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

2019 Subaru Outback: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 1,029 safety complaints about the 2019 Subaru Outback with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved July 14, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

1,029
Complaints
3
Recalls
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 23 crashes, 2 fires, 18 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Visibility & lighting leads the complaint list, cited in 397 of 1,029 complaints, followed by Electrical.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 55 of the 1,029 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2019 Subaru Outback, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 1,029 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Visibility & lighting
397
Electrical
362
Other / unspecified
209
Driver assistance
47
Engine & cooling
40
Steering
35
Body & structure
34
Fuel & propulsion
31

"Parasitic battery drain when vehicle is turned off. The DCM module in these vehicles will not shut off properly and continue to drain the battery. Subaru has firmware on the vehicle that will not fully charge the battery when driving to save fuel. The vehicle has had 6 or more instances over the past two weeks where the car was undriveable unless jumped from another vehicle or a boost device is used."

Owner complaint filed February 2025 · Electrical System,Exterior Lighting,Structure · NHTSA ODI 11643837

"The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the front windshield cracked without impact during colder temperatures. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000."

Owner complaint filed December 2024 · Visibility · NHTSA ODI 11629861

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2019 Subaru Outback over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2019 Subaru Outback
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
4
118
230
201
170
129
114
49
14
181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through July 14, 2026).

Recall history: 3 recalls

3 recalls apply to some or all 2019 Subaru Outback vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Jun 201919V-493
Structure

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.

Apr 202020V-218
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.

Jul 202121V-587
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

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.

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 2019 Subaru Outback have?

As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,029 complaints about the 2019 Subaru Outback with NHTSA. The most-reported system is visibility & lighting.

How many recalls does the 2019 Subaru Outback have?

The 2019 Subaru Outback has 3 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2019 Subaru Outback safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2019 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 July 14, 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.