2023 Subaru Outback problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (16) · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking (8) · Electrical System (8)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Outback model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch 2023-11-09 · campaign 23V755000 · 95,830 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Power Train:driveline:driveshaft 2023-09-21 · campaign 23V647000 · 4,311 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
Risk: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.
Service bulletins (334)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Power Train 2026-09-28 · SubaruNet Announcement (T · Other
this announcement provides information on an enhancement of the techshare cvt diagnostic assitance application.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-09-18 · 18-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"this bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following dtcs: dtc c1956: rh actuator circuit dtc c1957: lh actuator circuit"
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 334 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-02 · Lane Departure: Assist“while driving on the highway i had my cruise control on with my driving assist turned on. my car tried to veer to the left, hard, almost into the guardrail. it had happened before but not as severe as this time. going highway speed, i was lucky enough no one was next to me. someone could have got seriously injured!…”
2026-08-20 · Service Brakes“driving at speeds around 40 and when braking to turn, the brakes jerk and feel like they are not engaging properly. it has happened to a different driver, twice both times on a 90 degree day, a few minutes after the vehicle had been started and the air conditioner was running on high. after this happened we googled the issue to see what the problem…”
2026-08-03 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking“phantom braking of pre-collision braking 2023 subaru outback turbo wednesday, july 29, 2026. 9:30 am, sunny day driving south on local city street. brakes slammed on, car stopped, flashing yellow lights on left combination meter stating that pre-collision braking was activated. there was no vehicle/obstacle/animal in the road. no parked cars, no…”
2026-07-30 · Tires“the original equipment yokohama avid gt tires experienced rapid, catastrophic structural degradation (extreme inner-edge wear and chunking of the exterior edge over ~7,000 mi.). i have photos of the tires, and carr subaru (beaverton, or) has one of the tires available for inspection. i am the original owner of this vehicle. it has been regularly s…”
2026-07-08 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“the advanced driver assistance system (eyesight/automatic emergency braking), the service brakes, and the central electrical system malfunctioned. the vehicle is currently held at an authorized dealership and is available for inspection.on monday, june 22, 2026, at approximately 4:47 pm, while traveling at highway speeds on i-295 south under clear …”
2026-04-15 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal · 20,300 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2023 subaru outback. while turning into a parking spot, the accelerator pedal was slightly depressed, and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, crashing into a parked vehicle on the driver's side. the contact stated that the vehicle continued to move forward after the crash into the next parking spot. no warning lights illuminate…”
2025-12-03 · Electrical System“recently, in my 2023 subaru outback, i have been having pop-up ads for sirusxm take over my infotainment screen. the ad appears in the center, does not allow the user to interact with the screen - including air conditioning control and traction control selection - and will not go away until i acknowledge the ad. it has appeared when i start the v…”
2025-11-20 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:hatchback/Liftgate:lock · 23,000 mi“the contact owns a 2023 subaru outback. the contact stated that while walking around the vehicle attempting to put her husband in the passenger seat, the hatchback opened independently, and they both got pushed independently from the vehicle on the ground from the impact. the contact mentioned by the standers came out of the office to check on them…”
2025-11-20 · Unknown Or Other“i have had no working sos safety button in case of a crash despite having a 3 year plan. this started after a starlink update failed to load to this date. i took it to the dealer and my software was found to be up to date and i was told not a subaru problem for months. i wrote to subura america and told not to take the car in as no fix but any da…”
2025-10-24 · Electrical System · 24,200 mi“the contact owns a 2023 subaru outlook. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the starlink system failed to function as intended. the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. the contact was informed that it was a known f…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.