2014 Subaru Outback Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 45,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The ODS in our 2014 Subaru Outback has failed, and there is a constant beeping indicating that the air bag system is not functioning properly. This was definitely an issue the last two winters, too, but with covid quarantine and illness, we were not able to address it then. The airbag warning lights and sounds persist whether the seat is…Owner complaint, filed 2021

The contact owns a 2014 subaru outback. The air bags deployed with excessive force while driving at approximately 20 MPH the contact's vehicle t-boned the front of another vehicle the contact sought medical attention for first degree burns and a cut on one side of the face. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, his…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 140,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 34,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The car had been recently serviced through the dealer and had 66,000 miles (9 yrs old). It was 6k miles past warranty. While driving, the radiator hose exploded, loud noise, white steam, and all the warning lights came on and the car heated up. I had the car towed and was told that the radiator hose, the radiator and the head gasket had…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Suburu Outback had been showing signs of needing more oil between routine changes and frequent top-offs. When took to a Suburu Dealer in September 2021, prior to reaching 100,000 miles, Suburu said it was normal. Now at 118,000 miles as of November 2022, the engine jerks and makes noises. Upon taking to Suburu, short engine block repair…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 47,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Subaru Outback. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 132,000. A Carfax report was not purchased. The contact stated that the mileage on the title from the DMV was 205,690.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 205,690 miles

My Subaru has some kind of electrical issues I was driving and car stopped would start again I had to towed to Arts repair shop they said was starter put new starter in 400 dollars later says it wasn't starter some kind of electrical and they dont do that electrical service they recommend Carlins automotive geico would not tow again I pd…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am just the mechanic and this is my customer's vehicle, but whilst doing some regular maintenance on the vehicle and also replacing part number 383485200 which Subaru calls "HOLDER, AXLE BRG" due to a crack which ran thru one of the 5 fastener holes. Upon normal cleaning of the threads in the rear differential casting where the…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Valve body transmission module failed at 118k with no prior warning There are some subaru bulletins that say up 120k. Dealership i bought it from told me 100k. I was never notified this issue was a recall. It could have potentially caused an accident if the transmission failed on the highway.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

My 2014 Subaru Outback, with only 42,000 miles on it, is unfortunately among the 3% (per Consumer Reports) with undiagnosable, therefore, unrepairable, brake failure issues. The brake failures began in April 2023 as I pulled out of my driveway in the Tucson Mountains, headed into town. On the downhill, I pressed my brakes to slow down.…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Parking break did not disengage. It also blocked the key hole and car could not be moved. I called AAA and they could not even tow it because the gears would not switch from parking to neutral. While manipulating the car, the AAA technician does not know how, but was able to move the key and the gear, and then the car could start. After…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Can be driving down the road and go to make a left or right hand turn and will loose all power steering ability and the next time the steering will work fine. I have almost had accidents due to this because you never know when it will happen. This always happens in city streets or turning off highway.also has happened when pulling out of…Owner complaint, filed 2019

The contact owns a 2014 subaru outback. While attempting to exit a parking space, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. Prestige subaru (located at 585 tunnel rd, asheville, nc 28805, (888) 854-4293) was contacted and stated that there were no recalls associated with the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 38,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 44,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The innermost taillight located on the liftgate melted the taillight housing and burned the socket in which it sits. This could have started a fire putting the safety of those in the vehicle and on the road at risk. The problem has not been inspected by a dealer or any other party. The taillights are available for inspection and the…Owner complaint, filed 2023

While driving on highway windshield cracked in an arc pattern starting from the drivers side to passenger side resulting in a perfect symmetrical pattern. It was around 10 degrees outside and the vehicles defrost and heat were on high. No object hit windshield before crack formed. Very loud cracking noise and slow from left to right…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 58,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2014 subaru outback. The contact stated that the vehicle [VIN] intermittently when it was not prompted. There were no warning indicators illuminated before or after the failure. The vehicle was taken to ganley subaru of bedford (123 broadway ave, bedford, oh) and diagnosed, but the failure was not able to be…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 23,000 miles

The contact owns a 2014 subaru outback. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration when approaching a red light. The contact's foot was not depressing the accelerator pedal at the time of the failure. Also, the rpms increased to 3,000. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact had…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 22,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

At approximately 50k miles, a year or so ago, this car developed a serious hesitation when taking off from a standstill or trying to gain speed from anywhere from 20 to 40 MPH. Tried several methods to correct this suggested by our mechanic which included injector cleaner, high octane gas, more cleaner, better quality gas and nothing has…Owner complaint, filed 2020

Delayed gas pedal response=hesitation to accelerate when gas pedal engaged from a stationary stop. I have experienced this failure to accelerate the vehicle from a stopped position in excess of 25 times over a more than 5 year period. The subaru is not mine but a relatives car. In early february 2019, I was stopped at a light attempting…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 50,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 51,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (10).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

In september 2017, the driver's side rear door child safety lock on my 2014 outback became stuck in the locked position. This means passengers cannot get out unless someone opens the door from the outside. This is a huge safety concern. Asked dealership to fix it for free, but they would only give me half off. Then today (july 10, 2019)…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 69,000 miles

On two occasions in the last six months my hood latch has released while driving on the highway at speeds of 65 to 70 MPH. The first occasion was on november 14, 2018 and the second occasion was today friday march 29, 2019. On both occasions, the safety latch held but the hood vibrated up and down until I was able to come to a complete…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 40,600 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

I used the optional seat warmers and turned the engine off at the end of a trip. When I started the engine again later that day, the seat warmers were on. When I felt the heat, I was confused, and thought there might be a fire, until I noticed the seat warmer light was on. I think when the car is stopped and turned off, the seat warmer…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 1,000 miles

my air bags didn't deploy when I hit a tree, and the seat belt gave loose. A police report was filed, and the car was evaluated by a collision center. The insurance company has not yet evaluated the vehicle. The air bag indicator light indicated the air bags were in good working order. I slid off the road in snow and hit a tree dead on…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

1. The under carriage has corroded creating a safety hazard. Senior dealer representative indicated verbally that 2010-2014 models years are the most prone. 2. If the under carriage fails the engine and transmission could fall out of the car potentially creating a serious issue. 3. The dealer brought the issue to my attention after…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH or above, the front end and the steering wheel were shaking abnormally. While driving at various speeds, there was a metallic grinding sound coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 201,206 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

I have had several instances where when driving in snow on interstate the snow gets packed in the wheels it causes severe problems steering. On more than one instance I have had to pull off the road and find a car wash to clean the snow in order to be able to drive safely. Front end vibrates so much I had to reduce speed to below 45 MPH…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 39,000 miles

My 2014 subaru outback 3.6r came with continental pro contact gx p225/60 r17 tires. Notice one of the tires was significantly deflated. Took to dealer and I was told that there was a small hole but no nail as the cause. Now my passenger side rear tire has developed side wall bubble. I took to subaru dealer who did nothing and told me to…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 40,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

I purchased this vehicle in May 2024 within 2 months of purchase the eyesight function malfunctioned. I took it back to the dealership where I purchased it and they attempted to diagnose it at cost of parts and I ended up paying a few hundred dollars for that repair. That didn’t work and they offered to attempt something else but this…Owner complaint, filed 2025