Worst 2013 Subaru Outback Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Engine Problems
Transmission / Drivetrain
Airbags
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2013 Subaru Outback.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Problems | 67 | 1 | 1 | 58,469 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 58 | — | — | 199,379 mi | |
| Airbags | 39 | 8 | 1 | 42,060 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 34 | 1 | — | 12,259 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 25 | 7 | — | 27,293 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 23 | 1 | — | 79,074 mi | |
| Brakes | 23 | 2 | — | 104,476 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 15 | — | — | 9,420 mi | |
| Fuel System | 12 | 4 | — | 45,404 mi | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 11 | — | 1 | 43,139 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 8 | — | — | 54,949 mi | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 8 | 1 | 2 | 68,057 mi | |
| Body Structure | 7 | 1 | 1 | 89,200 mi | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 5 | — | — | 82,775 mi | |
| Wheel Issues | 5 | — | — | 42,992 mi | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| Equipment:Electrical:Navigational System(Global Positioning System) | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Latches / Locks | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Head Restraint | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Sunroof/Moonroof | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Back Over Prevention:Warnings:External/Pedestrian Alert | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Engine & Cooling | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2013 Subaru Outback. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2013 Subaru Outback
12 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~2,061,376 vehicles.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within the windshield wiper motor bottom cover may interfere with each other. If an obstruction, such as a buildup of snow or ice prevents the wiper arms from being able to stop in the parked position, the wiper motor may overheat and the bottom cover may melt.
+ 2 more recalls
Other Subaru Outback Years
2013 Subaru Outback — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2013 Subaru Outback reliable?
What are common problems with the 2013 Subaru Outback?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
How safe is the 2013 Subaru Outback?
Does the 2013 Subaru Outback have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2013 Subaru Outback?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Subaru Outback reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2013 Subaru Outback
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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