2026 Subaru Outback
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Subaru › Outback › 2026
These records cover every 2026 Subaru Outback. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
21 complaints1 involved a crash4 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Steering · Suspension
I experienced a serious loss of vehicle stability while driving a redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback provided as a loaner by Subaru of Port Richey, Florida. I was traveling approximately 70 mph on the highway in windy conditions. The pavement was completely dry. While making a necessary evasive lane…
I experienced a serious loss of vehicle stability while driving a redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback provided as a loaner by Subaru of Port Richey, Florida. I was traveling approximately 70 mph on the highway in windy conditions. The pavement was completely dry. While making a necessary evasive lane change to avoid a road hazard, the rear of the vehicle began swinging from side to side uncontrollably. The maneuver was not unusually aggressive, yet the vehicle exhibited severe fishtailing, similar to the behavior of an improperly loaded trailer. I was forced to countersteer aggressively multiple times to regain control. The rear continued oscillating through several corrections before the vehicle finally stabilized. I have extensive experience driving different vehicles, including trucks, SUVs, and performance cars. I have never experienced this degree of instability from a modern vehicle during a comparable maneuver. I believe a less experienced driver could have lost control entirely, potentially resulting in a serious or fatal crash. Afterward, I discovered reports from other 2026 Subaru Outback owners describing similar rear-end instability, swaying, and fishtailing at highway speeds, particularly in windy conditions. I am concerned that the redesigned Outback may have a handling or directional-stability issue that warrants further investigation. IMPORTANT VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NOTE: This was a dealership loaner, not my personal vehicle. The VIN associated with this report is a possible match identified through dealership inventory, but I cannot confirm that it belongs to the exact vehicle I drove. The correct VIN should be verified through Subaru of Port Richey's loaner records.
- Unknown or other
I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the potential safety implications of Subaru of America’s decision to disable connected safety services for [XXX] residents. My 2026 Subaru Outback, purchased outside [XXX], where its connected services were available and functional. After relocating to [XXX]…
I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the potential safety implications of Subaru of America’s decision to disable connected safety services for [XXX] residents. My 2026 Subaru Outback, purchased outside [XXX], where its connected services were available and functional. After relocating to [XXX] as part of a military family, I lost access to these services due to Subaru’s restrictions related to the state’s Right to Repair law. My primary concern is the potential loss of critical safety features, including Automatic Collision Notification and SOS Emergency Assistance. These services are designed to connect vehicle occupants with emergency assistance following a serious collision or other emergency, particularly when a driver is injured or unable to call for help. I am concerned that disabling these capabilities based solely on a customer’s state of residence could create an unnecessary safety risk and delay emergency response. I understand this is a regulatory dispute, but I believe the safety implications deserve independent review. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether Subaru’s deactivation of these services creates an unreasonable risk to vehicle occupants and determine whether corrective action is warranted. Vehicle occupants should not lose access to emergency-response capabilities because of a disagreement over state regulations. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Lane departure › Assist
The blue EyeSight Assist Monitor indicator lights on my 2026 Subaru Outback Touring XT do not illuminate as described in the owner’s manual. According to the 2026 Subaru Outback EyeSight Owner’s Manual (page 251), the EyeSight Assist Monitor LEDs should illuminate in the sequence Blue → Yellow →…
The blue EyeSight Assist Monitor indicator lights on my 2026 Subaru Outback Touring XT do not illuminate as described in the owner’s manual. According to the 2026 Subaru Outback EyeSight Owner’s Manual (page 251), the EyeSight Assist Monitor LEDs should illuminate in the sequence Blue → Yellow → Red → Green during the startup self-check. However, the blue indicators consistently fail to illuminate, while the other indicator colors illuminate. The blue indicators also do not provide the expected visual status information during operation of the Hands-Free Assist system. This creates a safety concern because I cannot reliably see the intended visual indication of the driver-assistance system’s status. I experienced a near-miss situation in which the absence of the expected blue visual indication contributed to confusion about the system’s status. The problem has been repeatedly observed, including during a check conducted with dealership personnel. I have brought this nearly new vehicle to an authorized Subaru dealership twice for the same issue. Despite my specific report that the blue indicators do not illuminate, the dealership initially stated that the vehicle was operating as designed, relying in part on an assessment of Hands-Free Assist functionality rather than providing a documented diagnosis addressing the blue indicators themselves. The dealership subsequently agreed to arrange further inspection by its shop foreman after I escalated the concern to the manufacturer. However, I have not received a satisfactory technical explanation or confirmation that the blue indicators are functioning as specified. The vehicle remains available for inspection. I have videos and photographs documenting the indicator issue, as well as communications with the dealership and service records. I am concerned that the failure of these visual indicators could prevent drivers from recognizing important changes in driver-assistance system status. I request that NHTSA investiga
- Tires
The read passenger tire Dunlop 255/60R18 100H exploded while driving at approx. 30miles/hour. The tire did not have any punctures and did not hit any board walk. No previous warning whatsoever. A portion of the tire side broke apart, resulting in a kind of rubber tongue. The vehicle is new Subaru…
The read passenger tire Dunlop 255/60R18 100H exploded while driving at approx. 30miles/hour. The tire did not have any punctures and did not hit any board walk. No previous warning whatsoever. A portion of the tire side broke apart, resulting in a kind of rubber tongue. The vehicle is new Subaru Outback with approx. 600 miles, one month old. The tire was changed for the spare tire and brought to the Dealership (Gerard in Naperville, IL). Issued reported in writing to Dealership and later to the Subaru Customer Advocacy Department, which opened an internal case (#XXX). Two pictures were attached to the report. I do not know, if the tire was subjected to any inspection by the dealership or the manufacturer. It was manufactured in [XXX]. The tire did not have Warranty from Subaru and I had to pay $241.02 for a new tire, incl. balance and mount. There were no symptoms or warnings prior to the event. It just exploded. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Electrical system · Service brakes · Steering
Brand new 2026 Outback experienced a "Sudden Unintended Acceleration / Brake Ineffectiveness. This occurred 3 times this week after the car had been driven over 90 miles or over 90 minutes. Engine and components were warmed up. Car was initially reported to dealer 10/6, car was examined by dealer…
Brand new 2026 Outback experienced a "Sudden Unintended Acceleration / Brake Ineffectiveness. This occurred 3 times this week after the car had been driven over 90 miles or over 90 minutes. Engine and components were warmed up. Car was initially reported to dealer 10/6, car was examined by dealer and returned to me later that day.could not be replicated. Car sat at my home until today when it was driven over 90 minutes or 90 miles. Replicated failure by me same as earlier in the week . Car drivetrain felt surged. CVT fighting brake system when trying to turn car at street corner. Would not stop until on straight away ( seems to be triggered when turning and car was hot and when no power applied to engine. Only stops on straight away.. Could be related to cvt torque converter? Software glitch? Force of turning wheel?
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
I have owned this vehicle since January 2026. It's the first vehicle I have owned with a forward collision warning system and active emergency braking. And this is the first time this "failure" has happened, so far... On a 60mph 2 lane rural road with traffic behind me the forward collision warning…
I have owned this vehicle since January 2026. It's the first vehicle I have owned with a forward collision warning system and active emergency braking. And this is the first time this "failure" has happened, so far... On a 60mph 2 lane rural road with traffic behind me the forward collision warning system and active braking triggered of off a disabled vehicle parked safely on the side of the road on a sweeping left hand curve at 60 mph. There was nothing I could do as the vehicle actively emergency braked for no reason and unexpectedly, and the traffic behind me had to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid colliding with me. With no automatic collision avoidance system, this situation would have NEVER occurred. In 45 years of driving I have never collided with anything in front of me and the closest to an accident I have been is due to the automatic "safety" system included in my new car. I am actively considering looking for a 10 year old replacement vehicle as these new safety systems appear to be VERY dangerous... So now I have a solution to a problem I have never had, and it has created problems I never expected and I have NO control over.
- Electrical system · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
New car with only 965 miles. At 580 miles the car when I started it said safety eyesight system not working. I shut off car and restarted it and system connected itself. Today I was on highway doing 62mph and the entire dashboard, information and safety features displays went completely black…
New car with only 965 miles. At 580 miles the car when I started it said safety eyesight system not working. I shut off car and restarted it and system connected itself. Today I was on highway doing 62mph and the entire dashboard, information and safety features displays went completely black without any warning. I was able to control car and system rebooted itself after a minute or so. I Contact Subaru and have a case number #260909-1500526. Called dealer and was told not to drive car and have it towed to dealership. Since I need a rental car the dealership will notify me when a rental car is available. It scared the hell out of me when it happened. I went online and see now that this is an issue Subaru is having with 2026 Outbacks (many reported) even though Subaru of America and dealership said they had not heard of any complaints.
- Seats
Incident Summary: On August 23, 2026, a multi-occupant injury event occurred during routine city braking due to an inherent occupant packaging design defect in the vehicle’s front seating and sun visor layout. The vehicle exhibits a static seat-to-visor clearance of 79 cm versus a standard median…
Incident Summary: On August 23, 2026, a multi-occupant injury event occurred during routine city braking due to an inherent occupant packaging design defect in the vehicle’s front seating and sun visor layout. The vehicle exhibits a static seat-to-visor clearance of 79 cm versus a standard median adult sitting height of 95 cm, result of negative 16cm headroom clearance. During normal city deceleration (0.2g–0.4g), seatbelt inertia reels remain unlatched under FMVSS 209 tolerances, allowing normal forward upper-torso pitch. This causes adult occupants' foreheads to strike the lower edge of the stowed sun visor, resulting in head impacts, neck strain, and concussion symptoms. A service representative at Capitol Subaru personally observed the hazard during intake. Subaru Quality Assurance inspected the vehicle but closed the file by relate it to quality issue as claiming no "part manufacturing defects" exist, while ignoring the negative physical clearance envelope as saftey issue. Subaru's recommended workaround—sliding the seat back and make seat lean backward—does not eliminate visor contact during forward torso pitch and severely compromises rear-cabin legroom, causing physical leg entrapment and impact injuries to rear passengers during this same deceleration event. On the driver side, sliding rearward prevents safe operational reach to the brake and accelerator pedals, even with these saftey issue highlighted to Subaru, they keep insist to slide seat back to clear the sunvisor even with been notified multiple times that doing so, the driver cannot press the pedal and sterring wheel or reach to the control panel.
- Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control · Vehicle speed control
I'm new to this automotive technology. When I was introduced to the car, one of the "features" indicated was the ability to sense and slow down for curves, if the system sensed the need, when operating under the cruise control option. In testing my different options of my new car, I was using…
I'm new to this automotive technology. When I was introduced to the car, one of the "features" indicated was the ability to sense and slow down for curves, if the system sensed the need, when operating under the cruise control option. In testing my different options of my new car, I was using the cruise control on a 65 mph road in TX set to 60 mph. As I entered the curve the car did not slow down. This was a surprise to me. I contacted a Subaru dealer about this. I was told that my trim level did not have this "option". Before I contacted the dealer I did look in the Subaru EyeSight Drivers Assist Technology Owners Manual. On pages 280 and 281 of this manual in the Cruise Control, Pre-curve Speed Control*, ON/OFF. The *note is "if equipped". My car is not equipped. I was not informed or cautioned about this when I went through the delivery process. I did not know I did not have this feature. My complaint is this. If the car is equipped to assist steering when in cruise control, for safety, all models should come standard with the Pre-curve Speed Control. It only takes one instant for a new driver to loose control if expecting this feature to be present. I am an experienced driver. I was able to take corrective action to avoid trouble. But, I did anticipate the car to slow and was startled when it did not.
- Unknown or other
The driver’s side mirror vibrates excessively at speeds above 20 mph, causing the reflected image to become blurry and difficult to focus. This creates a safety hazard during lane changes and especially at night, when blurred headlight/taillight reflections make it hard to judge the distance and…
The driver’s side mirror vibrates excessively at speeds above 20 mph, causing the reflected image to become blurry and difficult to focus. This creates a safety hazard during lane changes and especially at night, when blurred headlight/taillight reflections make it hard to judge the distance and speed of approaching vehicles. I brought this to the dealership’s attention and was told the vibration is normal, but I believe this significantly impairs the mirror’s intended safety function under real driving conditions.
- Electrical system · Power train · Vehicle speed control
I was in an automatic car wash, approaching the end of the tunnel. The car was running but in neutral. I put my foot on the brake pedal and shifted into drive. As I moved the shifter, I heard a scraping sound followed by a clink sound, then the car surged forward and accelerated toward a stone…
I was in an automatic car wash, approaching the end of the tunnel. The car was running but in neutral. I put my foot on the brake pedal and shifted into drive. As I moved the shifter, I heard a scraping sound followed by a clink sound, then the car surged forward and accelerated toward a stone wall directly ahead. I turned hard right as I hit and held the brakes. I missed the wall but hit a pickup truck that was coming up the drive. My car hit the left front fender of the truck with my left front fender. The truck, which appears to have been "lifted" rode over the top of my fender and both vehicles scraped down the left side of each other. I finally got the car stopped some distance beyond the truck. Both vehicles had to be towed away from the scene. My car is currently in the Caliber repair shop with nearly $23,000 damage. The Knox County Sheriff's office responded but they did not file a report as the incident took place on private property. Even so, the Deputy did interview both drivers and several witnesses in front of his body camera. I understand those videos are maintained at the Sheriff's office.
- Unknown or other
See attached letter
- Unknown or other
See attached letter
- Unknown or other
I have a Suburu Outback 2026.. I was driving 30 mph on a country highway in Monroe, Michigan when my sun roof tempered glass window exploded upward... it sounded like a shotgun went off in my car… the Suburu warranty claim was rejected… they determined it as “outside influence”… that caused my Sun…
I have a Suburu Outback 2026.. I was driving 30 mph on a country highway in Monroe, Michigan when my sun roof tempered glass window exploded upward... it sounded like a shotgun went off in my car… the Suburu warranty claim was rejected… they determined it as “outside influence”… that caused my Sun roof window to implode… if this had happened on a highway, it may have caused a serious injury accident. Since that time, I have researched to see if other people have experienced similar incidents.. it appears that sun roof spontaneous explosions are not uncommon. This is why I am reaching out to you.
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking
When driving in the rain, the vehicle flashed a collision warning indicator and applied the brakes as if there was an imminent collision with an object ahead, but the street ahead was completely empty - no vehicles or other objects that would warrant deploying the pre-collision braking system were…
When driving in the rain, the vehicle flashed a collision warning indicator and applied the brakes as if there was an imminent collision with an object ahead, but the street ahead was completely empty - no vehicles or other objects that would warrant deploying the pre-collision braking system were present. If there were a vehicle behind me at the time, it is likely that their safety would have been put at risk when my vehicle suddenly started braking strongly for no apparent reason. The vehicle has been inspected by a Subaru dealership, who could not identify any issue. The dealer attempted to apply a software update to the EyeSight camera system that controls pre-collision braking, but was unable to apply the update. It is my belief that the camera-based EyeSight system interpreted rain on the windscreen as an obstacle and erroneously deployed pre-collision braking when there was no actual hazard ahead.
- Seats · Structure › Body · Unknown or other
I am reporting a severe saftey and crash-compatibility defect on the front passenger side of the 2026 Subaru Outback Premium trim. This vehicle is equipped with a fixed-height passenger seat that is positioned unsafely high relative to the headliner and sun visor assembly. Because the seat height…
I am reporting a severe saftey and crash-compatibility defect on the front passenger side of the 2026 Subaru Outback Premium trim. This vehicle is equipped with a fixed-height passenger seat that is positioned unsafely high relative to the headliner and sun visor assembly. Because the seat height cannot be lowered, an adult passenger of average height sits with their head in immediate proximity to the sun visor. Under standard deployment of the vehicle brakes, forward occupant kinematics cause the passenger’s forehead to travel collide into the rigid, unyielding lower edge of the sun visor, which act as a hard/sharp parts cut the forehead and twisting the neck seriously. During a recent braking event, this lack of structural clearance caused a direct head-strike incident. The occupant’s forehead collided with the sharp bottom edge of the visor, acting as a blunt knife edge that resulted in a laceration to the forehead and a hyper-extension strain injury to the neck. This is a critical design failure where occupant safety clearance envelope was poorly designed for this elevated fixed-seat configuration. In a high-speed collision, this layout poses an imminent risk of severe facial trauma, skull fractures, or catastrophic cervical spine injuries from the visor before the seatbelt pre-tensioner can fully lock. This requires immediate investigation and a mandatory safety recall to provide height-adjustable/lower seat frames to affected vehicles.
- Electrical system
Driving on rte 81 south in the area of wilkes - barre when all of the sudden my entire dash electrical system went completely black, nothingwas showing, no gas, no speed ometer, date,time , blinkers, lane change etc. And the navigation screen turned lime gree. about 30 seconds later the lime green…
Driving on rte 81 south in the area of wilkes - barre when all of the sudden my entire dash electrical system went completely black, nothingwas showing, no gas, no speed ometer, date,time , blinkers, lane change etc. And the navigation screen turned lime gree. about 30 seconds later the lime green turned black. I had no electronics at all. I was in the middle lane doing 55-65 and could not signal to pull over. about 2-3 minutes (felt like an eternity) went by and all of a sudden everything re-appeared. note, the car did not turn off. I pulled over, turned car off, waited a couple of minutes and started the car and it never did it again.
- Seat belts
The seatbelts in the back row when uses occasionally lock up, when driver is not hitting the breaks and it let go, then as you try to loosen the seat belt it, it retracts more and more tightening more and more to the point that it feels like there is a rope going through your neck, the only way to…
The seatbelts in the back row when uses occasionally lock up, when driver is not hitting the breaks and it let go, then as you try to loosen the seat belt it, it retracts more and more tightening more and more to the point that it feels like there is a rope going through your neck, the only way to make seat belt loosen is to completely take it off let it fully go back to place then put it back on again. This is an intermittent issue and it does not happen every time. But it does happen often enough that once my back seat passengers had to ride without seatbelts because of it
- Electrical system · Unknown or other
HVAC system heating to dangerous levels and still radiating heat into the cabin even after HVAC system was turned off. To mitigate, direction was changed to feet. Temperatures of over 100 degrees F were observed for sustained periods. Issue is intermittent, however it was reproduced consistently…
HVAC system heating to dangerous levels and still radiating heat into the cabin even after HVAC system was turned off. To mitigate, direction was changed to feet. Temperatures of over 100 degrees F were observed for sustained periods. Issue is intermittent, however it was reproduced consistently when it was cold outside (cold being cooler than 55 degrees F). I set the temperature to 65 degrees F with the AC on and recirculate, however it didn't make a difference. When this bug happens, it puts out a lot of heat and the only way to get it to cool is to drop it to the lowest cool setting ~60 degrees. I took it in 3 times to the dealer and they said they were unable to reproduce the issue, and while it has been intermittent, I was able to frequently reproduce the issue when it was cold outside, including yesterday, 04/19/26. It does not appear to happen when it's warm outside, although it hasn't been consistently warm to be able to conclude that at this point. What is certain is that the system does not appear to be functioning as designed (which is what both the dealer and Subaru of America (SoA) claim, SoA just restating the dealer's comments). Both LaFontaine Subaru of Commerce Township, Michigan and Subaru of America have at this point ignored the issue despite me bringing it up consistently.
- Electrical system
I bought my 2026 Subaru Outback 3/20/2026, I plugged in my FIXD sensor into the OBDII port of my new car and there was nothing available. I made an appointment with Austin Subaru to check why the OBDII port was not working and my assigned rep told me that they were having issues with all of their…
I bought my 2026 Subaru Outback 3/20/2026, I plugged in my FIXD sensor into the OBDII port of my new car and there was nothing available. I made an appointment with Austin Subaru to check why the OBDII port was not working and my assigned rep told me that they were having issues with all of their 2026 Subaru Outbacks, I signed in for my appointment on my arrival 4/7/2026 and the following day I was notified that I had missed my appointment. I called the Rep. and requested a call back but that did not happen. I was at the dealership no more than 15 to 20 minutes while they tried their equipment and I was told that it was not working and that I should come back at a later time. I think that they might be hiding something.
- Tires
I bought a new 2026 Subaru Outback Limited XT which came with Bridgestone ECOPIA H/L 422 Plus 225/55R19 99H. Went on a trip and noticed when going 60mph and above a low humming noise and felt a vibration in the steering wheel and floor. This happens on all road surfaces, concrete, blacktop etc.…
I bought a new 2026 Subaru Outback Limited XT which came with Bridgestone ECOPIA H/L 422 Plus 225/55R19 99H. Went on a trip and noticed when going 60mph and above a low humming noise and felt a vibration in the steering wheel and floor. This happens on all road surfaces, concrete, blacktop etc. Took car to the dealer, they drove it and confirmed what I was noticing, after doing a road force balance they said all (4) tires were "quote" way out of spec. They did what they could to help with the vibration, they said it's better but after driving it home it's not better by much. The service rep said this was becoming a common complaint with these Bridgestone tires. They told me Subaru is a where of the problem and they were expecting to see a TSB in the coming weeks. It's been almost a month now and no word yet about what Subaru is going to do about this issue
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