Model year report

2017 Subaru Outback: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2017 Subaru Outback

On the 2017 Subaru Outback, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, and the reports cluster around 29,000 miles. The earliest to appear is seat belt or retractor failure, reported by a median of 5,000 miles. Overall it scores 75 out of 100, severe risk for a 2017.

Severe risk for a 2017 — 103rd riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. 1,108 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What owners report breaking

Owners have reported 65 named failure modes on the 2017 Subaru Outback, and the three most-reported carry 45% of everything filed.

Other electrical problem leads with 249 reports, about 26 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 18k to 42,000 miles.

Other visibility problem follows with 166 reports, usually reported between 22k to 56,000 miles.

Windshield cracking follows with 84 reports, usually reported between 21k to 50,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (326), glass (252) and engine (111).

When these failures get reported

620 of the reports on the 2017 Subaru Outback came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 30,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 80% by 50,000 miles and 99% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.

The busiest stretch is between 30,000 and 40,000 miles, which alone holds 18% of the dated reports.

59% 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: seat belt or retractor failure around 3k, other steering problem around 12k, sunroof failure or glass breakage around 12k and other powertrain problem around 16k.

Median

Other electrical problem

29k
Other visibility problem

36k
Windshield cracking

39k
No-start or intermittent start failure

38k
Other powertrain problem

16k
Parasitic battery drain

27k
Other engine problem

29k
Other driver assistance problem

31k
Other body or interior problem

40k
Alternator or charging system failure

38k
Other speed control problem

19k
Lane keep or steering assist fault

30k

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 65. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 30k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. 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

Severity, and what it costs

Across the named modes, 50 mention a crash, 4 a fire and 25 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 3.15, 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, windshield cracking at $300–$1,600 and no-start or intermittent start failure at $200–$1,800. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

15% 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 electrical problem	electrical	249	108	18k	29k	42k	25.5	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other visibility problem	glass	166	127	22k	36k	56k	17.0	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Windshield cracking	glass	84	62	21k	39k	50k	8.6	$300–$1,600	Moderate
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	71	42	24k	38k	52k	7.3	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Other powertrain problem	transmission	37	23	5k	16k	37k	3.8	$400–$4,500	High
Parasitic battery drain	electrical	36	10	18k	27k	34k	3.7	$200–$1,200	Moderate
Other engine problem	engine	31	15	7k	29k	36k	3.2	$300–$4,000	High
Other driver assistance problem	adas	25	13	7k	31k	42k	2.6	$250–$1,800	High
Other body or interior problem	body	25	13	10k	40k	50k	2.6	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	22	7	—	38k	—	2.3	$450–$1,600	High
Other speed control problem	adas	21	14	8k	19k	31k	2.2	$250–$2,000	Critical
Lane keep or steering assist fault	adas	17	12	15k	30k	35k	1.7	$200–$1,600	High
Other brake problem	brakes	17	14	12k	26k	34k	1.7	$300–$1,800	High
Other steering problem	steering	15	9	300	12k	30k	1.5	$350–$2,400	High
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure	electrical	14	7	—	40k	—	1.4	$250–$1,500	High
Sunroof failure or glass breakage	body	14	10	9k	12k	27k	1.4	$700–$4,500	High
Cruise control failure	adas	13	8	15k	21k	28k	1.3	$200–$1,400	High
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	9	9	3k	3k	17k	0.9	$200–$900	High
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	9	7	—	35k	—	0.9	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Other fuel system problem	fuel	9	3	—	44k	—	0.9	$300–$2,200	High
CVT failure	transmission	7	4	—	8k	—	0.7	$3,000–$8,500	Critical
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure	fuel	5	4	—	31k	—	0.5	$300–$1,200	Moderate
Parking brake failure	brakes	5	3	—	24k	—	0.5	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Rust or structural corrosion	body	5	0	—	—	—	0.5	$500–$6,000	High
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	5	2	—	14k	—	0.5	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Infotainment screen failure	infotainment	4	2	—	29k	—	0.4	$400–$2,600	Low
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	4	4	—	1k	—	0.4	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	4	2	—	32k	—	0.4	$600–$2,500	Critical
Other suspension problem	suspension	4	3	—	31k	—	0.4	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	4	2	—	23k	—	0.4	$200–$1,500	High
Misfire or rough idle	engine	3	0	—	—	—	0.3	$250–$1,600	Moderate
Complete transmission failure	transmission	3	1	—	46k	—	0.3	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Fuel pump failure	fuel	3	1	—	30k	—	0.3	$600–$2,600	High
Backup camera failure	infotainment	3	2	—	20k	—	0.3	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Power steering pump or fluid leak	steering	3	0	—	—	—	0.3	$350–$1,600	Moderate
Strut, shock or spring failure	suspension	3	3	—	97k	—	0.3	$500–$2,000	Moderate
Electrical fire or melted wiring	electrical	2	0	—	—	—	0.2	$1,500–$9,000	Critical
Stalling while driving	engine	2	2	—	48k	—	0.2	$300–$2,500	Critical
Radiator or coolant leak	cooling	2	0	—	—	—	0.2	$350–$1,900	High
Audio or connectivity failure	infotainment	2	2	—	40k	—	0.2	$150–$900	Low
Instrument cluster or gauge failure	infotainment	2	1	—	701	—	0.2	$350–$1,400	Moderate
Loss of braking	brakes	2	2	—	42k	—	0.2	$400–$3,000	Critical
Airbag inflator rupture	airbag	2	0	—	—	—	0.2	$0–$0	Critical
Tire pressure monitor failure	wheels	2	0	—	—	—	0.2	$80–$600	Low
Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin	emissions	2	2	—	12k	—	0.2	$250–$2,000	High
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	2	0	—	—	—	0.2	$100–$900	Moderate
Wiper or washer failure	glass	2	2	—	79k	—	0.2	$120–$800	Moderate
Other lighting problem	lighting	2	1	—	52k	—	0.2	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Engine bay fire	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$4,000–$20,000	Critical
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Excessive oil consumption	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$900–$6,500	High
Oil leak	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$250–$2,200	Moderate
Water pump failure	cooling	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$500–$2,200	High
Overheating	cooling	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$400–$3,500	High
Transmission will not engage a gear	transmission	1	1	—	65k	—	0.1	$1,500–$6,000	Critical
Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure	transmission	1	1	—	5k	—	0.1	$250–$1,400	High
Wheel bearing or hub failure	drivetrain	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$350–$1,200	Moderate
Starter failure	electrical	1	1	—	2	—	0.1	$350–$1,300	Moderate
Wiring harness or short circuit	electrical	1	1	—	10k	—	0.1	$400–$3,500	High
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$700–$3,000	High
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	1	1	—	14k	—	0.1	$500–$2,400	High
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure	steering	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$700–$2,600	High
Tire blowout or tread separation	wheels	1	1	—	45k	—	0.1	$200–$1,500	Critical
Air conditioning failure	hvac	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$400–$2,800	Moderate
Catalytic converter failure	emissions	1	0	—	—	—	0.1	$900–$3,500	Moderate
Unclassified problem	other	118	56	12k	29k	40k	12.1	—	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 2017 Subaru Outback draws about 113 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 97th percentile of complaint rates among 2017 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 2017 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.

Windshield cracking

The quality of the windshield leaves a lot to be desired. This is the second time in less than a year I have had to replace my windshield. In both occasions, the windshield cracked while the vehicle was in motion. I thought the first crack was caused by a small object/projectile I could not see. Then the second crack occurred a few months later (about 5 months apart) around the same spot (driver side) as the first one. In about 30 minutes, the crack radiated quickly from the driver side all the way to the middle of the windshield. In both cases, even if the crack was caused by a small object, the impact was too small to explain such major damage. The first time the windshield cracked, it was replaced by a subaru recommended part and not by an aftermarket windshield. I will use a subaru recommended part again. However, based on the evidence, I do not have any confidence that the problem will not resurface. I think the windshield is fundamentally defective.

27,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1475445 filed 2018-06-13

> the auto in this complaint is equipped with subaru's "eyesight" driver assist technology. > june 18, 2018 - driving on divided interstate highway, there was a very loud "bang," - the new replacement windshield cracked and instantly the crack extended 2/3 of the way across the full width of the windshield. After pulling over to the side of the highway and taking a look at the windshield to determine what caused the crack, I sadly discovered that one section of the outside glass had separated from plastic behind it to the degree, that when ranning my hand against the outside glass surface, it cut my hand. The separation was enough that I questioned whether it was safe to continue to drive the car. I did drive the car home. The next day I took the car to my dealership's service dept. - they pointed to a minute nick on the very bottom of the windshield, so small that I did not see it until it was pointed out to me, as the "outside source" causing the crack. I don't buy what they are saying. I believe the the glass is so fragile that it simply cracks from stress from normal driving movement of the auto. And that the fragile glass…

16,980 miles NHTSA complaint 1477730 filed 2018-06-22

Recalls on the 2017 model year

NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2017 Subaru Outback, affecting an estimated 9,912 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 suspension. 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.

19V910000

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.

16V716000

STEERING:COLUMN

54 vehicles 2016-10-06

Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured September 21, 2016, to September 23, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the knee guard bracket may not be properly attached to the steering beam assembly.
Consequence: If the knee guard is not properly attached and the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, the knee guard may not be able to properly restrain the driver's lower body in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the knee guard welding on each vehicle's steering beam, replacing the beam as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTL-72.

16V576000

SUSPENSION

99 vehicles 2016-08-03

Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Outback vehicles manufactured June 20, 2016, to June 23, 2016. The affected vehicles may have improperly tightened attaching bolts for the front left and right brake calipers, wheel hubs, and the right stabilizer clamp.
Consequence: If any of the front brake caliper, wheel hub or stabilizer clamp attaching bolts loosen or detach, the related components would also become loose and may detach possibly making the vehicle unstable and reducing the braking capability. These conditions would increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the bolts for proper torque, and replace any loose bolts, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTE-66.

16V292000

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.

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 2017 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 2017 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

Where 2017 sits in the model line

Severe risk for a 2017 — 103rd riskiest of the 263 2017 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 2017 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 2017 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.

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 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 steering problem from about 300, seat belt or retractor failure from about 3k, other powertrain problem from about 5k and other engine problem from about 7k.

On a 2017 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.

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.

Where these figures stop being useful

1,108 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 1,108 reports, 620 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 56% 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 2017 Subaru Outback?

The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (249 reports, median 29,000 miles), other visibility problem (166 reports, median 36,000 miles) and windshield cracking (84 reports, median 40,000 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 2017 Subaru Outback problems start?

Seat belt or retractor failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 5,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 5,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 30,000 miles.

Is the 2017 Subaru Outback reliable?

It scores 75 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 103rd riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2017 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 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed