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What 291 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 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 (291)Crash / fire / injury (10)Visibility & wipers (107)Electrical system (72)Driver assistance (29)Engine (20)Speed control (18)Airbags (16)Transmission & drivetrain (11)Fuel system (10)Body & structure (7)Brakes (7)

1 of 291 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

May 23, 2026AirbagsCrash2 injuries

We are VERY concerned about the failure of some very important safety features of our 2021 Subaru Outback Touring Edition. We were involved in a bad car accident caused by a person under the influence who was in handcuffs when we were taken away by ambulance. As you can see by the photos, there was MAJOR damage to the other car and significant damage to ours. What is most concerning is the fact that NONE of the airbags deployed and the safety and security plan also failed - it did not call 911. I had to find my phone on the floorboard and call 911 myself. I am not sure if the insurance company will call it a total loss but I really don't think I want the car back BECAUSE of the failures of these very important safety features. I truly feel like Subaru has some explaining to do on this.

NHTSA ODI 11739672

Working with the data? Download all 291 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 2021 Subaru Outback Wilderness verdict →