UsedScore

2019 Subaru Outback: Avoid

Owners filed 822 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Outback in its first five years on the road, about 455 for every 100,000 sold: 2.3× the rate of a typical Outback year. That's more than twice a typical year, across more than one problem area.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (44% of complaints, median 11,000 miles).

Complaint index
2.3×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Outback year
Rank
13th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
822
first five years; 455 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
3
campaigns
5th generation, 2015–2019 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited

Photo: 2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited · MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Visibility44% · 360 complaints · median 11,000 miles
  2. Electrical32% · 259 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  3. Driver assistance4% · 32 complaints · median 17,000 miles
  4. Engine3% · 26 complaints · median 9,000 miles
  5. Brakes2% · 18 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  6. Speed control3% · 22 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  7. Steering4% · 30 complaints · median 2,000 miles
  8. Fuel and propulsion3% · 24 complaints · median 13,000 miles
  9. Body and structure3% · 22 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  10. Air bags1% · 8 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Driver assistance

Owners describe EyeSight and related driver-assist features acting unpredictably, from sudden automatic braking with no obstacle present to lane-departure steering or unintended acceleration during low-speed maneuvers. Many also report windshield cracks or failing touchscreen head units that they say disrupted the cameras and safety alerts feeding these systems.

Warning signs:
Some report warning icons appearing on the dash, a delaminating or glitching touchscreen, dash alerts for obstacles that weren't there, or a spontaneously cracked windshield near the camera area before the system misbehaved.
What shops did:
Dealers often recalibrated the system, replaced windshields, or replaced the head unit, but several owners say the problem returned or the dealer could not duplicate or permanently resolve it.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 25,000 miles, among 15 complaints that give it

“my automatic emergency brake system engaged and made my vehicle come to an abrupt and complete stop in the fast lane. I lost complete control of my vehicle.”

“While turning left from left turn lane, eyesight failed to detect oncoming traffic resulting in right front side impact. No warning, no braking action.”

Electrical

Many owners of this Outback describe the battery repeatedly dying or draining even with regular driving, often leaving them stranded and requiring jump starts or several battery replacements. Some also report infotainment screens freezing or liftgate and window electronics acting up, with dealers sometimes unable to pinpoint a lasting fix.

Warning signs:
Owners describe a weak or dead battery after the car sits for a few days, slow cranking, dash warning lights, a stuck or beeping liftgate, or a frozen/blank infotainment screen.
What shops did:
Dealers most often tested or replaced the battery, sometimes multiple times, and in some cases replaced the data control module, battery sensor, or head unit; many say the dealer could not find a cause or the problem recurred.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 25,000 miles, among 103 complaints that give it

“The car battery drains and dies for an unknown reason while just parked in the driveway for a few days.”

“The battery died without warning on september 17. The car was jumped and brought to dealer.”

Visibility

Owners describe windshields on this model cracking with little or no apparent impact, with cracks spreading quickly across the glass sometimes more than once. Many say dealers blamed rock strikes and denied warranty coverage, leaving owners to pay for replacement and EyeSight recalibration out of pocket or through insurance.

Warning signs:
Many describe hearing a pop, crack or loud noise, or noticing a small chip or divot before the crack expanded quickly, sometimes within minutes or overnight.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced the windshield and recalibrated the EyeSight camera system, though many owners report dealers denied warranty coverage, blaming outside impact, leaving owners to pay out of pocket or use insurance.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 20,000 miles, among 260 complaints that give it

“Our new 2019 outback experienced a windshield crack while driving without any indication of impact of a foreign object.”

“The windshield was not hit by road debris or anything of the sort. There was just a loud "pop".”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (3)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 21V587000July 2021175,968 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 20V218000April 2020188,207 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 19V493000June 20192,107 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Subaru sent NHTSA 422 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2019 Outback. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • SubaruNet Announcement (C · August 2026This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
  • 15-308-23R · August 2026This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to…
  • 15-304-22R · August 2026This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns.
  • Article Locator · August 2026Techtips newsletter locator index.
  • 15-333-25R · August 2026This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
  • 16-156-25R · June 2026This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability.
  • 02-195-26 · June 2026This bulletin announces the availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) for certain vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines.
  • 10-105-25R · March 2026This bulletin announces the new procedure and Warranty Fail Code for FirstTime air conditioning (A/C) performance concerns possibly resulting from an undetected A/C refrigerant leak.

All 2019 Outback bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2019 Subaru Outback reliable?
Owners filed 822 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Outback in its first five years on the road, about 455 for every 100,000 sold: 2.3× the rate of a typical Outback year. That's more than twice a typical year, across more than one problem area. Ratings compare Outback years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2019 Outback problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (44%), the electrical system (32%) and driver-assistance features and cameras (4%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2019 Subaru Outback been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2019 Subaru Outback, the most recent in July 2021 (fuel system, gasoline). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Subaru. The 2019 Subaru Outback on NHTSA.gov · How we rate