2007 Subaru Outback

129 complaints on file, page 1 of 7.

1. Filed Aug 15, 2025Failure Aug 15, 2025Dickinson, TXAir bags

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11680936
2. Filed Nov 1, 2024Failure Oct 27, 2024Ashland, KYService brakes

   Lost brakes. Corroded brake lines. Recall was completed for this very issue. Fix was ineffective.

   NHTSA complaint 11623210
3. Filed Jun 10, 2024Failure Jun 9, 2024Hackensack, NJService brakes

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11593389
4. Filed Dec 1, 2023Failure Nov 14, 2023Chicago, ILPower train

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11558014
5. Filed Jan 22, 2023Failure Jan 9, 2022Glendale, COPower train, Steering, SuspensionCrash

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11503004
6. Filed Dec 17, 2021Failure Nov 1, 2021Webster Groves, MOAir bags

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11444170
7. Filed Dec 1, 2021Failure Nov 26, 2021Spring Valley, CAElectrical system, Exterior lighting

   All rear lights, rear hatch lock, brake lights all failed due to wiring going from the body to the hatch getting cut from the action of opening and closing the hatch door. This seems to be a pretty common thing with at least the 2005-2007 models years.

   NHTSA complaint 11442367
8. Filed Oct 19, 2021Failure Sep 9, 2021Fairbanks, AKAir bags, Seat belts

   The Airbag light on my dash was lighting intermittently. I called Kendall Subaru here in Fairbanks, AK and was told I shouldn't drive the car as such a light indicated a problem with my airbags and that even a low level bump could set them off or that they might not function at all in a major accident. I scheduled an appointment to have this problem diagnosed. They told me there was a fault in the wiring and that I'd have to have the passenger seat indicator replaced. I have done some online research and found that there are several instances of faulty soldering in the wiring for the indicator. This would seem to me to be a reason for Subaru to issue a safety recall as a pot hole hit could set this thing off or people could get killed because the airbag didn't deploy! Kendall told me that they didn't have the part in stock. It would be in in 7-10 days. That was a month ago. I have noticed that since my vehicle was in for diagnosis, that the light has only come on whe the car is started, like it's supposed to!

   NHTSA complaint 11437275
9. Filed Jun 16, 2021Failure Jun 16, 2021190,000 milesBrattleboro, VTStructure, Suspension

   The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went over a bump in the roadway and went sideways. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was diagnosed that the rear stabilizer bar had detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 190,000.

   NHTSA complaint 11421130
10. Filed Apr 21, 2021Failure Apr 20, 2021181,313 milesBeloit, OHElectrical system

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE FOUR WIRES NEAR THE REAR DEFROSTER THAT WERE CUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRES CONTROLLED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HATCH DOOR LOCK, DEFROSTER, AND REAR STOP LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 181,313.

    NHTSA complaint 11413233
11. Filed Mar 24, 2021Failure Mar 24, 2021200,000 milesWilliston, NDAir bags

    WAS TOLD TO COME HERE TO RENDER A COMPLAINT. THEY WANT ME TO TRAVEL 4HRS THERE AND 4HRS BACK TO GET RECALL DONE. AT THIS TIME I AM UNABLE TO GET THIS DONE. AND I DON'T BELIVE I SHOULD HAVE TO PUT 8HRS OF WEAR AND TEAR ON MY VEHICLE FOR A SAFETY RECALL WHICH IS THE MANUFACTURERS RESPONSIBILITY.

    NHTSA complaint 11404616
12. Filed Aug 17, 2020Failure Aug 10, 2020Irvine, CAService brakes

    2007 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE FAILURE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LINE CORRODED AND FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *JS

    NHTSA complaint 11349511
13. Filed Aug 10, 2020Failure Jul 30, 2020158,000 milesToms River, NJAir bags, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control

    AS I'M DRIVING MY AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH STARTS FLASHING AND CRUISE CONTROL GETS DISCONNECTED ONE DAY IT WILL HAPPEN NEXT DAY IT WON'T

    NHTSA complaint 11348382
14. Filed Feb 11, 2020Failure Feb 6, 202097,000 milesLittleton, COAir bags

    2007 SUBARU OUTBACK AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION IF THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED FOR NO CHARGE. PLEASE ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON UNDER ALL CONDITIONS AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE

    NHTSA complaint 11308638
15. Filed Feb 1, 2020Failure Jan 29, 2020308,000 milesLocust Grove, VAAir bags, Electrical system

    I BOUGHT THE 2007 SUBARU OUTBACK LL BEAN NEW. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE FIRST TIME I REPLACED THE OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BOARD. THIS TIME I AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING ONE. THE SOLDER JOINTS IN THE CIRCUIT BOARD ARE FAULTY, CAUSING LOOSE CONNECTIONS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA MANY TIMES BY OTHER OWNERS. WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS CURRENTLY A SECOND RECALL ON THE AIR BAGS THEMSELVES, BUT NOT ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS DOES THERE HAVE TO BE FOR YOU TO DEMAND A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM?

    NHTSA complaint 11306494
16. Filed Jan 25, 2020Failure Sep 1, 2019120,000 milesInver Grove Height, MNAir bags

    RED AIRBAG WARNING IS INTERMITTENTLY DISPLAYED ON DRIVERS INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ALSO SHOWN AS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE CAR CAN BE STATIONARY OR IN MOTION.

    NHTSA complaint 11301882
17. Filed Jan 16, 2020Failure Nov 8, 2019145,000 milesSAN Jose, CAElectronic stability control (esc), Engine, Vehicle speed control

    AN ACCELERATOR THAT BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON 3 LANE HIGHWAY. THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT WITH SUBARU AND YOU CAN READ ABOUT MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PROBLEM WHICH IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU GO ONLINE AND SEARCH FOR SUBARU OUTBACK CODE P2138/THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR YOU WILL FIND THAT THE SENSOR HAS INTERMITENT FAILURES WHICH CAUSE THE ACCELERATOR TO BECOME UNRESPONSIVE. EVEN WHEN PEOPLE GET THIS RESET AT A MECHANIC AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT WILL BEGIN RECURRING AGAIN. OR SOMETIMES THE MECHANIC CANNOT MAKE THE CAR FAIL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS A SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. SUBARU MUST FIX THIS PROBLEM!! THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 5 TIMES NOW OVER THE LAST YEAR.

    NHTSA complaint 11299992
18. Filed Dec 5, 2019Failure Dec 5, 2019179,400 milesSummerville, SCService brakes

    STEPPED ON THE BRAKES WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO GRAB THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND DODGE INTO THE NEXT LANE OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, CAUSING UNKNOWN DAMAGE/INJURY. I USED THE PARKING BREAK AND MANUAL SHIFTING OPTION TO LIMP IT BACK TO MY HOUSE A FEW MILES AWAY. I WALKED AROUND THE VEHICLE AND FOUND A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING ONTO THE GROUND AT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND A METAL BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING FLUID WHERE IT WAS CLAMPED TO THE VEHICLE BODY. AS I WAS LOOKING FOR THE PART/INFORMATION ON IT, I CAME ACROSS A KNOWN RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED SUBARU AND THEY STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE ON 8/8/2014. PART OF THE RECALL STATED THAT IF IT WASN'T LEAKING AT THE TIME, THEY WERE TO SPRAY IT WITH AN ANTI-CORROSION OF SOME SORT AND CALL IT GOOD. APPARENTLY THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO MINE BECAUSE THE LINES ARE VERY RUSTY AND CORRODED. NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE THE REPAIR COMPLETED. IF THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE AND THE RESULTS OF FAILURE ARE POSSIBLY CRASHING AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURES, HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO SPRAY AN ANTI-CORROSION FLUID OVER TOP OF RUST AND WASH THEIR HANDS OF SUCH A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS/FATAL KNOWN PROBLEM? RECALL #WQK-47, 14V311000, AND WQG-43

    NHTSA complaint 11287231
19. Filed Nov 2, 2019Failure Oct 11, 2019174,881 milesLimestone, NYElectrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Vehicle speed control

    I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STREET WHEN MY CAR ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT I HAD NO GAS PEDAL RESPONSE .SO L COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD AN SHUT IT OFF AN STARTED IT .THEN AFTER I DID THAT I GOT GAS PEDAL RESPONSE .THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AFTER RESTARTING VECHILE SO I HAD A CODE SCAN CHECK IT,AN A CODE P2138 SHOWED . THE CODE IS FOR THE THROTTLE/PEDAL SENSOR. I'M JUST GLAD I WAS NOT DOING 65 ON A HIGHWAY AN A SEMI WASN'T BEHIND ME OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE

    NHTSA complaint 11277724
20. Filed Jul 18, 2019Failure Jul 1, 2019162,000 milesSilverton, COAir bags, Electrical system

    WE HAVE EXPERIENCE A MULTITUDE OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE LL BEAN VERSION OF THE 2207 OUTBACK. MOST RECENTLY THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYING ON CONSISTENTLY, WHICH APPEARS TO BE A REPORTED ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION WITH THE LIGHT ON, IT IS COSTLY TO REPAIR OVER $400 + DIAGNOSTIC OF $115. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, IT WOULD COM EON INTERMITTENTLY, NO IT REMAINS ON 100% OF THE TIME. I COMMUTE 100 MILES EACH DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK ON A TWO-LANE, RURAL HIGHWAY AND WORRY I NEED TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE SOONER THAN LATER DUE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS ONLY PASSING THE SAFETY ISSUE TO A NEW OWNER. THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE SUBARU'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX AS THERE ARE MANY THAT CANNOT AFFORD SUCH A FIX AND IS NOT REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE AN ISSUE. NOT SURE IF I WOULD BUY A SUBARU AGAIN AFTER OWNING THIS ONE. THE OTHER ISSUE IS WITH THE REAR WIRE HARNESS THAT CONTROLS THE REAR DEFROSTER, ETC. $800 TO REPLACE THIS AFTER WE HAD DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETED DURING OUR LAST TUNE UP. SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE ARE MANY FAULTY ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY ISSUES THAT WERE NOT OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY - MAYBE A TAPING OR SOLDERING ISSUE. HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T SPARK AND START A FIRE....

    NHTSA complaint 11233105