Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2013 Subaru Outback — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2014 to Dec 2020
The most reported issue is engine problems (44 complaints). 17 complaints involved crashes. 6 involved fires.
Open Safety Recalls (12)
NHTSA Campaign: 19V008000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-19.
NHTSA Campaign: 19V007000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-19.
NHTSA Campaign: 18V626000
Component: PARKING BRAKE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTV-81.
NHTSA Campaign: 19V009000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-19.
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: 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: 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: 19V297000
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Risk: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
NHTSA Campaign: 18V012000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-18.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V694000
Component: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within the windshield wiper motor bottom cover may interfere with each other. If an obstruction, such as a buildup of snow or ice prevents the wiper arms from being able to stop in the parked position, the wiper motor may overheat and the bottom cover may melt.
Risk: If the windshield wiper motor overheats, the wipers may fail, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the wiper motor cover may melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor bottom cover assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTK-71. Note: This recall supersedes recall 11V-469. All vehicles that were remedied under that campaign are affected by this campaign, and need to have their wiper motor bottom cover replaced again.
NHTSA Campaign: 13V061000
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.
Risk: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
NHTSA Campaign: 13V194000
Component: STEERING
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2013 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from February 15, 2012, through June 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the inner and outer shafts of the steering column assembly may become disengaged from one another.
Risk: If the shafts become disengaged, the driver would lose the ability to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column assembly with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on May 14, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQI-45.
Owner-Reported Issues (20 of 293)
Engine →4 issues
Your parked 2013 Subaru Outback caught fire while sitting in your driveway, with smoke coming from under the hood. The fire department had to respond and extinguish the blaze, and your vehicle was deemed a total loss. The cause of the engine fire hasn't been determined, and Subaru was not notified of the incident. Determining the root cause will likely require an inspection by a qualified mechanic or engineer to examine the engine bay for electrical shorts, fuel leaks, or other fire sources.
Parts you may need:
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Your engine is burning through oil much faster than normal due to defective piston rings, which caused the engine to seize at 150,000 miles. Piston rings help seal the combustion chamber and prevent oil from entering the cylinders. Fixing this will likely require engine rebuild or replacement and new piston rings.
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Your engine cradle — the metal structure that supports your engine — has developed severe corrosion and needs to be replaced. Both your mechanic and Subaru confirmed the corrosion is significant, but Subaru refused to cover the repair under warranty since your car is 12 years old. You'll likely need to pay out-of-pocket to have the corroded engine cradle removed and replaced with a new one.
Parts you may need:
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Your engine is burning excessive oil between oil changes—starting at about half to three-quarters of a quart and increasing to over 1.5 quarts as the car aged. You've had to replace the oxygen sensor and catalytic converter due to related codes, and found thick oil buildup caked inside the intake manifold and valve components. The owner believes this should have been covered under a class action lawsuit but their vehicle's serial number wasn't included in the recall.
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Structure →2 issues
Your vehicle caught fire while you were driving on the interstate, resulting in total loss of the car. The fire occurred during normal driving with no crash involved.
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Your car's subframe has deteriorated significantly and may be unsafe to drive, according to an independent mechanic who inspected it during routine service. This problem appeared suddenly in July 2024 with no prior warning signs. Subaru has declined to take responsibility, citing it's not a warranty issue. Repairing or replacing the subframe would be necessary to make the vehicle safe.
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Air Bags →1 issue
Your airbag system isn't working properly because the occupant detection sensor (ODS) isn't recognizing when a passenger is sitting in the seat. Your seat belt has needed replacement twice in one year due to warning chimes, and the dealer believes the faulty sensor is the root cause. While Subaru has issued a recall for this issue on 2013 Outbacks, the company says your vehicle's VIN isn't covered and has refused to help pay for the repair. Fixing this will likely require replacing the occupant detection sensor and possibly related seat belt components.
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Vehicle Speed Control,unknown Or Other →1 issue
Your car unexpectedly accelerated without warning while you were parking, and you were unable to control it even though you tried to stop. The vehicle crashed through a fence and hit a tree before coming to a stop. The airbags did not deploy during the crash, and investigation ruled out a stuck gas pedal or driver error as the cause.
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Service Brakes, Hydraulic →1 issue
Your brakes failed to engage when you pressed the pedal while driving at 35 mph, though they eventually returned to normal operation without any warning light appearing. You discovered this issue may be related to a known safety recall (NHTSA Campaign 11V562000) for your model year, but your vehicle's identification number wasn't included in the recall. The brake system may need inspection and potentially a hydraulic system repair or component replacement to prevent future failures.
Parts you may need:
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Seat Belts,air Bags →1 issue
Your 2013 Subaru Outback was involved in a serious crash at 35 MPH where it struck a guard rail and then a metal post. According to your insurance company, both the airbags and seat belt failed to deploy or function during the collision, leaving you unprotected. You were ejected through the windshield and sustained a traumatic brain injury along with multiple lacerations and bruises. The vehicle was declared a total loss, and you should report this safety system failure to Subaru immediately so they can investigate why these critical safety features did not work.
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Steering,suspension →1 issue
You may notice noise from the front end and unstable handling. Your mechanic discovered severe rust on the right front cradle where the control arm connects, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. This rusted cradle could lead to complete loss of steering ability. Repair requires replacement of the rusted cradle and control arm assembly, though parts may be difficult to source.
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Unknown Or Other →1 issue
Your roof rack separated from the car while driving in traffic with a kayak loaded on it, causing the kayak to fall into the roadway where it was struck by another vehicle. This creates a serious safety hazard for you and other drivers, as flying debris can cause accidents or injuries.
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Power Train,service Brakes →1 issue
While driving on the highway, your car suddenly started stuttering, hesitating, and jerking violently after about an hour of driving. The CVT transmission and transmission control module malfunctioned, the electronic parking brake engaged unexpectedly, and you lost the ability to steer the vehicle predictably — creating a serious safety hazard. Your car had to be towed and cannot be safely driven; two independent service centers have confirmed the problem, with multiple transmission error codes identified.
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Air Bags,vehicle Speed Control,fuel/propulsion System →1 issue
While slowly pulling into a parking space, your car suddenly accelerated to high speed without warning, causing it to hit a tree down a slight slope. The front airbag failed to deploy during the impact, even though you were thrown forward violently and sustained serious injuries requiring emergency room care. The vehicle was totaled from front-end damage. This involves three potential failures: unexpected acceleration, airbag system malfunction, and fuel system control.
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Power Train,electrical System,engine →1 issue
Your check engine light came on shortly after purchasing the car, and the dealership identified a faulty catalytic converter and oxygen sensor. A month later, your car stalled and a second shop diagnosed a transmission problem, telling you the car shouldn't have been sold in that condition. The vehicle has been sitting unused since July, and you've been unable to get help from consumer protection services.
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Suspension,structure,service Brakes →1 issue
Your car has severe rust damage and holes in the subframe that the dealership failed to disclose when you purchased it two months ago. Despite multiple service visits for power steering, control arms, brakes, and tires, the dealership never mentioned this structural damage. Your car is now making clunking noises and not handling properly. Fixing this will likely require subframe repair or replacement, which is a significant structural repair.
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Parking Brake →1 issue
Your parking brake warning light came on while driving, and your car lost power at the same time. You discovered the parking brake had seized up. After releasing the parking brake and restarting the engine, the car worked again, but the dealer refused to inspect it due to a title issue on your vehicle.
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Power Train →1 issue
Your car shudders and nearly stalls when you let off the accelerator at any speed, which is especially dangerous when merging onto expressways or crossing traffic. Your dealer confirmed the transmission is the problem and can reproduce it, but can't identify the exact cause or fix it. The dealer says Subaru discontinued this transmission due to problems and won't authorize repairs or replacements, leaving you unable to get a new or rebuilt transmission through normal channels.
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Seat Belts →1 issue
Your middle seat belt is tearing in multiple places, which is concerning since seat belts are a critical safety feature. This needs attention before the seat belt becomes unreliable in a crash. The seat belt assembly will likely need to be replaced to restore proper safety protection.
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Seats →1 issue
Your electronic seat recliner motor makes noise when you try to recline the seat, and the dealership says the motor is defectively designed and can only be replaced—not repaired—at a cost near $1,000. After replacement, your seat got stuck in the fully reclined position, which reduces your driving comfort and visibility. The dealership suggests this electronic system is inferior to a manual reclining lever in terms of speed, reliability, durability of the buttons, and cost.
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Related Vehicles
Other Subaru Outback years: