2019 Subaru Outback
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 1,034 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 26 Outback model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 24 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 18 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpJul 29, 2021
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.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Campaign 21V587000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpApr 16, 2020
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.
If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.
Campaign 20V218000 on NHTSA.gov
StructureJun 26, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.
In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.
Campaign 19V493000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: visibility
387 reports, newest first. Show all
Visibility/wiper, Dec 29, 2021
Windshield cracked overnight in garage without any driving or other incident Crack is over 12 inches long
Visibility, Dec 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage unattended, the front windshield cracked without impact. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 21, 2021
Front windshield spontaneously cracked while parked in a parking lot. No trees or overhead objects fell on windshield. Crack developed from bottom middle of windshield & cracked out in 2 directions.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 17, 2021
Driving north on I-95 at speed limit. No vehicles in front of me for at least 1/4 mile. Heard a POP and immediately a crack appeared from the bottom outside edge of the windshield approximately 18" from the left hand edge of the window. The crack ran vertically for 5 inches then made a right turn (looking out of the window) and continued on for 3 more inches. This running of the crack occurred in less than 5 seconds. We were traveling that day for about 700 miles and each time we stopped we marked the crack length with a sharpie. During the traveling the crack continued to grow to a length of over 18 inches and made a fork in the crack for one turning up, and one continuing to the right. Crack continued to grow as car sat and heated through the following 2 days. By the end the windshield was almost completely cracked from top to bottom, and the crack to the right was 3/4 of the way across the windshield. The point where the crack started had no indication of a strike by an object, and did start from the outside edge of the windshield. Windshield was replaced with a NON OEM windshield by SafeLight Auto Glass.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 30, 2021
I purchased my vehicle in the summer of 2019 and within that same month my windshield got hit by rock and needed to replace it. Again, yesterday, the same thing happened.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 16, 2021
I have had 3 windshields crack for no apparent reason in the 2.5 years that I have had the vehicle. All had to be replaced. Average costs to replace was $950. All started with the smallest cracks only to spider across the windshield within minutes.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 3, 2021
Windshield cracks at the smallest pebble. I have needed 3 windshields in this calendar year. I have driven for 52 years and have never had any issue with windshield damage until this year with my Subaru Outback.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 3, 2021
My windshield started to crack from the bottom of passenger side where wipers come up for no reason at all. Now it has spread scross whole windshield.
Visibility, Oct 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated the vehicle was parked in his garage overnight and the next morning he discovered a crack at the base of the windshield. The contact looked around but could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who took pictures of the crack and submitted a claim to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer rejected the claim. The contact stated that the crack had extended to 75% of the windshield. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 24,000.
Visibility, Oct 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, her windshield had cracked on four separate occasions due to minor road debris. The first crack was a diagonal crack that formed on the lower corner of the driver-side windshield. The second crack was like a spider’s web that formed on the upper passenger’s side of the windshield. The third crack was a diagonal crack that formed in the middle of the passenger’s side windshield. The fourth crack was a Z-shaped crack that formed in the middle of the windshield right below the eyesight camera. The contact stated that each crack obstructed her vision while driving. The contact had the first two windshields replaced at Subaru of Richmond (9177 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23294) and Hyman Bros. Subaru (11960 Midlothian Turnpike, Midlothian, VA 231130) respectively. The contact had an independent mechanic replace the third windshield after the failure. The fourth crack was not yet repaired. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and offered $250.00 towards the replacement of the windshield. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 25, 2021
The windshield has cracked for the fourth time. We were driving and suddenly a 12 inch plus crack developed from the moulding on the driver's side. I have never had to replace a windshield on any car i have owned. This car has had 4 replaced in less than 4 years. 2 times i was able to see a tiny chip and two times i could not tell why the glass had failed at all. Regardless, this is an unacceptable default in the materials. I have spent over $4,000 on these windshields. I am stunned there is not a recall on these.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 22, 2021
Windshield cracked right down the middle for no reason. No accident, inclement weather, no trees or anything near the driveway
Visibility, Oct 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated when approaching the vehicle, he noticed a horizontal crack on the driver’s side windshield. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 13, 2021
I have only had the car for two years, but a number of chips and abrasions have occurred with the windshield. I have had at least 4 of the chips repaired, which is highly unusual compared with my other vehicles. About a week after the final repair, while driving, a large crack (approximately 48 inches) appeared over the drivers side window. When I called the dealer, I was told that the windshields are "prone to cracking." The dealer said that Subaru has not instructed them to do anything regarding these complaints. The replacements are very expensive and involve recalibrating all of the safety equipment in the windshield.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 5, 2021
while driving heard a POP from windshield area. Didn't observe anything. Within a mile windshield started to crack from the bottom molding area, passenger side, Spread approximately 16 inches in moments. Nothing had hit the windshield. Dealership was contacted and windshield was replaced, and EyeSight had to be recalibrated. Insurance contacted and stated that they had heard of problems with Subaru vehicles windshields cracking.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 4, 2021
The windshield abruptly cracked at the top middle without any impact while driving at highway speed
Visibility/wiper, Sep 23, 2021
My windshield, after two years of ownership, is covered with tiny chips and abrasions. These abrasions obsure my vision when driving in bright sun. They cannot be rubbed out with grease or alcohol (assuming it may be sap). It seems the windshield material may be defective as this issue has not occured with any of our other vehicles, even after years of driving. I contacted Subaru of Missoula to see what they could do and they told me to replace the windshield at my expense.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 13, 2021
The windshield of the car just spontaneously cracked starting down at the wiper blades and extending up and across the windshield about 24 inches
Visibility, Sep 9, 2021
The contact's husband owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, she heard an abnormal, popping noise emit from the vehicle and noticed that a crack had formed on the bottom passenger’s side of the windshield without incident. The contact stated that the crack spread horizontally over to the driver’s side of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack obstructed her vision while driving the vehicle. The contact initially called the dealer where she purchased the vehicle and was informed that the repair would not be covered under warranty. The contact was then referred to Tom Wood Subaru (3300 E 96th St, Indianapolis, IN 46240) where she was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 16, 2021
Windshield cracked while driving. Within a few minutes the crack line on the windshield had moved in all directions and some parts are in a 'shattered' pattern. In all of my years of driving (44 licensed years) I have never experienced a cracked windshield and discovered that this is a defect of the manufacturer. For Subaru to claim they are one of the safest vehicles on the road, overlooking the importance of the windshield is ludicrous.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 10, 2021
The windshield started to crack and we have no recollection of any impact on it.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 7, 2021
Less than a month after purchasing vehicle a chip on passenger side of windshield occurred, probably from a rock kicked up from road. I never bothered to get it fixed as it didn’t effect my ability to operate vehicle. On 07/25/2021 a rock struck the windshield. The next morning I discovered a large crack near the rear view mirror. On 07/28/2021, I had the windshield replaced. Several days later another rock struck the windshield on the driver’s side, and caused a chip, which was directly in my field of vision. I brought it back and they repaired the damage.
Visibility/wiper, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 28, 2021
On June 20th my front windshield began spontaneously cracking while sitting in driveway. A day later while driving on the interstate, the rearview mirror fell off windshield. Since the rearview mirror is essential for several electronic safety mechanisms to function properly, this means they were disabled and/or malfunctioning as well. After having the windshield replaced, the same thing happened about a month later (July 24, 2021) so now I have to replace it again. In both cases, the Subaru Service Manager determined that there was no chipping or other external damage to the windshield. Looking at customer forums & complaints, this appears to be a defective windshield problem that Subaru is attempting to cover up. It has been going on since at least the 2015 model year. Please help.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 18, 2021
Front windshield cracked overnight while in garage. No visible impact on windshield. Subaru service manager said there was an impact after he pushed his pin into crack. Still no impact. I previously attempted to send you a photo but it failed. Send me an email address and I will resend it direct, rather than keep rewriting this missive. The windshield is thin and appears defective and dangerous to driver and passengers.
Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 15, 2021
Driving down a smooth road with no vehicles in front of me on July 13, 2021. Windshield spontaneously cracked at the base in the center. Not a rock chip. Crack spread up 6 inches, left another 6 inches within the 15 minutes it took to drive home. Cracks in the windshield have continued to spread in the days following. Vehicle has total 25,300 miles on odometer.