10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,692 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #6

Jan 092022

Outback

  • miles
Driving down the freeway, snowy conditions, going roughly 50 mph in a straight line, no curves or turns in sight, hit a very small hump in the road and suddenly I found myself sideways from what seems like a rear steer situation, i corrected as best i could and luckily i was in the only section of the road that didn't have a wall, ended up backwards in a shallow ditch. No immediate damage noted, I was able to drive away, but confidence with driving in snowy and icy conditions has been severely diminished (been driving in snow and ice for 20+ years). My previous vehicle, 1988 chevy s10 was WAY more reliable in the snow that this thing. I have since felt this car try and "kick out" while going well under the speed limit but in slightly icy conditions. The only reason I can think that this hasnt happened again is due to myself being aware of the isssue, new struts and brand new $600 dollar tires i recently purchased. This is a huge issue, and Subaru needs to own up to it, I know i'm not the only one who's experienced this.

- Glendale , CO, USA

problem #5

Nov 232018

Outback

  • 143,842 miles
On 11/23/2018, I was driving westbound down a hill in the inside lane of a highway in light drizzle, speed approximately 50 mph. The highway was wet but no standing water. Suddenly the front wheels began alternately pulling to the left, then right, then left, then right, causing the vehicle to weave uncontrollably. After just a few seconds the car swerved across the right lane, spinning to face the westbound traffic. The car then swung up an embankment along the roadside, skidded backwards on its left side, then came to rest on the right shoulder of highway, still facing the westbound traffic. In a few minutes, highway patrol arrived, and a patrolman backed the car down the hill about 200 yards to an exit. As he was backing, the front end again was weaving from side to side. I don't know what it was that happened, but it did not begin with applying brakes or skidding on the wet surface.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #4

Jan 292014

Outback 4-cyl

  • 83,000 miles
Refer to NHTSA complaint 10558038 vehicle was driven a couple of times on good dry roads after December complaint about rear end stability and traction problems. On Jan 29th, mid morning driver was driving with 1 passenger on a slightly snow covered gravel road. Vehicle in front of him turned off and when he accelerated to approximately 35 mph with slight throttle pressure, he stated "the car started driving itself and became totally uncontrollable." He said "it spun around one way then the other" before going through a ditch, running through a fence and into a railroad tie post. He said that he had tried every thing possible to avoid the crash and could not figure out what had happened. This is the same driver in previous complaint that is a ex-race car driver, has had numerous spin outs at high speeds on the track and is also a professional truck driver. He drove an old 2 wheel drive pickup truck later that day under worse road and weather conditions and did not have any problems. The car was drivable to get it home. On the way to the body shop, 40 mph it again started swaying back and forth erratically when he drove over a patch of ice on the road. The car is at the body shop with over $3000 damage. Bags did not deploy.

- Farmington, WA, USA

problem #3

Jan 282014

Outback 4-cyl

  • 92,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the rear end swerved when driving at any speed. A local auto specialist performed an alignment and the tires were replaced however the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 92,000...updated 08/11/14

- Hammond , IN, USA

problem #2

Feb 092013

Outback

  • 63,000 miles
While driving on snow covered roads with three people and ski equipment in the vehicle, I experienced dangerous, abnormal handling. This phenomenon has been reported by many other 2005-2009 Subaru Outback owners, and is believed to be caused by a design flaw in the vehicles suspension system. Specifically, the Outbacks appear to have a chassis tuning issue where the rear suspension oscillates in such a way to cause rear-steer. When this occurs road feel and handling confidence are completely lost. Please investigate this dangerous design flaw and see that it is properly addressed by the vehicle manufacturer.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #1

Feb 072007

Outback 4-cyl

  • 307 miles
We purchased a Subaru Outback on 2/3/07 and the accident was on 2/7/07, at 10:05 am. I was in cruise control at 60 mph and I was in the passing lane, all of a sudden I started to go to the left, against the guard rail, I thought I was on black ice, but the road was dry, but because I thought it was ice, I did not touch the brake, and therefore I was still going 60 mph in cruise control. I turned the wheel to the right and back to the left and then to the right again, still on cruise control, I hit the guard rail on my right...head on...then the car backed around and stopped with the rear bumper on the same guard rail that I had hit head on.

- Bath, ME, USA