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 2019 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at a slow rate of speed and parking the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control and crash into a brick wall. During the incident, the brake pedal was pressed but the vehicle did not stop. The driver sustained a left shoulder injury. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was not yet towed. A police report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that previously the vehicle had experienced unintended acceleration problems while driving at highway speeds with and without cruise control activated. In addition on several occasions, the collision avoidance system had erroneously activated while driving at highway speeds. …
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while pulling into her residential garage at 3 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated while the contact had her foot depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle hit the back wall of the garage, the hood crumpled back to the radiator, which was punctured, and the front bumper was creased and dented. Additionally, the passenger-side front door was unable to be opened. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated she avoided crashing into another vehicle however, the vehicle struck the curb before coming to a stop. The contact stated that the front passenger's side tire was damaged and became flattened. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the tire was replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 47,122. The VIN was unavailable.
Purchased a low mileage, 2019 Subaru Outback Limited, had 16,407 miles on vehicle, had accident damage reported by CARFAX. At 27,383 miles an oil leak in valve cover gasket was discovered, Subaru fixed leak under warranty, engine removed. Upon driving the vehicle home following repairs, the car lunged forward through the garage door, into the garage, and damaged vehicle and garage interior as I approached the garage. Sudden acceleration occurred. Vehicle taken on flag bed to Subaru shop for repairs and investigation of incident by Subaru of America. Insurance company provided damage/repair estimate.
I experienced sudden and unintended acceleration as I sat outside my garage idling with my foot on the brake waiting for the garage door to open. My car accelerated forward through my garage door and into the garage. It swept aside a refrigerator, freezer and a 700 pound safe that was bolted to the concrete floor. It finally stopped upon pushing several things against one of the I beams that hold the steel building up. The car also tore out the I beam support the side of the garage door upon entering. The tires continued to rotate until I turned off the engine.
Certain year models of Subaru vehicles suffer from 'sudden and unexpected acceleration'. We know since it has happened to us and, research shows, many, many other people. Waiting for the automatic garage door to open, the vehicle experienced the sudden and uncontrollable acceleration. This resulted in extensive damage to the vehicle, garage and contents in the garage. What will Subaru do when this happens at a crosswalk?
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.
While turning into a parking spot my wife had foot on the brake and vehicle accelerated over parking bumpers and into a fence and ultimately was stopped by a combination of a tree and the fence car drove through. This collision prevented her from crossing pedestrian sidewalk and continuing into Southbound traffic lane of state hwy. This incident put not only my wife at risk but also potentially any pedestrians or southbound vehicles. There were no system failures or warnings prior to my wife's arrival to her appointment. As mentioned this occurred within an approximate 5 second time frame. It is unknown as to what if any warnings occurred prior to/during the crash as my wife was pushing the brake to park when the sudden acceleration occurred. The braking system seems to have failed along with the sudden acceleration. …
I was driving on I-95 South in Georgia on Thursday, 18 December at approximately 9:00 pm in my 2019 Subaru Outback (6 cylinder engine). There was good visiblity and dry road conditions. I did not have the cruise control on. I was traveling at 75 mph and wanted to pass a truck. As I increased my speed to 78 mph to pass the truck, the Subaru began to accelerate to 85 mph and my rpms went up to 4000. The car continued to accelerate. I checked the cruise control and it was in fact off. I felt with my foot to make sure the accelerator was not stuck and it was not. I pushed hard on the brakes to counter the acceleration and after about 1 minute the car became controllable again. I drove the rest of my trip going 70 mph and did not have a further incident that evening. Because of the traffic ahead of me, this acceleration caused me great concern for myself and the passenger in the car. …
I had a driver-side mirror damaged in a small crash. The wiring harness for the mirror was pulled from its location. The mirror was replaced, and the wiring harness was not to my knowledge. Since that repair, the vehicled dynamic cruise control, called Eyesight has failed more than 50 times. I have had the vehicle at the dealer 2 times. They concluded yesterday the unit checked out. I drove it for 5 minutes, and it failed again. I believe it could be related to them not replacing the wiring harness. They believe it may be related to a new windshield, which I find it hard to believe. They recalibrated the Eyesight with the non-OEM windshield. Subaru technicians believe it is related to the non-OEM windshield, and I am having a brand new windshield replaced with the OEM windshield. Which I also believe is inferior because of cracks in my orginal windshield.
Acceleration complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2019 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2019 Subaru Outback, 3% of the model year's 1,036 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Subaru Outback acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2019 Subaru Outback, though it has 3 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 2019 Subaru Outback acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles, and 87% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.