There are 5 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2018 Subaru Outbackin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal to park the vehicle, the brake lights failed to illuminate as designed. While returning to the vehicle after the vehicle was parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start due to a safety feature that disabled the starter when the brake lights failed to operate as designed. An AAA-certified mechanic was called, and after inspecting the vehicle, the mechanic diagnosed that the brake indicator switch had failed, causing the rear brake lights to fail to illuminate. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V149000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Halo light is out and it does not show on dashboard. Halo light is part of headlight system. It is part of daylight running lights. Unable to replace light without replacing the entire headlight.
The driver's side daytime running light has failed. This light is an LED designed to last the life of the car and cannot be repaired. Unfortunately, there is no indicator light inside the car to notify the driver of the failure. In hazardous weather conditions, it may appear as though the light is functioning based on the dashboard lights, but it is not. Regrettably, replacing the bulb is not an option and this poses a potential risk to the driver and others during inclement weather or low visibility situations. The dealership has inspected the vehicle and confirmed that it cannot be repaired. To resolve the issue, the entire unit must be replaced, which will cost over $1000. This model has experienced numerous instances of failure with the driver side daytime running lights, indicating a widespread safety concern that the manufacturer has yet to address in this particular year. Previous years have been recalled for the same issue.
THE AUTO SENSING LIGHTS WILL NOT TURN OFF ON SOME OCCASIONS EVEN WHEN IT IS 9AM AND SUNNY. PULLING THE CAR OVER AND TURNING OFF THE CAR AND BACK ON WILL FIX THE ISSUE UNTIL NEXT TIME.
LOW BEAMS UPPER HALF OF VIEW IS SO DARK I CAN NOT SEE THE ROAD. LOW BEAMS SEEMS TO CUT VIEW IN HALF HORIZONTALLY. I CAN'T SEE THROUGH UPPER HALF OF WINDSHIELD UNLESS HIGHBEAKS ARE ON. BRAND NEW CAR. JUST BOUGHT IT. ONLY 950 MILES ONNIT.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026