significantly, but not enough to avoid colliding with the back of the truck in front of him. He was going approximately 20 mph, still braking, when the collision occurred. His best recollection is that the vehicle's pre-collision system did not engage until after he collided with the truck. There was damage to the front end of the vehicle but it was not severe.

January 2024 CrashFire

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that upon purchasing the vehicle from the dealer on October 3, 2022, he noticed that the automatic collision alert to the Emergency Services, the diagnostic alert, the remote services, the SOS emergency alert, the stolen vehicle recovery alert, the Roadside Assistance alert, and the multimedia features were inoperable.

Reported at 300 miles, October 2022

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and coming to a green light with no vehicles nearby, the Eyesight Driver Assist camera malfunctioned and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The Collision Prevention braking system activated with the warning light displayed on the instrument panel. The contact immediately deactivated the fuel saving button and depressed the accelerator pedal for the vehicle to respond.

Reported at 9,000 miles, March 2023

Other model years of the Outback

Best and worst years for the Subaru Outback