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.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 10, 2021
The windshield started to crack and we have no recollection of any impact on it.
Electrical system, Aug 7, 2021
In Oct 2020 (12055 mi) and June 2021 (17059 mi) the battery drained overnight while parked in the garage. I was able to jump it the first time. Second time it had to be towed. Dealer replaced the battery both times.
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.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 7, 2021
My battery died overnight . I jumó started and took it to Subaru who said I needed a new battery . My car has 28k miles and under 3 years since I bought it . They replace the battery and same thing happened 2 days later . I keep having to jumó start my car every other day and they don’t seem to know what the problem is .
Electrical system, Aug 5, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the battery was drained, and the vehicle would not start-up. The vehicle required a jump start each time the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that there was no failure with the battery. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Steering, Aug 5, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would tighten and oversteer while switching lanes without warning. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to regain complete control of the vehicle after the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle had to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Aug 4, 2021
Under the following three conditions the front tires appear to become airborne and the tires skip making the vehicle seem to be out-of-control; When traveling at speeds >35 MPH, Wheels are turned >10 degrees, Any long bump (such as a rough transition "bump" from asphalt to concrete). This has been worsening over the last year and is now unsafe for my children to be in the car. My local Subaru dealership spent nearly 2 days inspecting all aspects of the car to include the alignment, bushings, and shocks. A senior technician was taken for a test-drive in the car and I was able to recreate the "skip". The technician was alarmed and surprised by the skip and thus held the car for a 2nd day to further investigate the reason for the "skip". They were unable to diagnose any defect. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance company. There have been no alarms or warning.
Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 3, 2021, crash
My 2019 Subaru Outback unintentionally accelerated. I was sitting in my SUV waiting for an electronic gate to open at my storage unit. I was about 10-15 feet in front of the gate. My foot was firmly on the brake and the car was in drive. I have been at this gate many times. This time, before the gate could fully open, the car raced forward at top speed into the gate. Damaging my bumper and terrifying me! The gate did stop the car. I felt like a ghost had slammed a foot on the gas pedal!!! The breaks did nothing. The Subaru floor mat was attached with 2 pegs and sticks like velcro to the carpet. Thank God I was not at a crosswalk or in front of a building - I would have killed myself or someone else! I reported this to my local dealer and they referred me to Subaru of America. The dealer had my car for 6 weeks and S.O.A. sent a team to inspect the car for 6 hours. Customer service after 6 weeks said my car was fine. That no issues were found! They will not provide me with a list of tests completed or what was reported by the "Black Box" on board. All I have is a email from Peter at Customer Service (that was my 3rd and final rep.) that that is all the information that he has or can get and the care is fine to drive! If that is so, why is there a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT against them!
Electrical system, Aug 1, 2021
Have had 2 batteries fail in 2 1/2 years. New battery installed and my electrical system is failing. Can't lock my car unless fob is in an RFID bag, has not started several times, and has refued to open several times for about a minute. Will be taking car back to dealer to see if they can fix the problem.
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.
Electrical system, Jul 28, 2021
I received a 2019 Subaru Outback on 15 July 2021. The vehicle was sold by a dealer, and gone through the Subaru vehicle certification process, which includes checking the electrical system. I kept the vehicle off the road while I got the vehicle registered and insured, running it for a few minutes every three days. I planned to take the first road trip on 26 July 2021, after the paperwork had been completed. The vehicle would not start, and no power was available for electrical components. Checking the battery with a multimeter indicated voltage had dropped to 4V. I contacted the selling dealership, and they indicated they would pay to replace the discharged battery.
Electrical system, Jul 25, 2021
Electrical system problems causing battery drain. After jumping the battery observed flickering, eyesight system turning on and off while driving. Rear lift gate won’t open
Electrical system, Jul 25, 2021
Car would not start or turn over. Battery was dead. I called Subaru and a person came over to jump my vehicle. I left it running for 30 minutes to recharge the battery. This happened two times in the last few years but I never reported it to Subaru, and had my neighbor hook his car up for a jump. Also note the GPS has locked up several times in the past and not worked until I shut the car off and restarted everything. I just kept getting the arrow going in the circle.
Other or unspecified, Jul 23, 2021
The windshield all of the sudden cracked. There was no impact, nothing hit the window, it just suddenly cracked and keeps getting larger. Started on the very edge of the window on the passenger side and Crack is now grown to the middle of the windshield
Electrical system, Jul 22, 2021
My 2019 Outback has had 2 incidents where the battery was dead without an explanation. There are 24000 miles on it. The most recent incident occurred less than a week after the dealer serviced the vehicle. The service included a battery test and I was told it tested good. The car was parked in my home garage, and from all indications, no lights were left on, doors/tailgates open etc. This was confirmed when the Subaru STARLINK roadside assistance provider came to jump the vehicle. Immediately after the vehicle was started, I took it to the dealer and requested a battery check. They showed the battery was good but deeply discharged, so left it on a charger for over an hour while I waited. In speaking to the service representative at the Subaru dealer, I was told that on new cars, alternators no longer charge a battery, but simply maintain the existing charge level. They claimed that a light or something of that nature was left on, a door left open, etc. I am certain this was not the case, as I keep all interior light switches in the off position, and once the vehicle was charged, no lights were on. Also, no doors were open or ajar when this happened. I requested they check the electrical system to diagnose the cause of the battery drain, but they explained this would not be covered under warranty since the battery had tested ok. The dealer recommended that I keep a trickle charger on it when parked at home to prevent recurrences. I don’t feel this is an acceptable solution for a vehicle that is merely two years old with minimal miles and fully under warranty. While I was inconvenienced by this and had to arrange a ride to an appointment as a result, it did not create an immediate safety issue (this time). A similar set of circumstances occurred in late March of 2021 when I was out of town visiting a family member. At that time, I also was not able to determine a cause. Since that was the first occurrence, it didn’t create the same level of concern.
Electrical system, Jul 20, 2021
Had to charge battery 3 times in order to start the vehicle. Took to dealer and they put in a new battery at no charge. Concerned the battery will need to be replaced in the future. Appears to be an electrical drain especially using the tailgate. Dealer said they did a hard reset whatever that means.
Vehicle speed control, Jul 18, 2021, crash
I experienced sudden and unintended acceleration as I sat outside my garage idling with my foot on the brake waiting for the garage door to open. My car accelerated forward through my garage door and into the garage. It swept aside a refrigerator, freezer and a 700 pound safe that was bolted to the concrete floor. It finally stopped upon pushing several things against one of the I beams that hold the steel building up. The car also tore out the I beam support the side of the garage door upon entering. The tires continued to rotate until I turned off the engine.
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.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle failed to perform as designed. The contact was able to move the vehicle onto the road shoulder. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The contact was informed that the Vin was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 20V218000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was 9,800.
Electrical system, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 13, 2021
Unknown... My battery has need a jump several time without any electricals left on. The dealer did check it out and found nothing wrong. I also have lights that go on intermittently n the dash saying that certain things are not working. ie front crash detection, blind spot warning and lane departure.
Electrical system, Jul 13, 2021
Bought with 11,258 mi. Battery already replaced, receipt in glove compartment. Hard to start, keeping on battery charger now when parked in garage.
Electrical system, Jul 6, 2021
Battery failed at 2 years and 30000 miles. No notification. Leaving me and my dog in a parking lot for 2 hours in 94 degree heat.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 5, 2021
2019 Subaru Outback the mileage running 22k has cracked the windshield, there's no mark rock chips. Just I found the cracked window while driving.
Other or unspecified, Jul 5, 2021
UNKNOWN Three times in five months when the car has been running and then turned off it won't start again for 15-30 minutes. Everything regarding the engine is locked. Can't even put in neutral to move vehicle if in traffic.