2018 Subaru Outback reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Subaru Outback has 811 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 135 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Outback years here — over the median of the other years, which is 56. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Fuel pump, Rearview mirrors, and Electrical system, software.

2012 Subaru Outback — Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

811

Per year

135

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (265 of 811), then Visibility and wipers (233) and Fuel and propulsion system (43). Those filings include 27 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 10 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Outback has 917 complaints, 64 per year, and the 2019 has 1,034 complaints, 184 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Subaru Outback. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall Fuel pump 2021-07-29 · NHTSA campaign 21V587000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall visibility, rearview mirrors 2018-12-31 · NHTSA campaign 18V935000

Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Remedy Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.

Recall electrical system, software 2018-11-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V773000

Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Complaints by component (811 total)

Electrical system

265

Visibility and wipers

233

Fuel and propulsion system

Visibility

Engine

Steering

Speed control

Back-over prevention

Forward collision avoidance

Service brakes

Structure

Powertrain

Wheels

Exterior lighting

Air bags

Lane departure

Seats

Suspension

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Equipment

Fuel system, gasoline

Seat belts

Tires

Carry handle, shell, and base

Fuel system, other

Latches, locks, and linkages

Show 18 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Infotainment unit in my 2018 Subaru Outback has had a recurring freeze/black-screen defect since new, and it directly affects the backup camera display and interaction with EyeSight safety features, creating a…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-12
"The car started to make very loud engine noises and then the engine completely failed. The car was no longer able to accelerate and lost the ability to go in both forward and reverse. Luckily, my son had just arrived…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-11
"I was driving on the highway going 70 MPH when the hood latch suddenly came unlatched. The hood flew up and smashed into the windshield, blocking my view. I was able to slow down and pull onto the shoulder, but there…"
Structure · filed 2026-09-09
"Infotainment screen is delaminated and doesn’t work"
Structure · filed 2026-09-08
"I am reporting a safety defect involving the infotainment touchscreen in my 2018 Subaru Outback). The touchscreen has developed visible "bubbles" under the screen lamination, with lines and bubbling appearing beneath…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Subaru Outback SW AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Outback all-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S7)	All-wheel drive	25	32	28 MPG	$2300
Outback all-wheel drive	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic (AV-S6)	All-wheel drive	20	27	22 MPG	$2950

Specs and fitment

5th generation (BS), 2015–2019

Body styles Wagon

Oil 0W-20 synthetic (2.5L FB25; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable) , 5.1 qt capacity

Tire size 225/65R17 (base), 225/60R18 (Limited/Touring)

Towing capacity 2,700 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 20V-218 (Subaru WRD-20) covers certain 2019 Outback, Legacy, Impreza, and Ascent vehicles whose low-pressure fuel pump may become inoperative; if the pump fails, the engine may stall without restart capability. Dealers replace the low-pressure fuel pump free of charge. The campaign unit total covers those models together, not Outback alone. Safety recall 19V-493 (Subaru WUH-93) covers a small build run of 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles whose spot welds on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, reducing body strength in a crash; dealers inspect and repair or repurchase as needed. Safety recall 18V-935 (Subaru WTZ-85) covers certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles when audio-display software can leave the backup camera blank, failing FMVSS 111; dealers reprogram the display.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Subaru Outback Next year 2019 Subaru Outback See every Subaru Outback model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Subaru Outback reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Subaru Outback?

Is the 2018 Subaru Outback more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2018 Subaru Outback been recalled?

The 2018 Subaru Outback has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Subaru Outback?

Owners have filed 811 complaints about the 2018 Subaru Outback with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Subaru Outback get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Subaru Outback is 25 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Subaru Outback use?

US manuals specify 0W-20 synthetic for recent FB and turbo engines, with temporary 5W-30 only when 0W-20 is unavailable.

What does NHTSA recall 19V-008 cover on the Subaru Outback?

Recall 19V-008 covers certain 2010-2014 Subaru Outback and Legacy vehicles (among other Subaru models) sold or ever registered in listed Zone B states: the front passenger air bag inflator may explode during deployment and send sharp metal fragments into the cabin.

What generation is the 2013 Subaru Outback?

4th generation (BR) (2012-2014).