2008 Subaru Outback Electrical System Problems
NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/12/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How electrical system ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 226 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2008 Subaru Outback overview page.
What owners report
“THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS BLINKED OFF & ON AND THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING, THEN STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. IT GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF…”NHTSA complaint 10810672 — filed 12/16/2015
“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE AUDIO AND THE WHOLE PANEL RELATED TO THE HEAT/AIR AND DEFROSTER FAILED WITHOUT…”NHTSA complaint 10785107 — filed 10/21/2015
“(VEHICLE HAS 112K MILES) BEGINNING APPROXIMATELY IN THE MARCH 2015 TIMEFRAME, THE RADIO CONTROLS/DISPLAY BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. AT FIRST, THE RADIO DISPLAY WOULD BLINK…”NHTSA complaint 10778443 — filed 09/29/2015
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Electrical System complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2008 Subaru Outback have electrical system problems?
Electrical System is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2008 Subaru Outback: 34 of 226 complaints on file (15%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2008 Subaru Outback have in total?
226 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 12 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 6 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
