2021 Subaru Outback problems and complaints
Owners have filed 298 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Outback. The most-reported areas: Visibility/Wiper (97), Electrical System (76), Unknown Or Other (66).
Key takeaways
- 298 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 9 involve a crash, 2 a fire, 4 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 97 | 33% |
| Electrical System | 76 | 26% |
| Unknown Or Other | 66 | 22% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 29 | 10% |
| Engine | 21 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 16 | 5% |
| Power Train | 12 | 4% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 10 | 3% |
| Visibility | 10 | 3% |
| Structure | 7 | 2% |
| Lane Departure | 7 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Subaru Outback SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Electrical System - filed 2026-10-14
Battery died multiple times. A DMC module went bad.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-10-13
My car caught fire this morning. It had been making a little noise but nothing I thought couldn't wait til the next service. It started to have a smell, and then while I was waiting at a light with my son in the car, I noticed smoke from under the hood. I turned around and parked in a parking lot. The smoke got worse. ...
Electrical System - filed 2026-08-26
Vehicle's Auto Start-Stop system shut the engine off while stopped at a red light in [XXX], in rainy conditions in late XXX at approximately 29,000 miles. When the brake was released after the light turned green, the engine did not restart, leaving it stopped in the travel lane in live traffic. The driver had to use a ...
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More for the 2021 Subaru Outback
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.