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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2017 Subaru Outback — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 918 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

918
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
32
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
3
Involved Fire
owner-reported
25
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Subaru Outback — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

360 complaints

652 complaints

292 complaints

297 complaints

208 complaints

509 complaints

642 complaints

918 complaints

813 complaints

1,035 complaints

899 complaints

296 complaints

464 complaints

89 complaints

2 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Electrical System 391 reports
Visibility/wiper 205 reports
Unknown Or Other 178 reports
Power Train 47 reports
Engine 43 reports
Visibility 30 reports
Vehicle Speed Control 28 reports
Structure 26 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Steering ODI 11385757 12/31/2020

WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN DURING SNOW FALL WITH A FULLY PACKED CAR ON THE HIGHWAY I EXPERIENCED THE REAR END "GHOST WALKING" OR "STEERING" OR "PULLING" TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT. I HAD TO DRIVE 40MPH WHILE TWO-WHEELED DRIVE CAMRYS, CIVICS, VANS, ETC. PASSED US BY. GROWING UP IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN, I'M NO STRANGER TO WINTER C…

Unknown Or Other ODI 11499494 12/30/2022

front windshield cracked spontaneously during extreme cold while front defroster was running set on high. no overhead objects. no other cars or vehicles on the roadway. 15 mph. crack is in the windshield wiper resting area extending from the black edge to the center, in a horizontal crack, bilaterally.

Unknown Or Other ODI 11707487 12/29/2025

Driving on a flat dry road with cloudy conditions we heard what sounded like a shotgun. Pulled over and found our Moonroof exploded. I have dashcam video with audio of the explosion as well as photos and video of the damage immediately after

Electrical System ODI 11562538 12/29/2023

11/06/23: During a routine oil change at the dealer a multipoint vehicle inspection was conducted. The inspection revealed an upper oil pan leak. The repair involved removing the engine and replacing various components (gasket, O-Rings and etc.). The vehicle was well maintained and had only 43,492 miles on it. The oil leak potentially could have caused an engine compartment…

Electrical System ODI 11385441 12/29/2020

TL* THE CONTRACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HIS FATHER WHO OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MILLER HILL SUBARU (4710 MILLER TRUNK HWY, DULUTH, MN 55811) WHERE THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY BATTERY, REMOTE STARTER, SENSOR AND REAR LIFTGATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REP…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2017 Subaru Outback, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

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Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2017 Subaru Outback reliable?
Owners have filed 918 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 Subaru Outback, most often about electrical system. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Subaru Outback years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.