2017 Subaru Outback problems and complaints
Owners have filed 917 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Outback. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (391), Visibility/Wiper (205), Unknown Or Other (177).
Key takeaways
- 917 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 32 involve a crash, 3 a fire, 25 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 391 | 43% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 205 | 22% |
| Unknown Or Other | 177 | 19% |
| Power Train | 47 | 5% |
| Engine | 43 | 5% |
| Visibility | 30 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 28 | 3% |
| Structure | 26 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 24 | 3% |
| Steering | 23 | 3% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 23 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 16 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Subaru Outback SW AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train,wheels,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-07-08
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 l...
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-07-07
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 di...
Steering,service Brakes,engine - filed 2026-06-22
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 sca...
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More for the 2017 Subaru Outback
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.