Owners have filed 807 safety complaints about the 2018 Subaru Outback with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 27 crashes, 4 fires, 19 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2018 Subaru Outback, here is how reports break down by system.
"Halo light is out and it does not show on dashboard. Halo light is part of headlight system. It is part of daylight running lights. Unable to replace light without replacing the entire headlight."
"Replaced windshield at dealer using factory glass on 8/7/24. Daughter came out of apartment on approximately the 18th of December and the windshield had a horizontal crack from side to side. She did not have anything hit the windshield and there were not dings or stars in it. It appears to be a stress crack from either a defective install or glass."
Complaint filings for the 2018 Subaru Outback over time:
Across the Subaru Outback model years we track, the 2019 has the most complaints on file (1,033); the 2018 ranks 4 of 7.
3 recalls apply to some or all 2018 Subaru Outback vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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 …
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 ba…
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.
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 →
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.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 807 complaints about the 2018 Subaru Outback with NHTSA. The most-reported system is visibility & lighting.
The 2018 Subaru Outback has 3 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2018 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.
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.