2017 Subaru Outback: Common Problems, Recalls and Vehicle Data
Check the 2017 Subaru Outback records before a viewing: recall campaigns,
owner-reported symptoms, investigations, service bulletins and EPA fuel economy.
There is an open federal investigation on the 2017 Subaru Outback, EA21002, concerning the frontal driver-side air bag inflator module. An open investigation is a formal question regulators are asking, not a confirmed defect, and it may or may not lead to a recall.
Separately, the vehicle has already been the subject of four recall campaigns, two of them tied to steering (16V292000 and 16V716000), plus one each for suspension (16V576000) and air bags (19V910000). Two campaigns sharing a system is a modest cluster rather than a wide scattering, though the record here isn't heavily concentrated in one area.
In the complaint data, electrical issues are the largest single category, accounting for 381 of 917 complaints, or 42 percent. Visibility and lighting complaints follow at 232, or 25 percent, with an "other" category making up another 188, or 21 percent. The remaining categories, including drivetrain, steering, engine, brakes, and air bags, are each in the single digits by share.
Service bulletins, which are manufacturer repair guidance rather than recalls, also lean electrical: 83 of 307 bulletins concern the electrical system, more than any other category, followed by equipment at 56 and steering at 31.
None of this establishes how many vehicles are actually affected by any issue, since complaint volume reflects how often owners reported a concern, not a defect rate.
Body class
SUV
Drive types
All-Wheel Drive
Combined MPG
22–28
Recall campaigns
4
Check the VIN to find out whether a recall applies to this car. Complaint counts describe reports on
file; differences in time on the road, sales and reporting prevent a direct comparison of failure odds.
Read our methodology.
Complaint trends
917 complaints on file with NHTSA's
Office of Defects Investigation, grouped into CarTold's broad component categories.
Electrical381 (42%)
Visibility & lighting232 (25%)
Other188 (21%)
Drivetrain43 (5%)
Steering23 (3%)
Engine19 (2%)
Brakes16 (2%)
Airbag15 (2%)
Most frequently reported, by the specific component NHTSA logged each complaint
under (not CarTold's category groupings above):
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 327 complaints (36%)
VISIBILITY/WIPER — 180 complaints (20%)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 123 complaints (13%)
POWER TRAIN — 26 complaints (3%)
VISIBILITY — 25 complaints (3%)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 23 complaints (3%)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been installed that is not compatible with the passenger air bag module, possibly affecting air bag deployment.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUX-09.
Campaign 16V7160002016-10-06
STEERING:COLUMN
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured September 21, 2016, to September 23, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the knee guard bracket may not be properly attached to the steering beam assembly.
Consequence: If the knee guard is not properly attached and the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, the knee guard may not be able to properly restrain the driver's lower body in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the knee guard welding on each vehicle's steering beam, replacing the beam as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTL-72.
Campaign 16V5760002016-08-03
SUSPENSION
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Outback vehicles manufactured June 20, 2016, to June 23, 2016. The affected vehicles may have improperly tightened attaching bolts for the front left and right brake calipers, wheel hubs, and the right stabilizer clamp.
Consequence: If any of the front brake caliper, wheel hub or stabilizer clamp attaching bolts loosen or detach, the related components would also become loose and may detach possibly making the vehicle unstable and reducing the braking capability. These conditions would increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the bolts for proper torque, and replace any loose bolts, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTE-66.
Campaign 16V2920002016-05-11
STEERING:COLUMN
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.
Consequence: The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
A model-year recall does not mean every vehicle is affected. Look up a specific car with our
recall check — paste a VIN and it lists every campaign covering that
vehicle. Whether the work was actually done needs
nhtsa.gov/recalls or the
manufacturer; our guide explains
what each of its answers means.
Investigations
EA21002 (EA)Open
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE, AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Opened 2021-09-17
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.…
Manufacturer communications
Expand a component group to read the service bulletins and other communications
manufacturers filed with NHTSA. Use the document number to ask a dealer whether the instructions apply to
this car and whether any repair is covered. A bulletin alone does not establish payment eligibility.
How these records differ from recalls and investigations.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 86 documents (2016-10-13 – 2024-11-14)
NHTSA crash-tests each body-style/drivetrain configuration separately, so ratings can
differ by variant — shown as tested, not averaged. See
how the 5-star ratings work, including why an
overall score isn't the average of the three category scores.