VehicleVerdict

2014 Subaru Outback problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

Worth extra scrutiny

The 2014 Subaru Outback sits mid-pack among Outback years: 275 NHTSA complaints against a model median of roughly 262, with 10 recalls and no defect investigations. Complainants reported 23 injuries in total across these filings.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across airbags (41), engine (36), and electrical system (36), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 5 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

275

NHTSA complaints

10

Recalls

0

Investigations

26

Crash-involved

3

Fires reported

23

Injuries

0

Deaths

5

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2014 compare to other Outback years?

See all Outback years to avoid →

What are the most common 2014 Subaru Outback problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Airbags4115%
Electrical System3613%
Engine3613%
Transmission259%
Brakes238%
Other228%
Steering176%
Speed Control145%
Fuel System135%
Body & Structure114%
Visibility & Wipers104%
Lighting73%
Seat Belts62%
Suspension52%
Tires & Wheels52%
Seats21%
Driver Assistance21%

Does the 2014 Subaru Outback have recalls?

10 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

20V002000AirbagsJanuary 2, 2020 · 127,547 units

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 replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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.

20V001000AirbagsJanuary 2, 2020 · 258,813 units

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 inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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.

20V003000AirbagsJanuary 2, 2020 · 111,562 units

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 a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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.

19V297000Electrical SystemApril 11, 2019 · 511 units

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.

19V009000AirbagsJanuary 9, 2019 · 452,630 units

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 replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

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.

19V007000AirbagsJanuary 9, 2019 · 43,394 units

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 crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

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.

19V008000AirbagsJanuary 9, 2019 · 330,120 units

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 original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

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.

18V626000BrakesSeptember 13, 2018 · 27,175 units

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.

16V694000Visibility & WipersSeptember 27, 2016 · 592,647 units

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.

13V336000TransmissionAugust 1, 2013 · 202 units

Defect

Subaru of America is recalling certain model year 2014 Legacy 3.6R and Outback 3.6R and 2013 Tribeca vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through June 28, 2013 and equipped with 5-speed automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the parking rod may come loose inside the automatic transmission.

Consequence

As a result of the parking rod detaching, the transmission may not be able to be moved from the "park" position preventing the vehicle from being moved or driven. Furthermore, even with the transmission shifted into the 'park' position, the parking mechanism may not engage, and the vehicle may roll away while in the "park" position, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall began during August 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall number is WQJ-46.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

WE HAVE HAD THREE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THE SAME THING. YOU CAN'T SEEM TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN ENOUGH TO STOP IT. TWO OF THE TIMES, WE HAVE PULLED INTO A PARKING PLACE,GOING AT A LOW SPEED,AND WHEN YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE,THE CAR ACCELERATES AND JUMPS FORWARD INSTEAD OF STOPPING. ALSO THE AIR BAGS DOESN'T…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · June 1, 2017 · crash

SPONTANEOUS ENGINE FIRE WHILE DRIVING - MAR 07,2019 - 2014 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH CURRENT MAINTENANCE AND NO PRIOR HISTORY OF MALFUNCTION. DURING A 2.1 MILE DRIVE ON CITY STREETS ELECTRICAL DISTURBANCES OF THE RADIO/MEDIA CONSOLE WERE NOTED, FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY BLACK SMOKE FROM UNDER THE…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · March 7, 2019 · fire

THERE IS A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING, IT HAPPENS FROM COMPLETE STOPS BY STEPPING ON THE GAS, AND WHILE TURNING YOUR VEHICLE. I WAS ON A 35MPH. BACK ROAD AND WENT TO TURN LEFT ONTO A SIDE STREET, I YIELDED FOR 2 CARS AND THEN WENT INTO THE TURN AND STEPPED ON THE GAS, IT HESITATED AND THEN I WAS…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · October 1, 2013 · crash

PULLING CAR INTO PARKING SPACE AT SLOW SPEED WHEN CAR, WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT, SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. HEAVY PRESSURE ON BRAKES, DRIVER FELT THE ABS CYCLING, DID NT STOP VEHICLE. FINALLY, AFTER COLLIDING WITH A PARKED CAR, NOSE TO NOSE AND PUSHING OTHER CAR OUT OF ITS PARKING SPOT, DRIVER WAS ABLE TO…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · June 28, 2016 · crash

I was driving home on a road I drive on regularly at 40 mph. The car unexpectedly accelerated to a high rate of speed causing me to go off the road. I was unable to stop. The brake pedal went to the floor. The car went airborne, just missing a huge tree. It slammed into the ground & continued on to…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Brakes · August 21, 2022 · crash

2014 Subaru Outback — common questions

Is the 2014 Subaru Outback reliable?

It is close to typical for the Outback: 275 NHTSA complaints, 10 recalls, and no investigations on file.

What are the most common 2014 Outback problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are airbags (41 complaints), engine (36 complaints), electrical system (36 complaints).

Does the 2014 Subaru Outback have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns affecting the 2014 Subaru Outback. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Which Subaru Outback years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Outback years to avoid are 2019, 2020, 2017, 2018, 2011, 2016, 2015, 2022, 2010, 2013, 2021, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2004. The cleanest record among Outback years belongs to 1995.

How safe is the 2014 Subaru Outback?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2014 Subaru Outback earned an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.