Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Subaru Outback, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system267
- Visibility/wiper234
- Unknown or other162
- Fuel/propulsion system43
- Visibility41
- Engine37
- Steering36
- Vehicle speed control21
- Back over prevention19
- Service brakes18
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 19 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 43 2018 Outback vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 19 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2018 Subaru Outback failed the safety check 1.22% of the time — 26% less often than the average 2018 passenger car (1.65%). Median odometer at inspection: 60,094 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2018
6,647 new Subaru Outback cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2018; the largest markets were Sweden (1,851), Germany (726), the United Kingdom (670).
- Average mass
- 1,689 kg
- Average CO₂
- 193 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 126 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 83% · Diesel 17%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
202 first registered in 2018 are on Dutch roads; 37% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €49,193.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde54
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt27
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld14
- Waarschuwingsinrichting controlesysteem bandenspanning geeft12
- Band onvoldoende profiel11
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm11
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht9
- Drager/bevestigingsmiddel van remvoering raakt trommel/schij8
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
644 cars built in 2018 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 4 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 656 of these cars first registered in 2018 took their annual MOT test. 90% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2018 the figure was 84%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 3.0% | 5.2% |
| Brakes | 2.4% | 2.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.1% | 4.0% |
| Visibility | 1.5% | 3.6% |
| Suspension | 0.9% | 1.6% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.3% | 0.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
466 of these cars first registered in 2018 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 115,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1,366 2018 cars are on the New Zealand register; 6% arrived as used imports, 94% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Subaru Outback SW AWD | ★★★★★ | 17.4 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 8.5–10.5 L/100 km (about 22–28 mpg US), CO₂ 198–247 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outback AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.3 | 8.5 |
| Outback AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 8.7 | 10.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2018 Subaru Outback.
| 2024546 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" a… |
| 2021466 29 Jul 2021 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, the low-pressure fuel pump could fail. If this happens, then engine may run rough or may not start and the check engine light may … |
| 2018750 31 Dec 2018 | Visual System Certain vehicles equipped with a built-in navigation system may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS 111) - Mirrors a… |
| 2018607 2 Nov 2018 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the low fuel warning light may not turn on at the correct time to warn of a low fuel level. The driving range indicator in the multi-inform… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Subaru told its dealers about the 2018 Subaru Outback: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010925 | This annocement is to inform dealers to the Gen 3.1 Head Unit OTA will be available via Wi-Fi. The update will take place in multiple batches with the first beginneing November 15th and the last being Decemeber 3rd. This update is for approximatelt 714,000 VINs. |
| 11010922 | This bulletin announces repair procedures to be used when diagnosing dark current draw (parasitic draw) on vehicles equipped with Gen 1 Data Control Modules. |
| 11009702 | Subaru is recalling 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles equipped with a certain combination of head unit hardware and software, due to the possibility of noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 111 "rear visibility". |
| 11009701 | This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way some vehicles with accessories are sold. This regulation applies to any automobile retailer installing accessories on a vehicle prior to its first sale. |
| 11009685 | This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models. |
| 11008283 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the preferred practices to be used when handling vehicles equipped with Gen2 Telematics which are enrolled in the Subaru STARLINK Security Plus Service featuring Stolen Vehicle Recovery Plus with Immobilizer. |
| 11008282 | This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models. |
| 11008281 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be followed when diagnosing engine oil leakage on FA and FB type engines. |
| 11008280 | This Service Information bulletin is being released as guidance for proper testing and charging of vehicle batteries. |
| 11008279 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. |
| 11008276 | The CP1.5 RCs OTA is available for all mid and high grade CP1.5 head units. |
| 11008275 | "In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the Warranty coverage time period for the fuel pump impeller to 15 years." |
| 11008273 | Denso low pressure fuel pump warranty extension. |
| 11008267 | This bulletin announces availability of the NEW genuine Subaru engine oil filter. |
| 11008262 | This bulletin announces the procedures required to reprogram the DCM (Data Communication Module) in Gen1 Subaru vehicles in response to the 3G network sunsetting. |
| 11008259 | This bulletin outlines the judgment criteria to be used when inspecting front transverse link bushings to reduce unnecessary bushing replacement. |
| 11006935 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure for 2025MY vehicles. |
| 11006934 | The purpose of this bulletin is to provide replacement key and immobilizer information along with an overview of the Subaru Lock Information web-site. |
| 11006932 | This Service Information Bulletin announces important diagnostic information to utilize when the Data Communication Module (DCM) is being tested as a dark current/standby current source. |
| 11006931 | This Bulletin provides additional diagnostics to follow when addressing a Telematics-related DTC B2A16. |
| 11006929 | This bulletin provides a new reprogramming procedure (FOTA) to optimize the Harman Gen 3.0 Audio and Navigation head units (H/U) utilized in the models as listed. |
| 11005624 | This annoucement provides parts personnel information about remanufactured transmissions that will no longer be available. |
| 11005615 | This announcement provides information for retailers to install the latest infotainment system software for Denso CP 1.5. |
| 11005614 | This bulletin announces important diagnostic information to utilize when testing the Data Communication Module (DCM) as a dark current/standby current source. All models equipped with Telematics except Solterra. |
| 11005609 | This announcement provides information on Takata Recall Escalated Towing Program. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)