2017 Subaru Outback Safety Report
2017 Subaru Outback Safety Report
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2017 Subaru Outback
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2017 Subaru Outback. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (4) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (909) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 32 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Electrical System | Compare electrical system issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2021 | Compare against the 2021 Subaru Outback with 283 complaints and 4 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2019 | Check the 2019 Subaru Outback before buying across this generation. |
Subaru Outback Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Subaru Outback years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Subaru Outback | 784 | 3 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2016 Subaru Outback | 630 | 4 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2019 Subaru Outback | 1023 | 3 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2015 Subaru Outback | 496 | 5 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2020 Subaru Outback | 886 | 6 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2021 Subaru Outback | 283 | 4 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2017 Subaru Outback Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2017 Subaru Outback, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Electrical System
327 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Subaru onlyVisibility/Wiper
180 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Visibility/Wiper issues Subaru onlyUnknown Or Other
120 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Subaru onlyPower Train
26 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Power Train issues Subaru onlyVisibility
25 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Visibility issues Subaru onlyElectrical System,Unknown Or Other
22 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System,Unknown Or Other issues Subaru onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2017 Subaru Outback
Reliability Score
The 2017 Subaru Outback receives a reliability score of 85 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates above-average reliability relative to comparable vehicles.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2017 Subaru Outback
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2017 Subaru Outback
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2017 Subaru Outback:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System Multiple reports of electrical system issues, including inconsistent performance and unexpected shutdowns, have been recorded. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Engine And Power Train Engine and power train issues, such as unexpected acceleration and battery drain, have been reported, posing safety risks. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Visibility/Wiper Visibility problems, particularly with the wipers, have been noted, affecting driver visibility during rainy conditions. |
Low | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Air Bag/Restraint Control Module A recall has been issued for air bag/Restraint Control Module issues, affecting certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. |
High | Rare | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2017 Subaru Outback:
Issues with the electrical system, including inconsistent performance and unexpected shutdowns, are common.
Engine and power train issues, such as unexpected acceleration and battery drain, are reported.
Visibility problems, particularly with the wipers, have been noted.
Recall issues related to the air bag/Restraint Control Module are reported.
Recall Details for the 2017 Subaru Outback
The following 4 recalls have been issued for the 2017 Subaru Outback by NHTSA:
Summary: 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.
Summary: 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.
Summary: 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.
Summary: 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 ar...
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2017 Subaru Outback
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2017 Subaru Outback with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 4 complaints involved crashes. 1 involved fires. 2 reported injuries or fatalities.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact lifted her foot off the brake pedal and then firmly depressed the brake pedal another time. The vehicle was able to come to a stop. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had stalled while d...
Total of 3 incidents when my car had approx 1/8 to 1/4 of a tank of gas....as going up incline on interstate....car like stalls and slows down, will not speed up....get it over to the side to avoid being hit and it finally starts going again...close call with vehicles behind us in the passing lane. Below listed the last time it happened... Did not use to do this...first time was same area listed b...
While driving, the car suddenly shut off while in motion. It came to a stop at the bottom of hill where we were able to put it in neutral, and push it into a parking lot. After that we attempted to start it 4 or 5 times, and the engine would turn over and shut off after a couple of seconds. After leaving it off for about 5 minutes, it was able to start. Additionally, it occasionally feels jerky wh...
The contact's sister owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the hood unlatched, flew open, and struck the windshield, causing the windshield to shatter. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. It was unknown whether the driver was able to close the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the driver was provided a loaner vehicle. The ve...
If the car engine does not run for more than 4-5 days, the battery is drained completely dead and the car needs to be jump started to get the engine to run and have the alternator recharge the battery. Ongoing issue.
Driving on a flat dry road with cloudy conditions we heard what sounded like a shotgun. Pulled over and found our Moonroof exploded. I have dashcam video with audio of the explosion as well as photos and video of the damage immediately after
My Outback has been through 5 genuine Subaru windshields this year, and 7 since 2019. Only one was impact damage, the rest developed cracks after installation. One only lasted 3 days after being replaced. Others have lasted 3 months. There is something defective with the current Subaru replacement windshields and the dealers can't help. These are $1,300 insurance claims each. Subaru needs to ...
While in a parking lot moving at very slow rate speed the car suddenly accelerated on its own. I had just slowly turned within a parking lot in preparation to backing into a parking space. I had just removed my foot from the accelerator and the car was almost at a stop and I was about to brake and put the car into reverse when it suddenly and rapidly accelerated on its own. My foot was not touch...
The key gets stuck in the ignition when turning off the ignition.
battery drains consistently after a few days of not driving/
I been hearing a loud humming sound like a sports car and smell of fumes inside the cabin.
Since purchasing this Subaru in 2017 there has been multiple incidents where the car battery drains overnight. Causing the car not to start due to a dead battery.
The design of the dashboard along with the dashboard screen has a very poor design that makes it nearly impossible to see when the sun is out. When the sun is out and especially when driving towards the sun during sunset and sunrise, the dashboard reflects back the light onto the windshield making it essentially impossible to see objects that may be on the side of the road. Even with polarized s...
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after driving onto the driveway and pressing the brake pedal to park, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, drove forward, and crashed into the garage door. The contact shifted to the reverse position and the vehicle drove in reverse but would not stop while pressing the brake pedal. Eventually, the contact was abl...
Subaru was not willing to cover the cost to replace their faulty gear shifter. My key gets stuck in the ignition. This problem has been confirmed by a dealership. No warnings happen, it gets stuck. This is a safety issue because I have to leave my keys in my car (unlocked) and come back for them when the car decides to recognize that it is in park. This is a know issue and Subaru wiped its hands o...
AT ABOUT 112,000 MILES, MY 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK'S TRANSMISSION SHOWED SIGNS OF FAILURE. THE "MANUAL SHIFT" GEAR LEVER POSITION WOULD NO LONGER INCREASE OR DECREASE THE TRANSMISSION RPM AND A WHIRRING AND CLICKING NOISE BECAME APPARENT AND INCREASED OR DECREASED WITH SPEED. THE SUBARU DEALER IN SALISBURY, MD DIAGNOSED A FAILING TRANSMISSION AND QUOTED $9,916 TO REPLACE IT.
Car was being driven on the highway in cruise control, when the cruise control turned off and the car began to decelerate. When the gas pedal was pressed, the RPMs shot up but there was no acceleration. The car was pulled over, turned off, and we were not able to turn it on again. The car was towed to a shop, where they were able to identify the engine wasn’t working but not the root cause, and a...
We have a Subaru 2017 and have had to replace the windshield TWICE. In each instance a small rock flew up and cracked the windshield. I have owned different models of cars for years and have NEVER had to replace a windshield twice? Is there a manufacturing defect in these windhshields? Both times we have taken it to a Subaru dealer to have the windshield replaced and we ordered Subaru windshiel...
My windshield (which has had multiple class action lawsuits) cracked spontaneously sitting in my driveway. I contacted Subaru of America and they denied any responsibility and claimed there is no assistance they can provide. This crack has gone from about half of my windshield to nearly the entire windshield horizontally. This is clearly a defective product as numerous complaints have been made by...
I'm the original owner, purchased May 2017, and have had to replace the battery five times. Online research indicates that the root cause is phantom draining caused by the DCM apparently searching for a no longer existent 3G signal. Subaru has not addressed the issue directly and has instead issued a technical service bulletin to AAA affiliates to advise their customers to go to dealerships for la...
Showing 20 of 909 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2017 Subaru Outback
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module
Opened 2021-09-17
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 20...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2017 Subaru Outback
Has the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK been recalled?
Yes, the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK has 4 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK have?
The 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK has 909 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 31 involved crashes. 24 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
The 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 5/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK involve electrical system (327 complaints), visibility/wiper (180 complaints), unknown or other (120 complaints). Other affected components include power train, visibility, electrical system,unknown or other.
How many crash reports does the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK have?
There are 31 crash reports associated with the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK out of 909 total complaints (3.4% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK have?
There are 1 fire reports for the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK out of 909 total complaints. Fire reports are among the most serious safety concerns tracked by NHTSA.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK.
How many injuries are reported for the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
24 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK is proceed with caution. It has 909 complaints, 4 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
The components with the most failures on the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK are: 1. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (327 complaints), 2. VISIBILITY/WIPER (180 complaints), 3. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (120 complaints), 4. POWER TRAIN (26 complaints), 5. VISIBILITY (25 complaints). ELECTRICAL SYSTEM is the single most-reported problem area with 327 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
Be cautious of electrical system and engine issues, and ensure regular maintenance to address these problems. The 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK has 909 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
The 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK receives a reliability score of 85/100, indicating above-average reliability. This is based on 909 owner complaints, 4 recalls, and 32 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Electrical System and Engine and Power Train.
What are the known issues with the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK?
Known issues with the 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK include: Electrical System, Engine and Power Train, Visibility/Wiper, Air Bag/Restraint Control Module. These are based on patterns found across 909 NHTSA complaints. 4 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
What are the most common issues with the 2017 Subaru Outback?
Common issues include electrical system problems, engine and power train issues, and visibility problems with the wipers.
Are there any recalls for the 2017 Subaru Outback?
Yes, there is a recall for air bag/Restraint Control Module issues affecting certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles.
What should I do if I experience unexpected acceleration or battery drain?
If you experience unexpected acceleration or battery drain, have the vehicle inspected by a professional mechanic.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of electrical system and engine issues, and ensure regular maintenance to address these problems.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2017 Subaru Outback
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2017 Subaru Outback. The data includes 909 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 4 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 31 reported crashes, 1 fire incidents, 24 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2017 Subaru Outback an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 5 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 4 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16