2018 Subaru Outback Recalls & Problems

“The touchscreen has delamination and ghost touching of the apps. I spoke with my dealer and was first told it was covered by Subaru to replace, as it was a known issue, but when I took my car to the dealer, I was told I would have to pay around $1,500 to have it repaired/replaced. The ghost touching of the screen is so bad and consistent that it is very distracting while driving. It makes a beep…”

“The 8-inch Gen 3 Harman STARLINK touchscreen is delaminating/bubbling. It registers phantom touch inputs and becomes unresponsive on its own while the vehicle is in motion, changing audio, navigation, and system settings without driver input. If a phone is ever attached, the screen will randomly calling phone numbers. These unintended inputs and lockups are an extreme distraction hazard while driv…”

“The multimedia device/infotainment system (Harman-Kardon) which controls the radio, navigation maps, back-up camera, etc, is again showing issues with the screen, "delamination," which causes the radio channels to change irradically, causing distraction and confusion when driving. This issue was found and RECALLED years ago, and this car's original radio was replaced in early 2023 with what seems…”

“Driving slowly in a parking lot, I applied the brakes as I approached a parking space. Instead of slowing down, the car inexplicably accelerated quickly and did not respond to increased pressure on the brakes. The car was propelled into a metal post, resulting in my glasses flying off and a seat belt bruise, although the airbag did not deploy. I was examined by ambulance personnel at the scene. Th…”

“The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield cracked without impact. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer to have the windshield replaced; however, the failure recurred soon after the replacement. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.…”

“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 home when the car completely lost power, but it began to have acceleration issues as he was driving home. No warning lights came on until after the car had completely failed. Less th…”

“SUMMARY OF SAFETY DEFECT: The vehicle exhibits severe, premature corrosion and rust perforation of the front subframe (crossmember) assembly. This structural component is deteriorating at an accelerated rate, compromising the vehicle's structural integrity. This was confirmed at a Subaru dealership and as a result has failed NY annual inspection. SAFETY RISK & HAZARD ASSESSMENT: The front subfram…”

“In heavy traffic, we were rolling slowly along, when all of a sudden the engine began revving on its own, against the brake. I quickly moved the shifter into neutral, and the engine revved wildly without my pressing on the accelerator. We couls have easily slammed into the car in front of us had I not moved the selector to neutral.”

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."

Fix: 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.

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.

Fix: 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.

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.

Fix: 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.