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917 owners have filed defect reports on this one. That's not a small number. 2 active recall campaigns on file.
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: cruise control is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 33,038 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 6.4/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
The Outback is a safe, capable, easy-to-live-with family car — but a buyer should know that 2017-2018 are actually the higher-complaint years of that generation in our data (2017 around 900, 2018 close to 800). The good news is why: it’s not engines grenading, it’s a few very specific, well-known issues.
Yes — it’s a genuinely good, safe family pick (IIHS Top Safety Pick-grade, EyeSight on most trims, durable mechanically). The conditions:
None of that is catastrophic. Priced right with those boxes checked, a 2017-2018 Outback is a smart buy. On an out-of-warranty CVT, run the warranty math — that’s exactly the calculation it’s built for.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
While traveling through michigan's upper peninsula and northern wisconsin during snow fall with a fully packed car on the highway I experienced the rear end "ghost walking" or "steering" or "pulling" to the left and to the right. I had to drive 40mph while two-wheeled drive…
11/06/23: During a routine oil change at the dealer a multipoint vehicle inspection was conducted. The inspection revealed an upper oil pan leak. The repair involved removing the engine and replacing various components (gasket, O-Rings and etc.). The vehicle was well…
Tl* the contract called on behalf of his father who owns a 2017 Subaru outback. The contact stated that the battery was replaced on several occasions. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to miller hill Subaru (4710 miller trunk hwy, duluth, mn 55811) where the failure…
My 2017 Subaru Outback will not start after sitting all night I’ve had diagnostics ran on the battery and it shows 100% charge. After charging the battery it held until the next day it was drained again. It was snowing with winds 50 mph, and I had to jump my car to start it. The…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
If any of the front brake caliper, wheel hub or stabilizer clamp attaching bolts loosen or detach, the related components would also become loose and may detach possibly making the vehicle unstable and reducing the braking capability. These conditions would increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.4 out of 10 based on 917 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2017 Subaru Outback has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2017 Subaru Outback is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Cruise-control: 25 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 9,190–41,000 mi; Reliability score 6.4/10 — around the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the electrical first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 381 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 32,431 miles. Average repair cost runs about $850 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 6.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 917 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is electrical. Typical failure occurs around 32,431 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is electrical, with 381 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 32,431 miles. Average repair cost runs about $850 at an independent shop.
The electrical is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $850 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 32,431 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 917 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $850, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.