Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2015 Subaru Outback: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 509 safety complaints about the 2015 Subaru Outback with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

509
Complaints
5
Recalls
1
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 19 crashes, 5 fires, 16 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Visibility & lighting leads the complaint list, cited in 147 of 509 complaints, followed by Electrical.
  2. 1 NHTSA defect investigation is associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2015 Subaru Outback, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 509 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Visibility & lighting
147
Electrical
127
Other / unspecified
116
Engine & cooling
50
Power train / transmission
37
Body & structure
37
Brakes & stability
31
Speed control
26

"The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that she noticed that there was a crack on the passenger's side windshield after a small rock struck the windshield. The contact stated that the windshield shouldn't have cracked from such a small rock impacting the windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,460."

Owner complaint filed May 2022 · Visibility · NHTSA ODI 11466233

"The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the front windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not taken to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000."

Owner complaint filed January 2022 · Visibility · NHTSA ODI 11446406

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2015 Subaru Outback over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2015 Subaru Outback
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
6
135
46
33
33
38
53
61
39
19
14
18
14
14151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2015 compares with other model years

Across the Subaru Outback model years we track, the 2019 has the most complaints on file (1,033); the 2015 ranks 7 of 7.

Total complaints by model year — Subaru Outback
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
651
2015
509
642
917
807
1,033
896
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 5 recalls

5 recalls apply to some or all 2015 Subaru Outback vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Sep 201414V-577
Trailer Hitches

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Outback vehicles manufactured January 22, 2014, to August 18, 2014, and equipped with a Subaru accessory trailer hitch assembly. During installation, the trailer hitch mounting nuts may have been overtightened, potentially resulti…

Jun 201515V-366
Forward Collision Avoidance: Crash Imminent Braking

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufact…

Aug 201515V-502
Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.

Apr 201616V-251
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control system. As such, these ve…

May 201616V-292
Steering:Column

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2015 Subaru Outback have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 509 complaints about the 2015 Subaru Outback with NHTSA. The most-reported system is visibility & lighting.

How many recalls does the 2015 Subaru Outback have?

The 2015 Subaru Outback has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2015 Subaru Outback safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2015 Subaru Outback an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.