Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
We experienced a steering failure which could have led to a very serious accident. Returning on a freeway after purchasing groceries we heard a kind of rattle rhat seemed to come from behind the hub of the steering wheel. We made it home but as we pulled into our driveway the steering failed completely. The steering wheel spun around like a pinwheel, no resistance whatsoever and absolutely no effect on the car's steering. If this had happened on the freeway I hate to think what might have happened. The car had to be towed to the local Subaru dealer where it took 17 days to repair the vehicle. We were lucky. It could well have been a disaster.
Was driving on what appeared to be a clear, clean road at about 8 am the day after a snowstorm. My car started skidding off to the right side of the highway, when trying to turn wheel towards the left to straighten the car out, the car then started spinning around 360 degrees a few times until the car then rolled over to the left down the 100 foot ditch about 3 or 4 rolls before stopping. The drivers side airbag never deployed despite severe frontal and side damage. The car was totaled by the insurance company. I still have no explanation as to why this all happened. In searching the internet for answers, I found 2 recalls one dated 6/24/2010 which could involve the airbag, and one dated 5/11/2010 which involved the CVT cooler hose leading to a crash. If something failed in the car leading to my crash, I have the right to know. I have some injuries and am still not back to work. …
My 2010 Subaru Outback k-frame and a-frame rotted out, affecting my steering, my breaking and my ability to control my steering. This caused a very dangerous safety issue. I notified Subaru and they informed me there were no recalls on the k-frame of this year's vehicle, although there had been for the rear sub-frame on this vehicle. Also, Subaru wanted $1400 to repair the sub-frame, so I went to a salvage yard and discovered that all but two of the sub-frames in the salvage yard were all rotted in the same areas. This leads me to believe that the sub-frame should be reported as a safety issue; as if the sub-frame fails at the a-frame, you will lose steering and braking ability. My father was the first and only other owner of this vehicle and it was undercoated by the manufacturer when it was bought--yet it still rotted out.
The steering has a shake to it on the highway speeds of 45 MPH and up . Getting worse. I have 125,000 in it, its in great shape-cant afford another car. Now it is getting worse and when turning off the highway on the off ramps it jerks the steering wheel from my hands. Almost gone off the ramp twice now.... Bare white knuckle driving. New tires, balanced three times, rotors turned, new bushings (which were not needed but suggested as a fix) etc.... No mechanic knows what is happening. I am getting scared to drive it, but I love the car over all I just want an answer to gt it fixed or have Subaru to find a fix and put out a recall soon. Now I see so many other people have the same thing---please, please help.
Extreme shimmy / vibration in front end cause steering wheel to shimmy aggressively. This experience started about 2 months ago, the car has aprpoximately 150K miles. When driving car over 40 miles an hour the entire front end shakes like a very out of balance tire or the feeling of a warped rotor when braking. The shimmy can be seen in the steering wheel bouncing, and felt through the floor and seats.tires and brakes have been inspected and there is no problem. Upon searching the internet I see this is common problem. Why is this no a recall? I am fearful of driving this vehicle.
My 2010 Subaru Outback has a shaking/vibration issue, this issue only happens at certain speeds. It seems early build models of the Outback has this issue. Check out this forum, and you can see.. Http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20843 Subaru has performed the following actions on my car, they have road forced balanced the tires, and they have installed a heavier spring in the steering wheel. Despite this being done, the issue remains with my Outback. A simple test drive is all that is required to see the issue. When you hit certain speeds the car will start to vibrate, and the steering wheel starts to shake, if you let go of the wheel, the car immediately pulls to the left, not good. Subaru of America agreed to buy back my car, if the spring fix did not solve the problem, it did not. Below is the email I received from soa. From: Subaru of America, inc. …
Purchased brand-new Subaru Outback-3.6 limited in late March 2010. At time of delivery (prior to signing papers), I notified the dealer of steering vibration. The dealer assured me that this was due to the need for the tires to break-in and to call service if it continued. The vehicle only had 3 miles on delivery. The steering vibration continued and I returned to service for a "potential solution" to the problem. Unfortunately, this did not resolve the problem and I was notified by the service manager and soa that it May take several attempts to resolve since they do not know how to fix the problem. The vibration can actually be felt in the floor as a driver or passenger. The intensity of the vibration increases if you drive over bumpy roads. (almost as if something was loose in the front end) the frequency of the vibration increases at different speeds and is not predictable. …
I purchased a Subaru Outback 2.5i premium (manual transmission) on 03/15/2010 and noticed moderate to severe steering wheel and front driver's side wheel vibration above 40mph on the second day. I subsequently checked tire pressure on all four tires, gave the car some time to "break in", and tested various road conditions and speeds to determine if the problem is more pronounced under certain conditions. The vibration can be felt at speeds above 50mph on the front driver and passenger side floors, seats, and in the steering wheel, with the intensity increasing with speed, regardless of road smoothness. After the car didn't self-correct, I scheduled an appointment at the dealership for 04/26/2010 to do an initial/routine check of the car. They rebalanced all four tires and said that should fix it, but asked that I advise any future issues. …
Starting from 1,700 miles, this car started developing the vibration on the steering wheel. This vibration/shimmy is more pronounced on highway (>70mph) but noticeable in other speeds. I have owned a couple of vehicles and this kind of shimmy/vibration has never happened on any cars that I owned/drove. I am 100% sure it is not normal road feel and it didn't happen during the first 1,700 miles. Also, the car doesn't track straight and drifts on highway. Two alignments, tire balancing and rotation have been done but the vibration and drifting persist. I definitely consider the steering wheel vibration and drifting a safety issue since it totally isolated the road feel on highway. Also, I just can't seem to have a confident control on the car during highway driving. …
My husband has tried contacting both Subaru north American corporate office and the eastern regional office regarding the several recalls he has received on his 2010 Subaru Outback. He went to the top because the people at the dealership are - well - stupid; and he his concerned about their ability to "fix" the car properly. He asked the dealer about TSB's and was told there were none; when in deed there are four (4). The people he has contacted are at the vice president level of management. He has also tried to speak to someone in the president's (thomas doll) office. Everyone refers him to an 800 customer service number. The people at this number know nothing about cars; all they do is read off what is ever written on their computer screen. Of course, Subaru has no plant manufacturing problems; their problems are all caused by the companies they get their components from. …
Related recalls
Steering › Column
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 outback and legacy passenger vehicles manufactured from February 16, 2009 through April 12, 2010. The wiring in the steering column electrical roll connector located behind the vehicle's steering wheel May develop stress cracks and eventually break.
Remedy: Dealers will check lot number of the steering roll connector. The roll connector will be replaced with a new one if the lot number showed any affected range of the failure occurrence.
Steering complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2010 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the steering of the 2010 Subaru Outback, 11% of the model year's 360 complaints. The component named most often is column (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Subaru Outback steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-283 (column, Jun 24, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Subaru Outback steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 79% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering 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.