What federal records show for the 2016 Subaru Outback

Recall campaigns, manufacturer warranty extensions, and consumer complaints recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for this model-year. Every figure carries its sample size and the date the records were read.

Federal records · buyer verification

2016 Subaru Outback

A component is listed below if NHTSA records a vehicle recall campaign, a manufacturer warranty extension or service campaign, or at least 10 distinct consumer complaints.

Recall campaigns

NHTSA lists these campaigns as covering certain 2016 Subaru Outback vehicles. One campaign can list several components, so adding these counts is not a way to total the campaigns — 4 vehicle campaigns are on record for this model-year.

SteeringDo not drive1 campaign24 distinct complaints
Power Train2 campaigns45 distinct complaints
32 carried a usable odometer reading; the middle 50% of those readings fell between 8,000 and 52,000 miles.
Air Bags1 campaign10 distinct complaints

Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety recall at no cost to the owner — by repair, replacement or refund — for vehicles not more than 15 years old on the date the defect was determined.

Parts are sometimes on back-order and some remedies are interim, so a dealer may not be able to complete the work immediately. A specific vehicle’s current recall status is available through NHTSA’s VIN recall lookup.

Most-complained components with no recall campaign on record

At least 10 distinct complaints, ordered by complaint count.

Electrical System309 distinct complaints
Visibility91 distinct complaints
68 carried a usable odometer reading; the middle 50% of those readings fell between 5,000 and 50,000 miles.
Engine55 distinct complaints
Vehicle Speed Control22 distinct complaints
Service Brakes19 distinct complaints
Structure19 distinct complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System13 distinct complaints

OAV lists only communications filed as warranty extensions or service campaigns. Subaru filed 472 other service communications for this model year; those are not listed.

These federal records are not an input to OAV’s price verdict.

These records describe the 2016 model-year, not any individual vehicle, and are not an inspection. One complaint can be recorded against more than one component, so counts do not sum to the model-year total. Service records for any component listed here are worth requesting from the seller.

Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. Mileage is self-reported and frequently rounded. Complaint records as of 2026-09-28. Recall records as of 2026-09-28. Manufacturer communications as of 2026-09-28.

2016 Subaru Outback listings

Currently listed on OAV, ordered by how recently each was listed. Prices and availability come from the dealer.

Listings are shown for this model-year and are not selected by, or connected to, the federal records above.