2018 Subaru Outback
Model year 2018: every recall NHTSA’s file names for it, the complaints owners made to NHTSA, and its crash ratings.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. NHTSA’s recall lookup is on nhtsa.gov.
The short answer
From NHTSA’s files, copied Oct 22, 2026.
- 3 recalls naming it in NHTSA’s file (needs attention)
- 816 owner complaints to NHTSA
- 5of 5 overall stars from NHTSA
A recall covers the vehicles it names, by build date where NHTSA gives one. Your VIN says which are open on yours.
Is your vehicle in one of these recalls?
No public file says which recalls are still open on one vehicle. NHTSA’s lookup does, from its VIN.
The VIN goes to NHTSA, never to Hearth Record.
What recalls name it?
3 recalls for the 2018 Subaru Outback in NHTSA’s file, newest first. Each covers the vehicles it names; your VIN says if yours is one.
None carries NHTSA’s advice not to drive it or to park outside.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 22, 2026. Updated daily.
Jul 29, 2021. Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
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NHTSA campaign
21V-587
Dec 31, 2018. Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices
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NHTSA campaign
18V-935
Nov 1, 2018. Electrical system: software; fuel system, gasoline
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NHTSA campaign
18V-773
What have owners told NHTSA?
816 complaints to NHTSA, received from Aug 20, 2017 to Oct 20, 2026.
- 27 complaints told of a crash, and 4 complaints of a fire.
- Together they report 19 people injured and no deaths.
- Complaints are owners’ own reports, not findings: NHTSA reads them to decide what to look into. Only their counts are kept here; no complaint’s words or owner are read.
NHTSA, Owner complaints flat files. Released Oct 22, 2026. Updated daily.
How did it do in crash tests?
NHTSA rated 1 version of the 2018 Subaru Outback: 5 stars overall.
NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings, in whole stars. NHTSA’s safety concerns are shown beneath the stars they qualify, as NHTSA asks.
NHTSA, 5-Star Safety Ratings. Released Aug 7, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outback, SW, AWD | 5 stars | 5 starsDriver 5, passenger 5 | 5 starsSide pole 5 | 4 starsA 17.4% chance of rolling over; no tip |
NHTSA lists no safety concern for any version rated here.
Safety technology, as NHTSA lists it
- Forward collision warning: optional.
- Lane departure warning: optional.
- Crash imminent braking: optional.
- Dynamic brake support: optional.
What the record doesn’t say
- Which recalls are still open on one vehicle: only NHTSA’s lookup, with its VIN, says that.
- Ratings are for the versions NHTSA tested. Other cabs, engines and drives can rate differently.
- How serious each complaint was, or whether it was confirmed: complaints aren’t findings.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010).
Released Oct 22, 2026 and checked Oct 22, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Owner complaints flat files.
Released Oct 22, 2026 and checked Oct 22, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5-Star Safety Ratings.
Released Aug 7, 2026 and checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
Vehicle, car seat, tire and vehicle equipment recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Copied on Oct 22, 2026.