2015 Subaru Outback Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Outback years
- Far more complaints than other years 7th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 510 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Outback. That ranks 7th out of 32 Outback model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility/wiper (130 complaints, 25%), typically at around 9,000 miles. Complaints mention 20 crashes, 5 fires, 17 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 510owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 20complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2015 Subaru Outback problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper problems | 130 | 25% | 9,000 | “passenger side” (33%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 127 | 25% | 30,000 | “battery drain” (9%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 108 | 21% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 47 | 9% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 37 | 7% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 33 | 6% | 17,600 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 27 | 5% | 38,850 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 26 | 5% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 18 | 4% | 33,350 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 3% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 3% | 45 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 2% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 5 | 1% | 59,011 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 1% | 1,040 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 1% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 5 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 1% | 15,750 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 250 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | 37,300 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 1% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 2,275 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0% | 18,875 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 86,801 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2015 Subaru Outback recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:columnDo not drive
Problem: 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.
Risk: The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Electronic stability control (esc)
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Poor performance of the electronic stability control system when it is activated may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will perform an ABS activation, then flush and replace the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTC-64.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft; power train:automatic transmission
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.
Fix: 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.
Forward collision avoidance: crash imminent braking; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.
Risk: If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.
Trailer hitches
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Outback vehicles manufactured January 22, 2014, to August 18, 2014, and equipped with a Subaru accessory trailer hitch assembly. During installation, the trailer hitch mounting nuts may have been overtightened, potentially resulting in failure of the trailer hitch mounting studs.
Risk: The mounting nut(s) may not provide sufficient force to remain attached to the studs or the studs themselves might break. If this were to happen while a trailer is being towed, the driver might not be able to operate the vehicle as desired or the trailer may detach from the vehicle. Either situation could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace all eight mounting nuts for the trailer hitch assembly, and will inspect all eight mounting studs for damage, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2014. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQN-50.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Front subframe is rusted out. Went to do brakes and found holes in frame. I contacted subaru of north olmsted and was told this is common. Was told to call subaru of America and complain and see if they would help. So I called and was told it's common because the car is exposed to snow salt. I have…
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera was inoperable. The maps and radio were glitching and then seized stuck. The screen was difficult to read. The screen was pixelated due to the brightness outside. The camera was inoperable. The…
The Subaru's Starlink Radio has completely delaminated on the layer between the display and the digitizer, which does not allow the radio to be controlled in any way, shape, or form. This means that the touch screen is not working anymore, and because the radio is so delaminated, whenever the car…
Vehicle Component Affected: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE / BACK OVER PREVENTION Description of the Safety Defect: The factory infotainment touchscreen in my 2015 Subaru Outback Limited (VIN: [XXX]) has suffered a severe manufacturing defect where the internal chemical gel…
This is an odometer fraud situation. The car was reported at 187,062 with photo documentation on 4/17/2026 via a mechanics office. It was then reported at 104,332 during a CO Emissions Test inspection. I called to verify the mileage reported from the mechanics office and they sent me a photo from…
Other Subaru Outback years
← 2014 Outback · 2016 Outback →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outback | 18 | 0 |
| 2025 Outback | 82 | 0 |
| 2024 Outback | 104 | 0 |
| 2023 Outback | 89 | 2 |
| 2022 Outback | 465 | 4 |
| 2021 Outback | 297 | 4 |
| 2020 Outback | 899 | 6 |
| 2019 Outback | 1,036 | 3 |
| 2018 Outback | 814 | 3 |
| 2017 Outback | 918 | 4 |
| 2016 Outback | 643 | 4 |
| 2015 | 510 | 5 |
| 2014 Outback | 208 | 10 |
| 2013 Outback | 297 | 12 |
| 2012 Outback | 292 | 16 |
| 2011 Outback | 652 | 16 |
| 2010 Outback | 360 | 18 |
| 2009 Outback | 106 | 13 |
| 2008 Outback | 226 | 8 |
| 2007 Outback | 129 | 8 |
| 2006 Outback | 277 | 7 |
| 2005 Outback | 273 | 9 |
| 2004 Outback | 90 | 10 |
| 2003 Outback | 93 | 14 |
| 2002 Outback | 143 | 4 |
| 2001 Outback | 171 | 3 |
| 2000 Outback | 207 | 1 |
| 1999 Outback | 111 | 1 |
| 1998 Outback | 127 | 2 |
| 1997 Outback | 79 | 4 |
| 1996 Outback | 46 | 2 |
| 1995 Outback | 2 | 1 |
See all Subaru Outback problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
Similar Subaru models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Subaru Outback?
Owners most often report visibility/wiper, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, visibility/wiper, accounts for 130 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Subaru Outback?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2015 Subaru Outback a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Outback model years, the 2015 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.