2016 Subaru Outback Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/12/2026

302Electrical System complaints

47.3%Of all 639 complaints

#1Most-reported category

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

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM302 · 47.3%

Unspecified / other124 · 19.4%

VISIBILITY/WIPER83 · 13%

ENGINE52 · 8.1%

POWER TRAIN42 · 6.6%

Share of the 639 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2016 Subaru Outback overview page.

What owners report

“THE KEYS BECOME STUCK IN THE IGNITION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE CAR. UNABLE TO REMOVE. ALSO UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE CAR FULLY. SOMETIMES…”NHTSA complaint 11109494 — filed 07/04/2018

“THE IGNITION KEY DOES NOT RELEASE WHE THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF AND THE CAR IS PUT IN PARK.”NHTSA complaint 11099465 — filed 06/04/2018

“DEAD BATTERY. THREE TIMES MY CAR HAS FAILED TO START AND THE BATTERY WHEN TESTED WITH A LOAD TESTER SAYS,"BAD BATTERY". AFTER BOOSTING AND RUNNING…”NHTSA complaint 11097212 — filed 05/22/2018

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Subaru Outback have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2016 Subaru Outback: 302 of 639 complaints on file (47.3%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2016 Subaru Outback have in total?

639 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 21 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 13 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.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.