NHTSA Safety Recalls
2012 Subaru Outback Recalls
The 2012 Subaru Outback has 16 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on January 2, 2020.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2012 Subaru Outback. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 16
- Owner complaints
- 294
- Crashes reported
- 15
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
6 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2012 Subaru Outback, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
16 recalls on the 2012 Subaru Outback
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V001000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 258,813
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V002000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 127,547
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V003000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 111,562
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- Campaign
- 19V297000
- Reported
- April 11, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 511
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V007000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 43,394
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V008000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 330,120
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V009000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 452,630
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Parking brake
- Campaign
- 18V626000
- Reported
- September 13, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 27,175
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 1 other model
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 18V012000
- Reported
- January 9, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 64,179
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011, 2013 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 17V014000
- Reported
- January 10, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 53,480
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2011 Outback, 6 other models
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- Campaign
- 16V694000
- Reported
- September 27, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 592,647
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and fire
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013–2014 Outback, 1 other model
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- Campaign
- 13V077000
- Reported
- March 5, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 14
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
Visibility/wiper
- Campaign
- 13V078000
- Reported
- March 5, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 16
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
Electrical system
- Campaign
- 13V061000
- Reported
- February 25, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 47,419
- Same campaign
- also 2010–2011, 2013 Outback, 3 other models
Air bags: side/window
- Campaign
- 12V047000
- Reported
- February 9, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 381
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- Campaign
- 11V562000
- Reported
- November 29, 2011
- Vehicles affected
- up to 32,685
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2 other models
2012 Subaru Outback complaints by year
NHTSA has received 294 owner complaints about the 2012 Subaru Outback, the newest on October 16, 2026. Of these, 15 describe a crash (5%) and 6 a fire; owners reported 11 injuries.
In complaints about the 2012 Subaru Outback, the component group named most often is the power train (37%), followed by the engine (17%) and the air bags (13%).
9 of the 2012 Subaru Outback's 16 recalls also concern the air bags.
Where 2012 Subaru Outback owners gave the mileage (199 complaints), the median was 90,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Power Train108
- Engine50
- Air Bags39
- Electrical System37
- Service Brakes36
- Unknown Or Other24
Complaints received, by year
| 2011 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 12 | |
| 2013 | 17 | |
| 2014 | 10 | |
| 2015 | 8 | |
| 2016 | 16 | |
| 2017 | 48 | |
| 2018 | 25 | |
| 2019 | 60 | |
| 2020 | 30 | |
| 2021 | 23 | |
| 2022 | 10 | |
| 2023 | 13 | |
| 2024 | 13 | |
| 2025 | 3 | |
| 2026 | 5 |
Complaints about the 2012 Subaru Outback peaked in 2019, when NHTSA received 60. 16% arrived between 2011 and 2015, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2012 vehicles, the 2012 Subaru Outback drew 0.6× the complaints of the median Subaru Outback year in the same window: 17th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★☆
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 4/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 294 complaints about the 2012 Subaru Outback are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Subaru Outback by model year
Other 2012 Subaru models
Newest record on this page: October 16, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted