2018 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 803 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2018 Subaru Outback overview page.
What owners report
“BLUETOOTH WILL RANDOMLY DISCONNECT. SOMETIMES IT LASTS A FEW MINUTES, SOMETIMES A COUPLE HOURS. UNABLE TO RE-CONNECT ONCE IT DOES, SO WE HAVE TO MESS…”NHTSA complaint 11171897 — filed 01/24/2019
“THE SCREEN HAS GONE BLACK AND SIDE LIGHTS BLINK, UNABLE TO USE ANY ITEM CONTROLLED BY THE SCREEN. APPEARS THE WARNING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 11171364 — filed 01/22/2019
“INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WENT BLACK ON DECEMBER 17, 2018. RADIO, NAVIGATION SYSTEM, BLUETOOTH AND REAR CAMERA ARE ALL INOPERABLE.”NHTSA complaint 11166632 — filed 01/12/2019
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Electrical System complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2018 Subaru Outback have electrical system problems?
Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2018 Subaru Outback: 256 of 803 complaints on file (31.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2018 Subaru Outback have in total?
803 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 27 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, 19 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.
