2013 SUBARU OUTBACK — Complaint #2036999
Open-data reference.
NHTSA Complaint about AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE filed October 31, 2024
NHTSA complaint #2036999 (ODI reference 11622969) concerns a 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK and was filed on October 31, 2024. The owner reports the failure occurred on June 12, 2023. The vehicle had 80,000 miles on the odometer at the time of the incident. The report was geocoded to Arizona based on the filer's self-reported location. The affected component is categorized as air bags: air bag/restraint control module, one of NHTSA's standardized taxonomy codes used to group defect patterns across make, model, and year.
The filer flagged the following severity indicators: crash: yes, fire: no, injuries: 1, fatalities: 0. A complaint that flags a crash, fire, or fatality is escalated on NHTSA's internal review queue and factors more heavily into any Preliminary Evaluation decision on this make and model. Because a VIN was supplied, this complaint is tied to a specific vehicle and not just a model-year cohort.
Individual complaints are consumer-submitted and unverified by NHTSA engineers — the agency's role at this stage is to collect, index, and make them searchable. What matters for federal action is the pattern: when many owners of the same SUBARU OUTBACK cohort independently describe similar air bags: air bag/restraint control module failures, defect investigators have grounds to open a PE and request manufacturer data. Related filings for the same vehicle and component appear below, and the detail page for the full 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK shows the complete component-level complaint distribution alongside any active investigations or recalls.
Complaint Description
The contact owned a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a metal guard rail on the driver's side along the length of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had bounced off of the rail and the front end on the passenger side had crashed into a metal post on the right side of the road. The contact stated that the force of the crash ejected him through the windshield. The contact stated that EMS and firemen were on scene but there was no police. The contact stated he had not lost consciousness. The contact was transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The contact had lacerations on his forehead, scalp, nose and chin. The contact had bruises on his chest, shoulders, both arms, and both legs. The contact stated that he was diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury. The contact stated that his insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact was advised by his insurance pr
Complaint Details
| NHTSA Complaint ID | 2036999 |
| ODI Number | 11622969 |
| Date Filed | October 31, 2024 |
| Failure Date | June 12, 2023 |
| VIN | 4S4BRCCC3D3 |
Source: NHTSA Vehicle Complaints Database. Component taxonomy and severity codes are standardized by NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.