I experienced a sudden unintended acceleration of my 2013 Subaru Outback while braking to make a left hand turn at a stoplight on Federal Road in Brookfield, CT. I was able to squeeze the brake hard while shifting into neutral to avoid slamming into the car in front of me while the engine raced. The car would have gone out of control had I not been able to press very hard on the brake pedal.…
2013 Subaru Outback cruise control problems
severe 11 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
3crashes
When does it fail?
Of the 11 cruise control complaints filed for the 2013 Subaru Outback, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 3 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2013 Subaru Outback has multiple reported safety issues: unintended acceleration during parking and braking (some requiring hard brake pressure to stop or resulting in collisions), transmission slipping post-service, EyeSight adaptive cruise false hard braking events, and throttle response failures. Subaru's CVT warranty extension covers only to 10 years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first), leaving older, higher-mileage examples without coverage for known failures.
Owners describe multiple unintended acceleration events: vehicles accelerating to full throttle while parking or during low-speed maneuvers with foot nowhere near the accelerator pedal, sudden acceleration during braking that requires hard pedal pressure to stop, and one case of transmission slipping with abrupt acceleration stoppage after routine service. These incidents have resulted in collisions with trees, fences, and parked vehicles; air bags did not deploy in some crashes.
The EyeSight adaptive cruise system falsely detects lead vehicles that have changed lanes or exited highways, triggering hard automatic braking in the driver's original lane—risking rear-end collisions. Dealers can replicate this problem but have no fix. One owner reports a cruise control software bug where rapid speed decreases cause the system to reset to the original programmed speed, creating unintended acceleration.
A throttle response failure at 2,088 miles caused the engine to stop responding to accelerator input until the engine was restarted; this repeated six times. One owner's transmission began slipping after returning from routine service; three dealer visits confirmed the issue but no root cause was identified.
Subaru extended the CVT valve body warranty to 100,000 miles or 10 years (whichever comes first), but denies claims for vehicles exceeding mileage even if within the 10-year window. Most incidents remain unresolved or undiagnosed by dealers.
Same Subaru Outback cruise control reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration during parking and low-speed maneuvers
Vehicle accelerates without driver input while entering parking spaces or at low speeds. Engine revs to full acceleration; brakes require hard pressure to stop. Multiple owners report foot was nowhere near accelerator pedal.
When: During parking maneuvers and low-speed driving; one occurrence at 28,000 miles, another at 12,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Full acceleration without pedal input; Engine loud revving; Hard brake pressure required to stop; No warning or sensor alerts; Air bags did not deploy in collision incidents
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer offered throttle body replacement at no cost in one case (not completed). One repair cited approximate cost of $1,829.94 for CVT valve body replacement; another incident resulted in vehicle towed to dealer with no diagnosis provided after days of inspection.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru warranty extension for CVT valve body failure: 100,000 miles OR 10 years, whichever comes first. Subaru has denied warranty claims for vehicles over 100,000 miles. Dealers unable to replicate failures in some cases; no technical service bulletins or recalls issued for unintended acceleration.
Sudden unintended acceleration while braking
Engine accelerates rapidly when driver applies brakes, sometimes during deceleration. Vehicle lurches forward despite brake pedal depression. Occurs intermittently over vehicle ownership period.
When: During braking events; one reported incident November 22; approximately 5 occurrences over 10 years of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Rapid unintended acceleration while braking; Vehicle lurches forward; Driver must press brake pedal very hard; Engine revs up
Repairs/costs cited: Owner planned dealer accelerator inspection; no repair outcome documented.
Transmission malfunction and slipping after routine service
After vehicle returned from routine repair, transmission began slipping and shifting incorrectly. Acceleration abruptly stops at highway speeds and from complete stops. Vehicle chugs during acceleration.
When: Post-service malfunction; issue persists across multiple service attempts
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission slipping; Incorrect shifting; Abrupt acceleration stoppage at high speed; Chugging during acceleration; Poor acceleration response
Repairs/costs cited: Returned to dealer 3 times; issue remains unresolved. Service department test-drove and confirmed issues but unable to identify root cause.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru of America has not addressed owner concerns.
EyeSight adaptive cruise control false hard-braking events
EyeSight system misidentifies vehicle position when leading car changes lanes or exits. System initiates hard automatic braking despite lead vehicle no longer being in path. Dealership can replicate the problem; no factory fix available.
When: When using adaptive cruise control with EyeSight enabled; multiple occurrences after activation
Symptoms owners cite: Hard automatic braking without driver input; False detection of leading vehicle in path; Frequent triggering on left and right lane changes; Triggering on interstate exit ramps; Risk of rear-end collision from following vehicle
Repairs/costs cited: No repair available; owners disabling system to prevent incidents.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru has no solution per owner report. Dealership can replicate but cannot fix. No mention in EyeSight manual of this hazard.
Cruise control speed reset bug
When driver decreases speed by 3 or more mph in rapid succession, cruise control resets to original programmed speed instead of maintaining the lower speed setting. Causes unintended acceleration.
When: During rapid successive speed decreases while cruise control active
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control resets to higher speed after rapid deceleration; Unintended acceleration follows speed reset
Repairs/costs cited: Owner states video documentation available.
Throttle response failure at low speed
Engine fails to respond when accelerator pedal is engaged while driving at low speed. Engine must be turned off and restarted to resume normal function. Failure recurs multiple times.
When: Approximately 2,088 miles on vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: No engine response to accelerator pedal depression; Engine restart required to resume function; Failure recurs six times
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer offered throttle body replacement at no cost; vehicle not repaired. Manufacturer notified.
Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Subaru outback. The contact stated that while braking to a stop, the engine rpms increased excessively as the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 12,000. The VIN was not…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2013 Subaru Outback?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
It's a meaningful issue. 11 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Based on the 11 complaints filed, cruise control issues most often appear around 21,185 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2013/Subaru/Outback.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.