2023 Subaru Outback: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
9%
7 of 89 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2023 Subaru Outback. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 9% of relevant complaints.
Better than 98% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTE01/29/2025CRASH1 INJURED
My car had an unintended acceleration that caused me to go in a ditch and hit a tree. I could not get car to stop when I realized it was increasing speed. It all happened very fast. My car was totaled. All airbags deployed. front right side of car was completely destroyed. There were no warnings. My insurance compa…
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES08/20/2026
Driving at speeds around 40 and when braking to turn, the brakes jerk and feel like they are not engaging properly. It has happened to a different driver, twice both times on a 90 degree day, a few minutes after the vehicle had been started and the air conditioner was running on high. After this happened we Googled the…
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE01/27/2025CRASH
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that his wife was driving the vehicle and as she was entering into a parking spot and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration. The contact's wife reported that the vehicle had made an abnormal revving sound as if she h…
Three of 7 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulti…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to en…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2023 Subaru Outback
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
