2013 Subaru Outback Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2013 Subaru Outback has 297 complaints and 12 recall campaigns, giving it a complaint index of 35 and a rank of 14 among 21 model years. NHTSA caps its verdict at Caution because of the 12 recall campaigns, even though the complaint index alone is moderate.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 35/100
- #14 of 21 Outback years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 297
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 12
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 18
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 13
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21 city / 28 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 13 / 1
Top 2013 Subaru Outback problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine88 (30%)
- Transmission & Powertrain60 (20%)
- Airbags42 (14%)
- Steering34 (11%)
- Brakes33 (11%)
- Electrical System29 (10%)
- Other27 (9%)
- Structure & Body22 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires21 (7%)
- Fuel System15 (5%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration at low speeds, including while parking or idling in a driveway, sometimes resulting in a crash into a garage or storefront.
- Some drivers report the engine suddenly revving on its own while braking or moving slowly, unrelated to throttle input.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in low-speed crashes, including one where a foot became wedged between pedals.
- Owners report the wiper motor catching fire while wipers were in use and would not shut off, in one case while the vehicle was moving.
- Electrical drain issues left batteries dead after a few days parked, and in one case led to a fire that heavily damaged the car while at a dealership.
- Braking on an incline in wet weather reportedly caused loss of steering control and a slide into a wall.
2013 Subaru Outback recalls
12 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.
2013 Subaru Outback fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 28 MPG
- Combined
- 24 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,700
- 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.
2013 compared with other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Subaru Outback reliable?
- NHTSA data shows the 2013 Outback has a complaint index of 35, ranking 14th worst out of 21 model years, and carries a Caution verdict mainly due to its 12 recall campaigns.
- What problems does the 2013 Subaru Outback have?
- Owners most often reported engine issues (30% of complaints, median mileage 30,000), followed by transmission and powertrain problems (20%) and airbag issues (14%).
- Does the 2013 Subaru Outback have recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns for the 2013 Outback, mostly covering airbag inflators, an electrical ignition switch inspection, and an electronic parking brake actuator on manual-transmission models.
- Why is the 2013 Outback rated Caution instead of based only on its complaint index?
- Its complaint index of 35 alone would suggest a milder rating, but the verdict is capped to Caution because of 12 recall campaigns requiring a dealer visit.
- How does the 2013 Outback compare to other Outback years?
- The 2013 model's complaint index of 35 is lower than 2016-2020 and 2022, which all carry Avoid verdicts with indexes from 60 to 100, but higher than years like 2006, 2007, 2009, 2023, and 2024, which rate Good.