2016 Subaru Outback Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 19about this part
- Share
- 3%of 643 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 11,100miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 19 complaints about the brakes of the 2016 Subaru Outback, 3% of the 643 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 11,100 miles. 7 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Upon slowing down & pulling into a parking space, to park my car in front of a business, my vehicle spontaneously accelerated forward, up over the sidewalk. The vehicle accelerated a 2nd time as I tried to stop the vehicle with the brakes. The vehicle did not stop until it impacted the wall of the building.”
NHTSA complaint #11387050, filed 2021-01, 75,000 miles“My 2016 Subaru Outback all of sudden had warning lights such as: brake, ABS, and stability traction control popped up on the dashboard when the car was in park ans when I was driving down the road and will not go away. It has made my steering wheel really hard to turn.”
NHTSA complaint #11343247, filed 2020-08, 75,495 miles“I left my home to go get gas a few minutes away. After I filled up at the pump, my car would not start. I tried several times, and asked a gas station attendant for help. He said it sounded like the battery or alternator. I was able to get the car into neutral, and he pushed my car back into a parking spot so I could call someone for a jump. However, within the few minutes of trying to start my car and being pushed, the battery drained so quickly that the car was completely dead and inoperable. …”
NHTSA complaint #11416650, filed 2021-05, 31,000 miles“A few times while slowing down or putting on the brakes I found my foot was also on the gas pedal. I find that the gas pedal and brake pedal are very close and at the same height. The last time at the dealer I asked to check out the brake pedal and was told every thing was in order.”
NHTSA complaint #10886151, filed 2016-07, 2,628 miles“The Subaru eyesight system is dangerous. I've had two instances where the vehicle activated the forward-collision warning and started to break for reasons unknown to me. Once was in the middle of an intersection. Fortunately, the cars behind me were not too close to rear end me. This happened around 2 p.m. In the middle of summer with the sun behind the vehicle. I brought the vehicle in for recall work to the local Subaru dealership several months later and asked them to pull any relevant data for the two incidents. By then, the system cleared those two events. …”
NHTSA complaint #10926585, filed 2016-11, 9,000 milesRelated service bulletins
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Brakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 5% |
| 2025 | 7 | 8% |
| 2024 | 4 | 4% |
| 2023 | 7 | 8% |
| 2022 | 11 | 2% |
| 2021 | 8 | 3% |
| 2020 | 15 | 2% |
| 2019 | 22 | 2% |
| 2018 | 18 | 2% |
| 2017 | 25 | 3% |
| 2016 | 19 | 3% |
| 2015 | 28 | 5% |
| 2014 | 22 | 11% |
| 2013 | 31 | 10% |
| 2012 | 40 | 14% |
| 2011 | 78 | 12% |
| 2010 | 40 | 11% |
| 2009 | 8 | 8% |
| 2008 | 31 | 14% |
| 2007 | 8 | 6% |
| 2006 | 19 | 7% |
| 2005 | 31 | 11% |
| 2004 | 3 | 3% |
| 2003 | 7 | 8% |
| 2002 | 31 | 22% |
| 2001 | 30 | 18% |
| 2000 | 12 | 6% |
| 1999 | 9 | 8% |
| 1998 | 15 | 12% |
| 1997 | 9 | 11% |
| 1996 | 7 | 15% |
Other parts of the 2016 Subaru Outback
309 complaintsOther or unknown
124 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
91 complaintsEngine
53 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
45 complaintsSteering
24 complaintsVehicle speed control
22 complaintsBody and structure
19 complaintsFuel system
13 complaintsAir bags
10 complaintsForward collision avoidance
7 complaintsElectronic stability control
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2016 Subaru Outback
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology