Subaru problems
Subaru (スバル, /ˈsuːbəruː/ or /sʊˈbɑːruː/; Japanese pronunciation: ) is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the twenty-first largest automaker by production worldwide in 2017.
Subaru cars are known for their use of a boxer engine layout in most vehicles above 1,500 cc. The Symmetrical All Wheel Drive drive-train layout was introduced in 1972. Both became standard equipment for mid-size and smaller cars in most markets by 1996. The lone exception is the BRZ, introduced in 2012 via a partnership with Toyota, which pairs the boxer engine with rear-wheel-drive. Subaru also offers turbocharged versions of their passenger cars, such as the WRX, Legacy and Outback XT, Ascent, and formerly the Legacy GT and Forester XT.
In Western markets, Subaru vehicles have traditionally attracted a small but devoted core of buyers. The company's marketing targets those who desire its signature engine and drive train, all-wheel drive and rough-road capabilities, or affordable sports car designs.
Subaru is the direct translation from Japanese for the Pleiades star cluster M45, or the "Seven Sisters" (one of whom tradition says is invisible – hence only six stars in the Subaru logo), which in turn inspires the logo and alludes to the companies that merged to create FHI.
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Common Subaru problems
Based on the complaints from Subaru owners, several common problems have been reported with Subaru vehicles. Here are some of the most frequently reported issues:
- Failed Catalytic Converter: Another prevalent issue with Subaru Forester vehicles is a failed catalytic converter, which can also trigger an illuminated check engine light. This problem may cause the vehicle to fail a smog test in states where it's required. If the vehicle is still under warranty, Subaru is likely to cover the cost of repairs or replacement of the catalytic converter; otherwise, owners will need to cover the expenses.
- Head Gasket Failure Due to Cooling System Issues: Owners have reported head gasket failures in Subaru Forester models due to cooling system issues. This problem led Subaru to extend the head gasket warranty coverage to eight years or 100,000 miles for some vehicles. The frequency of this issue has prompted Subaru to take measures to address it and provide extended warranty coverage for affected vehicles.
- Denso Fuel Pump Failure: In some Subaru models like the Outback, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy, there have been reports of a defective fuel pump manufactured by Denso. This issue can lead to impeller deformation due to cracks caused by excessive fuel absorption. Subaru issued a recall to address this problem and ensure the safety of affected vehicles.
- Battery System Drain: Certain Subaru models, including the Outback and Ascent, have faced issues related to battery system drain, leading to class-action lawsuits against Subaru. These lawsuits highlight concerns about battery performance and potential defects in the affected vehicles, prompting legal action to address these issues.
- Unintended Acceleration: A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Subaru, alleging that certain models like the Forester, Outback, and Legacy experienced unintended acceleration without warning. This issue has raised safety concerns among owners and led to legal action against Subaru to address the problem and ensure the safety of affected vehicles.
These common problems reported by Subaru owners highlight the importance of addressing quality and reliability issues in Subaru vehicles to ensure the safety and satisfaction of customers.
Percentage distribution of complaints by Subaru models
We have analysed all the complaints filed against Subaru cars and compiled the top 5 most problematic Subaru models:
Below you can see the percentage distribution of known problems by Subaru brand.
Distribution of the number of complaints by Subaru models
We have also compiled a table for you with the number of complaints about specific models of Subaru cars:
Distribution of Subaru car problems by type
Based on an anlyse of all Subaru related complaints and concluded that the most common problems with Subaru cars are the following:
- Electrical system problems
- Visibility/wiper problems
- Power train problems
- Unknown or other problems
- Air bags problems
Below is a graph with statistics on all Subaru vehicle components and the number of complaints about them.
Distribution of the number of complaints where the accident occurred by Subaru models
A total of 1540 complaints were registered in which the accident occurred. In the graph you can see the distribution of the number of complaints by model.
Distribution of the number of complaints with fire by Subaru models
There were a total of 316 complaints that resulted in a fire. In the graph you can see the distribution of the number of complaints by model.
Distribution of the number of complaints with injuries by Subaru models
There were a total of 974 complaints that resulted in a injuries. In the graph you can see the distribution of the number of complaints by model.
Distribution of the number of complaints with deaths by Subaru models
There were a total of 24 complaints that resulted in a death. In the graph you can see the distribution of the number of complaints by model.
The NHTSA has received 24982 complaints about various vehicle components related to the Subaru Subaru. Below are 15 recent complaints about various Subaru models. In order to research complaints about a particular brand you need to select it from the list of available models above.
List of the last 15 complaints about Subaru models
Subaru Outback 2019
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-13
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-21
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S4BSAFC0K3
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: Infotainment unit failed. Battery died and was replaced with a larger capacity battery. Shortly after, the infotainment head unit became inoperable with ghosting of buttons. Then, the car would not hold a charge again and a bypass box for the digital communication center is being installed today under a recall. The ghosting/inoperable infotainment center remains non-functional and is apparently a separate issue? It randomly beeps and selects buttons, which is distracting. Unit has to be shut off to avoid this.
Subaru Ascent 2019
- Date Of Incident: 2021-01-01
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-21
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S4WMAMD1K3
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: We observed Subaru Ascent 2019 (Limited) car handling poorly over bumpy areas, especially over bumps on turns even at speeds under 40 mph. Car feels as if it is loosing contact with the road. It is also jarring over bumps even while driving straight. In wet conditions, I do not know if I will be able to stop within the proper distance. We took the car to the dealer, that indicated front struts needed replacement. They could not provide an estimate of when struts would be available -- this was over one month ago. I am uncertain if a repair is possible to correct this apparent safety issue.
Subaru Crosstrek 2021
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-20
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-20
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: JF2GTACC6M9
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The USB A outlets under the head unit that allow connection to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Yes it is available for inspection upon request How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The connection when hooked up to a phone is intermittent. This results in driver distraction whenever it disconnects due to trying to get it to reconnect. Especially when using gps apps this means the driver may be "lost" until it can be reconnected, which means they will try to get it reconnected while driving which is dangerous. Sometimes it goes in and out every 60-90 seconds. Sometimes it won't connect at all until the vehicle is power cycled or the head unit is reset but neither of these guarantees a stable connection. The issue is not fixed by replacing the USB cable or the phone with a brand new phone. The cables and phone do not have this issue with any other USB port that they have been used on (in other vehicles). Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not on my vehicle but there are hundreds of reports online for years with multiple Subaru models where it has been. I could get it reproduced easily, just haven't had the time. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No This happens every day, at any speed, and has been happening since I got the vehicle at 20000 miles and there are 35000 miles on it now (approximately).
Subaru Crosstrek 2021
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-18
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-19
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: JF2GTHSC1MH
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut off unintendedly and failed to restart. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000.
Subaru Outback 2019
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-08
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-19
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S4BSANC4K3
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: Battery goes dead after not using car for 4 days. Subaru said the battery that came with the car was not strong enough. There was a lawsuit, but i missed the date to buy a new battery. I bought a strong battery, but problem happed again. Based on many forum messages, there is a parasitic battery drain while car is off. Problem is tied to Starlink Fuse. Also saw a new lawsuit on the fact that Starlink is trying to connect to 3G network, which no longer exists. Subaru is not fixing this problem. Google Subaru 2019 Starlink battery, it is all over the place.
Subaru Ascent 2019
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-15
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-18
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S4WMARD1K3
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: My Ascent is primarily driven in the city of San Francisco, a fairly hilly city. We have had issues with the suspension on this vehicle in the past, and I will need to install my third pair of struts in the coming weeks (the parts are currently on backorder). The CVT has also been replaced on the vehicle. The tires are routinely rotated, and we keep up with the maintenance schedule. We were driving home after dropping our daughters at school and while accelerating up a hill heard a crack. We immediately pulled over, and saw that the lower control arm had sheared.
Subaru Forester 2023
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-15
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-18
- Number Of Injuries: 1
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 1
- Fire: 0
- VIN: JF2SKAJC4PH
- Components: LANE DEPARTURE
- Summary: I was driving on a two lane highway in the mountains and came around a small right-veering turn in the road. I straightened out the wheel to resume traveling straight, and my car’s auto-steer kicked in and pulled left into the center divider, and then right across two lanes and crashed into the side of the mountain. The auto-steer has pulled me out of lanes prior to this incident as well.
Subaru Outback 2022
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-14
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-14
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S4BTGPD9N3
- Components: VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Summary: Have second deep crack with light rock impact in less than one year
Subaru Legacy 2021
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-12
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-12
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S3BWGP61M3
- Components: AIR BAGS
- Summary: Subaru has failed to remedy recall on airbags.
Subaru Crosstrek 2019
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-12
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-12
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 1
- VIN: JF2GTANCXK8
- Components: POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
- Summary: I sent my Crosstrek to the dealer for the WRE21 recall. After retrieving the car from the dealership with the recall fix in place, the engine stalled while I was at a red light and I could see smoke coming out from the hood. This occurred after driving less than 4 miles from the dealership. I opened the hood and could see that one of the coil packs on the driver side cylinder bank was on fire. I called 911 and the Fire Department had to extinguish the fire. The fire has rendered the vehicle inoperable and smoke damaged.
Subaru Impreza 2019
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-11
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-08
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S3GTAD63K3
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: Rear wheel bearing premature wear. Originally installed wheel bearings were replaced, under warranty, at 44,137 miles. Same bearings then had to be replaced again at 62,486 miles. Both replacements were done by Beardmore Subaru in Nebraska. A failed wheel bearing at high speed could result in a catastrophic accident, and requiring replacement at these low mileage levels is indicative of poor design or substandard parts.
Subaru Outback 2022
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-27
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-04
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S4BTGLD5N3
- Components: VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Summary: Windshield has a crack. There is no external force, neither accident happened
Subaru Legacy 2021
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-03
- Date Complaint: 2024-11-03
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S3BWAB60M3
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,BACK OVER PREVENTION
- Summary: ODS sensor recall still not fixed/remedy available, used heat for first time since i purchased the car, minor cracks in the windshield, car radio/monitors randomly go black, reverse camera won’t work, restarts on there own after a while
Subaru Legacy 2018
- Date Of Incident: 2024-07-01
- Date Complaint: 2024-10-30
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S3BNAF68J3
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: My car stereo has gone crazy causing major distractions while driving. Hands free calling doesn’t work, in fact it calls random people on my call list. The screen dances and changes screens all by itself causing major distraction and it has almost caused an accident by the distraction. I’ve read that this issue is a known manufacturing issue and a class action lawsuit was brought against Subaru. I called Subaru and they have refused to give me a warranty radio even thou my dealer confirmed my radio is suffering from the De-lamination issue that’s well known problem with my car.
Subaru Outback 2019
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-19
- Date Complaint: 2024-10-30
- Number Of Injuries: 0
- Number Of Deaths: 0
- Crash: 0
- Fire: 0
- VIN: 4S4BSAFC7K3
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: DCM battery drain and bad head unit display. The class action law suit does not cover the fix for the battery drain problem. Just a new battery. My is the battery continues to drain. I cannot afford to replace the problem DCM. I had to pull that fuse as a fix. I now do not have fro t speakers or Bluetooth. My CarPlay maps no longer tell me where I need to turn. Causing me to looks at the display more frequently. This is not good in busy areas. The other issue is with the head unit. When it gets warm and humid, the display doesn’t work. It clicks all over causing issues with CarPlay, Bluetooth and the radio. This is due to moisture getting in the display. Again causing problems and distractions. This will cause accidents if it hasn’t already. There are a lot of complaints out there for this as well as the DCM battery drain.
Latest 5 Subaru recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 1038 recalls involving various Subaru models.You can learn more about the model you are interested in by selecting it from the list.
- Model: Subaru Legacy 2020
- Report Received Date: 2024-03-22
- Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
- Components: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
- Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
- Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 17, 2024. Owners will receive a second letter once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
- Model: Subaru Outback 2020
- Report Received Date: 2024-03-22
- Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
- Components: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
- Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
- Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 17, 2024. Owners will receive a second letter once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
- Model: Subaru Outback 2022
- Report Received Date: 2024-03-22
- Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
- Components: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
- Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
- Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 17, 2024. Owners will receive a second letter once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
- Model: Subaru Legacy 2022
- Report Received Date: 2024-03-22
- Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
- Components: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
- Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
- Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 17, 2024. Owners will receive a second letter once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
- Model: Subaru Outback 2021
- Report Received Date: 2024-03-22
- Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
- Components: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
- Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
- Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 17, 2024. Owners will receive a second letter once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
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