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.
Other or unspecified, Feb 21, 2022
The battery does not hold a charge. I have had to have AAA charge my battery on 10 occasions in the fourteen months since I purchased this vehicle. I also have had to have the battery jumped by friends to start the car. The battery was replaced by the dealership in early September 2021, claiming it was a deflected battery and I should have no more battery problems. The replaced battery has not held a charge either. There is no warning, just a dead battery. i have been informed by Subaru that the cause of a dead battery is because the car is not driven every day. I am retired and have no need to drive every day. However, when I have been able to start the car and use it frequently the battery still dies. The car is not safe to drive when the battery is unreliable.
Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 15, 2022
My windshield cracked within a few months and few thousand miles of purchasing my vehicle for no real apparent reason.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 4, 2022
We were literally sitting in the car, parked, and the lower left driver side windshield cracked! No visible chips. We will contact Subaru if America and out local dealership as well.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 2, 2022
Upon entering my car I noticed a 7-8” crack on the driver side of my windshield. There was no evidence of anything chipping or causing the crack. It seems to be spontaneous. If the crack continues to spread it will affect visibility and the windshield cannot be replaced on site due to the forward facing camera and anti collision system. I will have to drive over and hour to get it repaired. Also need wait for a new windshield to be in stock. I have submitted pictures to my insurance company.
Other or unspecified, Jan 25, 2022
Cracked windshield from no sign of impact. This is clearly an issue, as there have been class action law suits regarding these windshields covering 2015-2020 outbacks. They've done nothing to fix the issue and deny that it's a problem, instead falsely claiming that there was a chip.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 11, 2022
The component that has failed twice is the windshield. They current windshield is available for inspection but not the first. In fact, I am taking it my Subaru dealer tomorrow so they can look at it. This is the second windshield in 13 months that has failed. The first one became heavily pitted across the entire windshield. This one has a crack starting from the passenger side, 2/3 of the way up and then continues 1/3 of the way towards the driver. I do not recall any impact on the windshield prior to the crack occurring. I am concerned about the frequency of this model's windshield issues and whether it can stay intact. As noted above, this problem has happened twice for me. I posted my concerns on Reddit to see if other owners of this vehicle are having issues and I have received numerous responses that others are also having quality issues and those issues are similar to mine. There was no warning prior to the issues with my windshield. It is interesting to note that Subaru had a class action lawsuit against them just a few years ago related to this very same issue with the windshields. I am concerned that the windshield issues have not been adequately addressed.
Visibility, Jan 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that a rock chipped the windshield. The dealer informed the contact that the windshield crack was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but denied the claim for the windshield replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 10, 2022
Front Windshield crack so easily that I have to replace it two times already. The first time the windshield crack from using the defrost in the snow, and the second time was a small rock while I was driving on the highway. I've driven many cars in the past and have had rocks strike my windshield all the time and never experienced anything like this. I'm surprised the windshield recall isn't extended to the 2021 model Outback yet.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 10, 2022
While driving down the interstate, no other vehicles in sight, heard a pop and immediately a crack formed in the windshield (at the bottom in the exact middle of the glass) which spread vertically and has since branched out horizontally. A matter of seconds before this happened, I engaged the defrost button. This is the SECOND windshield to crack spontaneously since I purchased the vehicle in December 2020. The first replacement was proven to not installed properly and Subaru paid for the replacement. As the crack continues to grow, I feel my safety could be affected if the EyeSight features fail as a result of this issue not being addressed.
Other or unspecified, Jan 9, 2022
The front windshield on the passenger side cracked for not apparent reason. The vehicle had been parked in my carport all was fine. Next morning upon entering the vehicle I noticed the crack. Within 2 days the longest crack had grown from about 2 inches towards the drivers side to about 10 inches. I called Subaru of America customer service with a complaint. They suggested taking it to the dealer for inspection and a determination if it’s covered under the new car warranty. I have had the vehicle for about a year and it has less than 15000 miles on the odometer.
Air bags, Jan 7, 2022
The passenger air bag alert on the dashboard indicates the air bag is off when my wife who is elderly and weighs approximately 95 pounds is seated in the front passenger seat .Sometimes it changes to " air bag on" during our journey but other times it remains off .I am concerned the air bag won't deploy in the event of a crash potentially causing serious injury .I have e mailed sales representative who sold us the car at Maple Hill Auto Group Kalamazoo ,MI in March 2021 who responded that seat sensor was designed to alert "off " at 65 pounds or less .Two subsequent e mails to Subaru Customer Service about this issue have not been acknowledged or generated any response which concerns me . At this point car has not been tested by technician as my wife is frail and not in position to go to dealer for demo . Not sure what next steps to take since Subaru Customer Service is not responding to my concerns .
Forward collision avoidance, Jan 7, 2022
The Subaru Eyesight system malfunctioned while I was driving. All Eyesight components were enabled at the time of the incident, including pre collision braking and forward collision warning. I had been stopped at a red light at a four way intersection. I was the first car waiting at the red light, with other cars behind me and to each side. The intersection had multiple lanes in each direction. There were four lanes going the direction I was driving, and I was in the second from the right. When the traffic light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and onto the gas to begin accelerating. I accelerated through the large intersection reaching approximately 20 miles per hour. The speed limit is 25 or 30 there so I was continuing to accelerate to that speed and was just about through the intersection when the pre collision braking suddenly engaged with no warning at all. My foot was still on the gas trying to accelerate when this happened. All of the lights that show on the windshield seemed to light up red, and it showed that the pre collision braking had engaged on the dashboard screen behind the steering wheel. The car came to an immediate stop in the middle of the road and would not move forward. I took my foot off the gas and my car would still not move. My dashboard said something along the lines of “firmly press brake to hold stop.” I hit the brake, then everything returned to normal and I could move forward. I moved forward, safely switched to the right lane and pulled into the nearest driveway to get off the road and park. I then disabled all Eyesight features and called my Subaru dealership who said they will “diagnose and recalibrate” the system on 1/14/2022. My car and windshield were clean and my windshield is the same from the factory with no defects. No cars were in front of my- the road ahead was wide open, clear, flat, and straight. No one turned in front of me or anything. Fortunately I was not rear ended but it was very scary and dangerous.
Visibility, Jan 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH approaching a traffic light, the contact heard an abnormal cracking sound coming from the front windshield. The contact noticed a small crack on the driver’s side of the windshield that spread to the middle of the windshield. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who stated that the failure was related to a thinner OEM breakable glass on the vehicle that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,400.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Dec 28, 2021
Passenger lower side windshield cracked while driving, it started as a tiny crack but the next morning the crack line was 16 inches long. I contacted Subaru because the car is under warranty but they said they will not cover it. The whole windshield had to be replaced.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 26, 2021
Fragile windshield. I’m just under a year of ownership and I replaced the windshield twice so far so I’m on my third one. First time was about a month in, no visible strike mark. Started on the Driver side halfway up and spread daily horizontally towards the passenger side and within a day or two was half the windshield. Second one was nine or 10 months out. Tiny strike basically did the same spread. In traffic a tiny rock got tossed up at low speed and I have a Starbust right now. Hopefully it won’t spread overnight before I can get it epoxied because then I will be on my fourth windshield before one year of ownership. Decades of other models and cars and same driving locations and I’ve never had to replace a windshield or repair one. Currently at 16K miles.
Electrical system, Dec 20, 2021
Car won't start. Battery drained after in garage overnight. The lights weren't left on and keys far from car. This same thing happened after leaving car with blinkers on for a very short period.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 15, 2021
In February 2021 my windshield was cracked in the lower left corner for an unknown reason. Windshield was inspected by manufacturer service center and thought to be result of an impact and was then replaced. December 2021 the windshield was again cracked in the lower left corner and again needs to be replaced. Appears to also be the result of an impact but will need to be determined by insurance. Both instances the windshield cracked in the bottom left corner and the crack began to quickly grow across the drivers side to the top center of the windshield.
Electrical system, Dec 14, 2021
Purchased vehicle 1/2021. Currently has 8500 miles. For the past few months the dash/navigation system intermittently shuts down. Lose everything including speed/cruise/gps/radio. After a few seconds will reboot. I have called the dealer twice regarding this issue - was told to press "defrost" button 5 times and bring to the service department. This was done and they sent the info to Subaru - have not heard anything from Subaru regarding this complaint which was done over 2 months ago
Electrical system, Dec 14, 2021
Battery dead after leaving in garage for a day. Happened three times and I brought it to dealer, and they charged battery and said it passed Subaru test procedure and that nothing they can do. No lights on and key is in house closet area. Battery still drains if left in garage for a day without driving. I bought a portable charger for $150.
Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 13, 2021
Several times, at random, the infotainment system goes blank. Screen goes black and can NOT adjust any of the ADAS controls! After 10 to 20 seconds the system seems to reboot and slowly returns to normal operations.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 5, 2021
The sunroof on my 2021 Subaru Outback exploded for no apparent reason while I was driving. There was no impact by any object, and the glass shattered into innumerable pieces, suggesting it was definitively tempered, not laminated, glass. The weather was sunny and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I happened to have my sunroof shade closed - if I hadn’t, I would have gotten glass in my hair and possibly in my eyes while driving my car.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 25, 2021
Purchased new Outback SUV in March of 2021. Currently has 4488 miles on odometer. Center console infotainment center randomly reboots at times without warning. System reboots after several seconds, but until system is restored, any function active at the time controlled from that console is unavailable (radio, navigation, etc.). Dealer has not yet inspected the car for this problem at this time. I have not been able to cause the system to reboot at will, it appears to be totally random.
Other or unspecified, Nov 22, 2021
I have owned my 2021 Outback since April of 2021. I currently have just under 15,000 miles on it and am now looking to replace my second windshield. I have taken the car on 5 road trips over 200 miles and this is the second time where I instantly have a 6-8 inch long crack appear. There was evidence of a very small impact but the instant spreading seems to be an issue with many other Outback owners as I have seen on social media groups that some people have gone through 5+ windshields in the first year of ownership. I believe it is clear at this point that there is an issue with the glass itself and this could be a serious safety concern as I am fearful what would happen if a normal size rock were to hit it how it would respond to the impact.
Other or unspecified, Nov 21, 2021
When I bought my new 2021 Subaru on Sep. 27, 2021. It was twilight and the sales lady said it had a small rock chip in the windshield but they were going to fix it. Driving home, I saw the windshield had a spider web of cracks all over it. I took it back on Sep. 30 and they replaced the windshield. On Oct 31, I drove 660 miles. When I looked at the Subaru in the motel parking lot the next morning, the new 5-week old windshield had cracks. There was a rock chip where the cracks crossed. They were not spread all over but covered an area about 14" wide and 8" high. I didn't want to drive it but I had to get it back to the dealer. Later I saw the State of New Jersey had filed lawsuits against Subaru for cracked windshields on 2.5M vehicles. I felt sick and didn't know what to do. I found a "Service Bulletin" No. 12-192-12R dated 10/26/15. It was only for 2015-2016MY Legacy and Outback models and MY's but it described the crack issue and illustrated it. It was very limited. It just offered an extended warranty and one repair on specific models. I believe this is a serious Safety Defect because it is spread over a large population of vehicles and Subaru is not admitting any defect or safety problem. If this occurs on a trip, it's likely the driver will continue to drive to their destination with a dangerously compromised windshield. FMVSS 205 states that Glazing in Auto windows is to reduce injuries resulting from impact to glazing surfaces, to maintain transparency for visibility and minimize the chance occupants are ejected from the vehicle in a collision. It also appears the windshields do not meet Fracture Test 7 in SAE Z26 for tempered glass and multiple glazed units. The size of fragments observed in the spider-web patterns are 1" to 3" and more and likely weigh more than the 4.25 grams in the Fracture Test. In my 65 years of driving, I’ve never had a windshield crack like the two windshields cracked on my Outback in the period of five weeks.
Structure, Visibility/wiper, Nov 21, 2021
Windshield developed a large crack for no apparent reason. There is no sign of an impact from an object. Vehicle was parked outside when outside temperature dropped overnight. Crack over 6” long appeared the next morning.