Wheel & Tire complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2025 | 2 | 2% | 2,000 miles |
| 2024 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2021 | 6 | 2% | 4,000 miles |
| 2020 | 5 | 1% | — |
| 2019 | 4 | 0% | — |
| 2018 | 13 | 2% | 15,000 miles |
| 2017 | 7 | 1% | 37,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 0% | 1,000 miles |
| 2015 | 8 | 2% | 51,000 miles |
| 2014 | 4 | 2% | 40,000 miles |
| 2013 | 7 | 2% | 6,000 miles |
| 2012 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2011 | 17 | 3% | 16,000 miles |
| 2010 | 12 | 3% | 5,000 miles |
| 2009 | 3 | 3% | 6,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 3% | 69,000 miles |
| 2007 | 5 | 4% | 63,000 miles |
| 2006 | 12 | 4% | 59,000 miles |
| 2005 | 14 | 5% | 70,000 miles |
| 2004 | 1 | 1% | 75,000 miles |
| 2003 | 9 | 10% | 7,000 miles |
| 2002 | 7 | 5% | 30,000 miles |
| 2001 | 11 | 6% | 29,000 miles |
| 2000 | 32 | 15% | 53,000 miles |
| 1999 | 3 | 3% | 127,000 miles |
| 1998 | 8 | 6% | 86,000 miles |
| 1997 | 3 | 4% | — |
| 1996 | 7 | 15% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Severe tramilining effect from tires. Risk of personal injury Tramilining effect confirmed by Courtesy Subaru, Rapid City and Heuberger Subaru Colorado Springs, CO. Inspected prior to accident right rear camber out of specification. No warning lights or messages from vehicle
I am filing this complaint regarding the premature wear and replacement of all 4 tires on my 2024 Subaru Outback at approximately 30,000 miles. I believe the tire wear was excessive for a new vehicle and raises concerns about tire durability and vehicle safety. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and review whether similar complaints have been reported. I have documentation service records and associated costs and can provide additional information. I also requested reimbursement from Subaru America (case #260709-1500515) which was denied. Subaru's response was to file a complaint with the tire manufacturer - Yokohama.
This vehicle has 3 major issues that the dealership has not been able to resolve and are as follows: 1) Battery---is not able to hold charge. In early 2022, dealership replaced a new battery, however, the problem still exists. Battery size does not have the charge capacity REQUIRED to start the vehicle even less than 1 week of parking during warm weather months. 2) Heating System---has a defect, specially on driver side of the system. With seat and steering heating on, the vents on driver side emit uncontrollable hot air that forces the driver to shut the driver side heating system. During winter this is unreasonable! Did inform the dealership of this issue and were unable to resolve the problem as I understand was inherent with the design. This problem is likely to cause fire if electrical wires are exposed to the heat. …
The car was built & sold new, with the rear suspension not aligned properly, and cannot be aligned to factory specifications. The car has been taken to 4 service stations, 3 Subaru dealer service repair shops, without being able to be aligned.after further investigation, I've found this to be a common problem for this vehicle type. I consider this Safety related due to the unusual tire wear & risk of tire failure.
The warning lights on our 2020 Subaru Outback have lit intermittently for the past 2 years. When bringing the vehicle into the dealer for service and oil changes, this was reported. Recently the TPMS light began to light intermittently. Tire pressure was checked and adjusted but the problem persisted. When we brought the vehicle in for service, it turned out that all tire pressure sensors needed to be replaced BUT the service techs identified other problems that surfaced JUST AS THE CAR WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY - the most serious being an oil leak caused by FAILURE OF CAM CARRIER SEALS. This caused a dangerous condition where oil was leaking onto the engine and into the spark plugs. I find it odd that this EXPENSIVE issue was not discovered sooner. Subaru and only Subaru has been servicing this vehicle since new and they should have caught it.
We bought a 2020 Outback used with 12k miles from local Honda dealership July 2021. At 18k miles we took it in for service and were told there was gross misalignment and all the tires were worn down and needed to be replaced. The Subaru dealership made it sound as though this is a recurring issue with the 2020 Outbacks - the alignment is going off early and the tires are wearing down very fast. This is the car our nanny uses to transport our kids - we are concerned that there could be other families out there that don't realize how quickly their alignment and tires are going downhill and could result in safety issues.
Under the following three conditions the front tires appear to become airborne and the tires skip making the vehicle seem to be out-of-control; When traveling at speeds >35 MPH, Wheels are turned >10 degrees, Any long bump (such as a rough transition "bump" from asphalt to concrete). This has been worsening over the last year and is now unsafe for my children to be in the car. My local Subaru dealership spent nearly 2 days inspecting all aspects of the car to include the alignment, bushings, and shocks. A senior technician was taken for a test-drive in the car and I was able to recreate the "skip". The technician was alarmed and surprised by the skip and thus held the car for a 2nd day to further investigate the reason for the "skip". They were unable to diagnose any defect. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance company. There have been no alarms or warning.
Under 50,000 miles all 4 wheel bearings needed to be replaced. Under 50,000 miles all 4 struts needed to be replaced. The door key would not work , the dealer had to fix the mechanism. The passenger window stops working suddenly, the dealer has to reset it all the time. The car braked in the middle of highway two time, I was lucky that no one hit me in the back. Under 65,000 miles control arm broke and did $8,400 damage. Car would not let me in on one of the parking, dealer could no help. Subaru from India was able to unlock the car and make it active again. Car lane keep assistant is like drunk driver. The dealer told me, that I need to buy a newer car. I have been to dealer every month.
Related recalls (1)
Wheels
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines, the aluminum wheels May have an off-center diameter.
Remedy: Dealers will replace all 4 aluminum wheels. Owner notification began September 12, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Outback years have wheel & tire problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (32), 2011 (17), 2005 (14), 2018 (13) and 2006 (12) model years. Wheel & Tire complaints make up 15% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Subaru Outback wheel & tire problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 02V-235 (wheels, Sep 5, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Subaru Outback wheel & tire problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 38,000 miles; 61% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the sidewall (13 mentions), followed by the tread/belt (12).
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.