2012 Subaru Outback Transmission & Powertrain Problems
NHTSA lists 107 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Subaru Outback, 37% of all complaints filed for the year. Owners report unintended rollaway from park, sudden downshifts to first gear, and hard jerking or clunking when exiting a freeway while cold. Median mileage at failure is 101,000, and no related recall is on file.
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints
- 107
- 37% of 292
- Crashes reported
- 4
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 2
- Median mileage
- 101,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical transmission symptoms owners report
- Vehicle placed in park on level ground or an incline rolls away on its own, sometimes with a scraping noise from the transmission.
- Automatic transmission unexpectedly drops from drive into what feels like first or manual gear while cruising at speed, causing a sudden loss of forward motion.
- When the transmission is cold, exiting a freeway and decelerating from around 60 mph to the 35-45 mph range produces a hard jerk, clunk, or momentary lockup described as feeling like being hit from behind.
- The cold-transmission jerking or skipped-gear sensation recurs intermittently, mostly on the first drive of the day or shortly after startup in cold weather.
- A separate report describes shifting problems paired with all-wheel-drive traction loss and a fire at the starter with smoke coming from the transmission and alternator area.
When 2012 Subaru Outback transmission complaints were filed
First complaint Mar 12, 2012, latest Dec 19, 2024.
Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2012 Subaru Outback
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Outback model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many transmission complaints does NHTSA have for the 2012 Subaru Outback?
- NHTSA lists 107 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Outback, which is 37% of the 292 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Subaru Outback transmission?
- No. The data shows no related recalls listed for this problem area on the 2012 Outback.
- At what mileage do 2012 Outback transmission problems usually show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 101,000 miles.
- What kind of transmission failures do owners describe most?
- Owners describe unintended vehicle rollaway from park, sudden unrequested downshifts to first gear while driving, and hard jerking or clunking when the transmission is cold and the car decelerates exiting a freeway.
- Did the 2012 Outback's transmission problems cause any crashes?
- NHTSA data tied to this problem area for the 2012 Outback lists 4 crashes, 1 fire, and 2 injuries among the reported complaints.