Model year report

2012 Subaru Outback: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2012 Subaru Outback

On the 2012 Subaru Outback, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, and the reports cluster around 72,500 miles. The earliest to appear is other steering problem, reported by a median of 1,800 miles. Overall it scores 75 out of 100, severe risk for a 2012.

Severe risk for a 2012 — 57th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. 369 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

The failures owners actually file about

Owners have reported 49 named failure modes on the 2012 Subaru Outback, and the three most-reported carry 30% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Other powertrain problem leads with 42 reports, about 0.7 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 36k to 120,000 miles.

Torque converter failure follows with 39 reports, usually reported between 90k to 150,000 miles.

CVT failure follows with 29 reports, usually reported between 83k to 132,500 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (118), engine (42) and brakes (36).

When these failures get reported

249 of the reports on the 2012 Subaru Outback came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 87,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 27% by 50,000 miles, 59% by 100,000 miles and 88% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 1 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 13% of the dated reports.

23% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.

In the order they tend to show up: other steering problem around 2k, other brake problem around 46k, headlight failure or clouding around 70k and other powertrain problem around 73k.

Median

Other powertrain problem

73k
Torque converter failure

113k
CVT failure

118k
Other engine problem

108k
Airbag inflator rupture

79k
Cruise control failure

113k
Tail light, brake light or signal failure

74k
Other electrical problem

52k
Headlight failure or clouding

70k
Loss of braking

111k
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault

130k
Other steering problem

2k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 49. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 87k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 1 report came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

How bad it is when it goes

Across the named modes, 18 mention a crash, 9 a fire and 12 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.83, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, torque converter failure at $1,100–$3,200, CVT failure at $3,000–$8,500 and other engine problem at $300–$4,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

44% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other powertrain problem	transmission	42	33	36k	73k	120k	0.7	$400–$4,500	High
Torque converter failure	transmission	39	24	90k	113k	148k	0.7	$1,100–$3,200	High
CVT failure	transmission	29	26	83k	118k	132k	0.5	$3,000–$8,500	Critical
Other engine problem	engine	22	15	67k	108k	121k	0.4	$300–$4,000	High
Airbag inflator rupture	airbag	17	3	—	79k	—	0.3	$0–$0	Critical
Cruise control failure	adas	13	9	4k	113k	160k	0.2	$200–$1,400	High
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	13	11	50k	74k	74k	0.2	$100–$900	Moderate
Other electrical problem	electrical	13	6	—	52k	—	0.2	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	11	11	39k	70k	78k	0.2	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Loss of braking	brakes	9	4	—	111k	—	0.2	$400–$3,000	Critical
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	9	9	52k	130k	146k	0.2	$300–$1,600	High
Other steering problem	steering	9	8	250	2k	20k	0.2	$350–$2,400	High
Head gasket failure	engine	8	7	—	87k	—	0.1	$1,400–$4,000	Critical
Complete transmission failure	transmission	8	8	81k	111k	130k	0.1	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Parking brake failure	brakes	8	6	—	77k	—	0.1	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Other brake problem	brakes	8	8	16k	46k	66k	0.1	$300–$1,800	High
Other lighting problem	lighting	6	3	—	35k	—	0.1	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Master cylinder or brake booster failure	brakes	5	4	—	70k	—	0.1	$450–$2,200	Critical
Sunroof failure or glass breakage	body	5	5	—	17k	—	0.1	$700–$4,500	High
Other visibility problem	glass	5	4	—	57k	—	0.1	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Stalling while driving	engine	4	2	—	91k	—	0.1	$300–$2,500	Critical
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	4	4	—	115k	—	0.1	$700–$3,000	High
Brake line, hose or caliper failure	brakes	4	3	—	160k	—	0.1	$250–$1,600	Critical
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	4	2	—	23k	—	0.1	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Other body or interior problem	body	4	2	—	24k	—	0.1	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Oil leak	engine	3	3	—	98k	—	0.1	$250–$2,200	Moderate
Engine sensor failure	electrical	3	3	—	92k	—	0.1	$180–$900	Moderate
Other fuel system problem	fuel	3	1	—	121k	—	0.1	$300–$2,200	High
Other suspension problem	suspension	3	2	—	11k	—	0.1	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Excessive oil consumption	engine	2	1	—	145k	—	0.0	$900–$6,500	High
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	2	1	—	70k	—	0.0	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Radiator or coolant leak	cooling	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$350–$1,900	High
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	2	2	—	20k	—	0.0	$450–$1,600	High
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	2	2	—	72k	—	0.0	$500–$2,400	High
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure	suspension	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$2,200	High
Wiper or washer failure	glass	2	2	—	57k	—	0.0	$120–$800	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	High
Other speed control problem	adas	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	Critical
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	1	1	—	90k	—	0.0	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Overheating	cooling	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
CV axle or driveshaft failure	drivetrain	1	1	—	90k	—	0.0	$450–$2,200	High
Fuel pump failure	fuel	1	1	—	133k	—	0.0	$600–$2,600	High
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Parasitic battery drain	electrical	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$1,200	Moderate
Wiring harness or short circuit	electrical	1	1	—	70k	—	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure	electrical	1	1	—	2k	—	0.0	$250–$1,500	High
Backup camera failure	infotainment	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Paint peeling or clear coat failure	body	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$600–$6,000	Low
Unclassified problem	other	29	10	46k	63k	141k	0.5	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2012 Subaru Outback draws about 6.2 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 87th percentile of complaint rates among 2012 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 59,264 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2012 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Torque converter failure

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 subaru outback. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled when coming to a stop without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000. The VIN was not available.

113,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1239086 filed 2015-11-17

2012 outback 2.5i limited with 93k miles stalls intermittently when coming to a complete stop. When placed in park the vehicle will start right up and runs fine. There is no hesitation or engine missing when in motion, only when coming to a full stop. Yesterday it stalled 3 times during a 6 mile round trip to the post office. I am fearful that it will stall while I'm in an intersection waiting to make a left turn and am vulnerable to cross traffic when the light changes. I'm taking it in to the dealer tomorrow and hoping they will be able to fix it. After searching the internet for similar complaints, I understand that tsb 16-90-13 addresses this type of failure, apparently due to a problem with the torque converter.

93,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1296168 filed 2016-07-07

CVT failure

In early december of 2011 my wife and I purchased a 2012 subaru outback with a 4 cylinder engine, CVT transmission. We had to wait a day for our outback because it was being repaired do to a brake system recall. Ever since purchasing the outback we have had a serious issue when using the paddle shifters to slow down for a stop. When the tach slows to about 1100 RPM in first or second gear the engine then accelerates to up to 2500 RPM, slowing down and then speeding up again then repeating the cycle over even if you apply the brakes. Sometimes it would just run at 2500 RPM until you braked to a stop. I took the outback to our dealer and the subaru service advisor was very surprised when I drove it to demonstrate the very serious issue. It did exactly as I have described and even stayed at 2500 RPM. The service advisor and who I presume was the overall manager of the dealership took it for a drive without me. When they returned I was told that the way it operated was the way it was supposed to operate because of the engine needing to be more environmentally friendly. I stated I did not really believe that excuse and left. Since that…

3,750 miles NHTSA complaint 929829 filed 2012-07-23

In early december of 2011 my wife and I purchased a 2012 subaru outback with a 4 cylinder engine, CVT transmission. We had to wait a day for our outback because it was being repaired do to a brake system recall. Ever since purchasing the outback we have had a serious issue when using the paddle shifters to slow down for a stop. When the tach slows to about 1100 RPM in first or second gear the engine then accelerates to up to 2500 RPM, slowing down and then speeding up again then repeating the cycle over even if you apply the brakes. Sometimes it would just run at 2500 RPM until you braked to a stop. I took the outback to our dealer and the subaru service advisor was very surprised when I drove it to demonstrate the very serious issue. It did exactly as I have described and even stayed at 2500 RPM. The service advisor and who I presume was the overall manager of the dealership took it for a drive without me. When they returned I was told that the way it operated was the way it was supposed to operate because of the engine needing to be more environmentally friendly. I stated I did not really believe that excuse and left. Since that…

3,750 miles NHTSA complaint 929830 filed 2012-07-23

Recalls on the 2012 model year

NHTSA has issued 16 recall campaigns covering the 2012 Subaru Outback, affecting an estimated 122,642 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module and electrical system:ignition:switch. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.

20V001000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

258,813 vehicles 2020-01-02

Defect: 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…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.

20V002000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

127,547 vehicles 2020-01-02

Defect: 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…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.

20V003000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

111,562 vehicles 2020-01-02

Defect: 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…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.

19V297000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

511 vehicles 2019-04-11

Defect: 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.
Consequence: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.

19V007000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

43,394 vehicles 2019-01-09

Defect: 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…
Consequence: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-19.

19V009000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

452,630 vehicles 2019-01-09

Defect: 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…
Consequence: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-19.

19V008000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

330,120 vehicles 2019-01-09

Defect: 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…
Consequence: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-19.

18V626000

PARKING BRAKE

27,175 vehicles 2018-09-13

Defect: 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.
Consequence: A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTV-81.

18V012000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

64,179 vehicles 2018-01-09

Defect: 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…
Consequence: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-18.

17V014000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

53,480 vehicles 2017-01-10

Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and…
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.

16V694000

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

592,647 vehicles 2016-09-27

Defect: 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.
Consequence: If the windshield wiper motor overheats, the wipers may fail, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the wiper motor cover may melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor bottom cover assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTK-71. Note: This recall supersedes recall 11V-469. All vehicles that were remedied under that campaign are affected by this campaign, and need to have their wiper motor bottom cover replaced again.

13V077000

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

14 vehicles 2013-03-05

Defect: Subaru is recalling certain model year 2012 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from April 6, 2011, through May 12, 2011. The moonroof glass may come loose or detach. The amount and position of the adhesive between the glass and retainer was inadequately applied.
Consequence: The moonroof glass can loosen and detach from the vehicle during driving, resulting in a potential road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified the affected owners, and dealers will inspect the glass adhesion condition and either apply additional adhesive or replace the moonroof glass, free of charge. The safety recall began February 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2012 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2012 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

How 2012 compares with the other years

Severe risk for a 2012 — 57th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.

Across the 31 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2026 comes out best at 60 and 2020 worst at 80, with 2012 itself at 75.

If the model year is negotiable, 2026, 1997, 1996, 1999, 1998, 2007, 2000, 2006, 2008, 2002, 2001, 2025, 2009, 2004, 2005 and 2003 score lower than 2012 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2010–2014 generation specifically, 2012 is the strongest year at 75 and 2013 the weakest at 78.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2010-2014 generation, 2012 Subaru Outback scores best at 75 and 2013 Subaru Outback worst at 78.

What to look at before buying one

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other steering problem from about 250, cruise control failure from about 4k, other brake problem from about 16k and other powertrain problem from about 36k.

On a 2012 Subaru Outback with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other steering problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.

What this page cannot tell you

369 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 369 reports, 249 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 67% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Subaru Outback?

The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (42 reports, median 72,500 miles), torque converter failure (39 reports, median 115,000 miles) and cvt failure (29 reports, median 117,500 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2012 Subaru Outback problems start?

Other steering problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 1,800 miles and a quarter of reports before 300 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 87,000 miles.

Is the 2012 Subaru Outback reliable?

It scores 75 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 57th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2012 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Subaru Outback is best?

Within the 2010–2014 generation, 2012 scores best at 75 out of 100 and 2013 worst at 78. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed