This hub covers 10 Subaru model-years across 3 models: Crosstrek, Forester, Outback. Across those model-years, NHTSA's databases record 5,462 owner complaints and 54 recall campaigns. The most-recalled is the 2013 Subaru Forester with 12 campaigns, while the 2019 Subaru Outback has the most owner complaints at 1,036. 9 of the 10 model-years earned NHTSA's top overall rating of five stars. Complaint totals are raw counts from the database and are not adjusted for sales volume, so they are best used to compare components and patterns within a model rather than as a league table between brands. Each model-year page reproduces the full underlying records: every recall campaign with its official summary and remedy, complaint counts by component, the complete crash-test scorecard, and EPA fuel-economy figures for every configuration.
Subaru Model-Years
| Model-Year | Complaints | Recalls | Overall Rating | Combined MPG (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Subaru Crosstrek | 285 | 7 | ★★★★★ | 29 |
| 2013 Subaru Forester | 78 | 12 | ★★★★☆ | 23 |
| 2015 Subaru Forester | 615 | 3 | ★★★★★ | 25 |
| 2017 Subaru Forester | 591 | 1 | ★★★★★ | 25 |
| 2019 Subaru Forester | 834 | 3 | ★★★★★ | 29 |
| 2013 Subaru Outback | 297 | 12 | ★★★★★ | 24 |
| 2015 Subaru Outback | 509 | 5 | ★★★★★ | 25 |
| 2017 Subaru Outback | 919 | 4 | ★★★★★ | 25 |
| 2019 Subaru Outback | 1,036 | 3 | ★★★★★ | 25 |
| 2021 Subaru Outback | 298 | 4 | ★★★★★ | 27.5 |
What Subaru Owners Complain About
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 1,380 | 25.3% |
| Electrical System | 1,360 | 24.9% |
| Unknown Or Other | 950 | 17.4% |
| Engine | 563 | 10.3% |
| Air Bags | 401 | 7.3% |
| Power Train | 381 | 7.0% |
Across the tracked Subaru range, 252 complaints report a crash and 43 report a fire, with 175 injuries recorded in owner filings. The most fuel-efficient tracked Subaru is the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, whose EPA configurations return a median of 29 combined MPG, while the most-complained-about is the 2019 Subaru Outback with 1,036 filings. Tracked years run from 2013 to 2021. Component shares are computed against the make's tracked complaint total; because an owner can name several components in one filing, shares can sum to slightly more than 100%. Use the component table to see whether a make's problems concentrate in one system — a pattern worth checking on the individual model-year page — or spread evenly across the vehicle, which usually reflects age and mileage rather than a single defect.
Models covered: the Crosstrek (1 model-years, most-reported component: Visibility/wiper); the Forester (4 model-years, most-reported component: Visibility/wiper); the Outback (5 model-years, most-reported component: Electrical System). The highest-rated tracked Subaru is the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek at 5 stars overall for its tested variant. Where a model's most-reported component repeats across several of its model-years, the pattern is visible in the model-year pages' component tables — the clearest sign in this dataset of a systemic issue rather than scattered owner experience.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026.