Problems · NHTSA complaints

2009 Subaru Outback problems

Owners filed 112 complaints about the 2009 Subaru Outback with NHTSA between Dec 2008 and Aug 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (31).

Complaints
112
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags31
  2. Electrical system23
  3. Engine16
  4. Exterior lighting11
  5. Power train10
  6. Visibility/wiper8
  7. Fuel/propulsion system7
  8. Service brakes5
  9. Structure5
  10. Suspension5
  11. Tires4
  12. Service brakes, hydraulic3
  13. Steering3
  14. Engine and engine cooling3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20081
20091
20106
20119
20123
20133
201418
201511
201619
20179
20188
20191
20203
20216
20221
20234
20241
20254
20264

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

31 reports1 crash1 fire9 related recalls
“Car stalling at stops. Received a report on all work done on this car stating issues with catalytic converter and that Subaru repaired before I bought the car. I also had loss of all brakes when the lines leaked out November 2022 . I had brakes repaired cost of $1000.so far since buying this car I have not been able to drive the car because of the stalling issues.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 12, 2023Air bags, Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11501460

Electrical system

23 reports1 fire2 related recalls
“The rear hatch on this Outback won't lock. As a woman on her own, my safety is at risk. I have read of other people who have this issue and has been able to fix this on their own. This is a safety issue if your vehicle won't lock completely because the wires in the hatch are compromised.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 27, 2024Electrical systemODI 11579804

Engine

16 reports2 fires
“The contact owned a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle had failed to accelerate above 60 MPH without warning. The contact soon began to notice heavy white smoke in her rear-view mirror as the smoke quickly spread to the front end of the vehicle. The contact immediately pulled over, grabbed vital items, and exited the vehicle. The contact called 911 as flames quickly engulfed the vehicle, and a deputy who witnessed the fire pulled over to assist the contact. The fire department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact sustained emotional distress as a result of the accident but did not seek medical attention. The contact was not given a police or fire report. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard before the contact's insurance had the vehicle towed to another location. The insurance company later deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 20, 2025EngineFire reportedODI 11700571

Exterior lighting

11 reports
“The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front headlights became inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the daytime running light module needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that the part needed to do the repair was discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 17, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11757399

Power train

10 reports
“When I parked my vehicle in the garage, I smelled an odor coming from the engine compartment. I found that the front right inner axle boot had leaked grease. I then saw that the grease covered the catalytic converter. I am not sure when this started to be a problem, but my main concern was it could have started a fire.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2025Power trainODI 11678013

Visibility/wiper

8 reports
“The dashboard becomes sticky and shiny and therefore makes it difficult to see. Subaru offered a limited recall but too many vehicles such as mine were overlooked. Also apparently the repair they offered only replaced the dashboard with one of the same caliber. So eventually more cars will be affected by the sticky and shiny dash as time goes on.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2023Visibility/wiperODI 11551083
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.