2007 Subaru Outback Problems and Recalls (128 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2007 Subaru Outback is Airbags (30% of 128 owner reports). There are 8 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 128 complaints · 8 recalls
What problems show up on the 2007 Subaru Outback?
39 of 128 filings named Airbags (30% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Cruise / speed control (13 reports).
There are 8 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2006 has 271 reports on file; this year has 128. 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
System named most often: Airbags 39 complaints · 30.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 9
- Fires 2
- Injuries 6
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 39 | 30.5% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 13 | 10.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 11 | 8.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 9 | 7.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 8 | 6.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 8 | 6.3% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 8 | 6.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 6 | 4.7% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 3 | 2.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 29 | 22.7% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
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 13V110000 was reported 405 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V311000 was reported 845 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V323000 was reported 2,697 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V297000 was reported 4,109 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V001000 was reported 4,377 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V002000 was reported 4,377 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V003000 was reported 4,377 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V110000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V311000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V323000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V738000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V297000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V001000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V002000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V003000 |
Safety Recalls (8)
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, Airbags, and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 13V110000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.
-
Recall campaign 14V311000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.
-
Recall campaign 15V323000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 16V738000
Safety recall 16V738000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
-
Recall campaign 19V297000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 20V001000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 20V002000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 20V003000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- 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.
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.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 6 of 128 complaints · page 1 of 6
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V003000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle due to possible damage to the dashboard while replacing the air bags. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Lost brakes. Corroded brake lines. Recall was completed for this very issue. Fix was ineffective.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2007 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5i automatic. Had recall campaign 14V311 completed in 2018 for brake lines. According to Subaru brake lines were rustproofed and/or replaced. 9 June 2024 I start vehicle and place it into drive in doing so applying brake pedal to allow selection of transmission range. Pedal goes to floor without feedback pressure. No brakes. I check rear of car to find large amounts of brake fluid covering rear passenger wheel well area. Brake line has failed at rear junction as described in recall. Recall was not curative and did not address safety fault. 73k miles.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Both front driver and passenger side CV Boots have failed prematurely on several occasions well before the expected life and mileage expectancy for these parts (they have been replaced on four separate occasions). The CV boots hold grease in to provide lubrication to the axels. Safety was at risk as lack of lubrication increased chances of axel and associated component damage (braking and steering) at higher driving speeds. Subaru dealer has verified on each of the four separate occasions that the CV boots failed prematurely. The car has never seen any off road or rough condition driving conditions. The vehicle has always been meticulously maintained and all preventive maintenance requirements complete ahead of or on schedule and any recommended repairs by authorized mechanics are addressed immediately. Was urged by Subaru Dealer to contact Subaru of America (SOA) about the CV boots again failing prematurely. Previously, SOA was contacted and acknowledged parts should not have failed in the timeframes as it had. This time with even less mileage and time in service, Subaru is refusing to address the problem and replace the Subaru OEM parts at their expense.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Driving down the freeway, snowy conditions, going roughly 50 mph in a straight line, no curves or turns in sight, hit a very small hump in the road and suddenly I found myself sideways from what seems like a rear steer situation, i corrected as best i could and luckily i was in the only section of the road that didn't have a wall, ended up backwards in a shallow ditch. No immediate damage noted, I was able to drive away, but confidence with driving in snowy and icy conditions has been severely diminished (been driving in snow and ice for 20+ years). My previous vehicle, 1988 chevy s10 was WAY more reliable in the snow that this thing. I have since felt this car try and "kick out" while going well under the speed limit but in slightly icy conditions. The only reason I can think that this hasnt happened again is due to myself being aware of the isssue, new struts and brand new $600 dollar tires i recently purchased. This is a huge issue, and Subaru needs to own up to it, I know i'm not the only one who's experienced this.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
A couple of months ago I noticed the airbag lamp stayed on after starting my car. After I had parked and later restarted the car, the airbag light went off as normal. A month or so later the airbag light again stayed on after starting the car. I also noticed that the passenger airbag indicator (on or off) didn’t seem to be working. It didn’t say “on” or “off”. It only said “Passenger”. I took it to the dealer and they diagnosed it and said I needed a new overhead lamp assembly that would cost $400 installed. They said it would take several days (it took over 2 weeks) to get the part. In the meantime, they could not tell me whether the airbag system would function properly in an accident. The part was ordered and I kept driving the car, hoping the airbag light wouldn’t stay on which was very stressful. The repair was finally made today and appears to be functioning properly. After some online research, I found out that this is a known issue with these cars. There is a soldered connection inside the overhead lamp assembly that was either improperly or insufficiently soldered or used defective solder. People have videos posted online of them taking the assembly apart and re-soldering the connection which appears to resolve the issue. I wasn’t comfortable doing that since properly functioning airbags are a critical safety component. I believe that Subaru either knows about this or should know. I would bet they have fixed this issue on newer vehicles. But lots of these vehicles still on the road.
Subaru Outback Complaints and Recalls by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2007 Subaru Outback?
Owners named Airbags most often — 39 of 128 reports (30%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2007 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA lists 8 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical. 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 2007 Subaru Outback?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. 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
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
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.