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
1,034 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Sep 29, 2022
Battery is failing more than 10 times during the course of the last 9 months.i bought the car brand new in 10/2021 It is a common issues on the same year. 50k miles. The battery will die if not driven everyday. Brand new battery with the same issues. It’s draining the battery while turned off bc the electrical system is too much.
Electrical system, Sep 28, 2022
I attempted to start my car, and found that the battery was completly dead. There had been no signs of battery trouble / fatigue prior to this incident. Due to this sudden, unexpected failure, I had the car towed to the nearest Subaru dealer, for cause and repair. World Subaru tested the battery and found it was damaged. They used analytics to determine the cause of the battery damage to be the "telematic module", which they claim was defective. They replaced the battery and telematic module, claiming both were defective. Since the telematic module is part of the car's computer system, I beleive it has an effect on vehicle safety.
Engine, Sep 27, 2022
The vehicle has developed an exhaust leak which allows exhaust to enter the cabin of the vehicle especially at lower speeds and when stopped. There is a crack which develops in the exhaust manifold which causes this issue. This is a known problem and there have been recalls in the past with this exact same issue for Subarus with the same engines. This poses a safety issue given the exposure to Carbon Monoxide.
Electrical system, Sep 27, 2022
Electrical system issue causing premature battery drain/failure.
Electrical system, Sep 26, 2022
Attempted to start vehicle, discovered battery was drained.
Electrical system, Sep 26, 2022
Battery died quickly.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 26, 2022
Battery has failed twice, original battery was replaced, then the 1st replaced battery has died. A new battery and the software update needed asap.
Electrical system, Engine, Lane departure, Sep 24, 2022
Unknown battery and blind spot issues
Electrical system, Sep 24, 2022
Batter died twice and vehicle has fewer than 25K miles. Jumped and worked for a few days then died again. Had to have battery replaced.
Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 24, 2022
Within the three years I have owned this vehicle my windshield has crack with only minor impact or no impack at all to the windshield; the cost of paying for a second windshield replacement is an unreasonable expense something is wrong with the glass integrity of these vehicles.
Electrical system, Sep 22, 2022
Battery goes dead without notice. First time took care to dealer of purchase, Stamford Subaru and battery was replaced. Battery went dead on 9/16/22. Kind stranger gave me a boost. I purchased a portable booster as I no longer trust this car that has 35k miles. Every time I go to start the car, I am left wondering if it will start.
Electrical system, Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage, she was unable to open the door with the key fob. The contact stated that she was able to open the front driver’s side door with the key manually. The contact stated she was unable to start the vehicle. The contact's boyfriend attempted to jump start the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,097.
Electrical system, Sep 20, 2022
This Subaru Outback Limited has had multiple instances of dead battery. This has occurred on 4 batteries. We are senior citizens at risk of being stranded. There is a record of Subaru Roadside Service having to tow and jump start the vehicle many times The dealer finds no trouble after charging the battery nor are they aware of fixes. The symptoms are failure to start.
Electrical system, Sep 15, 2022
The infotainment system when a phone is hooked up to it via a usb cord it will turn of and begin a repowering process that turns off the rear camera that is part of that system. this does not give you the safety of being able to back up without the rear camera. i have taken my car in to Subaru four time and they have replaced the infotainment system three times in total. i continue to have the same issue with every radio. i have also replaced my phone, usb cords, and have used other people's phones (IOS and Android) with the same issue.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 14, 2022
On August 30, 2022 a small road chip hit my windshield as I was driving around 30 mph. I was surprised to discover that the windshield cracked at the site of the impact on the passenger side of the vehicle. The crack was approximately 12 inches long. Upon inspection the impact crater is very small, less than 1/16" by 1/32" and shallow, although the road chip was so small and vehicle speed so slow, I am surprised the windshield showed any damage at all. Later that day after leaving the vehicle parked I returned to discover that the windshield crack had lengthened to about 28" while the vehicle was parked. This is the THIRD windshield I have had to replace on the 2019 Subaru Outback! All windshields have been replaced by Subaru. I have concerns about the vehicle safety. Will the windshield protect the occupants of the vehicle from road debris as it is supposed to? Will the windshield rip open and injure the vehicle occupants when a minor object hits the windshield? Who should pay for the repair of the substandard windshield and increased auto insurance due to a high incidence of windshield claims? Is this vehicle safe to drive?
Visibility, Sep 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, she heard an abnormal noise and noticed a crack on the front passenger’s side bottom corner of the windshield. The contact stated that no object had struck the windshield to cause the crack. The vehicle was taken to a glass repair shop where the windshield was replaced. The contact stated that the failure occurred on the passenger’s side and then on the driver's side. The windshield had been replaced three times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. The VIN was not available.
Electrical system, Sep 1, 2022
Battery issues Numerous times having to jump the car. Battery drained. Purchased Auto new in May 2019 Had to replace battery in November 2021 Two years six months. Now September 2022 ten months later the battery has to be replaced again. The auto currently has about 31,000 miles.
Other or unspecified, Aug 26, 2022
battery was working and vehicle driven to a location. When returning to vehicle and trying to start battery was found 100% discharged and tested to 0% charge left leaving driver stranded. I had to get battery tested to see what the issue was, contacted dealer who had me bring the vehicle in and they tested battery, charged and stated OK. I questioned the situation as, how can it be OK, if the issue was not found. Then a software update was performed and I was told battery would not be an issue now. Vehicle taken to Bowser Subaru on 8-25-22 at 1:00pm. No paperwork or work orders were provided to me. Service was at no charge
Electrical system, Aug 23, 2022
Infotainment system screen is bubbling causing input to the user interface with no driver action. I consider this a safety issue due to the fact I can not turn the system off or deactivate it. The car starts playing music, making phone calls, changing navigation settings ect... This creates a persistent and strong hazard. I can not focus on the road, hear emergency sirens or other cars alerting with their horns.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 22, 2022
I had to replace my windshield 4 months ago from a random crack that appeared for no apparent reason and I am now having to replace it again. It seems like this is happening to a lot of people with Subarus. I believe it is a safety issue.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 21, 2022
I replaced my windshield in March 2022 due to a stone chip that immediately cracked to over a foot in length while I was driving. The chip was in the lower quadrant on the driver's side and ended up extending to about the center of the windshield. Five months later, I have another very large crack. I have no idea when this occurred and remember no instance that may have caused the crack. It starts roughly above the rear view mirror, curves out and around it to form a large 'J' shape. While I can understand stone chips are a symptom of normal wear and tear, the excessive cracking is concerning. I do not drive regularly on gravel roads nor am I on the expressway often. I regularly maintain my vehicle and didn't hesitate to get the windshield repaired initially. Having never experienced this issue with other vehicles (in which we've owned several years longer) I don't feel it is right to either have my insurance company or myself constantly be responsible for a product I believe may be faulty.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 20, 2022
Crack in windshield while car was parked overnight on 8/17/22. It is an upside down U-shape crack starting in the center, and one side propagating all the way down and other side about half that. The crack can be felt. There is no evidence of a rock or anything else hitting the windshield. Planning to have it replaced in two days.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 19, 2022
windshield suddenly cracked and I need to replace it
Engine, Aug 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated the low lever oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and he stated that the oil was low in the engine and more oil was added to the engine. The contact stated that in less than 5,000 miles the vehicle had burned all the oil in the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not able to get a diagnosis on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 30,578.
Electrical system, Aug 16, 2022
Over the last month or two the battery has been going dead over night, and sometimes almost immediately after parking it. I understand that there is a class action law suit pending on this issue, and I understand Subaru will replace the cheap small battery with another cheap small battery which is only kicking the can down the road since as far as I know not fixing the underlying electrical issue in the car. I tend to drive some roads that have long stretches of mountainous terrain even though a Federal Highway. No phone service is often and issue and should this problem strike me on one of these trips I may have some problems getting going again.