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2017 Subaru OutbackProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 921 owner complaints about the 2017 Subaru Outback, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-910 the manufacturer reports only 80% of affected cars repaired.

23
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.4× the Outback median · #3 of 29 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 80%Owner complaints92154 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage30kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 26, 2026. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2017 Subaru Outback has problems

921 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system3927
Visibility/wiper2053
Power train472
Engine442
Visibility300
Vehicle speed control298
Structure271
Steering242
Service brakes235
16 other systems10426

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2017 Subaru Outback recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

80%repaired · 2021 Q2

Air bags: air bag/restraint control module

Recall 19V-910 · Dec 19, 2019 · 46 vehicles · 37 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

100%repaired · 2018 Q1

Air bags: knee bolster

Recall 16V-716 · Oct 6, 2016 · 54 vehicles · 54 repaired

Risk. If the knee guard is not properly attached and the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, the knee guard may not be able to properly restrain the driver's lower…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

100%repaired · 2017 Q4

Disc: caliper

Recall 16V-576 · Aug 3, 2016 · 99 vehicles · 99 repaired

Risk. If any of the front brake caliper, wheel hub or stabilizer clamp attaching bolts loosen or detach, the related components would also become loose and may…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

100%repaired · 2017 Q3

Steering: column

Do not drive

Recall 16V-292 · May 11, 2016 · 48,819 vehicles · 48,725 repaired

Risk. The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Subaru.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

30kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 173 electrical system complaints. 100% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
83under 30k miles173under 100k miles0100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Electrical system

15 owners mentioned a cost

$198median

Middle half: $154 – $662

Visibility/wiper

11 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $694 – $1,000

Unknown or other

9 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $800 – $1,200

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2017 vs. every other Outback year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Outback median. How we score

'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2017 Subaru Outback, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Outback owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

On Sunday, [XXX], I was driving my 2017 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring after leaving the [XXX]. After I had merged onto [XXX] and immediately before the first roundabout under [XXX], the vehicle emitted three warning beeps, numerous dashboard warning lights illuminated, and the engine began running…
Complaint 11771631 · Oct 16, 2026
Ignition key not releasing after turning engine off. Put shifter in park, foot on brakeii, turn Ignition key off. Key will not release. Have to cycle multiple times to get key released.
Complaint 11737057 · May 11, 2026
I think recall work was not done, but says it was done (or is not open). Does it say when and where recall work was done? This car has a parasitic battery drain, 3 batteries in 3 years, required 2 jump starts, 1 call to AAA. There is a recall for such an issue, but I do not believe it was fixed and…
Complaint 11729625 · Apr 7, 2026

Own a 2017 Outback?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.