Two years at the same age, so the older one is not punished for having been on the road longer.
2016 vs 2017 Subaru Outback
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.
In plain English
A lifetime total makes the 2016 look busier because it has been on the road longer. This page counts reports in the first 120 months for each year, so both years are the same age.
In that window, the 2017 has 47.0% more owner reports than the 2016.
The mix also shifted: Glass / wipers / cameras is a larger share of reports on the 2017 (9.9 points). That is a change in what owners named, not a score.
Open both year-pages. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov. Have a shop inspect Glass / wipers / cameras. Do not pick a year from the percentage alone.
First 120 months on market for each model year
Exposure window calculated through Sep 8, 2026
Reports while each year was the same age
▲ 47.0% more reports at the same age
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
What owners named more or less
Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.
View component share data as a table
| Component | 2016 share | 2017 share | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 13.9% | 23.7% | ▲ 9.9 pts larger share |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 6.2% | 2.7% | ▼ 3.5 pts smaller share |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 40.3% | 37.0% | ▼ 3.4 pts smaller share |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 5.9% | 4.1% | ▼ 1.9 pts smaller share |
| Steering (STEERING) | 3.3% | 1.5% | ▼ 1.7 pts smaller share |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 0.6% | 1.6% | ▲ 1.0 pts larger share |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 1.7% | 0.9% | ▼ 0.8 pts smaller share |
| Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) | 0.3% | 0.9% | ▲ 0.6 pts larger share |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 0.6% | 0.2% | ▼ 0.4 pts smaller share |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 1.1% | 1.4% | ▲ 0.3 pts larger share |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 0.9% | 1.2% | ▲ 0.3 pts larger share |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 0.5% | 0.2% | ▼ 0.3 pts smaller share |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 2.5% | 2.7% | ▲ 0.3 pts larger share |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 0.2% | 0.3% | ▲ 0.2 pts larger share |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 2.0% | 1.9% | ▼ 0.2 pts smaller share |
| Tires (TIRES) | not reported | 0.1% | ▲ 0.1 pts larger share |
| Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) | 0.3% | 0.2% | ▼ 0.1 pts smaller share |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 0.5% | 0.4% | ▼ 0.0 pts smaller share |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 25.1% | 27.1% | ▲ 2.1 pts larger share |
NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-09-06
Recall campaigns
Campaign components: Airbags, Transmission / driveline, and Steering
Campaign components: Airbags, Brakes, and Steering
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety signals
- ◆ Fires
- 3 → 3
- ◆ Injuries
- 13 → 25
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Outback year had more problems, 2016 or 2017?
In that window, the 2017 has 47.0% more owner reports than the 2016. Lifetime totals are not used here because the older year has had more time on the road.
Why not just compare lifetime complaint totals?
The older year has had more time to collect reports. This page holds age constant by counting the first 120 months for each year.
Does a larger share of one system mean that year is worse?
No. It means owners named that system more often in the file. Inspect it. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip.