Lemon Law Check › 2018 Subaru Outback
Complaint counts by vehicle system, from 799 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Subaru Outback:
| Electrical system | 252 complaints |
|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 214 complaints |
| Unknown or other | 112 complaints |
| Visibility | 41 complaints |
| Steering | 35 complaints |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 25 complaints |
"This is a base model automobile with manual seats. the right front passenger seat unlocked without warning during a quick deceleration. the seat slid forward on mounting rails and caused the front passenger to be squished between forward motion of seat and the seat belt. …"
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/31/2025
"Battery continues to drain prematurely. it's been an issue since the very beginning of out ownership in june 2018. we replaced the battery after it would not hold a charge for more than two days. the replacement battery still wouldn't last for more than a day or two. now in…"
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/31/2021
"Wife was driving and a small stone hit the windshield, leaving a small chip in the glass. upon turning on the defroster later, the windshield cracked."
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/31/2019
| Visibility:rearview mirrors/devices 31/12/2018 · 18V935000 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining bla… |
|---|---|
| Electrical system:software 01/11/2018 · 18V773000 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display ma… |
| Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump 29/07/2021 · 21V587000 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. |
Recall repairs are performed free of charge at franchised dealers. Check your specific vehicle with the free VIN recall checker.
If the same warranty problem has needed 2+ repair attempts — or your Outback has spent 30+ days out of service — it may qualify for a buyback, replacement, or cash compensation under your state's lemon law. Manufacturers pay the legal fees in most states, so the case review costs you nothing.
Check My Outback — Free →Based on 799 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas for the 2018 Subaru Outback are electrical system, visibility/wiper, unknown or other.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Subaru Outback. Recall repairs are always free at franchised dealers regardless of warranty status.
A specific vehicle qualifies as a lemon based on its own repair history, not the model's overall record. If your Outback has had electrical system or other warranty problems repaired 2–4 times without success, or has spent 30+ days in the shop, it may qualify under your state's lemon law — attorneys evaluate this free of charge.
Researching this car as a buyer instead? Read the full Carivo review of the 2018 Subaru Outback.
All recall and complaint figures on this page come directly from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) federal records for this make, model, and year, fetched at page build time and cached daily. Complaint excerpts are owner-submitted reports to NHTSA, lightly truncated. Carivo is an independent data site, not a law firm; lemon law eligibility is determined solely by attorneys under your state's statute.