2021 Subaru Outback
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 296 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 26 Outback model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 9 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 4 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMar 22, 2024
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
Campaign 24V227000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, park/neutral start interlock switchNov 9, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Campaign 23V755000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Jul 8, 2022
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.
Campaign 22V485000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, shift linkage/cable/rodJan 26, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loosen.
A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and, if necessary, tighten the nut, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-21.
Campaign 21V024000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
296 reports, newest first.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 26, 2021
On 3 Occasions the Eyesight automatic braking activated with no apparent reason. The first was at highway speeds, second at 45mph and the third at about 30/35mph. In the first case a car entered the lane but there was considerable distance. In the second a car made a right turn into my lane and was slow but there was about 1/4 mile or more space and the last one occurred as, my wife, followed the curve of the road to the right. There were no vehicles near by only a median. In each case there was no gradual slow down only a full force application of the brakes. This led to the car lunging forward. Fortunately in all cases there was no one behind us or we would have been rear ended. The associated red heads-up lights activated at the very same time as the brakes did. I have called the dealer for an appointment to bring it in. No one else has inspected the vehicle.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 24, 2021
After less than 3,000 miles and 6 months, the windshield spontaneously cracked from about 1/3 the way up the driver-side post horizontally about 12” toward the center of the car, then up vertically about 10” and then horizontally about 24” further toward the center of the car. This was reported to Subaru of America with Case # 1-73126830225 on 2021-08-18.
Electrical system, Aug 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact’s wife was driving 40 MPH and noticed that the center console display screen went blank and rebooted independently after a few minutes. However, the failure reoccurred and affected several safety features on the vehicle including the HVAC controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and navigation on the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and duplicated of the failure the but could not determine the cause of the failure. The dealer was able to install a software monitor to replicate the failure so the contact could notify the failure to the dealer. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer where the dealer replaced the center module in an attempt to repair the vehicle however, the failure still occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 22, 2021
Cracked windshield while parked in the garage
Visibility/wiper, Aug 19, 2021
Windshield cracked on a new 2021 car, while driving in the city in clear weather and light traffic.The crack runs horizontally for about 10 inches and then turn vertical for the same height. I do not think it was hit by anything. Dealer inspection will be taken up soon.
Other or unspecified, Aug 18, 2021
Don't buy I regret buying it. Water leaks into the vehicle passenger side door. I got a loaner and the same issue water leaks into the vehicle
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 17, 2021
My problem is an intermittent one. The infotainment display goes blank and reboots. When this happens I have lost Rear Automatic Braking, the Eyesight System, cruise control, the backup camera display and driver monitoring along with other non-safety related systems (radio, environment control). The dealer has not been able to reproduce, but has gotten error codes to send to Subaru of America (SoA) along with print out of error messages received via the My Subaru website. The vehicle has been to the shop 6 times in the first 9,000 miles. There has been no inspection of the car by SoA, just dealer service. There is no warnings until the issue occurs. SoA has been notified via Certified Letter and has been unresponsive as to a fix since 7/19/2021.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Aug 14, 2021
During heavy rains, the vehicles leak water into the driver's side wheel well. Numerous times back to the dealer and the vehicle being piece by piece all seals are being replaced. As per numerous blogs on Subaru forums, an indication of a faulty windshield seal could be the issue, but the dealership refuses to replace or reset the windshield seal. Bought the car on June 28, 2021, and have been to the dealership 3 times for the same issue. The dealership is replacing seals on the skylight and door but as of yet no resolution. At the time of this complaint, the vehicle has been at dealership for 3 weeks with no resolution.
Electrical system, Aug 12, 2021
Record of Subaru Outback electrical issues 2021 April 25 purchased. May 5 ca.No startSalesman came to home and jump started. June 28-29No start, Recharged and had no further electrical issues until--- July 27No start. Briefly left vehicle. On return wouldn't start, dash lights crazy blinking.Jump box started it. July 28 Left it all morning at Subaru service for eval; result: "no problems were detected." Aug.5No start. Parked at friends for 3 hr. On return wouldn't start, dash lights crazy blinking. Jump box restart. Aug. 7No start. Left ignition on for 3 hr testing new solar panel.Purchase Solar panel, proves useless, ignition drained battery.Trickle charged for several hours, starts. Aug. 9 No start. Battery dead. Trickle charged for several hours, starts. Conclusion: Subaru Outbacks are: (1) inherently unreliable, (2) Subaru has known about this problem for several years, and (3) Subaru is dishonest in not admitting to and fixing the problem.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 11, 2021
The glass on my 2021 subaru outback that I purchased less than 2 months ago has started cracking from the bottom next to vin number and spread all the way to the center of the glass within 3 hours.
Other or unspecified, Aug 7, 2021
Windshield cracked at bottom base without any impact from something hitting it. In standstill traffic, all of a sudden we heard and saw a crack just appear! Then is spread rapidly straight up, then to both sides sides. So scary. This was about 4:45pm on 8/4/2021. We noticed next day it spread even more. Then a day later 8/6/2021 at 3:30pm traveling, the right side base of windshield cracked again! And spread quickly. So now there are two cracks! It is the oddest thing! Never experienced anything like this with any vehicle. This is an AVIS rental car. We will bring it to the Suburu dealership in West Palm Beach, FL when we get home early next week. This windshield is obviously defective.
Other or unspecified, Aug 5, 2021
Bought my 2021 outback June 16th. Last week my battery went dead in my driveway. Called customer care and they had to jump me. Yesterday morning it was dead in the driveway again. Again they had to come out and jump me. July 29th was the first time and august 4th was the second time. This is a brand new car!!
Electrical system, Jul 30, 2021
Problem has occurred twice when I put my cellphone in the same pocket as my key fob. The car will not start when I press the start button, although the ignition will be on and the dashboard instruments light up. Even if I separate the fob from the phone, it won't start. Holding the keyfob right up to the start button won't allow it to start. The battery in the fob is brand new. On this car, only the fob can start the car. I have had to use the MySubaru app via Starlink (a subscription service) to remote start the car using my cellphone. However, I cannot shift it into gear. I must turn the car off, and then restart the car by pushing the button. It will then start normally. If I did not subscribe to Starlink, I would have been able to start the car at all. The phone/fob proximity problem seems to create a logic fault in the vehicle programming which then prevents you from starting the car using the fob, even if you separate it from the phone.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 29, 2021
While driving on residential street, I heard a pop and saw my windshield crack. My speed at the time of this incident was 30mph. There was no impact with a foreign object. Crack is in front of the Eyesight camera and is affecting the functionality of vehicle's safety features. This is a 2021 Outback with approximately 3200 miles.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 22, 2021
Subaru has apparently integrated their Eyesight Collision avoidance system with their infotainment system and the infotainment system crashes constantly. When it crashes about 50% of the time Eyesight goes offline and kicks cruise control off. At highway speeds this is VERY dangerous. The vehicle will slow down 5-10 mph between when the system crashes and when someone realizes what has happened in order to put their foot on the gas pedal to keep their speed up. I've almost been rear-ended multiple times now because of this. Subaru has been aware of this issue for TWO FULL model years now and is going into a 3rd year with the SAME problem. The update they issues in Spring 2021 made the problem worse not better. Subaru must be forced to either fix the issue immediately or recall the entire system and replace it before someone dies in a highspeed accident caused by this system. Until two days ago Subaru of America's employees were arrogant, condescending, and beyond unhelpful. Wendy Clough has stated Subaru plans to issue an update in August has no actual confirmed timeframe. Subaru has done NOTHING to communicate with owners or dealers on mitigation options, if any, nor to warn customers of potential risks. Subaru must be forced to notify all owners of the issue immediately.
Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 21, 2021
Automatic braking system activated abruptly and forcefully when a vehicle in the adjacent lane slowed down to make a turn. This has occurred numerous time both on the highway and in city driving. I have called Subaru to report the issue. They did not recommend taking it to a service center, although I plan to. The car otherwise has shown no warning of automatic braking malfunction prior to or after the incidents. However the automatic braking system has continued to malfunction. I now deactivate the automatic braking every time I start the car to avoid further incidents. Potentially related to the automatic braking malfunction, the car regularly alerts me to keep my eyes on the road while I have my eyes on the road. Common situations when this happens include when I scan an intersection on approach for potential hazards (e.g., pedestrians, people running red lights, etc.), fixing my glasses or hat while continuing to look straight ahead, and simply scratching my face all trigger the warning. Occasionally, the warning is activated for seemingly no reason. At best, it’s a nuisance; at worst it’s a distraction and a liability. I now deactivate this feature when I start my car.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 19, 2021
The windshield cracked shortly after purchase. We had the windshield replaced and within 4 months the windshield is now chipped in three places. This is a safety issue because a cracked windshield impairs visibility while driving.
Electrical system, Jul 19, 2021
I purchased this vehicle in May 2021 and since then have had four incidents where the battery was not able to start the vehicle. The first two incidents were when I was camping, so there was some heavy, battery only electrical system use, e.g. opening/closing the hatchback, turning on lights, etc.
Other or unspecified, Jul 17, 2021
My 2021 Outback windshield just cracked. My 2020 Outback did the same thing. Apparently three class action lawsuits are not enough for them to fix the windshield problem. $1200 to fix, on a brand new car. looks like the St. Louis Arch.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 13, 2021
Windshield spontaneously cracked where the mirror was atached to the glass. There is a concave indentation where the mirror was attached and we found the mirror hanging by a wire and small glass pieces on the dash. Temps were in the low 90s. No one has modified or put any unusual pressure on the mirror, no decorations were attached. The outside of the glass has no chips or cracks anywhere in the glass which was confirmed by the local Safelite dealer. This vehicle was purchased new on May 7, 2021. Location of incident was Temecula, CA. I asked the local dealer to repair under warranty and was told that there is no manufacturer warranty on glass. Obviously having your windshield spontaneously crack and the rearview mirror falling off would be a distraction at highway speeds.
Electrical system, Jul 9, 2021
We bought this car new about 3 weeks ago and tried to drive it this morning to find it completely dead. It was last driven about 60 hours ago. It has just over 1,000 miles on it. There was no warning lamp that came on when we last drove the car. I was able to jump the car and have it on a trickle charger now but this is completely unacceptable for a brand new vehicle. I've reached out to the dealer but have not heard back.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 7, 2021
Windshield cracked on the bottom left of driver's side and continued up and across. There was no point of impact. Getting gas and got back in the car and the crack had formed. Crack grew by 3" just sitting in the driveway. Brand new car with approximately 1400 miles on it when it happened.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 1, 2021
Car was parked outside. We returned to vehicle and noticed that front windshield had large crack beginning in bottom right and was 2-3 feet in length. The crack grew overnight. This was in a place of business and we do not suspect vandalism. It was a hot day (over 90-degrees with humidity). The air conditioner had been running inside the vehicle. Vehicle has less than 6,000 miles.
Visibility, Jun 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, a small rock struck the windshield and made a small mark at the bottom of the passenger’s side windshield. The contact continued driving and the crack started to expand across the windshield. The contact stated that the next morning the crack was approximately 3 feet in length. The vehicle was taken to a window shop and the front windshield was replaced. The contact stated that on June 25, 2021 while driving 20 mph, the windshield cracked. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 22, 2021
While driving down the highway, a small object (based on sound) struck the windshield and caused a small chip. Approximately one minute later, the chip splintered into a four way crack, with two legs showing over 12 inches of crack. Over the next few hours, the cracks grew by over 6 inches. After 3 days the cracks have grown vertically to the edges, and horizontally to 3/4 of the windshield, with additional cracks spidering from original chip. The cracks continue to grow daily. Due to the specialized windshield, immediate replacement is not possible. Chip repair was never available due to immediate spidering of windshield. I am replacing the windshield next week (earliest appointment available).