2012 Subaru Outback Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
BestComplaint Index
13/100
#14 most-complained of 16 Outback years
The 2012 Subaru Outback has 292 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 13, ranking 14th out of 16 model years — meaning it's one of the better Outback years. Its top problem area is Transmission & Powertrain, at 37% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 292
- Recalls
- 16
- Crashes / fires
- 15 / 6
- Injuries / deaths
- 11 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 22
- 19 city / 26 hwy
Top 2012 Subaru Outback problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain107 (37%)
- Engine59 (20%)
- Electrical System51 (17%)
- Brakes41 (14%)
- Airbags39 (13%)
- Other24 (8%)
- Steering9 (3%)
- Structure & Body9 (3%)
- Visibility & Wipers8 (3%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (2%)
What owners report
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in moderate-speed frontal and side crashes, sometimes causing injury to the driver.
- Owners report the vehicle rolling away unexpectedly after being placed in park or left in neutral, in some cases while the owner was outside the car.
- Electrical system complaints describe smoke or fire near the starter, alternator, or engine bay, sometimes accompanied by shifting problems in the all-wheel-drive system.
- One owner reported the transmission scraping and the car rolling backward down an incline while parked, striking a curb.
- Some complaints reference the lack of an emergency/parking brake feature on this model year, which owners said contributed to rollaway incidents.
2012 Subaru Outback recalls
16 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V001000Jan 2, 2020Airbags258,813 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 20V003000Jan 2, 2020Airbags111,562 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 20V002000Jan 2, 2020Airbags127,547 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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.
2012 Subaru Outback fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 22 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Subaru Outback reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Outback ranks 14th out of 16 model years with a complaint index of 13, making it one of the better years for this model.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Subaru Outback?
- NHTSA data shows Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 37% of complaints, followed by Engine at 20%, Electrical System at 17%, Brakes at 14%, and Airbags at 13%.
- Does the 2012 Subaru Outback have a Takata airbag recall?
- Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag recalls tied to Takata inflators, including campaigns 20V001000, 20V003000, 20V002000, 19V008000, 19V007000, and 19V009000, covering the 2012 Outback.
- How many complaints does the 2012 Subaru Outback have?
- NHTSA lists 292 complaints for the 2012 Outback, with 15 crashes, 6 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
- What is the median mileage for transmission failures on the 2012 Outback?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 101,000 miles for Transmission & Powertrain complaints on the 2012 Outback.