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Subaru OutbackModel year report

2010 Subaru Outback Problems

Compared with other Subaru Outback years

Typical for this model

37/100 0.7× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
360filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
68,000miles, 277 complaints with mileage
Recalls
18campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl AWD · 19 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2010 Subaru Outback (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this 2010 Outback most often describe stalling or shuddering as they come to a stop, along with warning lights that appear together and are hard for dealers to diagnose. Complaints split between early-life problems (steering wheel shake, airbag and stall reports under low mileage) and wear-related issues at higher mileage (CVT and torque converter, brake line corrosion, headlight bulbs).

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Stall or shudder when coming to a stop

    • 109 complaints (30%)
    • median 83,366 mi at 6.9 yrs old (94 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,700 (median of 11 quotes)
    • filed 2010–2026

    Owners describe the engine shuddering or dying as the car slows to a stop or is already stopped, with the tachometer dropping below normal idle. Many link it to the CVT torque converter and report an independent shop or dealer recommending torque converter or transmission replacement; some say a countermeasure torque converter part was installed. Manual-transmission owners also describe stalling when the clutch is pressed, often worse with the A/C on. Several report the dealer could not duplicate the problem or found no codes. Reported from fairly low mileage up through very high mileage, most commonly in stop-and-go and stoplight conditions.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: When test-driving, brake firmly to a stop several times at operating temperature and watch the idle for a dip or shudder. Ask whether the torque converter has been replaced or updated, and have a shop scan for stored transmission codes.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “5 months after the car was purchased new I started using the air conditioner. Within the first week as I was slowing make a right turn into a parking lot from the street I engaged the clutch to shift from 3rd gear to second and the car died and I had no power steering or power brakes. I didn't use the air conditioner all the time. Two times the following week the same thing occurred again, both times slowing down and engaging the clutch and down shifting. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10336830, filed 2010-06, 3,800 miles

    “When driving and approaching a traffic light the car will begin to stutter as if there is a clog in the system. Then it will shut off. I contacted Subaru regarding the issue when we first had the car because there was always a loss of power. Our model is the Outback 2010. They inspected and said it was a carbon build up in the pistons that would cause this issue. There hasn't been any recalls or Subaru notices about this. Now while driving and coming to a stop the car just turns off. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10874163, filed 2016-06, 105,000 miles
  2. Electrical system

    Multiple dash warning lights together

    • 76 complaints (21%)
    • median 81,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (59 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,867 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2026

    Complaints describe brake, VDC/traction, cruise, check engine and AT oil temp lights coming on together, sometimes with cruise dropping out or the parking brake light flashing. Owners say turning the car off and back on clears them temporarily. Several report the dealer cleared codes, replaced a brake switch, or applied software updates without a lasting fix. Mostly reported between roughly 70,000 and 150,000 miles, often after driving 30 minutes or more.

    Recall 19V297000

    What to check: Ask for service records showing any software updates or brake switch replacement, and check that no warning lights are lit before purchase. A scan tool can reveal stored or pending codes.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Multiple times over the past 6 years I will be driving and if using my cruise it stops working and I have flashing lights , brake and cruise light flashes on and off, check engine and traction control light stay on. These lights stay on from 1 day to almost 2 weeks before they go out. I have had them checked many times by Subaru dealer and other mechanic shops with no resolution except to clear the codes”

    NHTSA complaint #11389164, filed 2021-01, 121,000 miles

    “11/21/2020 at oil temp light, brake light, and vehicle dynamics control lights come on while driving after around 30 minutes on a major route (not highway) after already being fixed by a dealership. At the end of august I brought the car to the dealer because all 3 lights had come on after I had arrived near my place of work. I had driven for 35 minutes on the highway and cruising local streets for a spot when they came on. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11375796, filed 2020-11, 74,870 miles
  3. Brakes

    Brake pedal to the floor from corroded lines

    • 44 complaints (12%)
    • median 100,000 mi at 8.9 yrs old (31 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2026

    Owners report the brake pedal sinking or going to the floor, with fluid loss traced to heavily rusted hard lines near the rear junction block above the fuel tank. Complaints frequently note the car was registered in northern states with road salt. Separately, some describe the electronic parking brake beeping, not engaging, or triggering warning lights. Reported mainly on older, higher-mileage cars, often above 100,000 miles, in northern, road-salt states.

    Recall 18V626000

    What to check: Have the brake lines above the rear subframe and near the fuel tank inspected for rust, and confirm the parking brake recall was completed if the car has a manual transmission.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I lost the brakes going down our steep driveway into the private road. We discovered that the brake fluid reservoir was empty. When my husband removed the plastic fuel tank cover to check for a leak, he discovered that the hard brake lines were heavily corroded right around the brake line junction box, similar to the 2005-2009 outbacks. The car had one owner before us, in massachusetts. We are in maine. .”

    NHTSA complaint #11385423, filed 2020-12, 143,200 miles

    “2010 Subaru Outback. When my wife was entering a 4-way stop, the brake pedal went to the floor. Was able to get home without incident. Upon inspection, found the brake lines at a junction block near the gas tank severely corroded and leaking. Why was this not part of the recall which went from 2005-2009. Car was mfg'd in 2009, about 150000 miles”

    NHTSA complaint #11397188, filed 2021-02, 150,000 miles

Buying note. A 2010 Outback can be a practical choice, but have a mechanic check the CVT and torque converter behavior, brake hard lines for corrosion, and confirm all airbag recalls are closed. Service records showing transmission software or converter work are worth asking for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 360 consumer complaints for the 2010 Subaru Outback. 277 of the complaints include a mileage, and 45% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 68,000 miles. Of all complaints, 12 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 8 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns and 319 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Subaru Outback model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 37 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Body and structure (14), Vehicle speed control (13), Tires (9), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (8), Seats (6), Fuel system (5), Wheels (5), Equipment (3), Electronic stability control (2), Seat belts (2), Interior lighting (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Slowing down to under 10mph the car will drop to around 500rpm and will shudder as though it is going to stall. On a few occasions it has actually stalled. I am aware there was an extended warranty to fix the torque converter since Subaru has changed them, but I did not have a warranty on my vehicle and even if I did it is still over 100,000 miles.”

NHTSA complaint #11132174, filed 2018-09, 177,000 miles

Air bags: “Subaru website states no active recall. However, I received a recall notice and hassett Subaru ordered the replacement airbag and informs me that the airbag has been delivered. Hassett Subaru states that installing the airbag takes an entire day, and hassett Subaru only has one mechanic who is trained to install the new airbag. Hassett Subaru has not yet install the replacement airbag. I ordered it on february 9th, and hassett Subaru will not provide me an appointment until march 19. This is unacceptable.”

NHTSA complaint #11183396, filed 2019-03, 110,000 miles

Engine: “Major safety issue - vehicle has started stalling when coming to a stop or slowing down while starting to turn. This has almost caused several accidents for my wife turning out onto the highway. I was told by a Subaru mechanic that Subaru issued a recall, but I can't find it. This has been going on for about 2 months now.”

NHTSA complaint #11244332, filed 2019-08, 154,000 miles

Steering: “Since delivery, car has had slight shimmy of steering wheel at most speeds especially when turning the wheel. Now steering wheel has developed noticeable shake above 60 miles per hour. Dealer says car steering is working normally, possibly a tire issue but I disagree. I now see many others complain of same problem so I am reporting mine as well.”

NHTSA complaint #10618430, filed 2014-08, 1,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

45% of the 277 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 5,000 and 114,000 miles.

30%0–108%10–257%25–508%50–7512%75–10024%100–15011%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (277 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 68,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

73’11’14’17’20’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Subaru Outback. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Outback · sedan AWDnot rated5 / 5——4 · 17.4% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2010 Subaru Outback version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Outback Wagon AWD2.5L 4-cylCVT222924$2,800
Outback Wagon AWD2.5L 4-cyl6-speed manual192722$3,050
Outback Wagon AWD3.6L 6-cyl5-speed automatic182520$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 18 recalls for the 2010 Subaru Outback → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 319 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 319 bulletins →

Other model years of the Subaru Outback

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202621—0—24—Too new
2025832,0000525Too new to compareToo new
20241043,3950525Too new to compareToo new
2023897,50025250 · FewerToo new
202246513,947452677 · MoreStable
20212983,600452959 · TypicalFalling
20209015,7506529100 · MoreFalling
20191,03610,194352887 · MoreFalling
201881616,794352872 · MoreFalling
201791930,000452868 · MoreFalling
201664335,000452854 · TypicalFalling
201551020,000552870 · MoreFalling
201420835,0001052413 · FewerFalling
201329744,1001252421 · FewerFalling
201229490,000164223 · FewerFalling
201165385,0001642246 · TypicalFalling
201036068,00018—2237 · TypicalFalling
200910670,35013—200 · FewerStable
200822679,1508—200 · FewerFalling
200713081,1478—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200627795,3167—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200527382,0009—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20049067,69310——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20039373,76214——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200214370,5004——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200117172,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200020768,3181——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199911189,5001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199812791,4862——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199779103,9954——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199646125,4532——Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Subaru Outback model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Subaru Outback?

Owners of this 2010 Outback most often describe stalling or shuddering as they come to a stop, along with warning lights that appear together and are hard for dealers to diagnose. The issues reported most often: Stall or shudder when coming to a stop; Multiple dash warning lights together; Brake pedal to the floor from corroded lines.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2010 Subaru Outback have?

NHTSA recorded 360 consumer complaints for the 2010 Subaru Outback as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2010 Subaru Outback is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 94 complaints (26% of the total), followed by air bags with 44.

Has the 2010 Subaru Outback been recalled?

NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2010 Subaru Outback get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Subaru Outback (Outback Wagon AWD, 2.5L 4-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 19 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2010 Subaru Outback reported?

Among the 277 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 68,000 miles and the middle half falls between 5,000 and 114,000 miles; 45% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.