2018 Subaru Outback problems & reliability
807 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Subaru Outback, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 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 vehicles.
10 complaints report injuries (19 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2018 Subaru Outback vehicles were involved in 43 fatal crashes with 19 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 | 265 | 33% |
| Visibility/wiper | 233 | 29% |
| Unknown OR Other | 159 | 20% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 43 | 5% |
| Visibility | 41 | 5% |
| Engine | 36 | 4% |
| Steering | 35 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 3% |
| Back Over Prevention | 19 | 2% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 18 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 18,000 miles (middle 50% between 8,300 and 31,095 miles), based on 463 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I am reporting a safety defect involving the infotainment touchscreen in my 2018 Subaru Outback). The touchscreen has developed visible "bubbles" under the screen lamination, with lines and bubbling appearing beneath the surface of the display. As the weather got warmer, the issue worsened, and the screen constantly…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Aug 1, 2026
“The infotainment touchscreen in my 2018 Subaru Outback has developed severe internal delamination and persistent phantom or ghost touches. The screen randomly changes navigation routes, places telephone calls, changes audio selections, and moves between menus without driver input. These events create substantial…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 26, 2026
“2018 Subaru Outback Infotainment center glass delamination causing the system to come on by itself start malfunctioning switching between channels or apps and potentially startle / distract the driver. Incident has been ongoing for over 8 months..”
Electrical System · filed Jul 15, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
423 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Subaru Outback. The 10 most recent:
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
This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability.
16-156-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 13, 2026
This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
SubaruNet Announcement (R · Other · issued May 4, 2026
This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs B1571(REFERENCE CODE INCOMPATIBILITY IMMOBILIZER CM TO ECM) and B1572(IMM CIRCUIT EXCEPT ANTENNA CIRCUIT) are detected by Keyless Access with Push…
18-230-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide interim guidance for vehicles exhibiting DTC B2A20.
07-240-26R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2026
This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures.
03-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 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 Apr 24, 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 2018 Subaru Outback has 3 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 2018 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 18,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.