Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V003000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle due to possible damage to the dashboard while replacing the air bags. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
Refer to NHTSA complaint 10558038 vehicle was driven a couple of times on good dry roads after December complaint about rear end stability and traction problems. On jan 29th, mid morning driver was driving with 1 passenger on a slightly snow covered gravel road. Vehicle in front of him turned off and when he accelerated to approximately 35 MPH with slight throttle pressure, he stated "the car started driving itself and became totally uncontrollable." he said "it spun around one way then the other" before going through a ditch, running through a fence and into a railroad tie post. He said that he had tried every thing possible to avoid the crash and could not figure out what had happened. This is the same driver in previous complaint that is a ex-race car driver, has had numerous spin outs at high speeds on the track and is also a professional truck driver. …
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. …
Dashboard airbag light turned on. Airbag safety system is subsequently disabled, even in the event of an accident. Source of problem is traced back to indicator light in the over head console. The warning lights do not light up as they should. The passenger seat belt or off lights do not appear when they should sometimes they are dim and resolve with a light tap or change in ambient temperature. Brief internet search reveals this is common and is the result of faulty solder in the overhead console. Dealership advises replace the entire console at owner expense. Part costs $130, labor is even more. I am not an electrical engineer and have no idea if solders should fail at 8 years. This particular solder is an integral part of the airbag system and renders the vehicle unsafe to drive. Subaru should remedy this with a recall or at least reimburse my cost. …
Takata recall. I bought the car used from empire Nissan in lakewood, colorado in June 2016. I found out later it had an open airbag recall. Empire refused to fix it. I've been waiting since June 2016 to have auto nation Subaru west, a Subaru dealership in golden, colorado to order parts and get the car in to have the airbag repaired. When I called them, they put me on some informal list and said they would get back to me when the parts came in. I've been without a car that can hold 4 passengers since buying the Subaru. 4 months seems like too long to repair a recalled airbag. The Subaru repair rates for this recall are a dismal at 22%. Subaru, and the dealerships need to do more to support the safety of their customers.
I bought the 2007 Subaru Outback ll bean new. This is the second time that the airbag light goes on and off intermittently. The first time I replaced the overhead circuit board. This time I am having trouble finding one. The solder joints in the circuit board are faulty, causing loose connections. This is a dangerous situation that has been reported to NHTSA many times by other owners. When the air bag light is on, the air bags will not deploy. Some people have been seriously injured because of this. There should be a recall on this problem. There is currently a second recall on the air bags themselves, but not on the circuit board. How many accidents does there have to be for you to demand a recall on this problem?
Takata recall. I received the recall notice from Subaru of America about 2 months ago. Notice said that parts were in short supply, but they would contact me. I waited two months. Heard nothing. Called fitzgerald Subaru, rockville, md. Dealer on April 14, 2016. Service dept. Says that there is a further approximately three month wait. What is the point of a recall if you can't fix the problem within 5 months? What are you doing to keep Subaru's feet to the fire? They are effectively failing to comply with your recall order. Maybe a $1 million fine per day would get them moving?
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. Through online research, the contact found that the map light needed to be replaced in order for the air bag indicator to turn off. Liberty auto city Subaru (1000 e park ave, libertyville, il 60048, [phone]) confirmed that the map light needed to be replaced in order for the air bag indicator to turn off. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 97,000.
Related recalls
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.
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.
Airbag complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2007 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the air bags of the 2007 Subaru Outback, 36% of the model year's 129 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Subaru Outback airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-001 (inflator module, Jan 2, 2020); NHTSA recall 20V-003 (inflator module, Jan 2, 2020); NHTSA recall 20V-002 (inflator module, Jan 2, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Subaru Outback airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 107,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.