Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
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 the battery drained without warning. Additionally, the liftgate would inadvertently open. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that a battery replacement was needed. An electronic update was completed. The battery had been replaced three times. The manufacturer was contacted but no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
The power rear lift gate mechanism frequently does not work. Even when car is unlocked the rear lift gate refuses to open just giving a 3 beep warning. The back can be manually opened but not by me as it is extremely hard to lift. Sometimes the gate only opens partially, or only closes partially. After my husband manually moves the gate it does not close fully and does not lock so we have no guarantee objects from inside the vehicle will not fall out while moving. Additionally, if my dog is in the car and the gate is inoperable I cannot get him out. Today it only opened part way and I accidentally walked straight into the edge of the gate almost knocking me out! This is a problem that comes and goes - it worked today in Walmart parking lot but not when I arrived home. …
While driving on 9/14/21 at about 40 mph, we heard a loud crash and the sound of broken glass. I pulled off the road shortly after to inspect my vehicle and found that the sun/moon roof had literally exploded. The shade was closed and no broken glass entered the passenger compartment. Upon closer inspection, the remaining hole in the sun roof (measuring approx. 14 in. wide by 8 inches deep) indicated that the force breaking the glass had come from the inside rather than the outside as the rim around the hole was convex rather than concave. Also there was very little glass resting on the outside surface of the closed shade inside the cavity, with the majority of it on the roof toward the rear of the vehicle. I am now in discussion with both my insurance company and the dealer that I bought the vehicle from. I did take 3 pictures but am unsure how to send them with this report.
Noticed rust bubble in the inner and outer paint of the driver front door pillar December 2021. Noticed it was getting substantially worse and reported it to Subaru July 2022. They said there was no pinhole in the rust and would not be covered. Showed it to Subaru again in 2023, and said it is not covered under their 5 year rust plan. It is now January 2024, and the paint as well as base metal is peeling from the door. It is clear there is damage to the base metal, and represents a weakened location in the door/frame/pillar structure should there be a rollover accident. Bought this car for its safety reputation. Online forums have noted that Subaru has replaced doors for this same premature failure of the door in the same location on multiple vehicles.
I have a 2017 Subaru Outback. It rained hard Monday night into Tuesday. When I got in my car Tuesday am to take my kids to school, there a small crack, maybe 3 inches, there was no crack previously. As I drove my kids to school we watched the crack grow larger and larger. There was no debris or anything near the windshield when we got it. It seems to me that a windshield should be able to withstand a hard rain. I googled it and it seems that Subaru's have problem with their windshields and it doesn't seem right. Thank you
Car back door won't open, despite 3 new batteries. Remained locked so that couldn't remove equipment from back--Dangerous. Have been through 3 batteries in 26,000 miles....all that the car has been driven since it's purchase, new, in 2017.
On 08/17/17 I purchased a new Outback off a Subaru dealers' lot. The fall of 2023 I noticed rust starting on the column portion of the driver's side door. It is on the CAR INTERIOR, ABOVE THE WINDOW. This is a highly unusual area for rust to start. Typically rust starts on the bottom of a car, not 2/3 of the way up from the bottom. I was told by the dealership that it was not covered under warranty, and I was on my own. On 10/22/24 I went to an autobody shop to have the rust repaired. I was told that based off of the bubbling that was occurring on the rust, the rust is not surface rust but occurring on the interior of the door. He said that this was a flaw in production as this should not be occurring. This is evident by the fact that there is no rust on any of the other doors or anywhere else on the car. I called the Subaru dealership and had them look at it. …
I had backed my car up to the front of the garage. I came to a complete stop. As I tried to put my car in park, my vehicle catapulted into the garage which was directly behind it. I believe my car experienced "sudden uninterrupted acceleration". My cinder block garage partially collapsed and need to be completely razed.
NHTSA id number: 11003485 I agree with this complaint as was completely surprised when I returned to the dealer to have the doors re-programed to "auto-lock" after accepting this automobile front driver and front passenger doors do not lock automatically and remain unlock when shift in drive when car is stationary and also when care in motion. No voice, light or any alerts that alert the driver to lock the doors manually every time you drive the car. This a safety issue as if you forget to lock the doors manually and by any chance snaps on the door handle, car door will open and fatalities can occur. Spoke with service advisor at my Subaru dealer and he stated that this issue is real and there is no way to program the vehicle to lock the front doors automatically when it is in drive or at certain speed. …
Sunroof exploded while vehicle was in motion at highway speeds. Not attributed to impact from foreign object debris. Conditions indicate that thermal shock has likely exposed defects in the manufacturing process and other vehicles May be susceptible to similar incidents. Vehicle was left in a parking lot for 1.75 hours. Outside air temperature was recorded at 92 degrees (f). Upon entering the vehicle, the air conditioning was engaged and the internal air temperature was set at 68 degrees (f). Approximately 15 minutes later, while driving at highway speeds, an explosive sound was heard. The sunroof cover was closed. Upon initial inspection, it was confirmed that the sunroof was shattered however largely intact. Upon further inspection, it is clearly discernible that the glass is now protruding outward beyond the roofline as a result of the explosive action.
Body complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2017 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the body & structure of the 2017 Subaru Outback, 3% of the model year's 919 complaints. The component named most often is body (24 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Subaru Outback body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure 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 body 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 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure 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.