2021 Subaru Outback Forward collision avoidance Problems
- Complaints
- 29about this part
- Share
- 10%of 298 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 770miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 29 complaints about the forward collision avoidance of the 2021 Subaru Outback, 10% of the 298 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 770 miles. 2 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.
“I had the car only 10 days from the dealership, my husband and I were on the highway heading to an event when we heard a crack, I looked up and there was a horizontal crack heading from left to right in the windshield.”
NHTSA complaint #11375885, filed 2020-11, 400 miles“I purchased the car new in January 2021. During the first several months there were no issues. After that, the Infotainment system which controls the sound, nav, hvac, etc. systems would suddenly go black and those functions would stop working. It would seem to reboot as a computer does when you restart it. That was distracting but mostly just annoying, lasting less than 30 seconds. I will call that a soft reboot. That happened many times over the next few months. …”
NHTSA complaint #11484762, filed 2022-09“I was already parked in a spot in a public parking lot. I tapped the accelerator pedal to move the car a few inches. The vehicle responded by violently accelerating, hitting a vehicle directly in front of me in another parking space. I applied my brake but the car would not stop. The force of the acceleration pushed the car out of the it's spot and it hit a curb and tree appox 30 ft away. In defensive move I turned my wheels to the right and continue to try and brake. This caused my car to hit the car on the right side of me. Property Damage occured. No injuries. Vehicle defect.”
NHTSA complaint #11748480, filed 2026-07“Received error code P2682, a faulty Thermo Control Valve. This happened on 11/17/2023. Car potentially could have quit running in traffic. Subaru has identified the issue with TSB 09-80-21R. They have changed the design of the valve due to the many failures. My car has 74,000 miles. My brother in law has the same vehicle with 57,000, and his car is in the shop today for the same issue. The service tech working on his vehicle stated that he does a couple of these repairs a week, and that Subaru knows this part will fail and should issue a recall”
NHTSA complaint #11556403, filed 2023-11“My problem is an intermittent one. The infotainment display goes blank and reboots. When this happens I have lost Rear Automatic Braking, the Eyesight System, cruise control, the backup camera display and driver monitoring along with other non-safety related systems (radio, environment control). The dealer has not been able to reproduce, but has gotten error codes to send to Subaru of America (SoA) along with print out of error messages received via the My Subaru website. The vehicle has been to the shop 6 times in the first 9,000 miles. …”
NHTSA complaint #11429460, filed 2021-08Related service bulletins
- 11023536Sep 30, 2025In the interest of customer satisfaction Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage in the models listed. The extension will address…
- 11021263Jul 29, 2025This announcement provides information about a Subaru of America, Inc. preliminary settlement in a class action lawsuit regarding the EyeSight system in certain Subaru vehicles.
Forward collision avoidance: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 19% |
| 2025 | 21 | 25% |
| 2024 | 18 | 17% |
| 2023 | 22 | 25% |
| 2022 | 23 | 5% |
| 2021 | 29 | 10% |
| 2020 | 49 | 5% |
| 2019 | 36 | 3% |
| 2018 | 18 | 2% |
| 2017 | 23 | 3% |
| 2016 | 7 | 1% |
| 2015 | 5 | 1% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0% |
| 2013 | 4 | 1% |
| 2012 | 1 | 0% |
| 2011 | 3 | 0% |
Other parts of the 2021 Subaru Outback
107 complaintsElectrical system
76 complaintsOther or unknown
66 complaintsEngine
21 complaintsVehicle speed control
19 complaintsAir bags
16 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
12 complaintsFuel system
10 complaintsBrakes
8 complaintsLane departure
7 complaintsBody and structure
7 complaintsWheels
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2021 Subaru Outback
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology