There are 10 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2010 Subaru Outbackin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I BEGAN HEARING UNUSUAL SOUNDS WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE IN JUNE. IT WASN'T CONSISTENT. IT WOULD HAPPEN SOMETIMES WHEN I WOULD BRAKE, EXCEL, TURN, MOSTLY IN CITY TRAFFIC. I COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. IT CONTINUED TO BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND LOUDER. ON JULY 2ND, IT BECAME VERY BAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN I BACKED INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR ANYMORE. I WAS UNABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP, WHICH I WAS TOLD WOULD BE 7-10 DAYS BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN LOOK AT IT, SO I TOOK IT ELSEWHERE. IT TURNED OUT TO BE MY SUB FRAME. I WAS TOLD THE CONDITION WAS VERY DANGEROUS. THE MECHANIC WAS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM, HAVING JUST RECENTLY REPLACED THE SUB FRAME IN A 2011 SUBARU LEGACY. HE MENTIONED THE METAL THEY USE IS OF POOR QUALITY AND THEIR WELDS ARE NOT DONE WELL. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAD 102,000 MILES ON IT.
THE FRONT SUBFRAME RUSTED THROUGH, CAUSING LOUD SCRAPING NOISES WHEN TURNING. THIS CAR HAS ABOUT 92000 MILES ON IT AND IS LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD. REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE AS THIS PART SUPPORTS THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. REPAIR SHOP ALSO SAID THEY HAVE SEEN THIS FAILURE ON OTHER VEHICLES, SPECIFICALLY SUBARU AND MAZDA.
MY SUBARU OUTBACK SUNROOF HAS LEAKED SINCE THE VERY FIRST WINTER. TOXIC MOLD BUILT UP IN THE HEADLINER, ON THE SEATBELTS AND IN OTHER AREAS. MY WIFE WAS SO SICK AT ONE POINT SHE WAS COUGHING SO HARD SHE THREW UP IN OUR DRIVEWAY AFTER SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAR. SHE WAS SICK FOR YEARS AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET YIELDED OTHER SUBARU OWNERS WITH SUNROOF LEAKS AND I BELIEVE THAT IT IS RELATED TO THE DESIGN. THE PROBLEM REMAINS UNRESOLVED AND IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. MOLD REPORT ATTACHED. NOT ONLY IS THE MOLD A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO BE IN ON COMING TRAFFIC WITH MY WIFE HACKING AND COUGHING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR SECTION OF FRONT SUB-FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
TRIED TO OPEN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO EXIT CAR AFTER PARKING. HANDLE MADE A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT SOUND THAN USUAL, AND FAILED TO OPEN LATCH. LOCKING/UNLOCKING AND MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO OPERATE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN OPENING THE DOOR. WITH DIFFICULTY, I WAS ABLE TO MOVE INTO PASSENGER SIDE OF FRONT SEAT BY CLIMBING OVER THE CONSOLE AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE CARE. WHILE THIS WAS NOT AN EMERGENCY, HAD IT OCCURRED DURING AN EMERGENCY, THE DRIVER LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. I TOOK IT IN FOR A REPAIR TODAY, AND SUBARU DEALER CAN'T GET THE PART (CABLE RUNNING BETWEEN INSIDE DOOR HANDLE AND LATCH) FOR 3-4 DAYS. TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. WONDERED IF IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE 2010 TRIBECA DOOR LATCH PROBLEM WHICH PROMPTED A RECALL. *TR
FIRST NOTICED IN THE SPRING OF 2013, ONE OF THE SAFETY HAND-HOLDS IN THE BACK SEAT POPPED OUT OF ITS SOCKET AS SOMEONE WAS RIDING IN THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. SIX MONTHS LATER, THE SAFETY HAND-HOLD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE POPPED OUT AS WELL, WHEN A RIDER WAS USING IT. I NOTICED THAT THE SAFETY HAND-HOLDS CAN BE EASILY POPPED IN AND OUT WITHOUT MUCH FORCE. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE, IT SEEMS THAT THEY SHOULD BE MORE SECURELY FASTENED. *TR
WHILE AT A STOP LITE OR STANDING THE CAR SEND A VIBRATION THROW THE DOOR PANELS BRAKE PEDAL, BACK OF DRIVER SEAT HAD IT BACK TO DEALER AND THEY RAN CHECK ON IT AND CAME UP WITH NORMAL I THINK THEY ARE WRONG IT SCARES ME THAT IT COULD START ON FIRE. *TR
I HAVE A SEVERE WATER LEAK IN MY BRAND NEW SUBARU 2010 OUTBACK, THAT RESULTED IN MOLD ON THE PASSENGER AND REAR PASSENGER FLOOR MATS. WHEN I TURNED A CORNER A LITTLE FLOOD POURED ONTO MY GRANDDAUGHTER ANKLE AND FOOT. IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE HAD POURED A BUCKET INTO MY CAR. MY GRANDCHILDREN HAD TO SHOPVAC THE WATER OUT OF THE CAR. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER LEAVES HAD PLUGGED THE DRAIN TUBE. UPDATED IVOQ 09/27/10 *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND SLOWING DOWN A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE LEFT REAR SIDE CAUSING THE LEFT REAR TIRE TO LOSE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, AND THEN SHE CONTINUED TO DRIVE TO HER DESTINATION PER THE POLICE OFFICER'S INSTRUCTIONS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED WHIPLASH AND THE PASSENGER HAD A NECK INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COLLISION CENTER WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 5,000.
I PURCHASED A 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK FROM IRA SUBARU IN DANVERS, MA IN JANUARY, 2010. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, I DISCOVERED THE FRAME AROUND THE ENGINE WAS RUSTED. THIS CAR IS BRAND NEW. I RECENTLY BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF IRA SUBARU. THEY SAID IT'S FINE, AND IT JUST NEEDS TO BE TREATED WITH A SPECIAL SPRAY, AND THAT'S ALL THEY DID. IS THIS SAFE? WHY WAS MY 2010 SUBARU ALREADY RUSTING? THE CARS THAT WCVB TV IN BOSTON HIGHLIGHTED LAST NIGHT ALL SEEMED TO BE JAPANESE. PLEASE ADVISE. MY CAR HAS JUST 3,800 MILES ON IT. THANK YOU. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026