Recall Register

2009 Subaru Outback: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns for the 2009 Subaru Outback. The newest campaign is 20V002000. NHTSA received the report on 2 Jan 2020. The NHTSA record gives the component Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module. NHTSA has 106 complaints on file for this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 20V002000, in the NHTSA record

Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

13 campaigns, newest first. 1,988,974 units in total.

  • 20V002000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 20V003000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 20V001000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 19V297000Electrical System / Ignition / Switch
  • 18V014000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 18V012000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 18V013000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 17V026000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 17V014000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 16V738000Electrical System
  • 16V358000Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
  • 14V311000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
  • 13V110000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
  1. 20V002000Received . 127,547 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKB-20. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  2. 20V003000Received . 111,562 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKC-20. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  3. 20V001000Received . 258,813 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKA-20. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  4. 19V297000Received . 511 units.

    Electrical System / Ignition / Switch

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WUF-91. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  5. 18V014000Received . 72,150 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-18.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKC-18. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  6. 18V012000Received . 64,179 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-18.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKA-18. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  7. 18V013000Received . 93,209 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-18.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKB-18. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  8. 17V026000Received . 69,529 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Baja, 2009 Forester, Legacy and Outback and 2006-2009 Impreza (including WRX and STI models) and Tribeca vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-17.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKB-17. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  9. 17V014000Received . 53,480 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKA-17. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  10. 16V738000Received . 100,127 units.

    Electrical System

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WTM-73. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  11. 16V358000Received . 302,127 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-16.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number TKA-16. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  12. 14V311000Received . 461,338 units.

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WQK-47. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  13. 13V110000Received . 274,402 units.

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.

    Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WQG-43. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

106 complaints, 143 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

  • 2009 Subaru Outback
  • All 2009 vehicles
2009 Subaru Outback: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component2009 OutbackAll 2009 vehiclesOutback, all yearsMentions
Air Bags209.8137.856.530
Electrical System160.8130.2184.723
Engine104.974.357.615
Exterior Lighting69.928.82710
Power Train55.965.8808
Visibility/Wiper55.99141.58
Fuel/Propulsion System4935.721.87
Unknown or Other4245.3106.96
Suspension4230.1266
Service Brakes355834.55

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 21.

Complaints that report a crash
1
Complaints that report a fire
3
Injuries in the complaints
2
Deaths in the complaints
0
Date of the newest complaint
17 Aug 2026

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2009 Subaru Outback, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2016, with 19 complaints.

Investigations

The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

Official channels

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2009 Subaru Outback: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/subaru/outback/2009/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .

Sources

Source
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence
US government work, public domain
Recall file through
30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through
30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file
1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file
Subaru of America, Inc.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2009 Subaru Outback?
1,988,974 units in 13 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Subaru Outback have for all model years?
NHTSA lists 71 recall campaigns for the Subaru Outback, model years 1995 to 2026. 13 of them name the 2009 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2009 Subaru Outback name most often?
Air Bags: 30 of 143 component mentions, or 209.8 per 1,000. For all 2009 vehicles the figure is 137.8 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2009 Subaru Outback open?
The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.