2013 Subaru Outback

297 complaints on file, page 1 of 15.

1. Filed Sep 18, 2026Failure Sep 13, 2026Ravensdale, WAPower train

   The CVT transmission in my 2013 Subaru Outback failed at approximately 93,000 miles. Approximately three weeks prior to the failure, I noticed an unusual sound while driving, but no other symptoms were apparent at that time, so I continued monitoring it. On the day of the failure, the rear tires began hopping and I lost acceleration while driving. Fortunately, this occurred while I was on my driveway, so I did not need to continue driving further. I parked the vehicle there and had it towed to my mechanic, and later to Rairdon Subaru of Auburn (WA), where the failure was diagnosed by their service department. The vehicle is available for inspection there. This loss of power and erratic rear-end behavior created a safety risk, as the same failure occurring while driving on a road could have affected the vehicle's ability to accelerate and respond predictably in traffic. This is a known issue: Subaru's own Technical Service Bulletin 16-107-17R acknowledges CVT transmission problems in 2010–2015 model year Outbacks and other models, and extended the powertrain warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles. My vehicle has only about 93,000 miles, but Subaru is denying full warranty coverage because the vehicle is outside the 10-year time limit, despite being well under the mileage limit. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives — this was a mechanical failure, not a collision.

   NHTSA complaint 11765336
2. Filed Jul 17, 2026Failure Jun 16, 2026New York, NYPower train, Body

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11750991
3. Filed Jun 9, 2026Failure May 29, 2026Mount Sinai, NYAir bags, WheelsCrash

   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

   NHTSA complaint 11742914
4. Filed May 4, 2026Failure May 2, 2026Murphy, NCAir bags

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11735456
5. Filed Mar 11, 2026Failure Feb 4, 2026Toledo, OHAir bags

   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.

   NHTSA complaint 11723726
6. Filed Jan 28, 2026Failure Dec 30, 2025Rockford, ILBodyFire

   The vehicle caught fire while driving along the interstate. It's a total loss.

   NHTSA complaint 11713975
7. Filed Jan 6, 2026Failure Jul 1, 2025Marietta, GAElectrical system, Engine, Power train

   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

   NHTSA complaint 11708999
8. Filed Sep 4, 2025Failure Aug 15, 2025Wallingford, CTService brakes, Body, Suspension

   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

   NHTSA complaint 11684961
9. Filed Feb 25, 2025Failure Feb 22, 2025Ashland, ORUnknown or other, Vehicle speed controlCrash

   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"!

   NHTSA complaint 11644740
10. Filed Dec 19, 2024Failure Jul 19, 202472,000 milesButler, PAService brakes, Hydraulic

    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.

    NHTSA complaint 11631590
11. Filed Dec 4, 2024Failure Dec 4, 2024Arverne, NYEngine

    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.

    NHTSA complaint 11628910
12. Filed Nov 6, 2024Failure Jul 24, 2024Litchfield, CTBody

    The subframe has deteriorated beyond repair. This is our sixth Subaru Outback, either owned or leased, all in the same geographic area, housed 90% of the time in a covered garage. This is not normal wear and tear. The vehicle is dangerous, as inspected by a local independent service center that has serviced the car regularly for years. I have reported this to Subaru Corporate, citing that the substandard quality of the subframe has been a known issue on Subaru Outback earlier models and received a reply that Subaru would assume no responsibility whatsoever. There was no warning whatsoever. The issue was discovered during a routine service visit. The problem appeared in late July 2024. I attempted to contact Subaru two times with no response. I finally received a response in late October 2024.

    NHTSA complaint 11623748
13. Filed Oct 31, 2024Failure Jun 12, 202380,000 milesTucson, AZAir bag/restraint control module, Seat beltsCrash1 injured

    The contact owned a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a metal guard rail on the driver's side along the length of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had bounced off of the rail and the front end on the passenger side had crashed into a metal post on the right side of the road. The contact stated that the force of the crash ejected him through the windshield. The contact stated that EMS and firemen were on scene but there was no police. The contact stated he had not lost consciousness. The contact was transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The contact had lacerations on his forehead, scalp, nose and chin. The contact had bruises on his chest, shoulders, both arms, and both legs. The contact stated that he was diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury. The contact stated that his insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact was advised by his insurance provider that the air bags and the seat belt had failed to function. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

    NHTSA complaint 11622969
14. Filed Sep 16, 2024Failure Jul 16, 2024154,500 milesRoselle, ILParking brake

    The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the parking brake warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that several other unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the parking brake had seized. The parking brake was released, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer declined to inspect the vehicle due to a title alert for a total loss report. In addition, the contact stated that he had owned the vehicle for eight years, and the vehicle had been serviced at the same dealer for routine service. The contact was informed of an unknown recall repair; however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,500.

    NHTSA complaint 11614806
15. Filed Jul 20, 2024Failure Jul 20, 2024Florence, SCEngine

    We bought this around June 2018 with ~96,000 miles. I change oil every 6 months or 6,000 miles with OEM filters and Mobil 1 0w-30 oil. This car has burned 1/2 to 3/4 of oil initially. After 140,000 miles it climbed to over 1 1/2 quarts between changes. I had repeated O2 sensor codes and sensor replacements and finally catalytic converter codes. Replaced the converter around 160,000 miles. I took off the intake manifold after seeing excessive oil deposits under the throttle body. There's was over 1/8" of caked oil inside the manifold and butterfly valves. I'm very confused as to why the class action lawsuit didn't cover my Serial number. I checked this before buying the car and incorrectly assumed all the affected cars were included in the recall/repair process.

    NHTSA complaint 11603582
16. Filed Jul 1, 2024Failure Jun 28, 2024Eagle, IDEngineFire

    The contact owned a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the contact's residential driveway, the contact noticed the smoke exiting from the hood area of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was on fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle remained at the contact's residence. The vehicle was condemned to total loss. The contact stated that as a result of the fire, the contact's residential driveway was damaged and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

    NHTSA complaint 11598029
17. Filed May 29, 2024Failure Feb 1, 2024Pittsburgh, PASteering, Suspension

    * I detected a noise in the front end and an instability in the handling. My independent service mechanic found the cradle on the right front severely rusted out at the point where the control arm attaches. He had to condemn the vehicle. * My mechanic says that it could have resulted in a total loss of ability to steer. He says that he is unable to order the part from the manufacturer because so many are on back order. He is also unable to find any used ones. Finally, he says that in the last 3 months he has had to condemn 3 other Outbacks due to the same problem. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. *Problem confirmed by my independent service center *No *No

    NHTSA complaint 11591221
18. Filed May 16, 2024Failure May 2, 2024Stanhope, NJEngine

    Piston rings are defective heavy oil consumption caused my engine to seize with only 150,000 miles

    NHTSA complaint 11589050
19. Filed Mar 4, 2024Failure Aug 19, 2023Egg Harbor Township, NJUnknown or other

    Strapped kayak to roof rack. Roof rack ripped off car while in traffic. Kayak went flying and was hit by a truck.

    NHTSA complaint 11575328
20. Filed Jan 8, 2024Failure Dec 9, 2023Lake Wales, FLPower train, Service brakes

    I was driving on a highway when my car started to suddenly stutter, hesitate, and jerk after about an hour on the road. I pulled over on the shoulder immediately and tried to better position the car further off the highway with the same vehicle behavior. Initially I thought a tire had blown so sudden was the impact but after exterior inspection I realized the tires were fine and the problem was probably under the hood. The CVT transmission and TCM malfunctioned, and electric parking brake engaged creating a noise. My ability to steer the vehicle in a predictable direction was gone creating a safety hazard on the highway or any road. The car had to be long-distance towed back to where I live; it could not be safely driven. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by two independent service centers, one a general service center and the other a foreign car expert service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else. There were dashboard warning lights that came on at the time the vehicle started to shake. The lights were the vehicle dynamics control warning light and the check engine warning light. A " boat load" of transmission codes that lead to the vehicle being assessed at the foreign car service center. I am asking for Subaru’s assistance in resolving this matter. I purchased a Subaru based on recommendations from other family members and their experience of having multiple Subaru vehicles some of which lasted 300,00 miles. If this is a manufacturing problem I believe that Subaru has a responsibility to notify their owners of the potential problem (which didn’t happen in my case) and a responsibility to resolve the problem when it occurs. I took my vehicle into my nearest Subaru dealership for a warranty repair that I was notified of approx. three years ago. No one notified me of the potential CVT transmission problem at that time. My vehicle cannot be driven in its current state and it is dangerous to drive because of this problem.

    NHTSA complaint 11564224