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#BS-2016-SUBOUT-192E

2016 Subaru Outback

Based on reports from 757 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
757
Crashes
37
Fires
6
Recalls
4
TSBs
452
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 757 complaints, 37 crashes, 6 fires, and 4 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

drained battery

28 complaints • Severity 7.3/10

$X,XXX
2

blistered paint

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX
3

water leak

2 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

299 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 34K miles.

!Inspect the VisibilityMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

176
0–30K
154
30–60K
59
60–90K
16
90–120K
6
120–150K
3
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (176 reports) • Median: 34K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (299 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical299 (39%)
Other123 (16%)
Visibility83 (11%)
Engine52 (7%)
Drivetrain40 (5%)
Steering23 (3%)
Structure:body19 (3%)
Speed Control18 (2%)

2016 Subaru Outback: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 39% of all reports filed for the 2016 Subaru Outback, with 299 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 34,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 34K-mile mark.

Visibility Issues

Visibility complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2016 Subaru Outback, with 83 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2016 Subaru Outback, with 52 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2016 Subaru Outback, with 40 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

8
15
65
16
38
17
64
18
76
19
116
20
204
21
81
22
38
23
37
24
27
25
3
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2016 Subaru Outback. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (4 recalls)

15V502000Aug 2015

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.

15V794000Dec 2015

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.

16V292000Do Not DriveMay 2016

STEERING:COLUMN

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.

19V910000Feb 2020

AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Outback vehicles. A replacement air bag control module may have been installed that is not compatible with the passenger air bag module, possibly affecting air bag deployment.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Subaru Outback is the 2013 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is electrical.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 757 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Subaru Outback Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995
View all Subaru Outback years →

2016 Subaru Outback: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2016 Subaru Outback?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2016 Subaru Outback is related to the electrical, with 299 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2016 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 2016 Subaru Outback has 757 complaints, 37 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2016 Subaru Outback problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2016 Subaru Outback have any recalls?
Yes, the 2016 Subaru Outback has 4 recalls on record. At least one is a critical “Do Not Drive” recall. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Subaru Outback problems start?
Based on 414 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 34,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 757 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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