Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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 owned a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while reversing, the vehicle accelerated backward. The contact pumped the brake pedal and was depressed aggressively several times however the brakes failed to respond. The vehicle collided with a pillar of bricks causing the vehicle to stop. No airbag deployed and no one was injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center where the insurance deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was contacted and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 41,806.
In the morning of Jan 28th, I drove this car off highway(North bound MoPac) to the ramp to frontage road to 360 in Austin TX. the vehicle lost control out of sudden and crashed to the left side of the road. the accident caused total loss of the vehicle but luckily a>the passages and the the driver on the car are OK. b>no other vehicle was involved . As the drive of this vehicle , I feel the crash was so strange so later on I requested both insurance company (AAA) and Subaru to investigate the possibility of malfunctions of the car. AAA -- claim number 015641968 Subaru --case 230128-1800367 AAA claimed the total lost but refused to do further investigation. Subaru took my request in March. Early this month, Subaru said their finished the comprehensive inspection and simply claimed the car was running normal when the accident happened. …
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated towards a truck in front. The contact used excessive force to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the braking distance was extended due to the failure. Additionally, there was an abnormal thumping sound heard while the vehicle was coming to an abrupt stop. The contact pulled to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle but found no cause for the failure. After waiting momentarily, the contact proceeded to drive, and the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the electric parking brake was stuck intermittently. The contact stated while shifting to drive(D) or reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that failure occurred after reversing several times. The message "Park" was displayed. The contact stated that upon jiggling the electric parking brake knob several times, the vehicle responded as needed. The vehicle was taken the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated. The Subaru dealer was contacted and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to their location for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
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.
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 Monday [redacted] were driving on [redacted] going north up [redacted]. I was doing about 60-65 mph in traffic which was flowing in both directions. While ascending the pass, the car suddenly started to misfire, rapidly lost power, power steering failed and all dash lights lit up. With no shoulder to pull out this was a very scary experience. Eventually managed to limp to a spot where I could pull out off the pavement. Car was dead. Popping the hood showed significant battery corrosion. I had a toolkit with me. The voltmeter measured the battery voltage at 9.3V. Thinking maybe cleaning the battery terminals would allow the car to be restarted, I managed to get the cables off and cleaned everything with a wire brush. But still no power. After a while a state trooper passed by and hung on while I contacted a towing service. …
This is a re-submission of complaint no 11398779. Photo files failed to upload. I had just entered the golf course parking lot and had turned right to enter a perpendicular parking slot. My speed was less than 5 MPH. My car suddenly accelerated out of control, hit a concrete parking block (6 in high) and then over a 1 foot high wall which was 3 feet from the block. The car ended up on a down slope and the rear wheel fortunately caught on a retaining wall. I was not injured and the airbags did not deploy. There was one witness to this terrifying event which occurred on February 4, 2010 at about 8:10 am. It occurred in a part of the parking lot I have used at least 50 times in the past year. Several members have said they are afraid of parking in these spots and will never use them again. The component that failed is unknown to me, but I feel it is a definite safety risk. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. While the vehicle was completely stopped, it accelerated independently. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a tree. A police report was filed. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained chest and stomach injuries and the contact sustained wrist injuries, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to yark Subaru (6141 central ave, toledo, oh 43615). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,500.
Pulling into our garage (as we have done probably thousands of times since owning the car), our 2017 Outback accelerated out of control into the back wall of our garage. Car had been stopped at the parking position in the garage and was being shifted into park when the acceleration occurred. Gas pedal was not touched (car always coasts into garage under it's own power, and foot is only on the brake always). Extensive damage to car and garage. Both Subaru and our insurance company have been alerted.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Outback vehicles manufactured June 20, 2016, to June 23, 2016. The affected vehicles may have improperly tightened attaching bolts for the front left and right brake calipers, wheel hubs, and the right stabilizer clamp.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the bolts for proper torque, and replace any loose bolts, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2016.
Brake complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2017 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the brakes of the 2017 Subaru Outback, 3% of the model year's 919 complaints. The component named most often is brake fluid low warning › switch/sensor/float (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Subaru Outback brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-576 (caliper, Aug 3, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Subaru Outback brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 24,000 miles, and 53% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to brakes 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.