NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 811 owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Outback.
3Safety recalls
811Owner complaints
27Complaints citing a crash
4Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: fuel system, visibility, and electrical system. Most-reported area: electrical system (265 complaints, 33%; median mileage when it happened: 16,200).
3 safety recalls for the 2018 Subaru Outback
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
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.
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."
Risk: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
The fix and full notice
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 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ 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.
Risk: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
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 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 811 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Outback. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system265 · 33%
Most named: instrument panel, fuel gauge (6) · Median 16,200 miles at failure (140 reports)
Visibility/wiper233 · 29%
Median 21,800 miles at failure (162 reports)
Fuel and propulsion system43 · 5%
Median 5,600 miles at failure (28 reports)
Visibility41 · 5%
Most named: windshield (36) · Median 34,900 miles at failure (38 reports)
Engine37 · 5%
Median 6,000 miles at failure (15 reports)
Steering35 · 4%
Median 4,700 miles at failure (31 reports)
Speed control21 · 3%
Unknown or other160 · 20%
Median 12,000 miles at failure (78 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Subaru Outback recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Outback drew the most (720) and the 2018 drew 406.
Owner complaints
2018: 811 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Complaints
2016
643
2017
917
2018
811
2019
1,034
2020
897
2021
296
2022
463
2023
89
2024
102
2025
81
2026
16
Safety recalls
2018: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Recalls
2016
4
2017
4
2018
3
2019
3
2020
6
2021
4
2022
4
2023
2
2024
0
2025
0
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Subaru Outback SW AWD
Rollover risk 17.4%
Questions
What are the most common 2018 Outback problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (265), visibility/wiper (233), fuel and propulsion system (43). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2018 Subaru Outback safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Subaru Outback earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Outback has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: OUTBACK.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.