2013 Subaru Outback Problems and Recalls (295 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2013 Subaru Outback is Engine (17% of 295 owner reports). There are 12 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 295 complaints · 12 recalls
What problems show up on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
49 of 295 filings named Engine (17% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Transmission / driveline (48 reports).
There are 12 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2012 has 292 reports on file; this year has 295. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Engine 49 complaints · 16.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 18
- Fires 6
- Injuries 13
- Deaths 1
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine (ENGINE) | 49 | 16.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 48 | 16.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 31 | 10.5% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 28 | 9.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 15 | 5.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 13 | 4.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 12 | 4.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 12 | 4.1% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 12 | 4.1% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 51 | 17.3% | 5 crashes · 4 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 902 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V012000 was reported 1,525 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V007000 was reported 1,890 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V008000 was reported 1,890 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V009000 was reported 1,890 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V297000 was reported 2,225 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V001000 was reported 2,248 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V002000 was reported 2,248 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V003000 was reported 2,248 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V061000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V194000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V694000 | |
| 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 |
Safety Recalls (12)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Electrical.
-
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 13V194000
Safety recall 13V194000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the shafts become disengaged, the driver would lose the ability to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column assembly with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on May 14, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQI-45.
-
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 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 10 of 295 complaints · page 1 of 12
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Please contact Carvana and make them take that vehicle off the market. I purchased it and by chance found out that bottom parts like subframe and exhaust pipe were inadequately installed . The mechanic said eventually I was going to flip over myself on the highway in that car. He also stated that this repair cost would be around $8000 - more than half of this used car was offered for on Carvana. I returned the car. Half a month later is back on Carvana website for the same price. Please help! I have no alt motive but try and save someone’s life.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Not really sure, I don’t remember. It’s a wooded area , lots of deer etc. But I honestly don’t remember I saw my car It it fully intact , all doors , hood,trunk Open, car starts too Only front drivers wheel is bent in and lowest part of front bumper needs repair
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after pulling into the driveway, the passenger-side door was opened and the driver-side airbag deployed. The contact stated the airbag had exploded inadvertently. The contact informed their insurance and was waiting for further instructions. The dealer was not informed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed. The failure mileage was 114,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle has had the seat belt replaced twice in one year for it dinging and now Subaru dealer says the ODS sensor is bad and does not detect a passenger in the seat therefore the air bag system is not functioning properly. The dealership strongly recommend that I contact Subaru and they will most likely fix it being a Subaru and a huge safety issue. I have found a recall for this but they say not this vin number but yes it is on 2013 outbacks! They will not provide any assistance with this very costly safety issue even knowing the dealership told me to contact them.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle caught fire while driving along the interstate. It's a total loss.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I purchased this car may 28th 2025 and had it over the weekend and check engine light came on and took it Monday once shop opened and came back for catalytic converter and o2 sensor I letted the dealership know about it and said its not much that i can fix it but I figured would say that since was a as is car and just had to come up with money... only thing month later it stalled on me and had to take to a shop to see what it is and came back for transmission but that shop told me the car never should have been sold I never try to let them know about that its been sitting since July when that happened I been trying to talk to consumer protection services but Noone willed to help but since last year was so rough I just wanted to try again once year is up
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I purchased a car from Middletown Nissan on May 24, 2025. The car was assured to have all these different safety checks so far it had to have the power steering pump replaced twice the power steering lines replaced all new control arms a new bearing brand new back brakes which include rotors and pads, and four new tires When the tires were put on they found that the car had significant damage in the subframe from rotting there are holes in it. The car was at the dealership several times for different problems and they never disclose this problem. They basically told me it was my fault when I’ve had the car for two months that the frame is completely rotted. The car is clunking and not driving mechanically the way it should
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was pulling into a parking spot, without any warning the car accelerated through a fence and hit a tree. There were no injuries and the airbags did not deploy. A man was waving me to stop and I could not. Fortunately the small tree stopped the car. At first I thought maybe the gas pedal stuck or in human error I hit the gas to hard. But that was not the case. I could not control the car and my thought "what is happening"!
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to engage. The contact stated that eventually, the brakes would return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V562000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
According to my mechanic, the Engine Cradle is severly corroded and needs to be replaced. According to Subaru, today December 4, 2024, Subaru inspected my vehicle and determined it was badly corroded. I have pictures to show this and the report from Subaru showing they did look at this corrosion. I had wanted Subaru to replace the Engine Cradle because of the damage. They claimed the car was out of Warranty and was 12 years old. Even so, that much corrosion should not have happened.
Subaru Outback Complaints and Recalls by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
Owners named Engine most often — 49 of 295 reports (17%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2013 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA lists 12 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, 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 2013 Subaru Outback?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. 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.