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What 295 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Subaru Outback

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (295)Crash / fire / injury (24)Engine (67)Transmission & drivetrain (58)Airbags (42)Steering (34)Speed control (26)Brakes (25)Electrical system (23)Fuel system (15)Suspension (15)Visibility & wipers (14)

4 of 295 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 4, 2023AirbagsSpeed controlFuel systemCrash1 injury

I was pulling into a parking space very slowly when the car went into overdrive and suddenly accelerated at a high speed. It plunged down a slight decline and hit a large tree. My airbag failed to deploy although I was thrown violently forward, and the car sustained severe front end damage. The car is considered a total loss and I spent a day at a hospital emergency room. The sudden unexpected acceleration and the lack of airbag inflation is going to be assessed by Subaru on 10/24/23. I understand that there are two class action lawsuits against Subaru (in NJ & CA) for this same unanticipated acceleration issue.

NHTSA ODI 11548304

May 24, 2021Speed controlFuel systemDriver assistanceCrash

Upon entering a parking space,my 2013 Subaru Outback went from idle to full acceleration,hitting a parked,unoccupied truck. Braking had no effect on the car,the air bag did not deploy,and the car did not decelerate until I was able to engage Park-within a few seconds it resumed the idle. The police made a report,car was taken to wrecking yard,and is now at repair facility for possible repair. There were no prior warnings or messages. I was unaware of a safety issue with Subaru and when I contacted my local dealer,I was told they were unaware of any issues. I then did research online and found numerous problems.

NHTSA ODI 11418358

Jul 15, 2016Fuel systemCrash

ON A CLEAR DRY MORNING I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IN FRONT OF A BRICK OFFICE BUILDING. WHEN I RELEASED THE SERVICE BRAKE (HAVING REACHED THE END OF THE PARKING SPACE) THE CAR BOLTED FORWARD, JUMPED THE CURB, CROSSED A SIDEWALK, WENT THRU SHRUBS, AND HIT THE BRICK WALL, CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND BUILDING. THE DISTANCE TRAVELED WAS ABOUT 10 FEET.

NHTSA ODI 10884972

Oct 18, 2015Fuel systemCrash

SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WNED PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE. THE VEHICILE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND RAN INTO STORE FRONT.

NHTSA ODI 10783145

Working with the data? Download all 295 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Subaru Outback verdict →