2009 Subaru Outback exterior lighting problems
10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the exterior lighting on the 2009 Subaru Outback — 9% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front headlights became inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the daytime running light module needed to be replaced…”
filed Aug 17, 2026
“There is a well documented faulty design issue that leads to failure of the wiring harness (rear gate cord) to the rear wagon door/gate of this model subaru ouback wagons. Failure of the wiring harness has affected me while driving the vehicle. As this issue has progressed, more and more wires…”
filed Dec 7, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Exterior Lighting problems in other Outback years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 3 | 4% |
| 2024 Outback | 3 | 3% |
| 2023 Outback | 6 | 7% |
| 2022 Outback | 3 | 1% |
| 2021 Outback | 4 | 1% |
| 2020 Outback | 16 | 2% |
| 2019 Outback | 11 | 1% |
| 2018 Outback | 9 | 1% |
| 2017 Outback | 7 | 1% |
| 2016 Outback | 5 | 1% |
| 2015 Outback | 4 | 1% |
| 2014 Outback | 7 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2009 Subaru Outback
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.