Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while making a right turn into a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and lunged forward. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.
I was within the town limits so I was driving slowly. When I approached the first stop light in town I saw that it was red. There were of three or four vehicles stopped at that light. At that point I was probably only going 5mph. I took my foot off of the gas pedal and put my foot on the brake to make a slow stop. Instead, the car accelerated rather quickly. I continued to brake but the car seemed to speed up. I was able to avoid hitting the truck in front of me by going around it. No vehicles were coming towards me but there were some stopped at the other side of the light. I drove up on the sidewalk to avoid hitting anyone. At that point the front passenger side of the car hit & snapped a pole. The car did not stop immediately upon impact. It stopped acclerating and came to a stop about 10 feet past the pole. …
January 25th, 2026 13:30 I was coming to a stop at an intersection with my foot on the brake pedal when suddenly my vehicle lurched forward potentially causing rear end collision with the truck in front of me that was stopped at the red light. My vehicle finally came to a stop when I pressed hard on the brake pedal. This problem happened today, so I have not reproduced it. I have not had it checked by a dealer (today is Sunday) I have a Low Tire Pressure light that came on two days ago when the temperatures suddenly dropped here in Tulsa, OK.
My HORN only works if car is stopped steering wheel turned to the left. Subaru Dealer says it's in the steering column mechanism that affects airbag and cruise control also. Says it will cost over $600 to repair. If it preventsthe airbag working, wouldn't it be a car defect and considered dangerous?
While parking car in garage, car suddenly surged forward although my foot was off gas and nearly hit end of garage. Engine Temp was relatively cold as it had just been started. This has happened several times before. Reported to dealer service the first time it happened and they did not fix.
while attempting to come to a complete stop, depressing the brakes, the vehicle continued to accelerate even though the brake was depressed to the floor. At no time was the driver's foot on the accelerator. This is one of 2 incidents with the vehicle.
I have 2015 Subaru Outback with eyesight and blind spot detection. I had stopped the vehicle in the driveway, about 10 ft from the garage, waiting for my husband to clean the floor. The engine was running. When my husband came out of the garage and signaled me to park the vehicle inside, I was about to move the vehicle slowly in the garage. However, the vehicle suddenly started like a bullet, as if it was trying to accelerate to that set speed, quickly. My husband heard the wheels screeching and the vehicle accelerating. He jumped on the side and survived by an inch or so. Within a fraction of a second, the vehicle hit the center support which supports the garage doors, then the snow blower and further struck the items kept against the wall between the house and the garage, before coming to a stop. …
This concerns a 2015 Subaru Outback limited 6 cylinder. At approx 21,000 mi I was slowing to speed to park in a public parking space on a city street and the Outback sudden acceleration. The Outback hit a city metal post/sign, jumped the curb and collided with a building and damaging a store front with great force. The airbags did not deploy and the automatic collision prevention failed to work. Once before the car had an acceleration surge while driving a public city street at low speed but did not hit anything. Prior to the accident I've also experienced slight hesitation in acceleration when I first accelerate from a stationary position and probably unrelated, the gear shift often gets stuck in park and I have to use force the gear shift to reverse. Having trouble with turning neck from side to side and need to see doctor for evaluation so, not sure if this is considered injury?
While pulling my father-in-laws Subaru Outback into my garage I place the vehicle into drive while applying the brake. The car immediately accelerated while my foot was on the brake. The car proceeded into garage first hitting the side of the garage door frame and then into the back of my other car which was parked inside the garage. I instinctively applied greater pressure on the brake but this did not stop the car. When the car wedged against the right side column of the garage I released the brake and reapplied immediately. This action caused the car to decelerate to an idle mode. I've been driving a long time and have never experienced an issue like this before. I noticed others have also experienced similar sudden acceleration problems as reported on this site. There was no floor mat obstruction so I can only conclude there is a possible software issue.
I was slowing pulling into a parking space and just straightening out the car when I heard a strange sound coming from the engine. Immediately after that I heard a very loud engine revving sound and then suddenly the vehicle shot forward like a rocket, went over the cement barrier and into the wall of a building. It seemed like a very high rate of speed, though the distance was only about 8 feet. The seat belt did not restrain me and my chest slammed into the steering wheel. It was determined later at the hospital that I had a cracked sternum and several broken ribs. I believe there was some sort of mechanical, electrical or software problem that caused this unintended acceleration, and the seat belt also was did not functioning as intended.
Acceleration complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2015 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2015 Subaru Outback, 5% of the model year's 510 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 Subaru Outback acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2015 Subaru Outback, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 Subaru Outback acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.