2016 Subaru Outback: recalls and complaints
NHTSA advisory: do not driveCampaign 16V292000. NHTSA received the report on . 48,819 units. Steering / Column
Remedy of campaign 16V292000, in the NHTSA record
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
Do-not-drive advisory: A mark on a recall campaign in the NHTSA recall file. This site shows the mark as NHTSA sets it.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Subaru Outback. The newest campaign is 19V910000. NHTSA received the report on 19 Dec 2019. The NHTSA record gives the component Air Bags / Air Bag/Restraint Control Module. NHTSA has 160 complaints on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names this model year.
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, 19V910000, in the NHTSA record
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUX-09.
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
Recall campaigns
4 campaigns, newest first. 55,009 units in total.
- 19V910000Air Bags / Air Bag/Restraint Control Module
- 16V292000Steering / ColumnAdvisory
- 15V794000Power Train / Driveline / Differential Unit
- 15V502000Power Train / Driveline / Driveshaft
19V910000Received . 46 units.
Air Bags / Air Bag/Restraint Control Module
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been installed that is not compatible with the passenger air bag module, possibly affecting air bag deployment.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash necessitating passenger frontal air bag deployment, the air bag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUX-09.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WUX-09. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
16V292000Received . 48,819 units.
Steering / ColumnDo-not-drive advisory
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WTD-65. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
15V794000Received . 3,251 units.
Power Train / Driveline / Differential Unit
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the drive shaft detaches from the rear differential, it may strike the fuel tank and result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the fastening nuts, and tighten or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 10, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is WQV-57.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WQV-57. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
15V502000Received . 2,893 units.
Power Train / Driveline / Driveshaft
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQU-56.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WQU-56. 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
160 complaints, 195 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.
- 2016 Subaru Outback
- All 2016 vehicles
| Component | 2016 Outback | All 2016 vehicles | Outback, all years | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 169.2 | 29.5 | 50.3 | 33 |
| Unknown or Other | 164.1 | 120.5 | 52.8 | 32 |
| Electrical System | 117.9 | 100.4 | 83.1 | 23 |
| Power Train | 76.9 | 128.6 | 120.7 | 15 |
| Steering | 66.7 | 56.4 | 46.5 | 13 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 61.5 | 54.3 | 73.2 | 12 |
| Service Brakes | 61.5 | 76.8 | 33.4 | 12 |
| Structure | 56.4 | 49.7 | 28.7 | 11 |
| Engine | 41 | 119.7 | 60.4 | 8 |
| Air Bags | 35.9 | 48.1 | 109.2 | 7 |
The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 21.
- Complaints that report a crash
- 11
- Complaints that report a fire
- 1
- Injuries in the complaints
- 6
- Deaths in the complaints
- 0
- Date of the newest complaint
- 12 May 2019
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.
Investigations
| Number | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Campaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA21002 | Engineering analysis | Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture | Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module | 17 Sep 2021 | Open |
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
- NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
- NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
- NHTSA page of the 2016 Subaru OutbackThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.
Cite this page
Recall Register. 2016 Subaru Outback: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/subaru/outback/2016/. 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
- 29 Sep 2026
- Complaint file through
- 15 May 2019
- 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 2016 Subaru Outback?
- 55,009 units in 4 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 2023. 4 of them name the 2016 model year.
- Which component do the complaints about the 2016 Subaru Outback name most often?
- Visibility/Wiper: 33 of 195 component mentions, or 169.2 per 1,000. For all 2016 vehicles the figure is 29.5 per 1,000.
- Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2016 Subaru Outback open?
- 1 investigation has no closing date in the NHTSA file, of 1 that name this model year.