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2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
85 owner complaints · 2 recalls · data verified July 19, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#195 of 368Among the 2023 models with a matured record, the 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness ranks #195, scoring higher than 44% of them. See the 2023 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Driver assistance (21) · Visibility & wipers (19) · Electrical system (17) · Brakes (6)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Driver assistance
25%21 complaints · 5 in the last 2 years
“When going down my driveway, the (RAB) Reverse Automatic Braking system will often times turn itself off and not reset like the manual say's it should. I have to stop …”
Visibility & wipers
22%19 complaints · 5 in the last 2 years
“Windshield was struck by a small stone. There was no immediate damage but over a period of several weeks 5 cracks appeared traversing the windshield top to bottom.”
Electrical system
20%17 complaints · 5 in the last 2 years
“The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Outlook. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the Starlink system failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken…”
Brakes
7%6 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years
“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 happe…”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.
Read all 85 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 9 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (2)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Power Train · 23V755000
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 enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Power Train · 23V647000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
Risk: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Subaru before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
- Owners of this model report driver assistance problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any driver assistance symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Owners of this model report visibility & wipers problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any visibility & wipers symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2023 Subaru OUTBACK WILDERNESS beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2023? See how every Outback Wilderness model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.