2002 Subaru Outback Problems and Recalls (142 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2002 Subaru Outback is Fuel system (20% of 142 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2002 Subaru Outback?
28 of 142 filings named Fuel system (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (28 reports).
There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Suspension, Cruise / speed control, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2001 has 162 reports on file; this year has 142. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 9
- Fires 0
- Injuries 11
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 28 | 19.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 28 | 19.7% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 19 | 13.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 18 | 12.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 12 | 8.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 8 | 5.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 5 | 3.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Tires (TIRES) | 4 | 2.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 3 | 2.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 95 | 66.9% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 02V079000 was reported 65 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 02V282000 was reported 426 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 04V128000 was reported 557 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 13E065000 was reported 2,163 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 02V079000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 02V282000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 03V153000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V128000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13E065000 |
Safety Recalls (5)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Suspension, Cruise / speed control, and Fuel system.
-
Recall campaign 02V079000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- AT THESE TEMPERATURES, THE BRAKES MAY NOT RELEASE AFTER BEING APPLIED, EVEN WHEN THE DRIVER'S FOOT IS NO LONGER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS CAN OCCUR WITHOUR PRIOR WARNING, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDERS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 21, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
-
Recall campaign 02V282000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- THE VEHICLE COULD THEN MOVE/ROLL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARKING ROD ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION JANUARY 8, 2003. AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT DURING NOVEMBER 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
-
Recall campaign 03V153000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- IF SUCH BREAKAGE OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL CLEAN AND RUST-PROOF THE REAR SUSPENSION SUBFRAME. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 14, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
-
Recall campaign 04V128000
Cruise / speed control
- Report date
- Component:
- Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 13E065000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- 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.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Subaru Outback Complaints and Recalls by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2002 Subaru Outback?
Owners named Fuel system most often — 28 of 142 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2002 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Suspension, Cruise / speed control, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2002 Subaru Outback?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.