2012 Subaru Outback Problems and Recalls (292 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2012 Subaru Outback is Transmission / driveline (35% of 292 owner reports). There are 16 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 292 complaints · 16 recalls
What problems show up on the 2012 Subaru Outback?
102 of 292 filings named Transmission / driveline (35% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Airbags (36 reports).
There are 16 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2011 has 644 reports on file; this year has 292. 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: Transmission / driveline 102 complaints · 34.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 15
- Fires 6
- Injuries 11
- 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 102 | 34.9% | 4 crashes · 1 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 36 | 12.3% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 30 | 10.3% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 30 | 10.3% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 19 | 6.5% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 17 | 5.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 8 | 2.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 7 | 2.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 5 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 45 | 15.4% | 2 crashes · 1 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 16V694000 was reported 1,129 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V014000 was reported 1,664 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V012000 was reported 2,028 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V007000 was reported 2,393 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V008000 was reported 2,393 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V009000 was reported 2,393 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V297000 was reported 2,453 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V001000 was reported 2,751 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V002000 was reported 2,751 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V003000 was reported 2,751 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 11V562000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 12V047000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V061000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V077000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V078000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V694000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V014000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V012000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V626000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V007000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V008000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V009000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V297000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V001000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V002000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V003000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EQ12002 |
Safety Recalls (16)
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, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 11V562000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- THE DRIVER MIGHT MISJUDGE THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS COULD OCCUR UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
-
Recall campaign 12V047000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
- Remedy:
- SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ONE OR BOTH SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG MODULES, FREE OF FEBRUARY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
-
Recall campaign 13V061000
Safety recall 13V061000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 13V077000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- The moonroof glass can loosen and detach from the vehicle during driving, resulting in a potential road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Subaru has notified the affected owners, and dealers will inspect the glass adhesion condition and either apply additional adhesive or replace the moonroof glass, free of charge. The safety recall began February 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
-
Recall campaign 13V078000
Safety recall 13V078000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the components overheat, the wiper motor bottom cover may melt and potentially catch fire.
- Remedy:
- Subaru has notified all affected owners, and dealers will replace the front wiper motor bottom cover assembly free of charge. The safety recall began February 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
-
Recall campaign 16V694000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 17V014000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.
-
Recall campaign 18V012000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 18V626000
Safety recall 18V626000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 19V007000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 19V008000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 19V009000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
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 292 complaints · page 1 of 12
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Brakes failed completely due to excessive rust / corrosion on brake line junction area. Brake pedal suddenly went to floor and fluid leaked out near right rear quarter of vehicle in-front of right rear tire.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Driving on the highway was side swiped then rearended at high speed causing my driver seat to fly backwards. So the locking mechanism on the manual seat adjuster either failed or never locked
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 89,000. It was later discovered, when the title arrived, that the mileage on the title was 134,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The brake pedal suddenly went almost to the floor while attempting to stop. Researching I found there was a recall. NHTSA Recall No. 11V-562. My car was not apparently among the ones being recalled, yet this problem is exactly as described in the bulletin. The component in question is the master brake cylinder. It is available for inspection. It happened on Sat Sept 20 2025 returning from a trip approximately. 300 miles away. the symptom persists. There were no warning indicators.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I took my Outback to my local highly respectable mechanic on August 20, 2025 as I needed the oil changed and the concern I had about having to add brake fluid twice in the past 4 months. He inspected my car immediately and he refused to let me drive it out of his shop as there is a dangerous brake line leaking issue that could result in brake failure. He told me that my Outback is not the first that he had to repair this “Subaru manufacturing defect”. I had to get it repaired. I checked to see if there was a NHTSA recall on my Outback year and there was none, only prior years. Yet when I went online searching more, I found an article that stated that Subaru was going to recall the 2012 Subaru as well? The repair shop owner said to us that my wife is a "gentle driver" and that was good, because, if she had to apply the brakes very hard to avoid a collision, they probably would have failed. Please understand that I read the recall for previous years of Outbacks and other Subaru models, and my Subaru Outback had the exact same defect. I did contact Subaru of America and they responded that my Outback does not have a recall, only prior years. Unbelievable!!! The exact same make and model with the exact same defect and they just blow me off! I was lucky that we did not reach the point of a serious accident. I hope that NHTSA will evaluate my, and I am sure other safety issues with Subaru brakes, and take some action to give other owners the opportunity to make this very serious safety matter right, and avoid an accident. In a related question, can NHTSA somehow require auto manufacturers to inspect their vehicles that are still on the road after say 12 years to helpfully provide some safety assurance to the drivers of their vehicles?
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact's girlfriend owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while starting. In addition, the contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that during rainy weather, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact scanned the vehicle with an OBD2 scanner and retrieved DTC codes: P0420 (Catalytic convertor) and P0057 (Ignition System). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there were failures with the rear brake pads, rotors, PCV valve, valve cover gasket, engine air filter, catalytic converter heat shield; and a cylinder #4 misfire. The DTC codes P0304, and P0420 (Catalytic convertor) were also retrieved. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced first. The contact stated that several repairs were made prior; however, the failure persisted. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Subaru Service Program Bulletin: WQC-39, WVY-35, WUF-91r, TKC-19R, and NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V003000 (Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,803.
Subaru Outback Complaints and Recalls by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2012 Subaru Outback?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 102 of 292 reports (35%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2012 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA lists 16 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, 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 2012 Subaru Outback?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. 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.