2016 Subaru Outback: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Subaru Outback
On the 2016 Subaru Outback, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, and the reports cluster around 45,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other speed control problem, reported by a median of 5,000 miles. Overall it scores 75 out of 100, high risk for a 2016.
High risk for a 2016 — 85th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 775 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 58 named failure modes on the 2016 Subaru Outback, and the three most-reported carry 39% of everything filed.
Other electrical problem leads with 201 reports, about 21 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 29k to 65,000 miles.
Other visibility problem follows with 60 reports, usually reported between 5k to 50,000 miles.
No-start or intermittent start failure follows with 43 reports, usually reported between 20k to 40,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (269), glass (92) and engine (83).
When these failures get reported
417 of the reports on the 2016 Subaru Outback came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 34,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 69% by 50,000 miles, 95% by 100,000 miles and 99% 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 24% of the dated reports.
54% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
In the order they tend to show up: other speed control problem around 3k, other driver assistance problem around 8k, other brake problem around 11k and other body or interior problem around 18k.
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 58. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
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, 37 mention a crash, 4 a fire and 10 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 3.26, 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 electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other visibility problem at $150–$1,400, no-start or intermittent start failure at $200–$1,800 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.
17% 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
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 201 | 97 | 29k | 45k | 64k | 20.6 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 60 | 47 | 5k | 31k | 50k | 6.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 43 | 23 | 20k | 31k | 40k | 4.4 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 32 | 13 | 10k | 31k | 67k | 3.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Windshield cracking | glass | 31 | 24 | 26k | 40k | 51k | 3.2 | $300–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 24 | 15 | 23k | 47k | 53k | 2.5 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 24 | 17 | 7k | 30k | 42k | 2.5 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Parasitic battery drain | electrical | 22 | 4 | — | 56k | — | 2.3 | $200–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 20 | 10 | 40k | 50k | 55k | 2.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 17 | 9 | 5k | 18k | 67k | 1.7 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 15 | 8 | 3k | 8k | 28k | 1.5 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 14 | 7 | — | 2k | — | 1.4 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 14 | 10 | 513 | 3k | 32k | 1.4 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 13 | 7 | — | 9k | — | 1.3 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 13 | 10 | 5k | 11k | 32k | 1.3 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 11 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 1.1 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 10 | 3 | — | 20k | — | 1.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 10 | 6 | — | 51k | — | 1.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 9 | 7 | — | 7k | — | 0.9 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 7 | 6 | — | 16k | — | 0.7 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 7 | 3 | — | 36k | — | 0.7 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 7 | 3 | — | 13k | — | 0.7 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 6 | 3 | — | 42k | — | 0.6 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 6 | 1 | — | 14k | — | 0.6 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 5 | 4 | — | 57k | — | 0.5 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 5 | 5 | — | 44k | — | 0.5 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Oil leak | engine | 4 | 1 | — | 74k | — | 0.4 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| CVT failure | transmission | 4 | 1 | — | 16k | — | 0.4 | $3,000–$8,500 | Critical |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 4 | 2 | — | 59k | — | 0.4 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 4 | 1 | — | 32k | — | 0.4 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 4 | 4 | — | 8k | — | 0.4 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Overheating | cooling | 3 | 2 | — | 8k | — | 0.3 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 3 | 3 | — | 13k | — | 0.3 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 3 | 3 | — | 35k | — | 0.3 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Engine bay fire | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $4,000–$20,000 | Critical |
| Transmission will not engage a gear | transmission | 2 | 1 | — | 100 | — | 0.2 | $1,500–$6,000 | Critical |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 2 | 2 | — | 66k | — | 0.2 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 2 | 1 | — | 107k | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 20k | — | 0.2 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 2 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.2 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Door latch or handle failure | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,200 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 2 | — | 46k | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 125k | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Audio or connectivity failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$900 | Low |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 9k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Blind spot monitor failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Strut, shock or spring failure | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Alignment fault and uneven tire wear | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 60 | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Wheel, stud or lug nut failure | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 500 | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,500 | Critical |
| Window regulator or power window failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 46k | — | 0.1 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 80 | 42 | 18k | 38k | 57k | 8.2 | — | 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 2016 Subaru Outback draws about 79 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 98th percentile of complaint rates among 2016 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 9,763 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 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.
Other electrical problem
My car required 2 repairs 5 weeks apart of the wiring bundle controlling the fog lights and low oil level sensor due to a critter chewing the bundle while it was parked. I now have bounce laundry sheets stuffed around the engine compartment at the suggestion of the dealer; they see this often from cars out of the mountains.
This issue is a safety enhancement request affecting top of the line subaru outback 2016 limited/premium models equipped with keyless ignition systems. This issue is similar to that reported in NHTSA id number:10881286. Issue: it is possible for a driver to inadvertently turn off the engine (we are only human) using the start/stop button when the vehicle is in drive, park or neutral. If vehicle is on a slope, the vehicle will roll forwards or backwards on it's own. This presents a serious risk of grave bodily harm to people in the path of the unattended moving vehicle. This already happened with my vehicle, luckily it happened inside my garage on a very slight slope and my closed garage door stopped the vehicle. If my children had been behind the vehicle, removing their school bags, they would have been pinned to the garage door by a 3500 lb vehicle. Unacceptable. I repaired the slight damage body work on the vehicle at the dealer but that is irrelevant compared to the safety risk presented by this "works as designed" behavior of the car. Possible workaround: 1. Subaru needs to change this behavior and eliminate the risk by…
Other visibility problem
I just purchased a 2016 ob 2.5i premium. I have had the car for a week and a half. On friday I decided to wash my car for the first time. I started on the drivers side, raised the drivers side wiper, went around the front of the car and raised the passenger side wiper. I then washed around the car. When I went to put the drivers side wiper down it hit the passenger side wiper and slapped it down onto the windshield. An hour later I noticed a crack coming from the passenger side. I did the "pen test" and found a small depression under the wiper. No rock hit my windshield, it would have had to pass through the wiper. Thats impossible. Because I was just freaking amazed that it could of happened I raised the passenger wiper and let it come down on the windshield to see what would happen. It put a second crack in the windshield, not one emanating from the first but a whole new crack. Im taking it to my dealer tomorrow.
Non collision or other vehicle damage crack in windshield. A crack appeared on the passenger side of the windshield. According to owner website this is an ongoing problem of which subaru is aware for the 2015 and 2016 model years. They occasionally cover the repair under warranty claiming they do so as a "courtesy" car was stationary, parked in garage engine off. Windshield just cracked
No-start or intermittent start failure
Vehicle starting becomes slower for about 1 week and then it will not start at all. I then got a boost from a service garage in the first instance and drove the car to my selling dealer 40 km. Away. They did all the testing, battery, alternator and it did not show any codes. They only did diagnostic work and no actual repairs and gave me the print out just in case it happened while we were on our 5 month vacation in florida. This happened at 25,000 km on the odometer in september of 2017. It is now january 15, 2018 and I am in florida. The car has 33,000 km. On it the exact same thing happened, with a slow to turn over for about 1 week and then failure to start. I tested the battery with a load tester and it tested as "bad" on the guage. We then boosted it to start and tested the voltage from the alternator which was 14 volts and the battery tested 12 volts. After a few minutes of run time we turned it off and it failed to start again. After boosting again I drove it less than 1 mile to my house and let it run while I called the roadside assist and got the phone number of the nearest subaru dealer, who informed me that roadside…
Dead battery. Three times my car has failed to start and the battery when tested with a load tester says,"bad battery". After boosting and running for a few minutes it tests "ok" and the alternator and starter test ok. Upon the 3rd time it malfunction I had it taken to the //dealer on a roll deck. The dealer can not find the problem and just charges the battery and says it is ok. "it is not ok when it happens @ 25,00 km. And 32,000 km and 40,000 km. The battery has less cranking amps then my riding lawnmower, but the dealer says that is what subaru recommends . What can I do to get them to treat the cause, not the symptoms? Each time it happened I was lucky to be close to help.
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2016 Subaru Outback, affecting an estimated 12,134 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: air bag/restraint control module, steering:column and power train:driveline:driveshaft. 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.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
46 vehicles 2019-12-19- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been installed that is not compatible with the passenger air bag module, possibly affecting air bag deployment.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUX-09.
STEERING:COLUMN
48,819 vehicles 2016-05-11- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.
- Consequence
- The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
3,251 vehicles 2015-11-24- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.
- Consequence
- If the drive shaft detaches from the rear differential, it may strike the fuel tank and result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the fastening nuts, and tighten or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 10, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is WQV-57.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
2,893 vehicles 2015-08-10- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.
- Consequence
- If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQU-56.
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 2016 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.
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 2016 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2016 — 85th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
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 2016 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 2016 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 2015–2017 generation specifically, 2016 is the strongest year at 75 and 2015 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.
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 2015-2017 generation, 2016 Subaru Outback scores best at 75 and 2015 Subaru Outback worst at 78.
What the numbers say to check
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 speed control problem from about 513, other driver assistance problem from about 3k, other brake problem from about 5k and other visibility problem from about 5k.
On a 2016 Subaru Outback with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other speed control 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.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
The limits of complaint data
775 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 775 reports, 417 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 54% 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".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
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 2016 Subaru Outback?
The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (201 reports, median 45,000 miles), other visibility problem (60 reports, median 30,000 miles) and no-start or intermittent start failure (43 reports, median 30,000 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 2016 Subaru Outback problems start?
Other speed control problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 5,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 500 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 34,000 miles.
Is the 2016 Subaru Outback reliable?
It scores 75 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 85th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 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 2015–2017 generation, 2016 scores best at 75 out of 100 and 2015 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 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed