There are 5 owner-reported suspension complaints for the 2018 Subaru Outbackin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
My wife and I, financed our brand new 2018 Subaru Outback Premium from World Subaru, 688 Shrewsbury Ave., Tinton Falls, New Jersey 07701, in June 2018. There are 3 main problems with the car, but I’ll only be addressing the most recent one. The main people in this situation is myself-[XXX], my wife-[XXX], Subaru, Owner and General Manager-Joe Wajda, Service Advisor-Rudolph J DeGaetano, and Fixed Operation Director-Lou Zuluaga. The 2018 Subaru was brought in for an oil change filter, etc., on April 19, 2021 and I went right up to the service advisor Rudolph J DeGaetano to tell him besides the oil change and filter to please take a look at this back tire wear, on the edges to about an inch in, its bald, about 3 inches then full thread all the way around the tire, Rudolph said you need an alignment, so I told him to do it with the oil change and filter, so when they were done Rudolph came back to me and I paid $165.47, with this Rudolph showed me the alignment paper and said this can’t be fixed, no mater what you do, the right front caster in red at 4.3 cannot be fixed. And as you see on the original paper, on the right front caster in red, it can’t be fixed. But at the bottom in red it states, “*ONE OR MORE VALUES ARE NOT WITHIN SPECIFICATION. TIRE WEAR, HANDLING AND SAFETY PROBLEMS MAY RESULT”. SO ITS TELLING ME THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WORLD SUBARU CANT FIX IT. I TOLD RUDOLPH THATS UNEXCEPTABLE. Texted owner and General manager Joe Wojda who turned it over to Fixed Operation Director Lou Zuluaga who in turn sent me a text, that it could be the body of the car. I explained to Rudolph that Subaru had a big problem with the new ascents, and it either would cost Subaru to much to fix or they couldn’t fix it, and subaru gave them all brand new Ascents, but what about my car we bought brand new, they expect my wife to drive an unsafe vehicle???[XXX]-[XXX] [XXX] Owner Joe Wajda-732-741-6200 Lou and Rudolph-same number PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
REAR TRAILING ARM SNAPPED RENDERING VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE - THE REAR TRAILING ARM SNAPPED. IT LOOKS APPARENT IT WAS SLOWLY FAILING AS SOME PARTS OF THE FRACTURE ARE RUSTED OUT. THE PART NUMBER IS 20250AL02A. THESE PARTS WERE DESIGNED WITH VERY THIN WALLS AND MAY BE THE REASON WHY IT FAILED. I GOT LUCKY THAT THE VEHICLE WAS JUST OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE I HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE, BRAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FLIP OVER AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STABLE AT ALL DURING THE FAILURE. HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF THE FAILURE. THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN THE DAY OF THE FAILURE, FEBRUARY 8TH, 2020.
TL* THE CONTACT'S WIFE OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT'S WIFE HAD NOTICED AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HUGHES SUBARU (3010 ATLANTA HWY, ATHENS, GA 30606) TO HAVE THE BRAKES INSPECTED AND THE DEALER FOUND NO FAULTS WITH THE BRAKES. AS THE FAILURE PERSISTED, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE THEY DISCOVERED A FAILURE WITH THE TWO FRONT TIRE WHEEL BEARINGS AND THEY REPLACED THE TWO FRONT BEARINGS UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER ALSO SUGGESTED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE WHEEL BEARINGS. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE CHOPPED. HE STATED THAT THE TWO FRONT TIRES WERE WORSE THEN THE REAR TIRES. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE COULD LEAD TO SUSPENSION ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 26,000. *DT CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO HUGHES SUBARU TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHOPPED TIRES AND POTENTIAL SUSPENSION ISSUES. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THE CHOPPING ON THE TIRES WERE NOT A RESULT OF FAILURE OF THE WHEEL BEARING HUBS. HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE NO SUSPENSION ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. HE SAID THAT THE TIRES DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THERE WAS 6+ TREAD STILL REMAINING ON THE TIRES. *DL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND BECAME VERY UNSTABLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500. *BF*JB
DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL/SUSPENSION IS MAKING RATTLING NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE NOISE IS WORSE WHEN HITTING UNEVEN SURFACES ON THE ROAD (LIKE A REPAIR SPOT OR TRANSITION FROM CONCRETE TO ASPHALT) . THE FRONT-END SOUNDS LOOSE, AND THERE IS A SLIGHT VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. WE HAVE TAKEN OUR CAR INTO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY SAY ALL IS OK AND THE NOISE IS AS INTENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THE CAR.
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 26, 2026