2017 Subaru Outback problems & reliability
917 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Subaru Outback, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 23, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
17 complaints report injuries (25 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Subaru Outback vehicles were involved in 55 fatal crashes with 25 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 391 | 43% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 205 | 22% |
| Unknown / Other | 177 | 19% |
| Power Train → | 47 | 5% |
| Engine → | 43 | 5% |
| Visibility → | 30 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 28 | 3% |
| Structure → | 26 | 3% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 23 | 3% |
| Service Brakes → | 23 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 26 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 497 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 32,000 miles (middle 50% between 18,000 and 45,500 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The CVT failed at 62 miles per hour on a busy interstate, XXX. This caused the drivetrain to lock. The car has been repaired and traded locally in [XXX]. The car was very difficult to steer with locked wheels in traffic. This was a rapid evasive manuver on a busy interstate. An undrivable vehicle on an interstate is…”
Power Train · filed Jul 8, 2026
“Came out to car on the morning of July 1, 2026 and found windshield had cracked from the very bottom of the windshield (no impacts). This is the third windshield I will be putting in this car. Original windshield was replaced by Subaru 4/25 2025 for the same exact problem. 2015 &16 Outbacks had a settlement filed as…”
Unknown / Other · filed Jul 7, 2026
“On Monday [XXX] were driving on [XXX] going north up [XXX]. I was doing about 60-65 mph in traffic which was flowing in both directions. While ascending the pass, the car suddenly started to misfire, rapidly lost power, power steering failed and all dash lights lit up. With no shoulder to pull out this was a very…”
Steering · filed Jun 22, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
390 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Subaru Outback. The 10 most recent:
This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other · issued Aug 21, 2026
This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body. The updated valve body incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
16-156-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2026
Techtips newsletter locator index.
Article Locator · Other · issued Aug 5, 2026
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2026
This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.
SubaruNet Annoucement (E · Other · issued Jun 12, 2026
This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. (This is an revised version of the orignal bulletin.)
16-156-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 2, 2026
This bulletin announces the availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) for certain vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines.
02-195-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2017 Subaru Outback has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2017 Subaru Outback?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 32,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.