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What 638 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Outback Wilderness

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 (638)Crash / fire / injury (27)Electrical system (308)Visibility & wipers (91)Engine (51)Transmission & drivetrain (45)Steering (24)Speed control (20)Body & structure (19)Brakes (17)Fuel system (12)Airbags (10)

51 of 638 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 3 of 3

Nov 9, 2016Engine

THE 3.6R ENGINE IMMEDIATELY AFTER COLD START DOES ABOUT 5 CYCLING SURGES OF ABOUT 300 RPM WITH TRANSMISSION IN FORWARD OR REVERSE AND BRAKES APPLIED. THIS EVENT DOES NOT HAPPEN UNLESS TRANSMISSION IS PUT IN GEAR WITH BRAKES APPLIED. THE SURGE DOES NOT HAPPEN AFTER A SHORT WARM UP. IT DOES PRESENT A DRIVING PROBLEM WITH A TIGHT PARKING SITUATION OR TO DEPARTING A GARAGE.

NHTSA ODI 10925283

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Working with the data? Download all 638 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 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 2016 Subaru Outback Wilderness verdict →