Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2004 Subaru Outback — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2008 to Dec 2004
The most reported issue is air bags problems (23 complaints). 9 complaints involved crashes. 4 involved fires.
Open Safety Recalls (11)
NHTSA Campaign: 20V001000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
NHTSA Campaign: 20V002000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
NHTSA Campaign: 20V003000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V361000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, and Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, or "Zone C.". These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-16. Note: This recall covers vehicles that were not previously covered in 16V-358 for Zone A or 16V-359 for Zone B.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V358000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-16.
NHTSA Campaign: 15V323000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V359000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-16. Note: This notice is only for vehicles that were not covered by 16V-358 for Zone A.
NHTSA Campaign: 14V763000
Component: AIR BAGS
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy and Outback vehicles, and 2003-2005 Baja vehicles sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Florida and adjacent counties in southern Georgia, as well as the coastal areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQP-51. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-471. This recall has been partially superseded by 15V-323. All 2005 model year Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles will now be repaired under recall 15V-323.
NHTSA Campaign: 13E065000
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Airtex Products LP (Airtex) is recalling certain model E8598M, E8518M, E8600M, E8596M, and E8597M fuel pumps manufactured July 26, 2013, and July 29, 2013 and used as aftermarket replacements on Subaru Baja's, Outback's and Legacy's. The affected fuel pumps were sold or installed into the aftermarket applications on or after July 26, 2013, and may may leak fuel from the base of a fuel line connection when the gas tank is full.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Airtex will notify owners, and will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Recall is expected to begin on January 2, 2014. Customers may contact Airtex at 1-800-880-3056. The recall is expected to begin during January 2014. This recall is being conducted by Airtex, not by Subaru.
NHTSA Campaign: 04V128000
Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER SEDANS, WAGONS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE COULD COME OUT OF ITS TRACK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER AND LODGE ON THE CONTROL LEVER TAB WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE THROTTLE WILL NOT RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION AND WILL REMAIN IN AN OPEN POSITION.
Risk: IF THIS OCCURS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER TAB ON THE THROTTLE SHAFT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 12, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
NHTSA Campaign: 03V303000
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
CERTAIN PASSENGER OR SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY HAVE A LOOSE OR OUT OF POSITION FUEL FILLER HOSE CLAMP.
Risk: THIS COULD RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND TIGHTEN THE CLAMP ON THE FUEL FILLER HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 27, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Owner-Reported Issues (20 of 90)
Air Bags →15 issues
You received recall notices about a defective airbag in your 2004 Subaru Outback that needs to be replaced. However, you no longer own the vehicle—it was picked up by an auction house and may have been scrapped. You're notifying NHTSA that you won't be responding to further recall notices about this car.
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Your Outback is subject to a Takata airbag recall, but replacement airbags are not currently available. You've been placed on waitlists at two local Subaru dealers and are waiting for parts to arrive so the repair can be completed.
Parts you may need:
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Your 2004 Subaru Outback has a passenger-side airbag recall that was issued in July 2016, but you haven't received notification that repair parts are available even 14 months later. Your Subaru dealer said they'd contact you by mail when parts arrived for the repair, but that communication never came. Until this recall is completed, it's unsafe to have passengers sit in the front seat. The repair will involve replacing the defective airbag unit once the dealer receives the replacement parts from Subaru.
Parts you may need:
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Your car is subject to a Takata airbag recall that Subaru notified you about months ago, but the dealership hasn't contacted you to schedule the repair. You've been advised not to allow anyone to sit in the front passenger seat until this is fixed, which severely limits how you can use your vehicle. The repair will involve replacing the faulty airbag unit with a safe one.
Parts you may need:
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Your 2004 Subaru Outback was part of a Takata airbag recall issued in July 2016, but the manufacturer has not provided replacement airbags to fix the issue. The recall notice warns you not to let anyone sit in the passenger seat until the repair is completed, which makes your vehicle unusable as a normal passenger car. The fix will require the manufacturer to supply and install a replacement airbag assembly.
Parts you may need:
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Your car is subject to a Takata airbag recall, and you've been notified that your airbags need to be replaced. However, you're being told not to let passengers sit in the affected seats, and there's no scheduled replacement date or parts currently available. This means you cannot safely use your rear seats until the repair is completed, which limits your ability to transport your full family.
Parts you may need:
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Your car is affected by a Takata airbag recall, and the manufacturer's interim recommendation is not to drive with passengers until replacement parts become available. You're concerned about not knowing when replacement parts will be in stock, which makes it difficult to use your car normally. The fix will require replacing the defective airbag components with recalled-specific Takata airbag units once they become available.
Parts you may need:
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The airbag system is not functioning as expected. No crash or fire was involved in this complaint.
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Your 2004 Subaru Outback is subject to a recall affecting the front passenger airbag. This is a safety-related recall that Subaru has identified and needs to be addressed by a dealer.
Parts you may need:
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Your 2004 Subaru Outback has a Takata passenger side front airbag that's part of a safety recall. You reported that the manufacturer took longer than a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair.
Parts you may need:
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Your airbags are part of a Takata recall, and you received the recall notice in July 2016 but haven't had the repair completed yet. The passenger seat is disabled as a safety precaution while waiting for the recall service, which is causing significant inconvenience. The fix will involve your dealer replacing the faulty airbag inflator with a safe one.
Parts you may need:
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Your Subaru is subject to a Takata airbag recall that was issued in July 2016, but you haven't received notification that the replacement part is available yet. You've contacted both Subaru and your dealer and have been waiting for three months without resolution. Getting the airbag inflator replaced will require scheduling service with your Subaru dealer once parts become available.
Parts you may need:
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Your 2004 Subaru Outback was subject to a safety recall (Campaign 16V361000) for airbags, but the replacement parts have been unavailable for an extended period. You've notified the manufacturer about the delay in getting the repair completed. While you haven't experienced an airbag failure yet, the repair will likely involve replacing the affected airbag component once parts become available.
Parts you may need:
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Your 2004 Subaru Outback was subject to a safety recall (campaign 16V358000) for the airbag system, but the manufacturer hasn't been able to provide the replacement part within a reasonable timeframe. You haven't experienced an airbag failure, but the recall repair remains incomplete. The fix will require the manufacturer to supply and install the recalled airbag component.
Parts you may need:
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Your 2004 Subaru Outback is subject to a Takata airbag recall (NHTSA campaign 16V361000), but the replacement parts needed to fix it have been unavailable. You've been waiting longer than a reasonable amount of time for the manufacturer to complete the repair, and you've notified the manufacturer of this delay. Your airbags haven't failed yet, but the recall work remains incomplete.
Parts you may need:
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Vehicle Speed Control →2 issues
While driving at normal speeds, your engine suddenly shifts to a fast idle and the gas pedal stops responding without warning. Stopping and restarting the car has temporarily fixed the problem each time it's occurred. Your dealer replaced the accelerator pedal position switch, but the issue has happened again. The underlying cause may need further diagnosis, as the replacement part hasn't resolved the issue.
Parts you may need:
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Your accelerator pedal stuck to the floor while you were driving 35 mph, causing your car to suddenly accelerate to 70 mph. You couldn't slow down and had to crash into a tree to stop the vehicle. The issue occurred at 230,000 miles on your 2004 Subaru Outback.
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Service Brakes →1 issue
You received replacement brake pads from AutoZone under warranty that were supposed to be the same part number (D929) as your original pads, but they were too large to fit properly in your brake caliper—specifically, the inner shoulder dimension was oversized. Installing these pads would have been unsafe. You verified the issue by purchasing brake pads from another auto parts store, which fit without any problems. The fix will involve getting the correct-sized brake pads that match your caliper specifications.
Parts you may need:
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Unknown Or Other →1 issue
You purchased this car believing it had 68,000 miles based on the IAA listing, but your mechanic discovered the actual mileage is 220,000 miles. After checking Carfax, you found that the odometer has been rolled back, meaning the mileage was fraudulently altered. This is odometer fraud, which affects the true condition and value of your vehicle.
Parts you may need:
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Suspension →1 issue
Your Subaru has developed significant rust on the front undercarriage, which was discovered during a bumper replacement at a body shop. This rust buildup can weaken structural components and may eventually affect suspension performance or safety.
Parts you may need:
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