UsedScore

2025 Subaru Outback: Too new to judge

The 2025 Subaru Outback has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.8× the rate other Outback years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (32% of complaints).

Complaint index
0.8×
partial: first 23 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
81
in 23 months so far
Recalls
0
campaigns
6th generation, 2020–2025 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2023 Subaru Outback Limited

Photo: 2023 Subaru Outback Limited · Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Driver assistance32% · 26 complaints
  2. Electrical16% · 13 complaints
  3. Engine7% · 6 complaints
  4. Steering7% · 6 complaints
  5. Brakes7% · 6 complaints
  6. Fuel and propulsion4% · 3 complaints
  7. Powertrain5% · 4 complaints
  8. Air bags6% · 5 complaints
  9. Visibility7% · 6 complaints
  10. Speed control2% · 2 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

Many owners of this Outback describe the driver-assistance and EyeSight systems braking or steering unexpectedly with no obstacle present, or shutting off intermittently. Dealers often can't reproduce or permanently fix the issue, leaving owners uneasy about relying on these safety features.

Warning signs:
Owners report sudden hard braking or jerking with no obstacle present, warning lights and dash alerts, cars drifting or being pulled toward lane edges, and systems that flicker on and off.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate the problem, reset or updated software temporarily, performed alignments, or told owners no fault was found, with issues frequently recurring.

“Collision Warning is going off regularly with no cars in front or behind. Randomly goes off.”

“car auto braking caused car to brake/slow to 1/2 speed with no visible obstacle seen by any of 4 adults in car”

Electrical

Owners of this Outback describe a range of electrical glitches, from screens going dark and GPS dropping out to warning lights and batteries that won't hold a charge. Dealers frequently struggle to reproduce or permanently resolve these issues.

Warning signs:
Owners report warning messages for doors, tires, or brakes, blank or flickering screens, unresponsive pedals, and batteries that lose charge overnight.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate the problem, though some reloaded software, reset systems, or replaced the battery without confirming a cause.

“GPS goes out..dealer has tried to fix numerous times”

“The large LCD screen infront the shifter just goes blank. Been to the dealer the reload the operating system to no avail.”

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

Recalls

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2025 Subaru Outback.

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 154 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2025 Outback. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 15-342-26 · August 2026This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly.
  • SubaruNet Announcement (C · August 2026This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
  • 15-305-22R · August 2026This bulletin announces a reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4.5 Denso CP1.5 Audio and Navigation head units utilized in the…
  • 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…
  • 02-196-26R · August 2026This service bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup.
  • 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.

All 2025 Outback bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2025 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 2025 Subaru Outback has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.8× the rate other Outback years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold. 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 2025 Outback problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (32%), the electrical system (16%) and the engine (7%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2025 Subaru Outback been recalled?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2025 Subaru Outback.

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 2025 Subaru Outback on NHTSA.gov · How we rate