Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
* I detected a noise in the front end and an instability in the handling. My independent service mechanic found the cradle on the right front severely rusted out at the point where the control arm attaches. He had to condemn the vehicle. * My mechanic says that it could have resulted in a total loss of ability to steer. He says that he is unable to order the part from the manufacturer because so many are on back order. He is also unable to find any used ones. Finally, he says that in the last 3 months he has had to condemn 3 other Outbacks due to the same problem. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. *Problem confirmed by my independent service center *No *No
Power steering failed while driving. Power steering fluid had all leaked out. Luckily car was at a very low speed as steering was quite difficult. Repaired at Subaru dealer who discovered a leak in a metal high pressure line. There was no evidence of external damage to pressure line. Photo showed a hairline crack at the outside of a 90 bend, thus probably a manufacturing defect. Dealer replaced entire steering rack.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Subaru Outback. While driving approximately 30 MPH in inclement weather, the vehicle began to slide while driving downhill. The contact attempted to control the steering, but it would not move. The vehicle did not respond and struck a delineator post, slid in the opposite direction towards a concrete wall, and suddenly stopped. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000.
Steering on this vehicle is so heavy that it causes orthopedic problems. The steering drag tension is set so high that it is difficult to control the vehicle at highway speeds, and difficult to maneuver the vehicle into parking places at low speeds. Parallel parking is painful. I had other people drive it to eliminate my subjective view of this, and every person thought it was hard to drive. Subaru thinks this is normal, and refuses to allow its service departments to adjust the tension if it's within it's "specs" even when the driver of this expensive vehicle does not feel safe driving it. Subaru service department's reasoning was that "it felt like every other Subaru Outback." this doesn't make it OK; it just confirms that Subaru is selling more than one dangerous car. …
Directional stability; difficult to keep car centered in lane; wanders off from where steering is set; steering will not center, but will stay in a gentle curve by itself until corrected, then will wander off center again. Contributing to problem is too much force is required in a steering action to correct a wander causing a slight overshoot which no matter how carefully controlled, cannot keep the car going in the correct direction, whether in a curve or keeping straight. The faster the car is going, naturally the more intense the problem becomes. The constant attention required to adjusting steering is fatiguing and hence the car is inherently unsafe. Dealer and independents have always said no problem found; alignments make no difference, new tires make no difference. …
Wonders from side to side. Took back to dealer they check alignment. Said everything was in spects. There was no charge this time for alignment but would not do it again for free. We purchased extended warranty at time of purchase. What a waste! My daughter and son-in-law borrowed it last summer. Put 8000 miles on it driving across country. Had a terrible time keeping it on the road. They where going to buy a Outback but quickly changed their mind. Called dealer again and the service manger told me to change tires and cross rotate them. I told him we already did that and my husband cross rotated them. He said that there would be a charge to look at it. Since they didn't do anything the first time why pay them more to tell me it is in spects? I think they are waiting for someone to get killed or be killed. This is most definitely a safety issue.
We purchased this vehicle 2-7-16 used with 28,000 miles.when driving on the highway over 50 vehicle wandered all over the road we constantly had to correct the steering to keep between the white lines.dealer said this was the way rack and pinion stealing worked.after doing some investigation on your web site this seems to affect many of these vehicles.seems that Subaru has denied any problems with the 3013 Outback.we put up with this problem for two weeks and traded this lemon in at the same dealer that sold us this junk.we lost about 5 k in this transaction but our safety is much more inportant then the money.in 40 years purchasing and driving all types of vehicles this is by far the worst ever.we will never look for a Subaru again. Hopefully our government will look into this serious safety situation.
Steering was making a noise (as if steering wheel was turned all of the way to one side) with only slight movement but it worked. This noise occurred with every turn. After running an errand with approximately 5 miles of use, I returned to the parked car and backed out of parking to find that the steering wheel was turning but the wheels were not! I had the vehicle towed to dealership. Note: a recall of the steering was done by the dealership in oct 2013 and no issues had occurred with that repair until now.
Steering wheel visible vibrates at 70+ MPH on the highway despite multiple realignments and mechanic visits to various dealers. Car sometimes fights driver to veer left/right. It is difficult to drive (sometimes even exhausting). Has been an ongoing issue for last 5 years, progressively getting worse. Car has never been involved in an accident and has been maintained properly.
Dangerous! The vehicle does not track well at highway speeds. It wanders side to side in the lane of travel requiring constant correction to stay in the center of the lane. On smooth road surfaces, the wandering is still very noticeable. High crosswinds experienced driving in the plains or crossing bridges with a grated decks makes the vehicle a challenge to control the wandering and staying within my lane. I took the car to the dealer and reported the problem. They inspected the steering, wheel alignment, wheel balance, and tires. They didn't find any problems. There is no technical service bulletin for this issue and the internet bulletin boards are full of complaints with the same type of issue. I personally feel the vehicles are not engineered correctly or they are leaving the factory with inadequate alignments or the alignment specifications are not correct in general. …
Related recalls
Steering › Column
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2013 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from February 15, 2012, through June 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the inner and outer shafts of the steering column assembly may become disengaged from one another.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column assembly with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on May 14, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Steering complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the steering of the 2013 Subaru Outback, 11% of the model year's 297 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Subaru Outback steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 13V-194 (column, May 13, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Subaru Outback steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 2,000 miles, and 80% 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.