SUBARU OUTBACK · model year

2009 SUBARU OUTBACK

140 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 13 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009SUBARUOUTBACK carries 140 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 3 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 OUTBACK is air bags with 29 filings, followed by electrical system (22) and engine (15). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 13 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2009 OUTBACK. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

140
Complaints
2
Crashes
3
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

140 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS29
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22
ENGINE15
EXTERIOR LIGHTING9
VISIBILITY/WIPER8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER6
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM6
POWER TRAIN5
SERVICE BRAKES5
SUSPENSION4
STRUCTURE:BODY4
STEERING3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2

Recalls (13)

13V11000027/03/2013

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New

16V35800025/05/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,

16V73800013/10/2016

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump

19V29700011/04/2019

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part.

17V02600011/01/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Baja, 2009 Forester, Legacy and Outback and 2006-2009 Impreza (including WRX and STI models) and Tribeca vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana

14V31100010/06/2014

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michi

17V01400010/01/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Ha

18V01300009/01/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New J

18V01200009/01/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, Am

18V01400009/01/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, O

20V00100002/01/2020

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, Hawai

20V00300002/01/2020

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,

20V00200002/01/2020

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 Columbi

Recent Complaints

20260212AIR BAGS

airbag light is on.

20251120FireENGINE

The contact owned a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle had failed to accelerate above 60 MPH without warning. The contact soon began to notice heavy white smoke in her rear-view mirror as the smoke quickly spread to the front end of the vehicle. The contact immediately pulled over, grabbed vital items, and exited the vehicle. The contact called 911 as flames quickly engulfed the vehicle, and a deputy who witnessed the fire pulled over to assist the contact. The fire department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact sustained emotional distress as a result of the accident but did not seek medical attention. The contact was not given a police or fire report. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard before the contact's insurance had the vehicle towed to another location. The insurance company later deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure milea

Mileage: 200,000

20251105SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the brake pedal was extremely soft. The contact stated that the vehicle required an extended distance to slow down or come to a complete stop, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the braking system due to brake fluid leaks. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 188,000.

Mileage: 188,000

20250802POWER TRAIN

When I parked my vehicle in the garage, I smelled an odor coming from the engine compartment. I found that the front right inner axle boot had leaked grease. I then saw that the grease covered the catalytic converter. I am not sure when this started to be a problem, but my main concern was it could have started a fire.

20250418SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owned a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact swerved to avoid a crash and moved over to the median. The contact stated that the vehicle spun around, and the contact used the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The contact was unaware of a warning light being illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion, the air bag warning light intermittently illuminated weeks before a crash. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags failed to deploy. A Police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The Insurance company was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that there was a gasoline odor coming from the engine weeks prior to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

Mileage: 106,000

20240327ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The rear hatch on this Outback won't lock. As a woman on her own, my safety is at risk. I have read of other people who have this issue and has been able to fix this on their own. This is a safety issue if your vehicle won't lock completely because the wires in the hatch are compromised.

20231020VISIBILITY/WIPER

The dashboard becomes sticky and shiny and therefore makes it difficult to see. Subaru offered a limited recall but too many vehicles such as mine were overlooked. Also apparently the repair they offered only replaced the dashboard with one of the same caliber. So eventually more cars will be affected by the sticky and shiny dash as time goes on.

20230817SERVICE BRAKES

Passenger Side - rear brake line failed. Upon inspection the brake line rotted out at 4 way junction box - just in front of the rear tire- passenger side. Had to remove the plastic shield to get to the problem. I was driving at the time when it failed. Pretty scary as the car almost did not stop. I lost about half of the brake fluid. I know Subaru of America had a recall and this car was inspected years ago. Their fix was to spray a wax coating on the lines. They should have replaced the brake lines on all the cars subject to the recall. There is obviously an issue here with the quality of the lines they used as I see that 2005 to 2009 subarus have this problem. Safety put me or others at risk - yes

20230421ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart after being parked. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the battery was charged to start the vehicle. The contact was informed by a tow truck mechanic, who assisted with jumping starting the vehicle, that the end switch needed to be replaced. The information was confirmed by another certified mechanic. The contact stated that a certified mechanic was contacted to schedule a repair however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Mileage: 115,000

20230112SERVICE BRAKES

Car stalling at stops. Received a report on all work done on this car stating issues with catalytic converter and that Subaru repaired before I bought the car. I also had loss of all brakes when the lines leaked out November 2022 . I had brakes repaired cost of $1000.so far since buying this car I have not been able to drive the car because of the stalling issues.

20230112AIR BAGS

Car stalling at stops. Received a report on all work done on this car stating issues with catalytic converter and that Subaru repaired before I bought the car. I also had loss of all brakes when the lines leaked out November 2022 . I had brakes repaired cost of $1000.so far since buying this car I have not been able to drive the car because of the stalling issues.

20230112FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Car stalling at stops. Received a report on all work done on this car stating issues with catalytic converter and that Subaru repaired before I bought the car. I also had loss of all brakes when the lines leaked out November 2022 . I had brakes repaired cost of $1000.so far since buying this car I have not been able to drive the car because of the stalling issues.

20220103SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that both the driver’s and passenger’s side seat belts failed to retract upon release. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where the parts to repair both seat belts were ordered. When the vehicle was returned to the contact, both the driver’s side seat belt and the passenger’s side seat belt were replaced. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be serviced. The failure mileage was 70,198.

Mileage: 70,198

20211222SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while attempting to come to a complete stop, the contact stated that the brake pedal depressed fully to the floor without applying the brakes. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the junction box and brake lines replaced. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Mileage: 170,000

20210809ENGINE

Both the head gasket and valve cover gasket are leaking oil. The head gasket started leaking at 52k miles and the valve cover at 65k miles. Both need to be replaced. Subaru has had issues with these gaskets for decades. There should be a recall for these issues.

20210803ENGINE

The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shut-off with the check engine, traction control and cruise control warning lights illuminated. On several occasions the vehicle would not immediately restart. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for service. No further information was available. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 81,000

20210803ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shut-off with the check engine, traction control and cruise control warning lights illuminated. On several occasions the vehicle would not immediately restart. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for service. No further information was available. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 81,000

20210722SERVICE BRAKES

While coming down a hill, I applied the brakes, and suddenly lost all brake pedal pressure, only being able to stop using a handbrake. This complete loss of the braking system put me and other drivers at risk. Had I been traveling at higher speeds, an accident could have occurred. The brake system warning light came on at the same time as I pumped the brake pedal, and there were no prior indications that the brake system was about to fail. When I inspected the car for fluid leaks, I found that the brake master cylinder was empty and a lot of fluid had collected just in front of the rear passenger-side wheel. The brake line union block at the rear of the car was severely corroded as were the brake lines into and out of the union block. This exact problem was supposedly addressed by NHTSA recall 14V-311 (Subaru Recall WQK-47). The fix involved either applying an anti-corrosion coating or replacing the faulty brake lines. The recall was marked as completed in 2014. However, the comp

20210430ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED COMPLAINT REGARDING MY SUBARU OUTBACK STALLING. I WAS ASSIGNED COMPLAINT NUMBER 11414502 (ATTACHED) BUT WHEN I DIDN'T RECEIVE THE EMAIL, I CHECKED AND IT DIDN'T PULL UP SO I'M RESUBMITTING.

Mileage: 117,000

20210430ENGINE

PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED COMPLAINT REGARDING MY SUBARU OUTBACK STALLING. I WAS ASSIGNED COMPLAINT NUMBER 11414502 (ATTACHED) BUT WHEN I DIDN'T RECEIVE THE EMAIL, I CHECKED AND IT DIDN'T PULL UP SO I'M RESUBMITTING.

Mileage: 117,000

Compare 2009SUBARUOUTBACK to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK have?
The 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK has 140 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 3 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK?
Yes, the 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK has 13 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK?
The most-complained component for the 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK is AIR BAGS with 29 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.