Most common 2007 Subaru Outback problems
Share of the 129 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru Outback complaints by model year
Best Outback years: 1996, 2004, 2003. Years to avoid: 2019, 2020, 2017, 2018, 2022. Compare all years →
2007 Subaru Outback recalls (8)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019.
Electrical system
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015.
Show 2 more recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax.
What 2007 Subaru Outback owners say
Air bags all 46 →
A couple of months ago I noticed the airbag lamp stayed on after starting my car. After I had parked and later restarted the car, the airbag light went off as normal. A month or so later the airbag light again stayed on after starting the car. I also noticed that the passenger airbag indicator (on or off) didn't seem to be working. It didn't say "on" or "off". It only said "Passenger". I took it to the dealer and they diagnosed it and said I needed a new overhead lamp assembly that would cost $400 installed. They said it would take several days (it took over 2 weeks) to get the part. In the meantime, they could not tell me whether the airbag system would function properly in an accident. The part was ordered and I kept driving the car, hoping the airbag light wouldn't stay on which was very stressful. The repair was finally made today and appears to be functioning properly. …
The Airbag light on my dash was lighting intermittently. I called Kendall Subaru here in Fairbanks, AK and was told I shouldn't drive the car as such a light indicated a problem with my airbags and that even a low level bump could set them off or that they might not function at all in a major accident. I scheduled an appointment to have this problem diagnosed. They told me there was a fault in the wiring and that I'd have to have the passenger seat indicator replaced. I have done some online research and found that there are several instances of faulty soldering in the wiring for the indicator. This would seem to me to be a reason for Subaru to issue a safety recall as a pot hole hit could set this thing off or people could get killed because the airbag didn't deploy! Kendall told me that they didn't have the part in stock. It would be in in 7-10 days. That was a month ago. …
Electrical system all 20 →
All rear lights, rear hatch lock, brake lights all failed due to wiring going from the body to the hatch getting cut from the action of opening and closing the hatch door. This seems to be a pretty common thing with at least the 2005-2007 models years.
We have experience a multitude of electrical issues with the ll bean version of the 2207 Outback. Most recently the airbag light staying on consistently, which appears to be a reported issue. This is a safety issue since the air bag will not function with the light on, it is costly to repair over $400 + diagnostic of $115. Several weeks ago, it would com eon intermittently, no it remains on 100% of the time. I commute 100 miles each day 5 days a week on a two-lane, rural highway and worry I need to get rid of the vehicle sooner than later due to a safety issue. This only passing the safety issue to a new owner. This safety issue should be Subaru's responsibility to fix as there are many that cannot afford such a fix and is not regular maintenance. This should never be an issue. Not sure if I would buy a Subaru again after owning this one. …
Engine & cooling
I just bought a 2007 Subaru Outback from a certified Subaru dealer (stohlman Subaru in va), it had 65000 miles on it, I did all the maintenance and minor repairs on it. I paid $12,000 for the vehicle. On 2/5/2017, the check engine light started flashing so I pulled the vehicle over and had it towed to a service station. Apparently, the vehicle was out of oil despite that it wasn't due for another oil change in 1500 miles and we had checked the oil a week before and it was full. The engine has siezed up and required a new engine. No oil indicator light had come on, no smoking or overheating, and from the service station, no leaks on the vehicle. I then had it towed to another Subaru specialist service station in frederick, md and again was told the vehicle needed a new engine. Owned the car less than a year, no leaks, no indicator of low oil, the oil just disappeared? …
An accelerator that became unresponsive while driving 65mph on 3 lane highway. This problem is prevalent with Subaru and you can read about many people who have the problem which is an extreme safety issue. If you go online and search for Subaru Outback code p2138/throttle position sensor you will find that the sensor has intermitent failures which cause the accelerator to become unresponsive. Even when people get this reset at a mechanic and supposedly fixed it will begin recurring again. Or sometimes the mechanic cannot make the car fail because the problem is a sensor and the problem is intermittent. Subaru must fix this problem!! This has happened to me 5 times now over the last year.
2007 Subaru Outback engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 24 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 23 / 20 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2007 Subaru Outback a good car?
Based on 129 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2007 Outback rates better than average: 52% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Outback at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2007 Subaru Outback?
The air bags — 46 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the electrical system (20) and engine & cooling (18).
How many recalls does the 2007 Subaru Outback have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2007 Subaru Outback, the most recent from January 2, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Subaru Outback?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1996, 2004 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2020, 2017, 2018 and 2022. See the full Subaru Outback years comparison.
At what mileage do 2007 Subaru Outback problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 81,000 miles; 25% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.