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The 2021 Subaru Outback has 296 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2021 Subaru Outback has 296 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is visibility at 99 complaints (~$350 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Outback | 809 | 3 |
| 2019 Outback | 1,033 | 3 |
| 2020 Outback | 896 | 6 |
| 2021 Outback (this page) | 296 | 4 |
| 2022 Outback | 462 | 4 |
| 2023 Outback | 89 | 2 |
| 2024 Outback | 2 | 0 |
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.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Standard · Lane departure warning: Standard
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2021 Subaru Outback SUV AWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
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: electrical is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 4 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.
Windshield randomly developed a crack for no apparent reason. No rocks flying in, no extreme conditions, we were in 40-60 degrees temperatures in California on normal freeways and streets, not in any off-road conditions.
Passenger lower side windshield cracked while driving, it started as a tiny crack but the next morning the crack line was 16 inches long. I contacted Subaru because the car is under warranty but they said they will not cover it. The whole windshield had to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 60-75 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving downhill with adaptive cruise mode…
Fragile windshield. I’m just under a year of ownership and I replaced the windshield twice so far so I’m on my third one. First time was about a month in, no visible strike mark. Started on the Driver side halfway up and spread daily horizontally towards the passenger side and…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.4 out of 10 based on 296 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2021 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 2021 Subaru Outback is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Electrical system: 74 complaints, classified severe; Reliability score 6.4/10 — around the segment average; 4 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 visibility first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 99 owner complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $350 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 296 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is visibility. 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 visibility, with 99 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop.
The visibility is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. 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 296 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $350, 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.