repaired · 2023 Q2
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
2018 Subaru OutbackProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 816 owner complaints about the 2018 Subaru Outback, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-587 the manufacturer reports only 91% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 20, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2018 Subaru Outback has problems
816 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
267Electrical system5 crash/fire/injury
234Visibility/wiper1 crash/fire/injury
43Fuel/propulsion system
41Visibility
37Engine
36Steering
21Vehicle speed control
19Back over prevention
18Forward collision avoidance
11617 other systems18 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 267 | 5 |
| Visibility/wiper | 234 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 43 | 3 |
| Visibility | 41 | 0 |
| Engine | 37 | 2 |
| Steering | 36 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 21 | 7 |
| Back over prevention | 19 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 18 | 7 |
| 17 other systems | 116 | 18 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2018 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.
repaired · 2020 Q2
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices
Risk. Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
repaired · 2020 Q2
Electrical system: software
Risk. The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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?
17kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 140 electrical system complaints. 99% were reported before 100,000 miles.
104under 30k miles138under 100k miles2100k 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.
Visibility/wiper
14 owners mentioned a cost$1,000median
Middle half: $854 – $1,234
Electrical system
13 owners mentioned a cost$250median
Middle half: $197 – $1,500
Unknown or other
9 owners mentioned a cost$1,100median
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
2018 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
NHTSA crash tests
2018 Subaru Outback safety ratings
2018 Subaru Outback SW AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Optional
- Lane departure warning: Optional
In owners' words
What Outback owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The touchscreen has delamination and ghost touching of the apps. I spoke with my dealer and was first told it was covered by Subaru to replace, as it was a known issue, but when I took my car to the dealer, I was told I would have to pay around $1,500 to have it repaired/replaced. The ghost…
The 8-inch Gen 3 Harman STARLINK touchscreen is delaminating/bubbling. It registers phantom touch inputs and becomes unresponsive on its own while the vehicle is in motion, changing audio, navigation, and system settings without driver input. If a phone is ever attached, the screen will randomly…
2018 Subaru Outback Infotainment center glass delamination causing the system to come on by itself start malfunctioning switching between channels or apps and potentially startle / distract the driver. Incident has been ongoing for over 8 months..
Own a 2018 Outback?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.