Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after driving onto the driveway and pressing the brake pedal to park, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, drove forward, and crashed into the garage door. The contact shifted to the reverse position and the vehicle drove in reverse but would not stop while pressing the brake pedal. Eventually, the contact was able to shift to the park position, and the vehicle was stopped. During the incident garage door was severely damaged along with the rear end of a classic vehicle parked inside the garage. No injuries were reported, and no police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the incident. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 41,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted into reverse with the brake pedal depressed; however, the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle reversed quickly; however, the contact's wife was able to regain control of the vehicle. The contact's wife stated that the failure recurred while shifted into drive with the brake pedal depressed. The contact stated while driving under 5 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated forward. The contact's wife stated that the second failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact lifted her foot off the brake pedal and then firmly depressed the brake pedal another time. The vehicle was able to come to a stop. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had stalled while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the dealer, who were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
accelerator dangerously increased and could not slow down. i pressed the ignition button(to kill the engine and was "jamming on the brakes to no avail. to my knowledge subaru has not recalled vehicles for these reasons. no warning lamps or other symptoms. my car traveled approximately 1/4 before it stopped. i took out a tree or trees knocked down a light pole which slowed me down, hit a utility trailer. owner of trailer estimated my speed at 40mph. i was driving approximately 20mph when it violently accelerated. she witnessed my ride.
Yesterday, I was accelerating at a reasonable rate from a stop. My Outback stopped responding to the accelerator pedal and kicked up to 3500-4000 rpm. My brakes could barely hold the vehicle back and it forced me to slip my transmission in and out of neutral to prevent a crash. I pulled over twice to restart the car, hoping to reset something and address the issue, but it was still present when I pulled into my driveway and stopped the car for the evening. This morning, I started the vehicle and to my surprise, it started normally. I took it to my local mechanic who checked for codes or lights ( and carpets on the accelerator, etc,) and there were none. He also went under the hood and checked air filters and the entire intake system and found nothing. This is the third time I have experienced this issue. The first time I was making a right hand turn into a parking lot. …
I was driving my 2017 Subaru Outback on a trip from New York to Florida. On I-95 in heavy traffic I hit a bump in the road, and at that instant, nearly every warning light on my dash came on, including EyeSight, lane departure, and emergency braking. My adaptive cruise immediately disengaged causing the vehicle to suddenly slow (this incident was at highway speed). The "brake" light was also illuminated. Not knowing what happened, I pulled over on the side of the highway and found that the wire to the electric parking brake on the passenger side had disconnected from the brake module. I tried to plug it back in, but it would not stay. I secured the cable with a hair tie and continued on the trip. Approximately 500 miles later, I hit another bump or pothole, and the same thing happened. I checked under the car again, and discovered that the driver side had failed in the same manner. …
On 2/13/22 I started my vehicle to move it back into the garage. Upon putting it into 'Drive' the engine unexpectedly started to ramp up the RPMs accelerating the vehicle forward. Fortunately I had my foot on the break slowing the progression and I was able to switch the gear to 'Neutral'. At that point the engine began to continue to ramp up the RPMs. I tried depressing and releasing the accelerator to see if the engine would respond and decrease the RPMS, it did not. I then switched off the engine to keep it from accelerating/increasing the RPMs. About five minutes after the initial incident I started the vehicle. Immediately upon startup the vehicle RPMs starting to ramp up. I tired depressing and releasing the accelerator to see if the engine would respond and decrease the RPMS, it did not. I then switched off the engine to keep it from accelerating/increasing the RPMs. …
1) the car accelerated without any change in my driving. My car is available for inspection. 2) My safety and the car in front of me were at risk since the car was accelerating and removing my foot from the gas didn't reduce the speed. 3&4) I haven't had the car inspected by anyone and it can't be reproduced. 5) There were no warning signs. My car is well maintained and I follow manufacture recommendations for maintenance. The first time it happened was in the morning on my way to work in Phoenix, AZ going the speed limit, when it accelerated and removing my foot from the gas didn't reduce the speed. My first thought was I was going to smash into the car in front of me at full speed. Luckily, my brakes did work and I didn't hit the car that was quickly approaching. …
I experienced sudden acceleration in downtown and almost hit three cars, caused me to run three red lights and almost hit pedestrians. I had the car, 2017 outback Subaru towed to the dealer and was told there are no recalls, but saw many problems listed on the NHTSA website. It was terrifying and still shakes me up when I think what could have happened. Subaru told me this was the first they have seen this and that I do not have the extended warranty and I would be held for the cost. I am beyond upset. They tried to have me pick up the car after finding nothing. I told them they are to keep it until they find the issue. I have a loaner from them.
My vehicle accelerated when I was at a red light. My foot was on the brake. It also accelerated when I was backing out of our driveway. This resulted in a type of " lurching" motion. The incident at the red light happened once. The incidents while backing out happened 3 times. No warning light were displayed. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. My safety was at risk because it accelerated once when my foot was on the brake and excessively when I was slowly backing up.
Acceleration complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2017 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2017 Subaru Outback, 3% of the model year's 919 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Subaru Outback acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2017 Subaru Outback, though it has 4 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 2017 Subaru Outback acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 58% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 6 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.