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Subaru · Compact SUV

2026 Subaru Outback

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
A
Safety Signal
100 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns0
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA14
Crash ratingNHTSA overall
Fuel economybest combined, EPA27 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021202020192018

The 2026 Subaru Outback is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Outback AWD, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 14 complaints, most often about the electrical system.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Outback AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl253127$2,300
Outback AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl turbo212924$2,600
Outback Wilderness AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl turbo212723$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49531, 49533, 49536.

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Recalls (0)

Source: NHTSA recall database

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2026 Subaru Outback. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
14complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2026: 14

Most-cited components

Unspecified6
Electrical System4
Seats2
Forward Collision Avoidance2
Vehicle Speed Control2
Tires1

What owners describe

“Incident Summary: On August 23, 2026, a multi-occupant injury event occurred during routine city braking due to an inherent occupant packaging design defect in the vehicle’s front seating and sun visor layout. The vehicle exhibits a static seat-to-visor clearance of 79 cm versus a standard median adult sitting height…”Sep 7, 2026 · Seats · NHTSA owner report
“I'm new to this automotive technology. When I was introduced to the car, one of the "features" indicated was the ability to sense and slow down for curves, if the system sensed the need, when operating under the cruise control option. In testing my different options of my new car, I was using the cruise control on a 65…”Aug 17, 2026 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report
“I was in an automatic car wash, approaching the end of the tunnel. The car was running but in neutral. I put my foot on the brake pedal and shifted into drive. As I moved the shifter, I heard a scraping sound followed by a clink sound, then the car surged forward and accelerated toward a stone wall directly ahead. I tu…”Aug 8, 2026 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Outback model years

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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